Quote: Writing is the pen serenading paper, telling it endless
stories of how they'll always be together; of how they were meant for each
other and how they are going to shape the hearts and minds of men – Bonface
Morris.
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| Blogging and Writing 101 |
Also, if
you've been having a problem with consistency in writing and you’ve been
getting stuck, read this article I wrote sometime back on writer's block.
In
summary, this blog is about bettering your writing process and how to maintain
your writing mojo.
*******
I
wouldn't call 50% of today's cropping bloggers writers. I don’t think I am overstretching
the truth by saying so because the reason people blog today is quite different
from the intended purposes of writing. What most of us bloggers are doing today
is actually doing writing a lot of disservice. A writer should see the world as
a culmination of words put together to define and give meaning to life and not
just a thing to use to pass time and gain fame. Everything in the world of a
writer matters. It matters because it can be refined, defined and redefined by
use of words. Everything can be compressed down into words, and those words
should have both relevance and meaning to the reader. If anyone is not seeing
writing in this way, and they are using it for other purposes other than what
it is intended for, it deteriorates its meaning and purpose in society.
Having said that, I think the very first
question every writer should ask themselves is not "How do I write?" or "What
do I write about?" but "WHY
am I writing?" It is this question that later defines the relevance of
whatever anyone is writing and it also determines the zeal and approach one has
towards writing. I may not be a great writer, but I honor this art well enough to
know it matters in any given society.
Here are
a few things to do to shape your writing (I’m still working on mine);
1. Own a pen and a notebook or a good note-taking app on your phone.
This is writing, and
you’ll either need a pen and a notebook or a phone/tablet with a good keyboard
app (I use TouchPal keyboard – it has never
let me down) or a laptop/desktop with a working keyboard. You need them everywhere
you are.
I use GNotes app on Android (it autosyncs at www.gnotes.me on my PC once connected to the
internet). GNotes is small, perfect, and it's free (unlike Evernote which has
its own couple of clogs and limitations). It also has the ability to create
folders, attach files into notes, search for words and phrases within the app,
backup notes on SD card, create widgets, have a 'notes' shortcut on your status
bar... Yes, GNotes is perfect. It ensures that I have all my notes and writings
everywhere - whether I have my phone or not – so that I can always continue
from where I left wherever I am. Please get it.
After owning a good
place to begin your writing, start putting down ideas, quotes and words as they
come. Write down titles to imaginary posts. Anything your mind thinks, your
ears hear, your nose smells, your body feels and your eyes see is valuable material
for something to write about. Put down random notes. Remember to save as you
proceed. Don’t hesitate to wake up at night and write down stuff when it hits
you in the middle of the night (yees, all writers are very crazy people when it
comes to moments when inspiration floods
in).
2. Accumulate stories in your head and your heart - ones which
you tell only to yourself and smile about.
As your writing begins
to grow, you’ll realize that you can hold on to an idea and run around with it
for days as “it accumulates flesh”. This keeps your writing momentum on a
certain subject refreshed so that you can put across multiple views on an issue
by seeing it from different angles. It helps kill writer’s block.
3. Read. a. lot. Read and research on a whole lot of things.
Read everywhere. All
the time. Everything meaningful. Read, then have fun playing with words and
phrases. This helps you get conversant will the flow of a story. You also learn
from others on how to pick up a story and build on it until you reach a good
conclusion.
It will cause you to have
a passion for words. It will help you know how to twist them, imbibe them, kill
them, resurrect some and even become – so to say - a god
of words. The more you read and research and become informed, the more
authoritative you become in your area of interest.
Writers who don’t read
have a very limited perspective on issues in whatever culture they live in. I
have also realized that watching movies assists in understanding how to create
a compulsive plot and tell a good story. So, yes, watch TV shows and compelling
movies: watch them with subtitles if possible.
4. Put emotion to it. Become vulnerable.
Write something you can
read. Write something you can still smile about in 10 years from now. Now you
are moving... Write something that'll make you stand up and yell while slightly
hitting yourself (just for fun). Write something epic. Write something that
will cause you – yees, you as the writer – to cry, or to take a deep breath. Write
something that will cause you to jump or walk around because it is soooo deep and profound. There is
nothing greater than passion and emotion when it comes to using words to
capture someone’s attention.
Also, remember that there
can never be impeccable writing minus vulnerability. You need to be normal, not
perfect. Personal stories and experiences make readers realize that you are a
normal person with kawaida challenges
but with a different approach to life.
5. Consistency is key.
Like with every other
art, writing requires discipline and consistency. You cannot survive as a writer
or blogger writer by writing once a week or “once in a while”. You can’t. You
may need to learn to force words out of you even when they do not want to come
out. It is a sacrifice; it is some sort of war. It is a war that you need to be
determined to win before it surfaces. A mature and unique writing style is a
product of consistency.
6. Come out wanting to have your own voice, not to copy
others.
Don't come into blogging
and writing while wanting to copy Bikozulu or C. S. Lewis or me (hehe). You'll
flop badly. Everyone has their unique voice, identify and grow yours.
7. Write for yourself, but also, write for your readers.
In order to escape the
quest for vain glory, write mainly to excite yourself but with the intention to
reach a specific audience. If your writing doesn't excite you, it won't excite
anybody else. I always approach blogging this way: I'm writing for fun, yes,
but if touches and changes a life, glory to God.
8. Have a niche, an area you specialize in, and become an
authority in that area.
People will read more
whenever you write posts in that area. But also, in order to have more readers
from other fields and to grow your readership and audience, develop interest in
other areas and write about them too. You may have your specialty, but never
limit yourself to it.
9. Be your number one fan.
Write stuff that will
thrill you; something you'll read over and over and over again. Write something
you would love to read. But be careful not to make everything you’re writing all
the time to be all about you. Write less about yourself and more about issues
that affect all kinds of people. Also, do not get stuck in yesterday’s glory.
Whatever you wrote yesterday that kept people hooked should encourage you - or
mostly, even terrify you - into writing something better and more intriguing
tomorrow.
10. Blogging and writing
are for the opinionated.
If you fear talking
about, giving your views and sharing your opinion on issues and many other
arising matters; if you are not excited at all when you share these views, then
writing and blogging are not your thing. It is in the nature of a
blogger/writer to have an opinion on almost everything. If you don't have an
opinion on anything, stop writing and stop blogging altogether. Also, if you
expect everyone to agree with you on any given matter, you are in the wrong
place. Writing seeks to pull people into our world views but it iis not
guaranteed that they will all agree with what we are saying. No. Whatever we
say will remain around for long periods of time to shape so many thoughts,
desires and lives; therefore, if our opinions are God-shaped, nothing will
limit us from helping change the world! And, anyway, everyone doesn’t agree
with God on many issues so they shouldn’t agree with you either.
11. Don't plagiariz.
Don't copy-paste
someone's written work and fail to credit it to them. Don't be a fake who
survives on other people's work. The internet, to most of us, is such a small
place. We'll always know copied stuff.
12. Develop these good writing habits;
a)
Paragraphs
are important. Learn to hit ENTER every so often.
b)
Give
main points in bold. It makes reading easier.
c)
Check
for spelling and grammar mistakes before posting. Use an app/extension like Grammarly in
Google Chrome or in Office Word to help you correct spelling and grammar
mistakes. It is very efficient in checking all kinds of writing errors.
d)
Think
and read through your writing over and over again before posting it. Remember
that there is always stuff that you may never post although it is really good
for reading or learning.
e) Always (or when time, convenience and ability allows) have someone read through your posts to correct simple grammar and spelling mistakes. It may not end up perfect, but at least it won't be shoddy. I use my girlfriend for this (yes, she's my number one underground fan). Like she once read through and told me that she never understood what this post "Concoctions" was all about. My bad. Pride made me leave it as it was (yes, every writer has such pride.). All in all, she has really been helpful in my writing as an editor and a "proofreader".
e) Always (or when time, convenience and ability allows) have someone read through your posts to correct simple grammar and spelling mistakes. It may not end up perfect, but at least it won't be shoddy. I use my girlfriend for this (yes, she's my number one underground fan). Like she once read through and told me that she never understood what this post "Concoctions" was all about. My bad. Pride made me leave it as it was (yes, every writer has such pride.). All in all, she has really been helpful in my writing as an editor and a "proofreader".
13. Always have a good dictionary with you.
The most basic
dictionary that is free for both Windows PC and Android is WordWeb Dictionary. Very basic, but quite useful. I
have recently realized that Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary for both
Android and PC is way up there in its game too. Having a dictionary will ensure
that you don’t keep repeating the same words and phrases over and over again.
Monotony kills interest. (And if you write directly from MS Office Word, right
clicking on a word will always give you quite a score of synonyms.)
14. Be attentive to grasp stories from various sources.
Sometimes people will
suggest (directly or indirectly) what they need you to write about. Make it a
priority to write about such things/topics. It will act as a source of devoted
readers. Sometimes an issue in your society may arise that captures your
attention. Note down things about it and build on it with time (you can
actually work on one post for a whole year, if you choose to.) Just be keen enough
to know that anything can inspire you into writing. Anything.
Remember: Anyone who has been great either wrote something worth reading or did things worth
writing about.
Further reading notes:
Bonface Morris.
