Back in school, a biology teacher, looking at my independent work, drawled: Yes, brevity is the sister of talent. Ira, this is definitely not yours!». Why biology? Yes, because the teachers in languages (Ukrainian and Russian) and literature were definitely satisfied with everything. The main thing for them was more «water », and more curly curls. And in biology, as in physics, chemistry and mathematics, «water » in the control was not very welcome for obvious reasons.
Unfortunately, not everyone can express their thoughts beautifully and clearly. As, however, just one desire and perseverance is not enough to become a really good writer. But such an aspiration is enough to learn how to write interesting notes on any topic. And you don't have to be particularly talented. One should not be afraid of criticism, read a lot, not be afraid to write and practice all the time.
I think that 7 simple rules for writing and editing texts will help many aspiring journalists, bloggers and maybe even future writers.
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Marya, a writer and blogger, runs a blog «Writing Happiness», in which she shares both her own and borrowed experiences. For people interested in writing texts, books, articles and just keeping interesting blogs, her resource can be very useful.
Who will continue to read a book if, literally from the first paragraphs, it makes you yawn and the writer's syllable constantly makes you sleepy? I think that such a book automatically falls into the section «I will take it if there is absolutely nothing to read ». In order for your books or articles to be read to the end, they should interest readers from the very first paragraph, stick to themselves like glue!
If you lose your reader at the very beginning, then there is no point in such writing. In this case, you are wasting your time and the reader's time. Either stop these classes, or continue to learn from something simpler (short articles, notes, or a personal blog).
What are you writing for? Do you do this in order to convey your thoughts to others, or in order to strike everyone on the spot with your skill in weaving intricate phrases?
Write clearly and concisely. Use short sentences and simple words. Use the words that come to your mind first. And then you will get more natural texts that are easy to read and remember.
The easiest way to expand your vocabulary and learn to write as if that's all you've ever done is to read a lot of books. And try to avoid using cliches and slang words.
Use short and clear sentences. Pay attention to the structure and construction of the sentence, which clearly conveys the meaning and captivates readers.
Use short paragraphs. Link them into a logical thread. For each individual thought, select a separate small paragraph.
While writing the text, try to adhere to the rules of grammar and punctuation. Check again if all commas and dashes are in place. Reread the text several times and make sure that you are able to stick to your specific style.
If you have doubts about the spelling of a word or the correct use in context, it is better not to use it. Remember about the brevity of sentences, do not use too many complex words.
Don't get attached to words or sentences. With each edit, ruthlessly remove what you think makes the sentence heavier and does not fit into the overall picture.
As Stephen King said:
«Kill your darlings.»
Be merciless and remove anything that doesn't sound the way you would like.
If you use someone's sayings (especially famous people), make sure that the authorship is indicated.
Make sure that your copy fully matches the original. If you want to shorten — do it from the end.
You should edit the entire text, even if it takes quite a long time. Double-check everything again, make sure that all the main parts are in place and connected by a logical chain.
Read it out loud for the last time. By ear, everything is perceived a little differently, so after that you can make the last edits and ... read everything for the very last time.
And most importantly — don't be afraid to write. Don't let the first setbacks stop you. Do not be offended by people who, instead of expressing their opinion about the meaning of the text, poke you into grammatical and punctuation errors.
I can say from my own experience that readers do not always do it politely, completely forgetting that the author is not a professional writer, editor and proofreader in one person. Too strong negative emotions can discourage all desire to write further. Therefore, I will repeat once again on my own behalf — don't stop! If it's already really hard, then it's better to postpone this activity until better times. But to give up everything just because someone on the web poked your nose into a mistake is at least stupid.
You may not become a famous writer. But it is beautiful, concise and interesting to express your thoughts both on paper and orally, you will definitely learn.
I still have a lot to learn and I hope that such articles will help not only me, but also you.
