How to start writing?

What is writing and how to start writing?

Writing, according to mighty Wikipedia, is the medium of human communication that involves the representation of language with symbols, while Oxford defines writing as the activity or skill of making coherent words on paper (or digitally nowadays). And how to write? Everybody seemed to take refuge on online jobs, e-commerce, freelancing gigs, and everything online nowadays. The competition that used to be in the physical world is shifting, digitally. They flood social media newsfeeds with promotional items of what is being sold online, services being provided, free and paid online courses, web hosting, webinars, and tons of new pages and websites that ventured into digital marketing. There are endless possibilities online, as was in the physical work environment pre-lockdown. For me, it is writing! I have taken few online courses to refresh and update my knowledge-base, it’s been a while since I graduated from the College of Mass Communication. Anyway, that was me, so let’s proceed. What do we need to write? 

What are the preparations needed for writing?

The first and most important thing is, how much do you love writing? If you love writing enough, then that is a solid foundation. So let’s gear up!

•  CONTENT - There is no right and wrong way to write, but there’s right and wrong in terms of content. When we write, it is discretionary what we want to include in our writing, if you are blogging or writing for amusement or hobby by all means, say whatever you want! No judgment! If you are writing a book, e-book, educational materials, white paper, or corporate blogs, then your article must have the backing of research or study. The last thing we want is to mislead the audience by providing fictional data for the topics that require serious information, right?

• DEVELOP A SYSTEM FOR WRITING and be consistent about it. Some people are old school and they prefer writing their draft on a piece of paper, but if by any chance you prefer directly typing your draft on your computer, then be it.. By developing a system, you are pre-conditioning your mind to be in the writing mode at the time you are about to write, but remember, be consistent about it. You cannot write one article on paper and write the next one on your computer, you’ll up more confused than ever, and your articles will be everywhere. 

• ESTABLISH A WRITING SPOT - have a specific writing space as part of the mind-conditioning mood. Like when we’re working in the office, we are having our cubicle or small table by the corner; that is our working area or spot. The same way goes with writing, we can improvise a table, a dressing table or pressing table facing the window so that you can see the trees and the clouds. The important thing is to have your thinking spot!

• HAVE A COMFORTABLE WRITING AREA. Writing is all about inspiration, We obviously cannot create something when we are highly emotional and exhausted, our minds will simply not function, we need to some motivation to write, maybe put some live plants by the corner or have your favorite frame in sight, beautiful sight relaxes the mind. Keep your writing area clutter-free, it will free yourself from distractions.

After having a comfortable writing spot, now what? Can you write? No, not yet! You have a place to sit and write, but what will you write about? One mistake many newbies (I included in my first few articles) do is being so engrossed about the idea of blogging and are even more excited talking about their lives and personal experiences, it’s a NO! Unless you are a known celebrity or politician, you may have to think twice (or more) before talking about yourself because people will not come to visit your site to read about you, they want something substantial, useful, or entertaining.  

Your social media feeds should

Inspire        

 Educate

   Challenge

       If it doesn’t, change it!

 

Here are some practical guidelines to get you started:

1. First is to ask yourself, who is your target audience? What is the particular audience demographic you want your articles to reach?

2. Get Inspiration from your audience, what are your audience’s interests? What do they want to read? What do they need?

3. Research, research, research! After knowing what your target audience may be interested in, research it. Don’t assume you know all the answers, always remember that you are not the first person who will write about that specific topic and definitely not the last as well, the difference is the information and reading experience you can provide, so research! There are tons of free and paid tools you can use to research your topics, here is the top12 of them: Google Search Console, Keyword Magic Tool, Ahrefs Keyword Explorer, Google Keyword Planner, Moz Keyword Explorer, Keywords Everywhere, Keywords Snatcher, Google Trends, KWFinder, Serpstat, SEMrush, Surferseo.

4. Find ideas and inspiration online, Check what’s trending across social media platforms 

5. Join social media groups and observe what are the common questions and frequent topics of discussion, you can opt to take part or be a silent reader, but make sure you read

6. Consider writing about upcoming occasions and festivals to become timely and relevant. You can’t write about Christmas if it’s Halloween, no one will read it.

7. Make a list of ideas, some days we are having lots of ideas exploding and there are days when we are just a big “blank” vessel, if you keep a list, it will be easier for you to write, it can help you prevent writer’s block.

8. Get inspiration from fellow bloggers and writers, DO NOT COPY, just get inspiration!

9. Always look around and keep your head running, sometimes, ideas come from the weirdest of place and situation, it can come from something you see while walking your dog in the morning, or while having coffee, who knows?

10. Read, read, read! Reading is the most essential activity you can have before writing where will you get ideas and supporting ideas if you will not read, right?

how to start writing?

Conclusion

These are just guidelines your interest and willingness to write will be the determining factor to get things done. Writing is neither easy nor complicated, it all depends on the level of passion and the time you put into it! Remember to read and research before writing! Good luck and happy writing!

If you have a knack for writing, you might want click this link

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