Writing is an intellectually stimulating experience. Writing requires a certain level of discipline and dedication. Of course, you can always scribble your thoughts and ideas in your personal diary or make Facebook posts about what you see or feel and tell a story. The internet has opened up a huge platform for budding writers to and share their thoughts, ideas and work. But, if you want to take writing seriously and make it more than just a hobby, there are a few things that you should remember.
Create. Do not copy : Writers need to be voracious readers. There is so much to know and learn out there. While most of the writing should come from ones experience, it is important that a writer is well read and their knowledge about things they are writing on is deep. Do not commit intellectual suicide by giving into the temptation of publishing another writer’s ideas as your own.
Stay loyal to your work : This holds true for a lot of new age writers who write for the internet. Sharing of information online is easy and there are numerous platforms that give you that opportunity. If you have been hired to write for a certain website /online platform, by no means you should get the same work published elsewhere even if it is yours. You would be violating a very important code of conduct all writers should abide by.
Do not rewrite : There could be times when writing assignments could be way out of your comfort zone. You can always turn down work if you feel that there is no way you could create something good. But, if you want to continue writing as a profession, do not take the easy way out and rewrite from similar articles on the internet. You might be able to make quick money once or twice, but it can never help you build a fulfilling career as a writer.
Research well : The internet has made it easier for writers to read and research extensively. There is nothing in the world that you cannot read online. Writing is much more than typing. Delve deep into each topic and spend a substantial amount of time reading about the topic before you start putting the words on paper. This exercise will help you create quality content and make you a better writer.’
Be a Grammar Police : These are people for who are annoyingly obsessive about not making grammatical mistakes or spelling errors. Also known as Grammar Nazis, these are the first people to spot such mistakes in any writing. Be a Grammar Nazi even if the world hates you for it. Grammar and spelling errors in your writings are unforgivable mistakes if you are taking your work seriously. Make sure your writing is free of such errors.
Proofread and do it again : Once you are done creating the content, devote a good amount of time to proofreading your work. Do it several times till your copy is free of any error. As a writer, it is your responsibility to make your copy as clean as possible before it is published. While you are proofreading, you will also be able to make your writing better and probably get fresh ideas in mind. This is an exercise that is sacrosanct to serious writers.
Writing might be your profession, but you are going to be scrutinized for it by the world. It is important that you make it as good as possible so that you do not just make your readers happy, but also be satisfied with each and every work of yours. Your work will speak for itself and you need to always strive to make it better. Follow the rules mentioned above and be the writer you always wanted to be.