Trafford Publishing presents 10 Tips for better writing

Trafford Publishing presents 10 tips to improve you writing, including planning, research, using simple vocabulary and editing.

Writing involves much more than simply typing out a story or an article. There are different types of writing, such as fiction, non-fiction, poetry, articles, etc., and for each type, the writer must use different methods. The following are 10 Trafford Self-publishing, general writing tips which will help to write a book, play or article.

Tip #1: Environment – Choose a comfortable, quiet but colorful place to write. It should be a place where you won’t have any distractions like phones, televisions, or outside noises. Place your desk away from the windows, so you won’t be distracted by anything you might hear or see outdoors. Sometimes, listening to your favorite music can help you relax and write.

Tip #2: Write what you know – You should write about whatever you are most interested in. When you do that, your writing will be more interesting.

Tip #3: Planning – To quote Zig Ziglar, “Plan your work. Work your plan.” Many writers like to make an outline of their work. Others like to freewrite their ideas and organize them later. Whatever suits you best, your writing needs to be organized.

Tip #4: Research – There is always something more that you can learn about your topic, no matter how much you already know. It is fun to research something you like, and when you do, you can present yourself as an expert on your subject.

Tip #5: Narrative Style – This is actually part of your planning stage. When you write, you should give some thought to using the appropriate narrative style. A thesis or dissertation should not sound like it was written by a high school student. Likewise, if you are writing a children’s book, it shouldn’t sound like it was written by a backstreet thug.

Tip #6: Rough Draft – When you’re writing your rough draft, you shouldn’t stop and analyze every word and sentence. Freewrite it. You can always edit it later.

Tip #7: Simplicity – Use short, concise words and sentences. Ernest Hemingway was extremely good at this. Your writing should be easy to read and understand.

Tip #8: Active Voice – Do not use passive voice when writing, unless you are writing dialogues for your characters. Passive voice is used more in spoken English than in written English. Active voice is direct and to the point, uses fewer words than passive voice and is easier to read.

Tip #9: Vocabulary – Use active verbs and avoid using adverbs when possible. The verb to be is extremely weak. Try to use stronger verbs when writing. Instead of writing John is a student at the university, write John studies at the university.

Most adverbs are unnecessary and redundant. When someone says The pilot flew the jet quickly or The woman shrieked loudly, it is redundant. How else would a pilot fly a jet but quickly, and how else would someone shriek but loudly.

Use parallel structure when writing items in a list, especially if you if you are writing several things that someone did in a sentence. In these cases, use the same verb tense, structure and form throughout the sentence and the paragraph.

Tip #10: Edit – Postponing your editing for a while, and returning to it later, makes it easier to catch mistakes.

Reading what you’ve written aloud will help you correct unclear references and passages which are clumsy or awkward.

Delete any words, passages and even chapters which are irrelevant. Read you writing out loud, omitting out the parts you think you don’t need. If it still sounds good, eliminate the excess.

Omit any clichés you may have used, check your transitions and check your writing for repetition.

If you follow these 10 Trafford Publishing Tips, your writing will improve and so will your editing skills.