6 Tips for Beginning Writers: Areas You Should Know

If you have given serious thought to become a writer, but just have not ventured into that activity, let me give you six thoughts for what you need to begin. These tips are part of a process. The process is not complicated. To write, you need to begin.

As you write, review and rewrite (yes, writers have to do that!) that each part of the process is a learning experience. You will not begin and immediately become Shakespeare, J.K. Rowling, Hemingway or Stephen King. Their success was built upon many hours of study, research, analysis and critique to become masters of their craft. But they started, as you will, with determination to become a master wordsmith.

The first activity you must master quickly is to know words. Remember this saying: Know Words, Know Success as a writer. No words, no success as a writer. You must become very proficient in the use of grammar. What is the English that you learn in school and what is the “English” of a master wordsmith? The first is primary to learning in school. The second is learning the multitude of topics and areas that a writer must know to be use language skillfully.

The following tips are but a few of many. To become a serious writer it is good to know as much as you can about each of these areas. Again, let me stress that becoming a good writer is a process. That process takes time and energy. Let’s begin!

1. As a beginning writer, where do I start? If you are motivated to write, the first thing you want to do is “start.” To learn, you must begin. Sit down and write something. To do that, chose a topic or subject of interest. Write a paragraph or two or three about it. Then go to step two.

2. How do I analyze what I have written? Review what you have written. Ask these three questions: is it about one subject or topic? (Read it aloud.) How does it sound when verbalized? (The sound should flow smoothly.) Does the grammar make sense? (Check for basic components: subject, verb, adjective, adverb, prepositions, etc.)

3. What is the purpose of what I am writing? The reader should understand the meaning of what you have written. Many times what we think, when written, is not always what others will understand. Few words in the English language have only one meaning. Most have several meanings. The reader will “see” a word and use his most common definition of it. Sometimes simple statements carry the clearest intent and purpose.

4. Who is my audience? The quicker you find your intended audience and what they want, the quicker your writing will have meaning. The content of what you write must be meaningful to your audience. It must make sense to your readers and it must fulfill a need that they have. This rule will apply whether you write fiction or non-fiction.

5. Share your writing with someone in your basic audience. Feedback cannot be underestimated. When you share, listen! You must become your reader and fill the need the reader has. In short: know need, know message or otherwise no need, no message.

6. Write something every day. For the serious writer, his craft must become his driving force. The serious, dedicated writer will write something every day. When the writer does this, this practice will become a habit. Exercise is good for the body. Writing daily is a writer’s mental exercise. It develops mental muscle. It exercises the brain into the regimen of putting thoughts into action. That is what every serious writer does.

If you are a novice writer, a beginner, you must make some decisions. You must be willing to spend the time and energy to do your writing, work your process, research your subject area well and plan on what you will do with what you have written. With that in mind, let us look at what you might do with what is written.

To sell what you have written is an ambitious undertaking. To begin, look for publications-print and online-that take freelance articles. Do your homework. See what they are looking for and what their publication guidelines are. Adapt your writing to meet their need.

As you do this, you will begin to build a portfolio of published articles. This is what editors and publishers want to see. To practice your writing, find blogging websites and produce short articles for them. These are a few things you can do to become that writer with a name.