You Can Write Well
Having been sold on the dream of the paperless office many breathed a sigh of relief that they would no longer be required to write. What they hadn’t bargained for was the need for written content in emails and web sites. Even if we ignore the internet there are still many times when a written communication is more appropriate than any other format. Being willing and able to write is, in my view, essential.
Like any skill, writing is something which improves with practice. It is also a skill that will atrophy through lack of use.
There is actually no simpler process than writing. I know you will find that hard to believe but all writers do is to take their ideas and translate them into squiggles on paper, or a computer screen. The challenge for anyone wanting to write is to distinguish between thoughts that could be useful and thoughts which are just the background noise created by life.
What is good writing? All answers to this would be subjective and therefore varied. It is probably easier to say what is bad writing. For me, any writing that can be read easily, that is unambiguous and that imparts something interesting or essential, is good.
It is very tempting for a writer to throw himself into a new project without planning or researching his theme. Indeed this is a method followed by a number of successful writers but it is not one that is necessarily to be recommended as it leads to numerous rewrites and wasted effort. At the other end of the spectrum are the writers who spend far too long researching and planning to the extent that it becomes a form of procrastination.
Writing styles vary, which is considered to be a good thing by readers. There’s the matter of personal writing style combined with the style most appropriate for the piece being written. These two variables alone combine to produce a rich diversity in the written word.
For me it’s important that whatever I read causes me to pause and think. I don’t want to be bored. I don’t want to find myself speed reading and scanning pages. I want to enter the mind of the writer and learn something new or be offered the opportunity to look at things in a different way. That is the essence of good writing.
Time is probably the most valuable commodity we all have and it is something we want to spend wisely. How cheated we feel when we invest time to read but find the words provide no value in return.
Whilst some fear writing and think it is difficult, it’s a piece of cake compared to editing.
Some confuse editing with proofreading when in reality they are two different processes. A proof reader looks for errors. An editor looks for opportunities to improve the text by shortening sentences, removing adverbs and adjectives and removing ambiguities. Editing is the process which turns a manuscript into a masterpiece.
I am an avid reader and passionate writer so I have to declare myself as biased. I want to encourage others to write - either for themselves or others. I want you to experience the joy of creating a piece of written work that adds value to others. It’s a way of connecting and sharing. If this piece has demystified the process of writing and given you some inspiration, I shall be happy.
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