Writing A-Z: E is for Edit and Elevate
The very idea of even beginning to write can be daunting! Perhaps we don't believe our writing is “good enough.” But your story matters! What you have to say is important!
There are countless ways to elevate your writing! The obvious ones that come to mind include take a college course — in person or online. Hire a writing coach, developmental editor or other pro to work with you. These take an investment of time and/or money. It may be worth it, depending on your long-term goal.
But there are some “low hanging fruit” options, too! Conventional wisdom is that good writers are good readers. That means we need to read what good writers write! We need to study what makes their story a good story. While we don’t want to (nor should we) copy what they have written, we should certainly emulate what they have done and determine what feels write for you and your style.
The best way to be a good writer, though, is write! It’s like any other skill or talent. Everything gets better with practice! A great way — and I think the best way — to elevate writing is to just start writing for 15 minutes, 30 minutes or whatever time you set. After you’re done writing, grab a red pen and start reading it like a middle school English teacher! Ha!
Correct your grammar (if you’re not sure look it up, there are all kinds of apps available — even just use Google). Cross out phrases or sentences. Rearrange sentences to make stronger paragraphs. Add in a sentence as needed. Edit, edit, edit. But do NOT edit yourself while you’re writing. You’ll just get bogged down and never finish your work.
Another great way to elevate your writing is to use “better” words! Instead of using “a lot” or “many” we can use “myriad” or “plethora.” You probably know what those words mean . . . why not raise the IQ of your writing! We can replay amazing with spectacular of phenomenal. Besides challenging ourselves to use a broader variety of words in our writing, it challenges our reader to engage more intently!
To listen to an in-depth discussion on this subject, feel free to listen the discussion in a recent Clubhouse room I hosted.
You can join me every Saturday morning for Writing A-Z with a new letter each week!
Also, I host a weekday writing prompt room at 8:30 am Monday — Friday. You’ll receive a writing prompt, and I’ll set the timer for 15 minutes of writing! This is making a difference for writers! I always contend that the discipline of writing is more important than what we write! This is a great opportunity to develop a great writing habit.
You can catch up with Mary on-line at linktr.ee/themarymoss
