There are a lot of things I could advise about writing, but books like Stephen King’s On Writing, or Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird do that admirably. So I just picked a couple of things I noticed new writers get wrong. Apologies if that sounded like this might a rant – read on and it should be helpful.
This is not comprehensive in any way. I just like to drop tidbits of advice occasionally. I’m nice like that.
Don’t over-describe – keep the writing simple
When I started working for marketing and PR, there was a PR specialist who tried to turn my work from a more journalistic tone to a public relations type of tone. She was obsessed with the word ‘leverage’ and would constantly talk about shifting paradigms and revolutionising things. It was awful.
I had another friend who wrote about his time in Thailand and asked me what I thought. Which was an awful position to be in. It had a big problem in that I don’t think there was a noun or verb that didn’t have a couple of adjectives or adverbs attached. It was too much.
Two of my favourite authors are George Orwell and Ernest Hemingway. I just like the way they write. Instead of an abundance of buzzwords, adjectives, and adverbs, they just pick better words. Famously, you should avoid adverbs when writing dialogue in fiction or journalism. Don’t say ‘said quietly’ when you could say ‘whispered’.
Be more like Yossarian in Catch 22 when he had to censor letters:
Death to modifiers, he declared one day, and out of every letter that passed through his hands went every adverb and every adjective.
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
This is a bit extreme and is meant as a joke. But if you can find a better word that doesn’t require a modifier, the writing might be stronger. Bigly and magnificently stronger. This isn’t a hard rule, but just something to keep in mind.
Write for the reader – at least at first
This goes for all types of writing when starting out, and it seems pretty obvious. However, some think they can adopt a tone or ‘voice’, and the readers will flock to them. Maybe this is true in the digital age, where anyone can write something and have it read on a blog or whatever. Perhaps your genre and wordplay will be an immediate hit, and if so kudos to you.
But that’s the wrong way to look at it for 99% of writers at first, especially when working for a publisher / online magazine / whatever. It is more likely you will need to take time to find yourself. Let me explain.
As a journalist, you have to adapt to a publication’s style. When you’re staff, it is easier, as they have a crystal clear style guide that you learn, follow, and get better at. When you are freelance, it is harder, as different publications want various styles and ways of addressing their readers.
Sometimes within the same publication.
When you start out, you will have to adapt to other styles and not have too much of your own. Whatever is demanded by the publication. As I worked for more clients, I gradually infused my own style into the writing, to see what worked. It is different for everyone, but this is a good way to find your ‘tone of voice’. It took me years.
You need to find a good outlet or niche and write in whatever style brings in the readers. This is something of a learning curve. These days, you might not be hired by an editor who knows the market and what tone to use. So you need to adapt and learn what works. It’s different for everyone.
At first, though – write for the reader and not what you think is fun or entertaining. What you find interesting or amusing might not be for everyone. It is easier than ever to build a following, but you need to put in the work first, attract the eyeballs, and then see what tone works. And be authentic – you can fake it for a while, but once you find your true voice and it resonates with readers, explore that.
Also, generally speaking, you should be writing for the reader at all times. You just need to find a style that works with them.
Other tips
There are loads of things I could mention that will help writers, but then this article might end up as a book.
- Non-writers are often surprised by how fast or slow an article can be. They also tend to want a meeting or a phone call as opposed to just emailing you information. This is ok, if you record it. When starting out, you quickly learn that people change their minds about what they want, and if you don’t have evidence, you are facing a ton of rewrites.
- Don’t let people dictate your price. You’ll get a lot of people offering the opportunity to ‘gain exposure’ – by which they mean ‘we aren’t going to pay you’. If you’re working with a creative of any type – pay them like you would other people who do a service. If you are the creative in the equation, get paid.
- Don’t write about things you find morally questionable, even for good money. You’ll regret it and it might come back to bite you.
I could go on about this, but will keep it short. If you want to read some great tips from famous writers – this Guradian article has ten from legendary writers. Enjoy.
