10 steps for effective writing

EFFECTIVE writing takes time, perseverance, and practice, but with good practical approaches and determination, you can turn your creative desire into concrete writing and accomplish your purpose in writing. To get past the point of just sitting there, there are a few things you can do to make sure you are writing effectively.

Here are steps you can take for more effective writing.

1. Pull out the keyword list that you have readied for whatever niche or topic you are going to write about.

2. Make sure that you have a specific purpose in mind. Ask yourself: What am I writing for? Is it is for a blog or maybe an article submission site? Am I trying to sell something or sell me? Am I trying to get customers or traffic? It is important to know what your purpose is.

3. Know who you are writing for. You may do a variety of writing and each group that you write to may need something different from you. Is it information that you are trying to impart or are you solving a problem? Should you write laid back style or more sophisticated? You need to know who you are writing for before effective writing can be a part of your article.

4. Spend most of your time writing an effective article title. This is the most important part. If they do not like the title they will not read the article. You want to grab their attention and make them want to read what you have to say. It is best to use a benefit. What can this article do for them?

5. Write a very simple outline then. It will have the title, the introduction, thought and each paragraph that comes from that. Then make sure your ending has the same points that the introduction had. It is like completing a circle.

6. Write bullet points of important things that you want to make sure that you will share. Start your introduction with a strong benefit and build on it. Never wait till the end to share something vital as they may never get there.

7. Do not use a bunch of big technical words or use any sarcasm or insinuations. People read to get an answer not to figure out what you are trying to say.

8. Write as if you are talking to a friend and you really want to help them. Be yourself and write the things that you would want to hear and know if you were the one doing the reading. It is important to be familiar and warm, letting them know that you understand what they are going through. Never write down to someone.

9. Readers tend to get bored easily, so keep your paragraphs short and simple. Give them the information that they seek easily so they do not need to hunt for it.

10. The last thing is to use a good word processor, and fix the easy errors. You should proofread it till you almost have it memorised and then still get someone to read it; Sometimes you are just to close to the article to see the mistakes.

Remember that practice makes perfect, especially in effective writing of your articles. There will come a time when article writing gets easier; however effective writing of articles will need the steps outlined above.

Tips

How to be a Good Writer

Here are some tips on how to become a good writer.

* Write a lot every day. You may prefer to write in long or short sessions. Write a short paragraph or an entire page. See which works better for you.

* Read all sorts of things, but really take the time to enjoy an old-fashioned book. Regular reading will influence your style, tastes, background, and ideas. It will also help expand your vocabulary and improve your grammar.

* Expand your vocabulary. Read the daily newspaper. Purchase a nice dictionary and thesaurus. A comprehensive vocabulary can help bring your stories and poems to life, enabling you to better describe the world around you.

* Use good grammar. Good grammar can mean the difference between a sentence that is graceful and translucent and a sentence that is awkward and ambiguous.

* Brainstorm before starting to write. In order to focus your writing, begin with the main idea. While thinking about what to write, put down any idea that comes to you. Every idea may lead to a better one.

* Plan your writing, especially if you are producing an informative piece. You can make an outline, put a collection of notes on cards and arrange them until they are in order, or draw a tree or map. Try writing nonstop for 10 minutes and see how many ideas you can think of.

* Edit your writing once you have a first draft, reread it and rewrite it. You are looking for errors in grammar and spelling as well as style, content, organisation, and coherence. Ask someone else to read your writing.

Source: New Straits Times, Mon Oct 25, 2010

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