Becoming a writer is easy but making it your profession can be a little tricky – especially when you are a beginner in the field. There are many good writers out there who haven’t made it to the professional level. That is because there are some important factors that you have to keep in mind while writing.
That’s what we will discuss in today’s article. Here, we are going to give a comprehensive detail about such factors so that you can utilize them in your writing.
Let’s start.
Giving Your Writing a Structure
Here are some tips that would help you to write an article in a very structured way. At least, with this detailed guide, you would be able to put out your thoughts in a very organized way. Here are some tips.
Related Topic: Content Writing Secrets: Become a Content Writing Expert
#1. Ensure that you are concise on the concepts that you are writing about
According to a very popular quote by Albert Einstein, “If you don’t know how to explain it to a six-year-old, you do not understand it yourself.”
Before you start writing a piece, you need to take a moment to see if you can explain the concept you want to write about to a six-year-old.
If the aim of your writing is to communicate an idea to a particular audience, ask yourself if they can grasp the idea easily upon reading your masterpiece.
Before you start to write an article, have a clear-cut purpose of the idea you want to communicate to your audience, and then stick to it.
#2. If the Idea you want to write about is complex, outline it
It does not cost you too much idea organize to put together a text message, right? But if you were trying to write a complex article, that has so many ideological viewpoints, requests, and questions,
it might require getting them sorted out before you commence writing.
With the aid of an outline, you can save writing time and increase the productivity of your content. Some examples of content that can be complex to write are; Sales copies, Product review articles, or articles SEO practices stipulate that they should be written as long-form content.
#3. Anticipate the Questions of your audience
Another best approach for writing professionally is to anticipate the questions that our readers ask. In SEO, this is usually known as search intent.
If you want your article to be found on the search engine, you should anticipate the kind of queries your audience would make.
Your audience needs to have enough context to fully grasp the content that you have written for them.
#4. Infuse your personality into your Writing
Whenever you allow your personality to shine through your content, it will give your work a unique style. Endeavor to make use of phrases and slang that you would normally use when verbally communicating. This is one of the best ways to avoid plagiarism in writing.
You can go as far as throwing in some personal anecdotes into your literary piece( professional writers do that a lot). Here is the most important hack for wannabe professional writers; “be yourself!”
Writing with confidence
This is the third part of this professional writing guide. Sometimes, it is better to write the way we talk. This would help your content to be informative and purely conversational. I’m not talking about using slurs and making excessively wordy sentences!
We are talking about writing articles that make your literature piece sound like you are full of conviction. Here are a few practical guides to starting practicing to become a confident writer.
#5. Go Easy on the Prepositional Phrases
Prepositional phrases are grammatical elements that contribute to our writing by making them wordy and complex.
Truth is, it is not difficult to understand prepositional phrases, but most times, the concept that we are trying to communicate does not need explanation.
You can give your writing the much-needed clarity boost by avoiding prepositions. If you insight on using them, find some smart prepositions that can be simplified, then use them in your write up.
#6. Avoid the Filler Words and Phrases
You would agree that some words would always show up in your writing all the time, and yet they contribute less to your content.
Although, most of the time, these phrases and words add meaning and color to your content. But the majority of the time, all they do is add clutter to your articles.
#7. Do not pad words that are Weak with Adverbs
Adverbs can be defined as words that usually end with –ly. They are used to modify adjectives and verbs. It is okay to use them once in a while, but if they become habitual, you will find yourself making weak word choices.
So, Exampli gratia, instead of ran fast, write “sprinted instead.” Was the movie “extremely funny”? nope, use “hilarious instead.”
Making Your Article Writing to be More Conversational
#1. Use Simple Words
According to bestselling author John Grisham, there are two types of words: the ones we know, the ones we should know, and the words that nobody knows.
Always try to forget about the third type of words that John Grisham talked about. There is a thin line between having an article with a rich vocabulary and hard words that are just for show-off.
You can make use of hard words if you plan on being very poetic, other than that, try to keep the communication lines direct and simple.
#2. Make Good use of contractions
Some examples of contractions include; they’re, can’t, didn’t, etc. If you do not make use of contractions in your articles, your articles would appear to be stiff and formal without them.
#3. Try to Transcribe Yourself when writing
Have you ever tried to record yourself when you are talking? A writer can go pro by just implementing this simple hack. You can even turn out to be one of the best conversational writers out there.
In practice, try to transcribe a conversation that you recorded. Try this word-for-word, removing false starts and fillers like um, uh, you know, etc. With this hack, you will be able to get started with conversational writing.
With the process of transcribing already transcribed audio, you can pick up some writing principles and learn some of what you ought and ought not to do as a professional writer.
#4. Throw Away your Grammar Rule Book.
Professional writers sometimes like to start sentences with conjunctions. Unless you are writing a formal article, you are at liberty to start a sentence with “and”. Also, in informal articles, feel free to end sentences with a preposition
#4. Write Simple sentences
Professional writers can write complex and log sentences with flair, but they don’t make the most out of it. That’s because they are professionals.
When you write short and less complex sentences, your content will be easier to read. You can vary your sentence length if you wish, but make sure that it has meaning and a nice flow.
#5. Read it out loud
Speaking of writing flow, reading your content aloud is a hack that can help you to know whether it has a nice flow. If it sounds stuffy, then, you can reduce the length of some sentences. However, if it sounds choppy, then you can go on ahead and add some long sentences to the write-up.
#6. Do not over Explain Everything in your content
If you have taken the pleasure to put your thoughts in order, then, you should be able to write articles in simplicity and clarity.
The idea here is to give your readers just enough text to understand you without having to bore you. If you discover that you are getting into a lot of unclear thought patterns, with too many details than your need,
look at the information in the article and ask yourself whether it is enough to make your audience understand your message. If it is not, simply get rid of that overwhelming chunk of text in your article.
Read More : 3 Grammar Tips to Improve Your Writing Skills
Conclusion:
So, that’s how you can become a professional writer. It’s a long journey and you have to take the right steps gradually. The secret lies in the quality of your writing. So, we have discussed some important factors above about it. Understanding these points can help you become a professional writer easily.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Is becoming a professional writer profitable?
Yes. Becoming a professional writer is highly profitable. Many writers are earning good wages by providing their writing skills to clients around the world.
How can I improve my writing?
One of the most effective ways to improve your writing is by writing regularly. You also need to build a habit of reading regularly. This will help you learn how to deliver your idea with proper words.
Is becoming a professional writer hard for a beginner?
Becoming a professional writer is not hard. However, as a beginner, you have to put in a lot of work in the quality of your writing. Once you have learned to generate quality content, you can find high-paying clients for your work.
Is a certification required to become a professional writer?
No. There is no certification necessary to become a professional writer. It’s your work that matters in this field. However, having a certificate or a degree can give you a quick start.
