1. The first draft is always CRAP!
The interviews are done, the subject matter is curated, and your head is ready to explode from all the research. Your piece is finished, and so you settle down with some coffee to read it when bells and whistles sound off internally. “Wait, this thing reads terrible!” Well, hello friend, welcome to the writer’s world where the first draft is always crap. In fact, the first draft is much like throwing half-cooked spaghetti against the wall and seeing what sticks.
2. You Will Re-Write it Many Times
The unsung rule of writing is that you will re-write it several times before it sings a snappy tune. That is because it’s one thing to have a story in your head and totally another to articulate it so the reader grasps your meaning. This is where the rewrites come in. Relax, this is a normal part of the process and it makes for a better end result.
3. Cut the Fat or Else
News flash! We are all being slowly buried alive by information overload, so less is actually more. No one, and I mean NO one wants to read more than is absolutely necessary. (In fact, I’m lucky you’re reading this.) So, put your verbiage on a diet by trimming the fat. If something doesn’t drive it, tell it or sell it, get rid of it.
4. Become a Serious Reader
Numerous successful writers have paved the halls of history with their masterpieces in fiction and non-fiction, so why not take advantage of it? In his article A Guide to Becoming a Better Writer: 15 Practical Tips, author Leo Babauta states “As much as possible. Pay close attention to style and mechanics in addition to the content.” He said that because regular reading expands your vocabulary, exposes you to different styles, and sparks the imagination. That’s because a well crafted sentence can catapult you into another time and place.
5. Marry Your Greatest Critic
At one time I shared a 4-person marketing department with a co-worker who practically owned the no-spin zone. I nicknamed this person “the butcher” because she would hang, draw and quarter my work regularly. THANK GOD for her! If it had not been for her candidness, I would have been queen of the run-on sentence and the PhD of fluff. So if you know this person, “You better put a ring on it.” Listen to them and your writing will buzz with readability.
6. Kiss Your Ego Goodbye
Blue Nib Literary Magazine writer Clare Morris said if you want to become a real writer you have to park your writer’s ego. Believe me, I know that handing your piece to an editor or supervisor feels akin to handing your newborn child to a stranger. It may even lead to another round of slicing and dicing. But it is a necessary part of the writer’s journey. The truth is, you were hired because the company already knew you had the required skill set. Therefore the editing is all about waxing and polishing the car to reflect the organization’s mission, vision and values.
7. Writing Anything at All? – Write On...
It may sound redundant but the only way to hone a skill is to keep doing it. The path may seem muddy at times but you will become proficient. Finally, we may exist in the age of information overload, but if you maneuver your narratives efficiently, you’ll discover it has the horsepower to drive your readers to great destinations.
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