WRITING SKILLS

ABSTRACT


People are good at speaking but feel cornered when they are asked to write. The article speaks in volumes about the formatting of writing. It addresses the problems involved in writing and how to overcome the same. It has come out with creative tools and techniques of writing. The secrets and strategies of effective writing are unfolded. This article motivates even non writers to start writing by explaining the simple methodology of writing. Besides it provides food for thought even for average writers to become professional writers. Overall this article encourages and inspires all readers to know the nuances of writing skill. At the end, it sends a strong message that writing is a skill that any one can develop provided there is passion, patience, perseverance and practice.


INTRODUCTION:


When people are encouraged to speak, they feel comfortable. When they are asked to write something they find it difficult to write Is it because man, by nature, is more interested to speak rather than to write? Or is there any discomfort in writing? Or is it because of these both factors and forces besides not having adequate practice?

In fact, writing is an easy skill and any one can cultivate. Why because for both speaking and writing the thoughts have to flow from human mind. When we speak we go to mind and get the information and when we write also we go to mind to retrieve the data. That means the basic source of inputs for both writing and speaking comes from human mind. In fact, writing is as easy as speaking when one knows the tools and techniques and secrets and strategies. For writing on any topic or subject the script can be divided into three sections such as pre-writing stage, during writing stage and post-writing stage.


PRE-WRITING STAGE:

Select the topic that interests you the most. Once the topic is clear, then collect relevant information from various sources like magazines, books publications, and journals. Surfing various websites lot of stuff can be generated. And also it provides wider dimension and different shades of opinions and angle of approach towards the topic. If you plan to complete the script with in a week, be prepared mentally to stay with in the purview of the topic. By doing so all of your energies will be focused solely on the topic and as a result you can expect miracle outcome/output/results. Write down the related points that flow naturally from your mind. Get relevant quotations and statistical information. Talk to various friends about the topic. If pre-work is done then the half of the battle is won. Lot of research is essential in this regard. There are 6W’s you have to take care in collection of material i.e. whom, what, when, where, which and why. What is to be presented, whom to present and from when to start and from where to break and why to present. All 6Ws play a crucial and critical role to play in gathering the contents of the topic.


DURING WRITING STAGE:


• Having known 6Ws during pre writing stage it is equally essential to know 1H. That is how to present the contents creatively and constructively to the readers.
• If pre-writing stage provides the skeleton then this stage provides the flesh and blood and becomes the body for the skeleton.
• Divide the script into introduction, body and conclusion. In the introduction briefly sate what you are going to write. In the body part write what you intended to write. In the conclusion write what you want to restate.
• Expand and elaborate each idea in each paragraph in a simple, precise and concise manner by taking from the already prepared skeleton stuff. Wherever possible, provide examples to each concept and idea.


The following tools and techniques would be of great use while writing.

WRITING TIPS:


• Maintain conversational tone. The reader should feel that he is not reading but he is talking to you.
• Write it in simple and straight language. The intention of writing is to communicate but not to confuse with heavily loaded vocabulary.
• Convey each idea in each paragraph. If required give examples to support and substantiate your ideas. Also if required use suitable and relevant quotations to prove your point. But do not overdose with too many quotations.
• There has to be natural connectivity from one paragraph to another and the transition must be smooth.
• Don’t lose links and ensure that the enthusiasm of the reader is maintained through out the script. Simultaneously develop curiosity so that the reader reads with a curious and open mind.
• Use active voice most of the times and use passive voice only when it is unavoidable.
• Motivate and inspire the reader with your writing skills to have long term impact and effect on the contents.
• Keep both the contents and contexts specific and objective.
• When you are giving tips, tools and techniques or points present it in a bulleted format.
• Maintain personalized style of approach and use second person like ‘you’. And avoid using first person ‘I’.
• Avoid using platitudes.
• Step into the shoes of the readers and find out their expectations so as to do justification to writing as the readers are spending their precious time, money energy and resources.
• Knowing the basic psychology of human beings prove highly beneficial.
• While writing, the presentation must be polite and never be harsh. For instance, instead saying harshly as ‘Don’t smoke’, say politely ‘Thanks for not smoking’.
• Never keep unrelated ideas in one sentence.
• Make the script convenient to read and easy to understand.
• Avoid repetition of ideas.
• Create emotional bonding with the reader by using like “All of us feel like greater, bigger, better . . . “
• Strictly stick to the word count. If the script becomes bigger then chop it and if it becomes smaller incorporate more productive, efficient and effective stuff. Your script will go to trash if you make either bigger or smaller than the word count.
• Leave margin aside so as to add any new ideas, points or information.
• Don’t plagiarize. Give due credit to the authors by acknowledging the source.


POST-WRITING STAGE:


Having created skeleton stuff and provided with flesh and body now it is the time to provide life to it in this stage. After writing the script, do not read it immediately as you tend to have same flow. Give time gap and read the draft for syntax, grammar and for spelling mistakes. Check if there are any errors and inaccuracies in information. Add new information and ideas. Then again leave the script for another day. On the next day with fresh mind, read the script so that you will have provision to incorporate new ideas and also you may find a few mistakes here and there. Redraft the script and again leave it for another day for revision. Continue the same process two or three times and by this time you will have modified and remodeled script ready for publication.


HOW TO CULTIVATE WRITNG SKILLS?


Anybody can inculcate this writing skill if there is passion and aptitude to write. Learning to write is like learning how to swim or drive. If you want to learn swimming or driving you have to involve yourself. Similarly if you want to possess this skill, you need to write daily based on your observation or something that interest you. For instance, you watched a film and then back at home write down in a nutshell about the film. Or else you observed something outside, write down the same.

We think and then talk. Similarly put down your thoughts on paper. Initially you will find hiccups but gradually it becomes a habit to write. Your thoughts will become actions, then habits, then again your attitude and at last it becomes your aptitude. Therefore, your thinking to write gradually develops and navigates you as a writer.

Writing daily for sometime should become a regular practice. Initially there would be lot of mistakes and errors. But over a period of time you tend to develop organized and structured thinking. Ultimately you can evolve and reinvent yourself as a professional writer.

Read several books, newspapers, magazines and journals. Surf various websites related to writing. By doing so you will get right inputs, formats and styles of various writers. Select the style and format that suits your tastes and temperaments and start writing. As a result of continued practice, your natural abilities surface based on your creative urge and you can create your own format and style of writing.

In the early morning, the mind is fresh; you will get fresh ideas and thoughts as you are not loaded with preoccupied thoughts and pre-conceived notions. Start writing whatever comes out of your mind daily for 15 minutes. With this approach, you not only develop writing skills but also you unlock your creative mind.

Maintain a separate notebook or diary to note down the information related to writing skills by clearly specifying the references of books, publications, websites, authors etc., Such practice will not only enable to become a professional write faster but also provides inputs for other activities.

Join in the circle of writers by becoming a member. If not, create zone of friends who are interested in acquiring the skill. By interacting with them regularly you mostly talk about this skill. And man is known by the way he maintains his company.


MESSAGE:


Writing is a skill. Talents are inborn where as skills can be developed by training. By tapping inner talents the writing skill can be acquired by passion, practice, patience and perseverance. You will appreciate that great writers are not born but made.


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