Reprinted Articles

All forms of communication are important but the virtual world we now all inhabit has turned the spotlight on the written word as the key form of getting your message across. However, this is easier said than done for some as, for whatever reason, they can’t or won’t write.

Pianists practice at the piano. Tennis players practice at the net. Athletes practice at the track. They all recognise that skills need to be developed and honed if they are to be maintained.

Writing is simply the process of capturing your thoughts on paper or computer screen. Instead of letting your thoughts escape into the ether, writing them down is the process of lassoing them and keeping them for future use. What is more difficult is capturing the thoughts worthy of recording from the countless notions that pass through our overstimulated minds on a moment by moment basis. I guess this could be described as sorting the wheat from the chaff.

You could probably get as many different definitions of good writing as the number of people you ask. However, a general standard would surely be text that is easy to understand that successfully transmits the intended message.

Writers need to maintain a fine balance between time spent on planning and research and time spent on writing. All writers will have a preference and will need to compensate in the area in which they do not spend sufficient time. Too much of either is not a good thing.

It is because all writers have their own distinctive style that as a species we are blessed with such a rich literary background. New writers are sometimes tempted to emulate the style of a successful writer and whilst I can understand this, I would encourage everyone to have confidence in their own uniqueness.

My definition of good writing is something that makes me think and question any previously held views I may have had on the subject. It is writing that elicits a response in me. I want to have reason to stop and think about the words I am reading. I want the words to tell me something I didn’t already know or to provide me with a new angle on my existing experiences.

Time is probably the most valuable commodity we all have and it is something we want to spend wisely. How cheated we feel when we invest time to read but find the words provide no value in return.

We’ve touched on planning, researching and writing but that is not the end of the matter. A finished piece that a reader will value needs further attention from the much talked about blue pencil. Work that has been edited is always easy to spot simply because the quality is so much higher.

Some confuse editing with proofreading when in reality they are two different processes. A proof reader looks for errors. An editor looks for opportunities to improve the text by shortening sentences, removing adverbs and adjectives and removing ambiguities. Editing is the process which turns a manuscript into a masterpiece.

I am an avid reader and passionate writer so I have to declare myself as biased. I want to encourage others to write - either for themselves or others. I want you to experience the joy of creating a piece of written work that adds value to others. It’s a way of connecting and sharing. If this piece has demystified the process of writing and given you some inspiration, I shall be happy.

Tags: Writing