Writing is a means of communication through words between the writer and the reader and like every other skill, there are techniques that must be followed.
The following listed techniques are a must if you intend to pursue a career in writing.
- Have an idea of what you want to write about, then conduct research about the topic to have more robust information on it before you start writing.
- Avoid vague writings: Be clear and detailed about the information or storyline. Except you are writing suspense and carry your readers along your line of thought.
- Use simple words, because you wouldn’t want your readers to get bored. Remember that simplicity is key.
- Use an active voice: This is the voice your reader would easily understand. As much as possible, make use of this voice, and be passive if necessary.
The active voice is that which uses the subject combination as seen in this instance: The children love the dog. Whereas, the passive voice places the object in front, followed by the verb, and then the subject. Example: The dog was loved by the children. - Make your sentences short and intriguing, because this helps to keep the reader interested in your writing. It also makes your words clearer, more understandable and easier to read.
- Avoid repetitions: This elongates your writing, it bores your reader and it hides information that your readers need to know. While repetitions are necessary for the sake of emphasis do not overdue it.
- Stay focused: It’s common for most writers to stray from their writing path, and when you catch yourself doing this retrace your steps. Perform writing activities that make you stay focused on your task.
- Do not overuse qualifying words: These words – such as very, much, pretty, rather – are normally used before adverbs or adjectives. Avoid these words if you can, as they do not add extra meaning to your sentences, except maybe by increasing your word length.
For example: I was pretty careful about wiping my hands on the table cloth.
How does that sound? - Edit constantly, and consistently, till your writing shines: Cut out unnecessary words. Prune out vague sentences. Re-write sentences and whole pages if necessary.
It is advisable to sleep on your work before you begin editing. Give it a few hours, or days before you come back to it. When you do that, you’ll see your writing from a fresh perspective. At that point you can easily spot mistakes and deviations from what you originally intended.
No writer is perfect, but as you use these basic techniques, you will be able to fine-tune your skills.