WRITING TIPS FROM THE AUTHOR’S DESK
The task of writing any extended piece can be quite daunting, whether it’s an essay, dissertation, report, article, journal entry or book. These tips are just a few bits of advice to help you at each stage, though the order may vary according to your circumstances and creativity. They will help you to get started, and hopefully support you to achieve your ultimate goal – finishing well! I do hope they are helpful and wish you every success on your writing journey!
- IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE.
Is your intended reader a teacher, professor or lecturer who is obliged to apply a Mark Scheme? Will your work be read by an editor? If you write for a newspaper or other frequent publication, who is likely to read it? Think about how your writing may be worded to engage and sustain your audience’s interest and continue to think about them throughout the writing process, including the planning stage.
- DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE VALUE OF PLANNING.
What shape do you want your writing to take? Should it be done in a particular manner or are you allowed to be creative? Regardless, having a plan provides a guide for your writing, and helps to keep you focused. More concise and organised writing is evident when it has been planned. I know – there are no obvious rewards for planning, but the intrinsic reward is in the ability of your reader to follow your writing without feeling utterly confused. If you are writing for marks, that is even more essential, as you will be graded with a Mark Scheme. I have marked for a range of exam boards throughout my career; there are usually marked differences in work which has been carefully considered and organised, in comparison to those done in an ad hoc manner.
- DECIDE ON A WRITING STYLE.
What does your target audience require? Which level of formality is best to execute your plan? Will your audience be more engaged by a chatty or conversational style, or should your writing be formal? Will highly ambitious vocabulary be helpful or a hindrance to their understanding and appreciation of your work? Is English their first language, or might your target audience need a simplified piece to read? If you are unsure, research other similar works and get a sense of the conventions for the genre. If you are limited by marking criteria and want to do well, don’t risk losing marks – do what is required!
- START!
Start with a line, a title, 3 words – anything! Procrastination stole much of my time as I wrote my debut book as I thought I had to work under specific conditions. Your ideal conditions for writing may never materialise, so it is best to simply…start!
- FIND TIME TO FIT WRITING INTO YOUR SCHEDULE.
The twenty-first century is filled with distractions to keep us busy. That busyness may be a distraction from your essential writing project. Don’t wait until you’ve done everything else; add writing to your to-do list and acknowledge it. I lost a lot of time when I put writing at the end of my list – it was always something I would do if time allowed me to. When I sensed more urgency to get it done, it became the main (and when possible the only) item on my to-do list. If time is running out, make it a priority, change your routines and WRITE! If you are bound by deadlines you have no choice. If writing is a gift which you should share with the world, there may be someone whose success or encouragement depends on it. WRITE!
- PUNCTUATION MATTERS!
Communicate ideas clearly with clear punctuation. Technology spoils us nowadays, giving us the option of omitting punctuation when we communicate informally through screens. Unfortunately, it is easy for that casual style to slowly creep into formal writing. Be careful – missing or inaccurate punctuation may distort meanings! For example:
- The sheep ate its owner Bill.
- The sheep ate its owner’s bill.
The words are quite similar but each sentence communicates a different meaning. In the second sentence, the apostrophe, the letter s and the common letter in ‘bill’ change the meaning completely! Be careful with punctuation. Proofread as you write. Find websites to revise punctuation marks if you are unsure or have forgotten how to use them.
- FINISH IN STAGES.
Excellent writing requires much time and focus to be perfected. After you have planned and possibly organised it into sections with headings, focus on one element or sub-heading at a time. Don’t overdo it by trying to get it all done all at once! Great achievements require time, meticulousness and patience.
- PROOFREAD AS YOU WRITE IF POSSIBLE.
If you are able to, proofread a section at a time – this saves time at the end when you do the final proofreading. It will also help you to spot errors more readily, as proofreading longer chunks of writing all at once may cause you to be weary and miss errors.
- PROOFREAD. PROOFREAD. PROOFREAD.
It is likely that you will miss some of your errors if you only proofread once. If you have written a major work such as a book, though it’s not compulsory, you may choose to pay for professional editing services. Even if you choose this option, when the work is returned to you, you MUST read it again to ensure that it communicates what you initially intended. Likewise, if you ask someone you know to proofread your work, remember that your friend or family member may not be as acutely aware of your thoughts as you are, even if they are excellent English teachers! They may correct SPaG (Spelling, punctuation and grammatical) errors, but may still be unsure of your intent. My advice is to proofread several times (AFTER others have read your work) until you are content with it.
- RESEARCH THE WORLD OF PUBLISHING.
This may be done at any stage of writing. If you intend to publish, what are your options and how do the prices compare? Do you want your work to be available as an ebook as well as hard copies? Make a decision about how you will publish your book and think about marketing options which suit you. While you add the final touches to your work, a good publisher will guide you at each stage. Don’t submit your final version until you are satisfied with it.
I sincerely wish you all the best for your journey, and I hope your writing inspires and encourages others!
Nicholia Miller
