Six tips to improve your writing online
Depending on who you ask, typing is either a painstaking craft that takes years to develop, or something that anyone with a keyboard can easily turn into a million-dollar venture. As with most controversies, it is with writing: both sides are wrong.
Yes, you can start writing right now and there are plenty of places to do it. Free websites like Blogger.com will get you started without even investing in a domain name. But unless he’s an exceptionally gifted writer, he needn’t worry too much about the risk of ladies swooning over the stark beauty of his prose after a few minutes of work on his part.
The good news is that you don’t have to be a makeshift Chaucer or a makeshift Hemingway. Writing is a skill that improves over time if you apply some basic principles.
- write something every day There is something about writing that makes writing easier. I can’t tell you what it is, but I can tell you that when I write a lot, it becomes easier for me to write even more. Ideas take shape. Connection form.
- Writing is one step, editing is another In general, your writing direction should be forward. Writing quickly helps you avoid the inner editor, who might otherwise want to wreak havoc on your brilliant ideas (that’s the kind of person your inner editor is). This isn’t to say you can’t backtrack from time to time if you come across a fatal sentence that just can’t stand as it is, but make it a rule of thumb to try to save most of your edits for last. Tell your inner editor that you’ll be happy to let him out to work as soon as you’re done playing.
- keep score A wonderful writing exercise is to try to count your time and your words. Just make a note of when it starts and stops, or use a timer or timer software. Many word processors and blogging tools have a word counter that you can use. If all else fails, copy and paste the finished product into one that does. There’s something about watching your word count every day that helps you stick to your writing schedule, and there’s something about watching the number of articles or stories increase over a few weeks that really helps you stay motivated. Set up a simple spreadsheet in Excel and track your progress. (Hint: don’t look at the clock while writing, when you’re writing, write!)
- get a diary Although I spend the day in front of a keyboard, I find it useful to jot down the basic ideas of articles in an old-fashioned paper journal. Also, sometimes I need to draw something visually, and writing by hand seems to work better for doing this than a drawing program. You don’t have to “journal” all day, just have a book where you can jot down a quick thought once in a while, because if you write often, you’ll have a lot.
- Set goals I find that when I set a specific goal for myself for the coming week and remind myself of my goal in the morning, I write more. I try to make my goal a bit challenging, but not really out of reach given my current numbers (remember, we’re keeping score).
- be kind to yourself No matter what profession you choose for yourself, life is going to happen to you. Doctors have to meet pharmaceutical salespeople, even if their great love is working with patients. Writers are no different. You will still need to do your taxes, get the kids to school, and whatever else you need to do as part of the business of life. If you have a particularly tiring day of interruptions, don’t try to stick to the same schedule as you would if you had a day off to write.
