50+ writing tips and tricks from my network
Booze and coffee, Hemingway, mind maps, and machine dictation are all writing tips from my network.
There have been some lovely responses to my A time to write article about mindfulness and my writing habits. Ged Caroll wrote about his motivation for writing, and his workflow.
Encouraged by the reactions, I asked my network to share their writing tips and habits via a Google Form. Amateur and professional writers shared their views; authors, bloggers, copywriters, journalists, and teachers all joined the conversation.
Here’s what I got back, along with web links and Twitter profiles. From style to structure, and from editing to forming habits, there’s something here for everyone.
Thank you to everyone that contributed.
Reading and research
Read a lot. Alex Johnson @shedworking
Keep an open mind and instrument handy when reading or listening to (new) speakers and ideas. Jot down things that give you ah-ha moments. Process evolving concepts "in the air" from a variety of perspectives; amalgamate (attribute!) and create your unique take. Encapsulate in a post title EARLY on. Judy Gombita @jgombita
Read! Not just about the topic you write about but read widely - I am a big believer that if you do not read you cannot write. Read novels, read magazine articles, read government reports, read poetry, read anything; the more you read the better you will write! Isabelle Seren @IsabelleserenPR
Writing time
Determine your best time to write - whether it is in the morning or later on. Once you decide what time works for you, make sure to schedule other activities around it. Create a space that allows you to do your best work. Karen Freberg @kfreberg
I'm most creative first thing in the morning. The night before I rough out a straw man covering the points I want to cover, and the order. I ruminate overnight then, on waking, I plough through a first draft. The rest is tinkering and style. Scott Guthrie @sabguthrie
Don't rush it. Let things percolate for a while. The words will come when they're ready. James Whatley @whatleydude
You need to find a pattern and method that suits you. Some listen to loud music, some write in bursts and some camp out in cafes. Find what works for you and embrace it without comparing yourself to others. Mark Grainger @MarkGrainger
Write it down, all of it
Don't get it right, get it written. As a journalist, it's always easier to edit something bad, than write something perfect off the bat.
Write now, just get it all down on paper or screen. Edit later. It's important to just get those words out of your head in the first instance. Steph Ayre @stephanie_ayre
Resist the temptation to edit before you finish a first draft. Bash it out - spelling mistakes and all - as quickly as you can. It's too easy to lose both time and ideas to noodling around and editing minutiae you'll later delete altogether. Paul Smith @paul_a_smith
Keep a record of every thought that pops into your head, no matter how small/trivial - and plan to revisit and review periodically. It’s a useful exercise that enables you to find inspiration for new content and turn around posts packed with information and context in no time at all. Matt Silver @MattSilverPR
Put one word in front of the other. Just get your thoughts down in any state to start with. Then edit ruthlessly or better yet, have someone else edit. Sarah Stimson @gooorooo
Don't overthink the first draft, just write it all down ignoring order, coherence and all that stuff. You bring structure to the piece when you edit it. Brian Mcleish @BrianMcleish
Just do it, let it flow out then have a good eye to go over it. Don't overthink it, go with your instinct. Sarah Mcghie @mcghiesarah
I was in a slump, and my sister told me, "Everything you write doesn't have to be brilliant." Her advice helped me take the pressure off myself to write perfectly. Sarah Ricard @skricard
Skip ahead. If you know what needs to happen but you're bored by the idea of how you get there, just skip to the bit you're most interested in and fill in the boring bit later. I always find the journey is more satisfying once the destination is decided. Caroline O’Donoghue @Czaroline
At school my dad always used to say if you're stuck just write something, anything it doesn't matter what. The act of writing will release you. It used to frustrate the hell out of me but it works. Jon Sellors @Jonsellors
Writing for yourself versus your reader?
Write with "what's in it for the reader?" in mind. Why should readers care? What's most important to them? What do they need to know? Sue Horner @SueHorner
Know who you're writing to, and write to, and not at, that person. Imagine them sitting across from you as you write, and that you're having a casual conversation. Linda Dessau @lindadessau
Often, not always, get your readers thinking of themselves, early on. Here's a story that I wrote today: >>Do you think skipping a lawyer and representing yourself in divorce court will save money? << Brian Kilgore @BrianAKilgore
Remember you're writing not to impress the client, editor or the interviewee but the slightly bored person who has precious little spare time and a lot of distractions.
And easy to read is not an insult. Rob Ashwell @r_ashwell
A good friend of mine once told me you should always write your blog for you and you alone.
"Imagine no one else is ever going to read it. Do it solely for your own pleasure, and like magic others will almost certainly enjoy it too."
I try to keep that in mind every time I sit down and write. Dom Burch @domburch
Write like you are writing for yourself so that you don't get overwhelmed by what people might think. Keep it short and sweet, use headings and chunk it so it is easy to read. Leave it and revisit it a few hours later. Emma Rodgers @emmarodgers
Give your writing eyes. Or cauliflower ears. Give it something that the reader can see in themselves. I call it ‘Henry the Hoover’ writing. There may be better, more efficient hoovers out there, but it's Henry who scrubs up all our primary school carpets; and it's all down to the eyes. Lisa Davison @lisadavison92
Editing and proofing
Read out loud what you have written. Sally Keith @fulbeck
Every time your brain reaches for a familiar way describing something, like a "bustling market", "an oasis of calm", or a "stunning view", delete it.
Zone in on a little detail instead: What sort of people are in the crowd? What sounds are particularly calming? How do you feel when you look down? Jo Harris-Cooksley @joannahc
Read what you've written out loud before publishing. When proofing you'll read what you intended, rather than what you wrote. Saying it aloud forces you to actually read the words on the page. Also recommend investing in beautiful stationery, you're worth it! Rachel Miller @AllthingsIC
Proofread by reading backwards. Always. Kathleen Dixon Donnelly @gypsyteacher1
Always take the time to read the final draft out aloud, it makes such a difference to the rhyme and the reason of the finished article. Kerry Gaffney @KerryMG
Be a critical editor. If that’s hard, then ask a friend to edit for you. A deleted word can be as powerful as a written one. Karan Chadda @kchadda
Emotion and candour as a means of connection
Write from the gut, write from the heart, not from the head. The most compelling, beautiful and authentic words bubble up from deep down. Jason MacKenzie @jasonmackenzie
Your best writing will often be the pieces that you feel the most ashamed of, don't let shame or fear ever stop you sharing them. Paul Coxon @thatpaulcoxon
Expertise and passion
Always write about topics you are mostly familiar with, knowledgeable of and passionate about; be ready to have your opinion challenged. Ella Minty @EllaMinty
As a blogging newbie, I have a dream to be much more than a blogger one day, I want to become a real source of inspiration. So when it comes to starting to blog, there’s no better advice than to think about where your passion lies. Just blog about what makes you happy and what makes you, you. The rest will follow. Anastasia Stefanidou @alinastf
Lean and clean
Write as you speak. Don't over-complicate it with pompous words to look like an expert. People want to read to understand, learn and enjoy. Write for them. Not for you. Iliyana Stareva @IliyanaStareva
Delete the bits you're especially proud of and start again. Repeat. Sean Fleming @flemingsean
Keep it simple. Lose the jargon and don't use seven words when four will do. Helen Deverell @helendeverell
Read a tabloid for a lesson in how to write simply - using mainly short words and sentences isn't easy but is good practice for the web. Amy Wardlaw @amywardlaw
Structure
I start with headlines and subheads, and then fill in the paragraphs. I don't write it in order either. Sometimes good starts are the hardest bit, so don't get stuck with them! Jonathan Beeston @beeston
"John Lennon is dead...? No," Paul shouted. Put the most interesting line in the first paragraph. Whatever that is. Dan Slee @danslee
I bullet point my main facts first before fleshing out the content into a story full of paragraphs. It means I can often turn paragraphs into #1 #2 etc. making reading easier. Laura Sutherland @laurafromaura
Style
Consistency is key. When you don't feel like writing, write more. Consistency is improvement. Thijs Ros @thijsros
Read and seek inspiration from one of the greatest writers in history. Ernest Hemingway didn’t use italics, capitalisation or underline. He didn’t use exclamation marks or ellipses. These are all crutches. Hemingway wrote the truest sentence he knew, and then rewrote it, and rewrote it again. Sarah Hall @hallmeister
Avoid exclamation marks. If you felt like using them, that probably means the copy wasn't strong enough. Nuno da Silva Jorge @nunosilvajorge
Shorter sentences and not too many £10 words. Bob Cushing @bobtheguru
Discipline and habit
Set yourself (or ask an editor to set you) deadlines and try to stick to them. Oh - and email yourself with ideas for posts and sentences/lines as they come to you. Alcohol, lots of it, can also work. Rich Leigh @richleighPR
Say something every day. Even if it’s simply spilling your inner monologue onto a cafe napkin, tweeting a tiny poem, writing a note to yourself for later.
It’s getting started that then enables the planning and production of more directed, deliberate work.
But say something, each day. Today this was mine. Helen Armfield @helenarmfield
Get out of bed, clear your head by journaling, and take a cold shower, for as long as you can bear it. Do not check your social media/emails. Drink a protein smoothie and brew a coffee. Get to a computer and write 750 words with notifications off. Daily. Without fail. David Sawyer @zudepr
Workflow hacks
Mind maps and Hemingway app. Ged Carroll @r_c
I dictate blog posts to Siri or emails to Evernote as a stream of consciousness, and edit later. Janet Fouts @jfouts
Run text through Hemingway app before posting. Optimise, of course. Chris Lee @CMRLee
When I'm at final draft/proof stage I read my draft on my smartphone, it's amazing how viewing it on a different platform helps me cut out things that aren't needed, spot any missed typos and add a bit of polish. Always do this if I'm writing for online as it helps me see the end user's perspective more clearly. Nicola Weatherburn @socialdepict
Photo by Fredrik Rubensson via Flickr with thanks.
