Okay, now that you’re here, now what, right? Well, you probably found this blog because of the title, am I right? So I am guessing that you are a writer or some one who wants to better their writing.  I have been writing ever since the age of 12 in late 1992, and that is when I found out that I too had written ideas that were worthy enough to be called logical writing. Fast forward to now, I am now the age of 29, I have several folders in my portfolio of writing, a few online articles, 5 press releases, this blog and 4 web sites I write for. Now I can add 2 accomplished novel publications also to my name.

Now for the fact of this blog, with all that writing everyone is checking online sources to find the easiest, quickest and sure-fire way to become the next famous writer. We know only then, for all the hard work we put into our long hours of research, note taking, writing, re-writing and re-writing draft after draft after draft, that we will be read. But truth be told, there is no real sure way to be a great writer. If you don’t write then yes, that is a sure way to fail! But if you write, then write! Keep close attention on your content, ask yourself the questions about your writing-is this something that anyone will care enough about to read? Will this piece of writing be something that will affect the readers who are interested in this topic?  If you can answer yes to either of those questions then you may just have the ability to be a great writer, but the key is to start writing.

Point number two of my truth, I hate the subject of English! I’ll admit it because I write. I do and always have hated the subject of written English! I would rather sit in a dark dentist office getting a root cannel then sit through an hour or two in an English class. But…I write, so due  to experience I know how difficult it is to get any sort of publications read after they are written. Frustration sets in quickly but don’t give up! I’ll highlight a few things that may make it easier to get started in this difficult world of writing. I have sat through many English classes yes, that is true, and I’ve even read many books out there on the subject. So here are a few outlined highlights on what I know of being a writer.

  • The most important of all is that you have an idea or something meaningful to say, and it is you that is saying it. This means it is unique in many ways. So by all means, JUST WRITE! WRITE!
  • If you are like me worried about punctuation and grammar, take a few basic classes at a local college. If you cannot justify paying money on a class you are auditing ( not getting college credit for) than look online for a few free writing tutorials. I know that Prude University, and a few other name quality schools, have what they call free ware. These are selected classes where the student writer ( you) can go and take a few tests, read handouts, rules and structure for better writing. Give it a try. Just Google it. I came up with blogs and school sites from just searching for ‘free online writing classes’.
  • Join a writing community! That is the best way to get peer-reviews. Peer-reviews are the best way to brush up on your writing without having to hyperventilate over misspelling and grammar. It is always nice to have a fresh pair of eyes on your writing before you submit to anyone you care about what they think.
  • Ask questions about writing. Whatever is in your head about writing, ask.
Okay, that is just tip of the ice heap, next you need to get out there and actually find what you are looking for, or what you know may help you. Search terms you read in other people’s blogs; that is how I came up with so much more to search for. Use the internet, that is why it’s there. You will notice within your search that you will come up with grammar software.
Here is what I think of grammar software: it’s nice to have but you really cannot use it, unless you know how to do the task already. What this means is, grammar software is just a tool. A nice one, but still just a tool. If you really don’t know or understand the basics of your written language, than chances are you will not succeed very well by using the software. I have learned all that I can learn about written English, so I checked out the top most famous name in grammar software–White Smoke. I tested this ‘great tool’ and found so many flaws it wasn’t funny. I checked a peer’s paper before and after she used the software, and I immediately knew she used it. How?  The first time I read through her paper she was 60% accurate with her writing, and that was when she wrote the paper herself. The second time she submitted her paper to me that percentage dropped to a staggering 30%. I asked her what grammar software she was using, and she replied–White Smoke. I gave the paper back to her telling her my opinion. She took it, stopped doubting her skills, started asking real writers/editors and got back to her writing as a human.
The moral of this story is, do not rely on a tool to do all the work for you. Use the tool as what it is, a tool. Let it ‘GUIDE’ you, not ‘WORK FOR YOU’. Your tools should not be 100% of your writing, and if you want to write, than ‘you’ write not your tools. They are only as good as the person who uses them. So in my best advice for you to become a better writer is: take a few classes, read grammar books, join a writer’s community, don’t rely on tools and most of all, stop doubting your skills. If you have gone through some classes and are at least 70% accurate in class, chances are you will succeed with your writings. And WRITE, WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!!!
I hope you found this blog encouraging and helpful. Believe me, I wish I had done it the easy way, finding a blog like this when I needed it most. But like always, you come up with what you need a few years to late. Now get writing.
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