We decided to put together some writing tips from the experts. Although it is common for writers to think that they are pretty great at writing, but what if you can actually hear tips from some of the world’s biggest writers? Thus, we pulled out some of the best top 8 tips from writers. Read on.
1. Invest In Your Education – From www.verveuk.eu
Rand Fishkin (@randfish) co-founder of www.moz.com & inbound.org
Invest in your own education, specifically about channels that can send free traffic on the web like SEO, social media, content marketing, community building, links, etc.
Knowledge of how search engines work, how social media sites choose what to display and what content forms and styles are effective will forever make your efforts yield greater returns.
“There are no secrets or tactics that will instantly generate thousands of new, loyal visitors to your blog, but education is something no one can ever take from you.” Rand Fishkin
2. Write to make a point, not a target word count – www.LifeHack.org
Vigorous writing is concise. ~William Strunk Jr.
Nothing makes me grimace quite like hearing somebody say they’ve reached 50,000 words and so have completed their first novel. Remember dully typing toward a minimum word count for an academic paper you had no interest in writing? If you start to get the feeling about something you’re writing, it’s probably time to stop writing and do some more research (or bribe your editor/professor/mother into accepting the shorter piece of work).
3. Understand your audience- www.buffer.com
Understand your audience better than they understand themselves. It takes a lot of upfront research, and often means being a member of the very tribe you’re trying to lead – but it pays off.
Brian Clark, founder, and CEO, Copyblogger
Understanding your audience better means you’ll have a better idea of what blog content will resonate with them, which is a good start when you get to writing blog posts.
A great technique for doing this is to simply ask your readers first on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn with an engaging quote. If people respond well to it, then this is probably a great topic to write about. An example of this comes from Andrew Chen who famously “tests” his blog post ideas on Twitter first.
4. Avoid the passive voice.
Here’s an example of the passive voice: the passive voice should be avoided. Sentences should have a subject that does something to an object. An object that has something done to it by the subject isn’t as direct or as easy to read. – www.reflectivedynamics.com
5. Write something every day that you do not intend to share – www.LifeHack.org
Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart. ~William Wordsworth
I have a private blog I update daily with rants, outlines, fears, and bits of nothing that stream out of me when I’m struggling to find a focus for another piece of writing. You’ll never see it. There’s no value in my sharing it because the moment I know others can see it is the moment I no longer write just for me. I suggest you give this method a try. It doesn’t have to be a blog. A notebook would work just fine.
6. Keep a little notebook for moments of inspiration – www.LifeHack.org
Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable. ~Francis Bacon
I use a Moleskine to store my thoughts for later. Having thoughts and personal commentary all in one place has the added benefit of serving as a source of inspiration for later times of drought. Think of it as you would catching raindrops in a canteen. You’ll be glad for the moisture some day.
7. Write From The Heart – www.verveuk.eu
Liz Strauss (@lizstrauss) founder of www.successful-blog.com
Words tell us how to . . . how to be beautiful, how to fall in love, how to make money by working online. Words try to move us to be happier, be greener, be more active in someone’s cause. Words help us connect with each other. Words appraise us, explain to us, and help us describe who we are. Words are how we find out what we need to know.
Yet, there are far more words to read than there is time.
We can think and write. We can craft our sentences to be clever. We can make sure that each part is factual, structurally, and grammatically correct. But clever and accurate only go so far in satisfying readers. If we want our writing to resonate long after, our words need to come from the heart.
8. Write EVERY DAY. www.writersdigest.com
FOLLOW IT: Many people want to have written. Writers want to write. Every day, all day! (But, alas, the world beyond the writing room intrudes. And there are all those books to read!) It’s the doing, the intense activity of the mind, that fascinates the writer and allows her to shape order from chaos. Writers write. Writing is work. And you go to work every day. It’s not a choice. If you don’t punch in, you lose your job. Understand that writing isn’t for everyone, and if you find yourself resisting the activity, maybe you should rethink your commitment to the craft. It’s OK. Maybe you haven’t found your passion yet. We all find time to do the things we love.
But if you’ve tried to quit and catch yourself back at the desk—well, then don’t give up. Give in. The good news is that all your writing doesn’t go on at the desk. It goes on while you’re out in the world. Carry a pen and a notebook; gather evidence. You think differently with a pen in your hand. And you observe more keenly. You learn to pay attention; you keep your senses alert. The notebook becomes a repository and a source of material. It becomes a refuge. Go there when you need to think. Writing, you realize, engenders more writing.