Principle of Good Writing
writer: (noun) one who writes as a profession or a hobby (or both).
Writing isn't easy, especially when you have a complex character or personal message that you want to communicate to a particular audience. There's tremendous pressure to deliver beautiful prose or elegant poetry with innovations, and yet remain accessible to readers. In order to create a manuscript that you and others will love, you must first start the process of writing, and you must also keep yourself motivated enough to see your worthy story or moving collection to completion.
1. Write: Obviously, the first step to complete your manuscript is to start writing. You may have the next great novel or book of poetry stored in your brain, but unless you set aside the hours to begin researching and putting your ideas into words, you'll never have something to publish and reveal to readers around the world. Of course, writing takes time and energy, but completing the first draft of your manuscript, however meager and mismatched, will not only demonstrate your dedication to your writing career, but also give you a tangible document that you can turn into something truly great.
2. Rewrite: So you've got your first draft — what next? Now, you must comb through your prose or poems line by line, sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph, in order to tie together all your loose ends, ensure your facts are accurate and make certain your characters smoothly transition from one chapter to the next. Rewriting can be a quite rewarding process, since you will see your writing equalize and your characters come to life. As you read through the first draft of your manuscript, you'll not only make new discoveries and add deeper nuances to your content, but also cut unnecessary tangents that serve to slow down or confuse your overall flow.
3. Revise: Next comes the editing process, which many writers dread. Correcting your own grammar, fixing typos, hunting down dangling modifiers and detecting simple commas splices can quickly feel like a tedious and drawn out struggle. Moreover, many writers have become so familiar with the plot and characters of their manuscripts that they're likely to read over spelling errors, punctuation mistakes and grammar inconsistencies without ever realizing them. To circumvent an editing mishap that could later earn you bad reviews, some writers hire editors such as those employed by Wordclay; still, others start another manuscript only to return to their former one with fresh eyes once they cannot remember the language by heart.
4. Learn: Remember, writers are always learning. Whether through research or unflinching honesty that leads to deeper self-discovery, writers absorb information wherever possible, exploring avenues of a personal and social significance. Just writing your manuscript is a great opportunity for expanding your artistic and emotional landscapes. Once you've completed the writing and editing process, you might start seeking out publishers who may or may not specialize in your genre or subject matter. That said, don't think a few rejections means the end of your writing career. Learn from your experience, keep approaching publishers or self-publish your book, and start your next manuscript with more wisdom and ease the ever before.
Continue reading the next article, Writing Tips: Common Writing Obstacles and Solutions
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