Three writing tips

Jennifer at Catalyst Blogger has passed on the 'meme' of writing 3 tips on writing, then tagging 5 writers to do the same...hers are all spot on, so what else can I say...? Here goes:

Cut, cut, cut ... I can't say I follow this advice when blogging (!) but if you're NOT aiming for a stream-of-consciousness effect then do it. Amazing how many useless adjectives, cliches and, well, words creep into those early drafts. Ahem!

If in doubt, check it out ... always have a decent dictionary to hand. And a style guide from a reputable publication. I use The Economist Style Guide but there are plenty of others. if you expect people to pay you for writing there's no excuse for poor spelling or punctuation.

Go for a walk ... if you're staring in frustration at a blank screen, a walk is what you need (unless it's raining, perhaps). Fresh air, things to see, space for thinking.

So c'mon peeps, what are your top tips? (Apart from do not use the word 'peeps'...)

Comments

[Franka]

The best tip especially if you're blogging is know your subject! The blogsphere has become a place for specialist opinions cause you're easily caught out if you're not on the ball.
Your other tips are very useful as well!!

[robin houghton]

Thanks Franka, good advice indeed!

[Sam Mcarthur]

One of the most important things is subject lines, particularly if people have subscribed in an RSS reader, such as Google Reader. The compelling subject lines always make me want to click and read more.
Also, writing as if you're chatting to someone rather than a more formal style, but you're always good at this!