I don’t think I have any business telling anybody HOW to write. I’m an amateur blogger who writes mostly about life and love. I’m no Shakespeare or John Green or J.K. Rowling. But some people have been asking me how to write (and I have no idea how to respond properly, as I’m just a geek with a lot of opinions, a laptop and internet access), so I’ll do my best to help. No promises though that these will work for you, just that these have helped me express myself personally. Here are my top five tips for writing:
This one is a technical tip. When I first got out of high school, I thought that opening a journal or a Word Document is all I needed to know about writing. Going into college and taking up Journalism though, I realized that there was more to it, like styles and grammar to think about, depending on the type of piece you’re trying to write. This is one of the books a professor assigned to us then that stuck to me even all these years later. It’s worth a peek!
2. Be honest.
Writing is the only place I know how to be completely honest. When I write, my thoughts and feelings just automatically flow into the page, and that’s really helped me tell the world exactly how I feel or what I think. You don’t need page views or reader comments to validate your writing. Write for yourself, to express whatever you really want to say. Writing as honestly as you can helps make your piece more personal and heartfelt, something that (based on my experience), helps readers to better connect with you.
3. Write about things that interest you. Things you care about. Things you know. Things you feel.
I chose to become a corporate drone after taking Journalism for years because I didn’t want to write about sports or politics or business, and I didn’t want people telling me that I was a worthless writer because of it. I have friends who write (and well) about sports or news, and this works for them because this is what is important to them. I, on the other hand, wanted to write about life and love, however boring and useless that might seem to others, so I just stopped writing altogether. Eventually though, I missed it, and I tried writing again. And once I started, I couldn’t stop. It doesn’t matter to me anymore that I can’t write deep universal articles on current events. I write about the things I love because these are the things I know best. Negative comments shouldn’t undermine your own thoughts (unless you’re writing a news piece based on non-credible “facts”). Write for you, about the things that are relevant to you.
4. Find your voice and USE IT.
Every writer is different. Some feel the need to use flowery language or repetitive words to get the point across. Others are straightforward and concise. But every single writer has a voice: Find your own voice and use it. Talk about things that matter to you, and I guarantee you, somewhere out there is even just one other person who can relate to the way you talk. You don’t have to write to please every single reader that comes across your piece, or to copy the way other writers tell their own stories. You don’t even have to stick to one style forever. Every story can have a different way of being told, all you have to do is write it the way you’re most comfortable with.
5. Don’t EVER let anybody tell you that you can’t write.
Like I said, you write for YOU, and you can’t please all the readers in the world. Don’t let negative comments or judgmental messages get to you. Don’t stop writing because some other person said you can’t. Keep writing, because you know in your heart that you should.
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