A person can write about anything and everything. What interests you the most? Fiction? Poetry? History? The internet and/or a library can provide you with all the information you need. Add in your own experiences and thoughts and you can write quite interesting pieces.
If you want to be published, you can find guidelines to narrow your focus, plus draw on your own reading experience. Or you can start a blog!
It's good to work at learning how to write well, whether it's spelling and grammar or how to put your ideas and thoughts in an orderly manner so that the reader can follow what you are writing about. The nice thing about a blog is that you can get some feedback from readers. They can tell you if they aren't able to understand what you are getting at, and sometimes they offer suggestions. You could also get a friend or a teacher to read your writing and offer suggestions. One thing that helps a lot is to set aside your finished piece for a few days and then go back and read it with fresh eyes.
Don't be afraid to revise. Editing your writing can improve it immensely, making it more clear and concise.
If you write about something you are very interested in, whether it is nature or cooking or a certain historical period, your enthusiasm and knowledge will show through in your writing and make it interesting for others to read.
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Messages in Your Writing
Should you use your writing to promote pet causes? Probably not. However, if you're writing posts on a blog, that is likely the whole point of your writing--to promote certain ideas or to teach something or spread the word about a viewpoint. Essays also might be written for the express purpose of showing why a specific idea is good and to provide supporting evidence for it.
When it comes to fiction and poetry, though, you probably will do well to not overtly promote a cause, although your worldview will probably spill into your writing somewhat. At least it wouldn't be lecturing or preaching that hits the reader over the head or bores the reader silly.
Your writing will have a theme or themes, and that might very well be considered something of a promotion of a cause. There will be some sort of conflict (Man vs. Himself, Man vs. Man, Man vs. Nature) and the way that is resolved may illustrate your views of one thing or another. Perhaps the best we writers can hope for is to be reasonably subtle and to tell a darn good story to illustrate our view.
The more I think about it, the more I think that in everything from theme to word choice, a writer likely gives away at least some of his opinions on things, but again, if it is subtle and there is a good story over all, it won't be a problem. Writing should capture the reader's attention and interest, not annoy the reader. Let any ideas or opinions or viewpoints flow naturally from the characters and the story, and you should be able to do it all.
When it comes to fiction and poetry, though, you probably will do well to not overtly promote a cause, although your worldview will probably spill into your writing somewhat. At least it wouldn't be lecturing or preaching that hits the reader over the head or bores the reader silly.
Your writing will have a theme or themes, and that might very well be considered something of a promotion of a cause. There will be some sort of conflict (Man vs. Himself, Man vs. Man, Man vs. Nature) and the way that is resolved may illustrate your views of one thing or another. Perhaps the best we writers can hope for is to be reasonably subtle and to tell a darn good story to illustrate our view.
The more I think about it, the more I think that in everything from theme to word choice, a writer likely gives away at least some of his opinions on things, but again, if it is subtle and there is a good story over all, it won't be a problem. Writing should capture the reader's attention and interest, not annoy the reader. Let any ideas or opinions or viewpoints flow naturally from the characters and the story, and you should be able to do it all.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Outlets for Writing
I have been working at writing more. I find it helps immensely in spotting mistakes of various kinds that I tend to make, and also in seeing areas where I need to put in more work.
Writing for blogs is one outlet I use. I often am just calling attention to a website or an article, though, and so I quote a lot. Note to self: write more of your own ideas.
Some of the other things I do, although at this stage they are only for my own perusal, are writing poetry, essays, and novels. The novels need a lot more work on the plots. I also tend to explain too much up front, and there goes the suspense and interest. Those are the sorts of things that it helps a writer to become aware of so that those problems can be overcome. Sometimes I overuse a word. I also see things that I do well--little bits of dialogue or a humorous scene that really comes together. These things give me encouragement.
Writing as much as possible gives me a lot of insight, both good and bad, and I think it is the chief way to learn to write well. Like anything else, action has to step in and provide the experience needed to progress.
Practice makes perfect, they say, and so I practice.
One problem with the blogs is that I haven't formed a strong enough idea of what direction I want to take them in. Another is that there isn't enough variety in the types and contents of the posts. However, I enjoy them and feel that I will gradually improve.
I sometimes wish I had more time to write, but at the same time, a well-rounded life makes a more interesting writer. At least in theory!!
Writing for blogs is one outlet I use. I often am just calling attention to a website or an article, though, and so I quote a lot. Note to self: write more of your own ideas.
Some of the other things I do, although at this stage they are only for my own perusal, are writing poetry, essays, and novels. The novels need a lot more work on the plots. I also tend to explain too much up front, and there goes the suspense and interest. Those are the sorts of things that it helps a writer to become aware of so that those problems can be overcome. Sometimes I overuse a word. I also see things that I do well--little bits of dialogue or a humorous scene that really comes together. These things give me encouragement.
Writing as much as possible gives me a lot of insight, both good and bad, and I think it is the chief way to learn to write well. Like anything else, action has to step in and provide the experience needed to progress.
Practice makes perfect, they say, and so I practice.
One problem with the blogs is that I haven't formed a strong enough idea of what direction I want to take them in. Another is that there isn't enough variety in the types and contents of the posts. However, I enjoy them and feel that I will gradually improve.
I sometimes wish I had more time to write, but at the same time, a well-rounded life makes a more interesting writer. At least in theory!!
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Yet Another New Blog for Me
I am starting yet another new blog--this makes three!
I love to write and thought I would like a blog that was only about writing and related topics. I may stray into books and literature a bit. I hope you will enjoy reading this as much as I will enjoy writing it.
I love to write and thought I would like a blog that was only about writing and related topics. I may stray into books and literature a bit. I hope you will enjoy reading this as much as I will enjoy writing it.
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