Ten Tips to Get Your Writing Published
Simple Writing Strategies Professional Writers Use
Sep 10, 2008
The craft of English writing is actually quite simple. Here are ten simple things you can do to improve your writing skills - and your success in getting published.
One : Understand your Medium
The first rule of communication is to be aware of the medium you are using, and to leverage its strengths. If you’re writing for a newspaper, remember time is at a premium, so keep it crisp and newsy. If it’s a magazine, your reader has more time and is likely to be at leisure, so you have the luxury of expanding on what you are saying. If your audience is an online one, then remember you’re fighting for attention all the time, and even if you have managed to get it, the span is brief and flitting. You have one chance to make your point, so get there fast. Equally, the internet is also the medium where you can provide layers of detail, so make sure you’ve done your research and know your beans.
Two : Keep it Simple
This is possibly the single most important key to good writing - keep your language simple. If your reader has to reach for the dictionary (what on earth is that, anyway!) or log on to dictionary.com to understand what you are saying, you’ve lost him. Keep your sentences and paragraphs short, as long chunks tend to get visually tiring.
Three : Listen to the Sound
Listen to the sound of words as you write, and let them make music. Even though people don’t read aloud, badly strung together words tend to jar. Practice till you can tell the difference. Reading aloud what you have written helps.
Four : Pay Attention to Structure
Often, a good piece of writing looks like it has been thrown together casually. Look carefully again, and you’ll find that beneath the fabric of the writing, there is a structure. Study writing that you like, and after a couple of readings you’ll begin to see the framework that’s holding it together. Your writing will gain discipline with structure.
Five : Lead your Reader into the Action
Forget long-winded introductions and wordy explanations. Think of an opening that takes your reader directly into the action, and then lead into your content. Describe a dramatic moment, an emotional high, a riveting scene. Grab attention first.
Six : Skip the Detail
Resist the temptation to describe every little detail. You want to be interesting, not painstakingly meticulous. Give chronology a miss, and paint only the big picture. Let your piece skip along, rather than walk ponderously.
Seven : Prune Ruthlessly
Edit, edit, edit. Read your piece when it’s done, several times if need be. Edit out words and sentences that don’t add value. You’d rather use the scissors now than have your reader skim over your piece.
Eight : Review your Punctuation
Pay attention to punctuation as you write, and as you review. Punctuations are pauses for breath, so let your reader breathe easy. A comma in the wrong place or a sentence that is too long breaks the rhythm of the piece.
Nine : Listen to your Tone of Voice
Chatty, conversational, formal, authoritative - make sure your tone of voice suits the context of your writing, in the same way that you do when you speak.
Ten : Tie up the Ends
Abrupt endings tend to leave the reader hanging, with a feeling of incompleteness.Round off your piece with a simple conclusion – a summing up, a parting thought, a laugh… Leave your reader with a sense of closure.
