How Goes the Flow in Your Story?

 

Story passages have a rhythm, a pattern, a sound. Yet I don’t want to talk about rhythm so much as I do flow.

Rhythm can affect flow, but it’s only one element that can. Let’s look at other story elements that can interfere with flow.

Stories should flow, move along without impediment, and lead ever forward. Stories should draw the reader deeper into the tale and ultimately dump him out at the end, satisfied at having taken the adventure with your characters.

Yet a smooth flow isn’t inevitable. The writer has to work to create it. And a writer could inadvertently disrupt flow, could accidentally drop roadblocks into the story, obstructions that keep the reader from smoothly following the tale.

Impediments

These obstructions come in several forms. One impediment is simply bad writing. When the reader can’t follow the meaning or the sequence of events, when he has to go back several lines or paragraphs or pages to figure out what’s going on, that reader isn’t following a smooth story flow.

Challenging a reader can be good. Frustrating a reader with sentences that make no sense or storylines that lack logic is never good. Let your plot and characters rile your readers; let the mechanics of writing remain invisible.

~  Stilted writing is another impediment. Stilted writing can come from a writer’s insistence on not using contractions or from the use of formal words, especially in dialogue. If a character is loose and easy, don’t put formal or fancy words in his mouth when he’s in an argument. If you have to look up the word, it’s likely that such a character wouldn’t know it and certainly wouldn’t use it when he was emotional. Yes, be creative in your use of words. But maintain your character’s personality with his words.

Use contractions, no matter your time period. Humans have contracted and combined words for thousands of years. Find a different way to highlight or differentiate speech of a people group or era.

If you want one character to use a more formal tone and not use contractions, make sure all the others do use contractions. And keep non-use of contractions to a minimum. Your readers will thank you.

~  Repetition of ideas or information can impede flow. Instead of it easing readers through a passage, repetition can slow them down. They start to think, “Haven’t I already read this? Didn’t the author tell me this before?” Once readers start thinking about the story mechanics and setup rather than the plot, they’ve been pulled from the fiction. You don’t want readers thinking of the words on the page—you want them thinking of what those words on that page mean in terms of what’s happening. That is, you don’t want readers thinking of the individual words at all, not even about how wonderful they are. You do want readers swept away by the meaning or tone of the words as they relate to the story.

~  Confusion is another block to good flow in a story. If readers are confused about characters because they’re too much alike or about who is doing what or about the possibilities of the actions you’ve described, story flow is interrupted.

Always keep the reader in mind. He wants to get lost in your story, has picked up your book for just that purpose. Don’t make it difficult for him when instead you could keep his attention with just a bit more diligence on your part. Use one of your editing passes to look for confusion.

Note: If you trip over any sentence or passage or even a single word, fix the words that trip you up. The reader will have more of a problem than you do, so if anything snares your attention as you read, that’s a sure tip-off that the words need work.

~  Dialect can get in the way of a smooth read and impede flow. Use a single word or phrase to establish dialect, or let the reaction of other characters reveal that someone speaks in dialect. Spelling out dialect in dialogue most definitely slows a read.

~  Redundant phrases may not only impede a reader’s journey through a story, they can also drive readers crazy.

She nodded her head in agreement.

She nodded. (We know it’s her head and we know a head nod signifies agreement.)

“Yes, I can do it,” she said in agreement.

“I can do it.” (Yes by itself is also acceptable and often preferable, but a simple yes doesn’t always reveal the character or her attitude or emotion.)

What about possible responses to this question?

“Do you think he can handle the new duties as well as take on Mr. Big?”

“Yes, I think he can handle the new duties as well as take on Mr. Big.” [Sounds like an essay that’s been padded for word count, doesn’t it?]

“He’s good.”

“He can do it.”

“Mr. Big won’t know what hit him.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“He’ll slip right in, get us set up. Don’t worry so much.”

Responses that don’t repeat the question allow the story to move forward. They reveal something about the speaker and can also reveal information about a character that the speaker is talking about.

Note: If a question is not answered right away and either story time or distance on a page separate question from answer, repetition or a reminder of the question is not only allowed but encouraged. The goal is to keep the reader flowing with the story—don’t lose them when a few words will keep them on track.

~  Unnecessary punctuation can impede flow. If a reader is confused by punctuation that’s out of place, he’s not flowing with the fiction. Brush up on punctuation and put it to work for you.

Keep in mind that periods are full stops. Too many too close together will produce stilted passages.

~  Time and the order of events can contribute to a smooth flow or create chaos, at least in the reader’s mind.

The order of events can have to do with both logic and the unfolding of plot, and sometimes you just don’t want to tell the story in a linear fashion. But once again I’ll remind you of the reader. Challenge him if you want to, but don’t forget that a human is trying to follow your story. Most readers expect story to present oldest events first and then follow with subsequent events. If you have a purpose for not following such a pattern, remain aware of reader expectation.  And be sure to compensate for that expectation.

~  Breaks affect story flow. Choose your sentence, paragraph, scene, and chapter breaks with care. The way the chunks of words are broken and interrupted and connected will affect the flow.

Longer sentences create a different feel than do short, choppy sentences. But long sentences with many digressions can also be choppy.

~  Fit words to story, to character, to genre, and to reader. We all want variety in our words, but words that don’t fit can jar the reader. And books that should be accompanied by a dictionary place a burden on the reader.

No, there’s nothing wrong with using a well-chosen word, even if it’s not a common one. But what is your goal? To use the best words for the story or teach your readers a new word? Think cohesion in terms of story elements. Think readability for the audience.

~  Combine sentences to smooth the read. Not all phrases need to be separate. You can combine in dozens of ways to smooth the feel and sound of sentences. Use conjunctions and punctuation and variety in sentence structure to please both the ear and the eye.

_______________________

Writing is not only about tricks and tools and forcing words into patterns that tell a good story in an entertaining manner. Sometimes you just simply need to write, to let the words flow from your subconscious to the page. And that flow is as important to the feel of your story as the flow achieved through attention to the mechanics.

Write with freedom; compose your plots and dialogue unfettered. You can always rein in phrasing that’s too loose. But if you don’t write loose at least some of the time, you’ll never achieve the particular flow that comes through letting go, letting yourself fling words on the page with no thought to meaning or logic or consequence.

Planning each word has its place. But so does working without a plan. Be sure you tap into both methods so your writing gets the benefits of both.

*******

Ensure that your plots flow without impediment and that readers flow right along with the story. Don’t be shy about getting help—ask beta readers how a passage flows. Ask them where they get tripped up in a chapter.

Pay attention to flow, to the forward motion of your stories. And remove impediments—no matter how small or how involving—so your fiction moves easily, without bumps that jar readers out of the fantasy you’ve crafted for them.

Culled from The Editor’s Blog

• CONFUSION
• IMPEDIMENTS
• NARRATION
• REPETITION
• RHYTHM
• STORY FLOW

Seven Questions To Ask When Building Your Author Brand

An author brand is more than just a fancy website. It goes beyond color schemes, fonts and a logo. Sure, these things are all part of the bigger picture, but they don’t reflect your brand as a whole.

But, what exactly is a brand? And how can you develop one as a writer? In simple terms, your brand is what distinguishes you from everyone else out there. It’s your values, your personality and, ultimately, the unique stories only you can bring to the literary community. All of these things should be reflected in your personal author brand, whether that be through your website, or through your social media feeds.

While it can be easy (and tempting!) to get caught up in the process of picking out color schemes, fonts, and a logo that is sure to blow everyone away, it’s important to dig deep and focus on the core questions that truly set you apart from everyone else. That’s what branding is all about.

So, as you start (or continue) to develop your own brand as an author, keep these questions in mind.

1) Why do I write?

This question lies at the heart of every brand, not just author brands. Why do you do what you do? What motivates you to sit down at your computer (or notepad) to write? These are your values as an author, the things that keep you writing day after day, even when the going gets rough. You can use your values to guide your brand forward in a way that is authentic and meaningful.

2) Who are my readers?

Understanding who you are and what you believe in is important, but so is understanding your audience, or readers. Without a firm grasp of who your readers are, you won’t know what they need and want. And if you don’t know what they need or want, how can you effectively build a brand that attracts your ideal reader?

3) What do I have to offer my readers?

I know what you’re thinking: “I offer awesome stories, isn’t that enough?” And, to an extent, it is enough! However, it’s best to get as specific as possible with what exactly you have to offer your readers. For example, if you’re a romance writer, what sets your book apart from the thousands of other romance novels out there? Why should a reader pick up your book, specifically? Again, really dig deep, and if it helps, reach out to your beta readers. What drew them into your book? For them, what sets your book apart from the rest?

4) Does this truly reflect who I am as an author and a person?

It can be really tempting to try and imitate another person’s style and brand. Especially when we view that person as being more successful than us, whether that be through more book sales, or a bigger social media following. No matter how tempting it may be, don’t be a copycat! It will only hurt you in the long run and, ultimately, it’s just not sustainable. Pretending to be someone you’re not is exhausting, so it’s best to be as authentic as possible when building your own (unique!) author brand.

5) What are other authors doing?

I know, I know, I just told you not to be a copycat. Now, I’m telling you to look at what other authors are doing. Why? For starters, it’s always a good idea to follow other authors, especially those who write in the same genre as you, because it can be an excellent source of knowledge. Maybe a fellow author blogged about a conference that you couldn’t attend. Maybe another author has valuable insight on writing and selling e-books. Ultimately, you should never ignore other authors just because they’re “competition.” More often than not, it’s the friendships that you form with other authors that push you to grow, evolve, and improve, so don’t miss out!

6) Am I willing to be consistent?

Brand consistency is key to making sure you don’t confuse your readers, or yourself. But what does it mean? On the surface, it means consistently using the same design elements, such as colors, logos, taglines, and more, across every platform you’re a part of. At a deeper level, it means that your message (i.e. who you are as an author, who your readers are, and what you have to offer) are crystal clear.  

7) Am I willing to evolve?

Authors evolve over time, and so do their brands. Maybe you’ve decided to go in a completely different direction with your writing. Maybe your values and core message have changed. Whatever the case may be, there is no shame in adjusting your brand to account for your growth as a writer. On the other hand, while it’s important to remain flexible, you don’t want to shake things up too often, as this can create confusion. It’s a good idea to reevaluate your brand once a year, and ask yourself: does this still represent who I am as an author?

Would you like to be widely-read? Let SOI Publishing bring your book to life with high-quality production services. Contact us here.

7 Advantages of Outsourcing Content Creation

 

Research has shown that companies which maintain an active blog on their website have seen a rise in leads by a whopping 67%. This is exactly why B2B marketers trust content.

However, the fact is, not everyone has the expertise or the skills to churn out quality content. This is why many companies choose to outsource their content creation to experts. Today, we have many content creation agencies that not only develop content but who also help companies find new audiences through content marketing.

In fact, studies by LinkedIn showed that the activity that B2B marketers outsource the most is writing, with 44% of marketers choosing to trust their content needs with industry experts who have years of experience spinning magic out of words.

Choosing an external company for your content requirements has some obvious benefits, such as:

1. It allows you to leverage specialisation, expertise and focus

When we talk of expertise in content development, we aren’t just talking about someone’s ability to write. Expertise, specialisation and focus also cover important aspects such as domain knowledge, experience in a particular role, ability to handle projects of varying degrees of complexity and so on.

When you outsource your content creation requirements, you’ll be able to leverage the ideas, strategies and best practices of an industry veteran. Experienced content providers will also be able to forecast the upcoming trends in the world of content marketing and they’ll be able to guide you towards creating a content strategy that’s geared to meet the requirements of the future.

Thought leadership is another area where you’ll benefit. By utilising the services of an experienced company, you’ll be able to churn out content which will position you at the helm of your industry.

2. It can save you a lot of money 

Say you want to set up your own internal content team. First, you’ll need to hire the people with the right skills, and to get the crème de la crème, you’ll need to provide generous compensation (not to mention the added benefits).

Next, you’ll need to purchase the required software and train your staff in using them. If your seasonal workload is too high, you may need to hire freelancers to help. As time passes, you’ll need to consider expansion both business-wise and premises-wise to accommodate your growth. At the end of the day, all this costs money, and for a company which specialises in something entirely different, this is time and money that you could have used on improving your core operations.

Choosing to outsource your content creation needs to an external agency which already has the tools, processes and procedures in place to churn out high-quality content will not only give you the best results but will also save a lot of valuable time and money.

3. It will allow you to experiment with different types of content 

They say variety is the spice of life and this is true with content too. Using the same format each time you publish something will not only make your content boring to read, but it may also fail to add true value to what you’ve written.

For example, there are certain forms of content, like statistics, which look and read brilliantly as infographics. Others like product lifecycle analysis add maximum value to readers in the form of case studies. It’s important to choose a content format which suits the nature of the content you wish to publish.

From blogs to videos and emails to whitepapers, there are multiple types of content that content creation agencies specialise in. By outsourcing your content needs to them, you’ll be able to customise your content as you wish.

4. It improves operational efficiency and reduces TAT 

Specialised content creation and content marketing agencies have standards, processes and procedures which are designed for greater operational efficiency. Based on industry requirements, upcoming trends and benchmark practices, these processes and procedures are constantly updated.

When followed, they will lead to greater standardisation of workflows, which will, in turn, lead to greater consistency in the final output. Highly experienced and process-driven teams will be equipped to create and curate content based on client specifications, ensuring that your needs are completely taken care of.

Cumulatively, this increased operational efficiency will lead to a reduction in the Turnaround Time.

5. It results in greater quantitative benefits 

It’s been noticed that conversion rates for companies that use content marketing are 6X higher than companies that don’t use content marketing.

Content creation has some obvious, quantitative benefits, which you’ll be able to gauge through the performance of various metrics, for example:

• Good website copy, relevant backlinks and SEO, will increase the number of page views and the time spent on a website. Your content will also give you an indication of why and where visitors exit your website.
• Changes in your social media metrics such as the reach, the engagement, the buzz generated by your posts, customer participation and employee advocacy will be immediately visible in your social media performance.
• Email marketing metrics such as the number of subscribers, email CTRs, conversions and sender scores are also immediately impacted due to the type and quality of content used.

A culmination of all the improvements generated through quality content can be seen in the ROI. As a result of increased leads, conversions and engagement, you will see a drastic rise in your ROI.

However, these improvements can seldom be seen if the in-house content team doesn’t have the experience to tailor content marketing to suit specific audiences and meet specific goals. This is where a content creation company is extremely helpful.

6. It can lead to trusted long-term partnerships 

Content is something that is extremely personal to each company. Over time, as your company evolves and grows, so will your content needs. When you work with a content developer for an extended period of time, you’ll find yourself developing a unique partnership with them.

As your external partner becomes an extension of you, you will find yourself operating at the same level of operational, strategic and ethical standards; all of which will finally lead to exceptional output.

Social media influencer Neil Patel recommends you analyse your content requirements and choose an external agency whose values and standards are the same as yours. This will enable you to establish mutually-beneficial and long-lasting partnerships.

7. It will help you reach a wider audience 

Most content creation agencies double as content marketing firms and a key aspect of content marketing is social media sharing. Many of these companies have their own home-grown networks on various social media platforms, which they use to market their content on.

These content agencies often allow their clients access to their substantial social media following by allowing their clients to post on other blogs/websites. Sometimes, they may even share relevant content in their own newsletters and social media accounts, thereby allowing clients to be discovered by newer, wider target audiences.

Source: SiteProNews

• CONTENT DEVELOPMENT
• CONTENT MARKETIING
• OUTSOURCING

5 Reasons You Should Focus on a Specialty in Your Business

 

What’s your specialty? This is not a trick question—every business owner should be able to answer it in one concise sentence.

No matter how many products or services your business offers, your business has a core specialty (some call it a core competency) and you should know what it is.

Perhaps you are a professional organizer and your specialty is family moves. Or, you are a caterer, and weddings are your sweet spot. Or, you own a garage, and you are known for being the old cars “whisperer”.

As ambitious, energetic entrepreneurs, many of us think that we should please every customer who walks through the door, regardless of whether their needs match our business’s core competency. After all, it’s crazy to turn a willing, paying customer away. Right?

Wrong.

Choosing a specialty, and sticking to it, is a fundamental marketing strategy that will make your business stronger, not limit it.

Here are some of the reasons why you should focus on one area of expertise in your business:

1. It will be easier to promote your business.

When you’re focused on your specialty, you can share with people what you do in a faster, clearer and more memorable way. “I specialize in planning destination weddings” is a much more “sticky” message than “I am an event planner.” Describing your business on your website will also be a breeze—you will be able to communicate what you do in a clear and concise way which your website visitors will appreciate.

2. It will be easier to achieve expert status.

This one is pretty intuitive but let’s discuss it for a minute. The more focused you are on your specialty, the more specialized knowledge you’ll accumulate. If, for example, you are a mechanic and you choose to make fixing old cars your area of expertise, you’ll work on more old cars, you’ll talk to more owners of old cars, and you’ll read more about old cars than most mechanics. Soon you’ll be more experienced and more knowledgeable than most of your colleagues because you stayed focused. An expert status would be much harder to achieve if you chose to be a more “general” car specialist.

3. It will be easier for customers to choose you.

We all look to hire experts. Think about it: if you need a root canal, you go to a dentist who specializes in root canals. If you happen to have a small dog, you look for a vet who is known for specializing in small dogs. Choosing a specialty, and being good at it, will bring to you the exact customers you’re looking to serve. If, on the other hand, you maintain a “general” status, you’ll have a harder time convincing a customer to choose you over a specialist.

4. It will be easier to get to know your customers.

Imagine you own a bookstore. Now, imagine that the only type of books you sell in your store are mystery novels. Clearly, your customers will be mystery novel fans. You will meet and talk with more mystery novel lovers than most people have ever met in their lives. In the process of these interactions, you will get to know a lot about this group of people: you will learn why they like mystery novels, which of the books you sell they like and which ones they don’t like and why, and so on. Naturally, you’ll be able to serve their needs better than any other bookstore in town. This deep understanding of your customer would be difficult, even impossible, to achieve if your bookstore sold books of every possible genre. 

5. It will be easier to show personality in your business.

Because you know your customers very well, you’ll be able to talk directly to them in your advertising—whether it’s a website, a brochure, or whatever other medium you choose. Using language your customers respond to, jokes they find funny and offers they find relevant will keep you close to their hearts and will always make them choose you over the competition. General ads or promotions that some non-specialists may choose to run, meant to attract a general group of people, by promising general benefits would never evoke a similar emotional response.

Choosing a specialty and sticking to it is a powerful way to build your business. So, try to shake the habit of deviating from your chosen niche every time a customer asks you to do something “extra” for them.

All that said, I don’t mean that you should NEVER venture outside of your niche. If and when you’re ready to grow your business, offering additional products or services is a great way to do that. However, such an expansion should not be a casual action. It needs to be planned strategically and launched with diligence and intention, like a pro.

Culled from Built In Chi

Post Tags:#business#business owner#specialty

5 Ways to Come Up with Great Story Ideas

Been racking your brain about great story ideas?

We all have a million excellent ideas for stories, but, without fail, they magically disappear the minute we sit down to write. It seems impossible, but it happens constantly. Hours are wasted staring at a blank page. And, no matter how many cups of coffee are in our systems, we still can’t find the energy to kick our muses into gear and develop story ideas.

Have no fear: I have five ways that will help pump up your creativity muscle and build story ideas that will keep you writing for hours on end. Here they are.

 

How to Build Great Story Ideas

 

1. Reinvent a scene from a book.

 

Take a very small, seemingly unimportant scene from one of your favourite books and consider what it’d be like if that were the opening scene to your novel. Change the characters of course, and add one or more unique elements to that scene. The key is to give you a starting point and then let your imagination run wild.

While there are many ways to stay inspired, this challenge really takes something that you love (an old book) and gives it new life.

 

2. Use junk mail as inspiration.

 

Take the next two pieces of spam mail you receive (either snail mail or e-mail) and use them to determine the profession of your protagonist and your protagonist’s love interest.

I get this type of mail all of the time, particularly from politicians, credit card companies and auto dealerships—and that’s just what’s delivered by the United States Postal Service! When I add in the junk sent to my e-mail inbox, I get “foreign ambassadors from Nigeria” looking for million-dollar loans and women begging me to click through to get “erotic” pictures of them. Any one of these jobs will lead to many fun and unusual situations—and will give you plenty of fodder to write about.

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3. Invent a history for someone with whom you’ve lost touch.

 

We have all had friends in our lives from grade school, high school or college that we knew quite well back then, but haven’t seen much (if at all) since. In fact, most of their lives are a mystery to us. Pick one of those old friends and write about the life they’ve been leading ever since you lost touch.

What happened in his or her family life? What career path did he or she choose? Was he or she involved in something that led them to a life of crime? The possibilities are endless, which should drive you to be as creative as possible.

 

4. Eavesdrop on a conversation.

 

Just because you’re stuck in a bit of a funk when it comes to ideas doesn’t mean that other people are. Take your notepad or laptop out of the house, sit down somewhere and observe the scenery around you—and listen to any and every conversation within earshot. You can do this at a park, restaurant, coffee shop or, my personal favourite, a bar (people who have a few drinks in them tend to share the best stories). Remember, jot down all the stories you hear but be sure to give them a twist to make them your own.

 

5. Find a writing prompt and run with it.

 

Sometimes the best cure for writer’s block is to let someone else start your story for you. #

SOIPublishing has some great creative writing prompts. You can also search the web and find a number of other sites that offer them, and who knows, the idea you get from a writing prompt may be just the inspiration you need to spark your creativity and write a short story or novel that sells.

4 Effective Ways to Market Your Business Online

 

All businesses, great and small, exist for one reason – to make money. Every decision or action that happens in the business is just one step on the way to the ultimate purpose of that business, that is, to make a sale. The difference between businesses that succeed and those that fail is the ability to sell.

 

As important as the processes of creating quality products and building organizational structures are, they do not form the bedrock of business success. The product is nothing if it does not win the attention of buyers. Unless people are willing to buy what you are selling, your entire effort in building the business is wasted.

 

That is why selling, along with everything that goes into making a sale, is the most important function in a business. As a matter of fact, every action the people in a business take will contribute to the business’ ability or inability to market its products or services successfully.

 

This is why successful businesses elevate the art of marketing to the level of strategy, says Funeral Home Media. Strategy is a systematic plan of action designed to increase the probability of success under conditions of uncertainty. Strategy makes your results more predictable in unpredictable circumstances.

 

How should you market your business?

In today’s world, most business is done on the internet. Even if the actual sale does not take place there, cyberspace is where your first contact with customers often happens. There are two things that need to happen to your marketing if your business is to consistently make its mark in the online space:

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• Firstly, there must opportunities for that initial contact between your business and users of the internet. If buyers cannot find you online, how can they buy from you?
• Secondly, people who encounter your business online must come away with a good impression of the business and the products or services it is offering.

 

The ability of your business to repeatedly do these two things well is the foundation for successful online marketing. What are some of the strategies you can use to reach more people online and also impress them with the quality of what your business has to offer?

 

4 tips for successfully marketing your business online

 

1.    Update your SEO game

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is where it all begins. This is what you do to define who you are on the internet. It is what makes it easier for people to find your business among the billions of businesses on the internet.

 

What is SEO? SEO is every step you take to improve the ranking of your business on search engine results pages (SERPs). A great SEO strategy ensures that when internet users enter a search phrase that relates to something your business does, your website or content will show at the top of the search result page. This is important because most internet users do not click past the first page of search results.

 

2.    Engage on social media

A vast amount of time people spend on the internet is dedicated to social media sites. Social media offers the most effective platform for reaching the greatest number of potential and existing customers within the shortest time. But to succeed on social media, you must honor the purpose of those sites and why people use them.

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The three reasons people come to social media are to be informed, inspired, and entertained. A social media strategy that values engaging with people above selling to them will be more successful in the long run. The goal of your social media strategy should be to build a community.

 

3.    Become an authority through content marketing

People hate to be sold something but still want their problems solved. How can you get people to buy something that will solve their problems if you cannot sell to them? The answer is through content marketing.

 

Content marketing is about providing useful information that addresses customers’ pain points without an overt attempt to sell to them. This is often done by creating insightful blog posts or video content that answer the customer’s questions.

 

This kind of valuable content helps to build trust because it positions your business as an authority in that area. When that internet user is eventually ready to buy, they are more likely to remember and buy from your business.

 

4.    Build an email list to foster conversations

Email is arguably the cheapest and most effective way to market online. When marketing on social media, the social media site plays the role of a mediator between you and the customer. Content marketing also depends on the ability of customers to find your content in SERPs.

 

With email, you have a direct communication line to the customer’s inbox. This kind of marketing is personal and people like it, especially if they signed up to receive your emails. But like content marketing and social media, email marketing is best used as a tool for engagement. With time people are more likely to buy from you if they have been sufficiently engaged.

5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Writing

 

So you’ve been wanting to write—for your blog, for your company, for industry publications, or maybe just for fun. But you’re not sure where to get started. Or maybe you’ve never even considered writing (or never really liked it to begin with), but you’re quickly realizing that you’re going to have to do it (and do it well) for your career.

As with anything, writing is much less about being born with an innate “talent,” and much more about getting better with practice. So here are a few fun and simple ways to start incorporating writing into your everyday life—and get better at it in no time.

1. Look Around

Many writers cling tightly to the idea of a “muse,” a divine inspiration that hits when she fancies and provides you with the exalted insight for your most inspired piece.

Well, it doesn’t always work that way. While there’s no denying that great ideas can’t always be forced, the mood to write doesn’t always strike when it’s convenient. Instead, take advantage of the world around you for inspiration—your walk to the subway, the stories in your Facebook newsfeed, your interaction with the cashier at Starbucks in the morning (and the afternoon). As writer Henry Miller once said, “Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music—the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls, and interesting people. Forget yourself.”

If you don’t think you have anything to write about, think again. There’s inspiration everywhere—you just have to be paying attention.

2. Find Your Space

How and where do you write best? For some people, it’s peace and quiet, while others need music or the chaotic hubbub of co-workers milling about. And most find that different places work for different types of writing: When you have to write for work, you may need to put in your headphones and listen to the crooning of Lana Del Rey, but when you’re blogging, you may prefer curling up on your couch with a glass of wine.

Instead of trying to force yourself to write at a specific location, try out a variety of different spaces until you find what works for you. Then, recreate that cozy, creative environment every time you need to write.

 

3. Write Now, Edit Later

Many times, your own worst critic—in writing and in life—is you. So, when you’re writing, it’s really important not to judge what you write down, at least at first. Even experienced writers don’t often crank out a perfect first draft, so setting your expectations too high from the outset is unrealistic (not to mention discouraging).

A good exercise in nonjudgmental writing is to set a timer for 10 minutes and just write. Write down what you know, what you feel, or whatever’s on your mind. Don’t try to write too carefully or too intelligently or too accurately. In fact, stop trying, period. Writing goes much better when you don’t work so hard at it or criticize your every word.

Even if you need to do some research for what you’re writing, start by just getting some thoughts on paper. Write down what you know, build a skeleton that you can add to, and then research the rest later. Don’t let a lack of immediate knowledge stop you.

 

4. Read it Out Loud

This tip is twofold. First, in most cases, you should write like you talk. Even if you tend to use a casual tone, that’s OK—it will help you sound more realistic and understandable to your readers. Try recording yourself talking for two minutes, then transcribing it. You can correct obvious mistakes later (and edit out the “likes” and “ums”!), but writing that reflects the way you speak often showcases the most authentic version of yourself.

Secondly, once you’ve written something down, actually read it out loud. As silly as you may feel, it’s the best way to make sure what you’ve written makes sense. Anything that doesn’t flow, is confusing, or is missing a word or two will quickly make itself apparent.

 

5. Just Write

If your goal is to truly improve, the more you do it, the better. There are so many ways to get words onto paper (or onto the screen)—so take advantage of these opportunities to hone your skills. Compose well-crafted emails and clever tweets, start a personal blog, or ask for more writing projects at work.

You can even make a game of it. At the beginning of every day, pick two or three words you want to use that day. Write them on post-it’s and stick them on the wall in front of you, and find a way to use them in your writing that day.

Today as much as ever, everyone needs to write—it’s an expected and actually quite useful form of communication. But being able to write well is a skill, and one that’s sought-after no matter what you do. The good news is you can get there. The first step is just getting started.

Culled from The Muse