Some say that writers are born, not made. For the most part, this is accurate. One has to have the genetic build in order to produce eloquent, fluid, and somewhat hypnotic articles with relative ease. It is, indeed, a gift afforded by nature to a few.
I am a writer; I’ve been one for ten years now. But I am not what many can call a top-notch writer; not even in any close proximity to that level. But I can write reasonably well – well enough that some people actually like my style of writing to pay me for it! Linguists and gifted writers might mock my ability, but I do not really care.
I am here to share to all aspiring writers who are greatly challenged by the complex competition in the world of online writing. My aim here is to teach you how to improve your writing prowess well enough to earn money for it.
Words of notice: If you think you are a writer of calibre, then this article is not for you. :-)
That aside, How, then, can you write effectively? Here are some tips (for amateur writers):
- Make an outline This is very essential for first-time writers. The organization of your write-up says so much about your ability. If you can’t organize well, then you cannot write well. Making an outline is a very elementary thing (I teach this lesson to my grade V-VI pupils), but it is very helpful in organizing ideas. So what do you do in outlining? Simple. List down possible ideas you have for your topic. Then, arrange your ideas depending on how you want it to be arranged: perhaps in the order of importance, proximity, recency, or relevance. More importantly, the outline gives you some picture already as to what organization would be best for the article in mind.
- The parts of a composition. Basically, an article is made up of three parts: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Your first one or two paragraphs constitute the introduction. Here you will give a succinct background about your article. This will serve to give the readers an idea about what you body will focus. The second and the largest part of the article is the body. Here your outline will be of good use. If you are an amateur, stick to the outline, it will do you good. The last part is the conclusion. A good way of concluding the article is by presenting a brief and powerful line, probably a quoted statement from a known expert, etc. You also can give an open-ended question which will make your readers want more from you and your articles. For starters, you can do with summing up the body.
- Thesaurus. The thesaurus is a very handy thing. Personally, I do not write without a thesaurus. There are online sites like www.thesaurus.com and www.dictionary.com, which offer free services. Remember that using the same verbs, descriptives, and expressions over and over again makes for a very lousy piece of writing. The thesaurus significantly widens your vocabulary stock, and, thus, improves your end product. Plus, using a variety of words to mean a single thing just makes you sound a whole lot more intelligent and exciting.
- Read a lot. This is probably the most important tip on how to be an effective writer. A writer cannot be a good writer if he does not love to read. Frankly, if you have not read much in your lifetime, then you will not be able to write at all. I have not met an excellent writer who does not love to read; nor have I met an avid reader who does not love to write. Reading is what implants in you the skill and the instinct that you need for effective writing. This is not to say that formal instruction is useless. It is, but only to polish you out.
- Relax. When you write, your mind and your heart should be at ease. If you are stressed, you are not likely to produce a good article, because your mind is preoccupied with things other than your writing. If you are not at ease, writing becomes a demanding and exhausting job. But if you are unperturbed, it is probably the easiest job in the world. After all, writing is merely recording what your mind and heart is saying.
In addition, when you do write, do so because you love to, and you want people to hear and have a say on your ideas; do not do it merely because you want to earn a lot of money.
Writing has, for centuries, always been an art. Poetry or prose, it has always connected the soul of the writer to its readers; and it betrays the true nature of the writer without his even knowing it.
Thus said, write sincerely and write from your heart because people will know. And when they do, they will love you and they will tell other people about you. And this, my friend, is how you will earn respect.
In the same manner, if you write for money, people will also know. And they will tell others about you. And this, my naive friend, is how you will lose credibility).
Cenon Edsel G. Gaytos - Hi, I am new at Suite 101, and I kind of regret knowing this site a little bit late. I am a dedicated English as a Second Language ...
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