It takes a lot of energy and concentration to be a skilled writer. Not only does one need to know grammatical rules, they also need to know how to captivate their audience. One way to captivate an audience is to have authority on a given subject. Another way to captivate the readers is to be passionate about the subject; when truly passionate about a subject, the words will flow smoothly and freely. So without further ado, here is a guide for anyone who wants to use their passion for any subject as their secret weapon in writing.
Not Just Work
A lot of people make an enormous mistake when writing--they write in about a subject that is their career. When someone has a 40 hour work week, the last thing they want to do is write more about the subject. When writing about work, writers tend to bore easily, and the writing does not captivate the audience. Unless extremely passionate about one's work, nobody should write about the same subject as their career.
Multiple Subjects
When seeking a topic to write about, try out a few ideas. Anyone who loves playing tennis or kayaking may enjoy these activities, but they may find it difficult to write about these passions. Choose four or five subjects to write about, then see what flows naturally. The key here is to not force anything--take the time to enjoy writing about the subject.
Other Works
By reading other writers publications, one can gain an insight on how to write about their own passion. It will be easy to determine which writers have passion, and which ones are chasing money and fame. Make sure to pay particular attention to the passionate writers, try to emulate them, it will show up in the written work. Remember, a talented writer needs to be an attentive and thorough reader.
No Job
When writing, even if for a living, write as though it is for fun, not for earnings. Any reader can understand whether a writer is passionate or writing with other motivations. When starting out the day writing, start out as though the writing is purely for fun. Making money should be the secondary benefit of writing, it should be about being passionate and happy. Remember to not treat writing as though it were a job, by treating it as a job, writers will be miserable.
Engage
Remember to engage the readers. In doing so, the writer gains an understanding of their readers. Anyone who understands their followers can gain a competitive edge, by simply improving on their writing and content. For instance, anyone with a blog should set up a comment system - this will allow readers to discuss your content. At the very least, set up a contact page, so readers can email you directly! Anyone who writes should do so because they truly enjoy writing. Anyone who writes about subjects they have no interest in will bore of writing quickly. If a writer writes about a subject they have a passion in, writing will flow smoothly, and they will enjoy their work.
***
Eve Tract writes about blogging, writing & more at http://backgroundcheck.org.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eve--I needed to hear your advice about starting your daily writing with the view that it's fun. Once, as a "kid" (meaning anything under 30) I sold pre-arranged funerals door to door. I lasted a couple of weeks, I made no sales, and I know it was because I had the stink of desperation swirling around me. Only a few people let me in their house, and that was the first step to a sale--get in the door.
ReplyDeleteIf we approach writing like we're desperate for a "sale," if we're aching for a publication to say yes, we're going to stink...at our writing.
Eve--thanks for the reminder...
Sioux--that job of selling pre-arranged funerals sounds AWFUL. Most people don't want to be approached for magazines at their door, let alone a funeral! :)
ReplyDeleteEve--thanks for this post. You've given some great tips here. I think writer's block can come from NOT doing the things you are mentioning to do here. Yes, and I like the HAVE FUN part, too.
Great tips . It is good to remove the "job" aspect and have fun. I just read another post where a well-known author suggests lying to yourself that you truly are in love with your writing. Keep the passion alive.
ReplyDeleteGood thoughts! :)
ReplyDeleteI don't think that NOBODY should write about their job. One of the best thriller/mysteries I read was by a woman who was a forensic scientist. But the passion for her work shone through in the novel. You're right in that if you're not passionate about your work, your novel about your field probably won't feel passionate or engaging.