Some of the questions I get from aspiring writers are:
1) I want to write, but my grammar is so bad, anyone would cringe, what should I do?
2) I lack words to express myself, what should I do?
When Your Grammar Is Bad
First, let’s look at reasons you need good grammar as a writer.
Without a doubt, a strong command of good grammar is indispensable for any writer. Here’s why:
1. Effective communication: Grammar is the foundation of language, and it enables effective communication. Using proper grammar ensures that your writing is clear, concise, and easily understood by your readers. It helps convey your ideas accurately, preventing any confusion or misinterpretation.
2. Professionalism and credibility: Proper grammar showcases professionalism and enhances your credibility as a writer. It demonstrates that you take your work seriously and have invested time and effort into producing high-quality content. Readers are more likely to trust and respect your writing when it is free of grammatical errors.
3. Reader engagement: Good grammar plays a vital role in maintaining reader engagement. When your writing flows smoothly and is grammatically correct, it becomes easier for readers to follow along and stay engaged with your content. Poor grammar can create distractions, making it harder for readers to stay focused on your message.
4. Clarity and coherence: Grammar helps create clarity and coherence in your writing. It ensures that your sentences are structurally sound and logically connected. Proper grammar helps you express your thoughts in an organized and coherent manner, making it easier for readers to grasp your intended meaning.
5. Professional opportunities: Whether you’re writing fiction, non-fiction, or pursuing a career in writing, a strong command of grammar can open up professional opportunities. Publishers, editors, and even clients for freelance writing engagements often prioritize writers with good grammar skills. It sets you apart from the competition and increases your chances of success.
6. Building trust with readers: Writing with good grammar builds trust with your readers. It shows that you are knowledgeable, meticulous, and respect the craft of writing. Trust is essential for building a loyal audience, and proper grammar can contribute to this trust-building process.
While grammar rules can be complex and challenging, continuous learning and practice can improve your grasp of grammar. Utilize grammar resources, style guides, and even tools like grammar checkers to enhance your skills and ensure your writing is error-free.
Remember, a strong command of grammar is not just about following rules; it’s about effectively conveying your message and engaging your readers. Embrace the importance of grammar as a writer, and it will positively impact your writing journey.
Nevertheless, in as much as your grammar is important in writing, it should not be a core discouragement. The most important technique to learning how to write is to “actually write”. As a writer, your dictionary and Google (search engines) are indispensable. Even with great grammar, your first material won’t be exactly perfect, you’ll always look back and laugh at your earliest stages, that’s why you need to “actually write” to eventually settle into the writing process. Also, try reading works produced by other authors (with good grammar) as often as possible, you’ll subconsciously start settling into the process and capture better grammar usage.
On Expressing Yourself While Writing
As for expressing yourself when writing… Try finding your own unique voice, everyone has theirs, be comfortable with it as long as you’re making sense. Let the content of your material be the actual motivation, focus on passing the best message you can.
Many people feel they lack words, not only you my dear, I also feel same sometimes (it was so bad when I first started my writing journey). That’s why I write from my heart and based on what I want my audience to actually learn at the end. Before you know it, you’ll be surprised at how much you’ve written already. Also, except it’s an essay or any material where word-count is necessary, don’t firsthand focus on the number of words you’re able to produce, focus on the “content and value of the work produced”. Make an outline of what you want to cover, by the time you’re done completing and developing your the final content in your outline, you’ll be surprised at what you’ve written.
Why You Should Focus More on Content Instead of Word-count
Here are some reasons why focusing more on content instead of word count might be beneficial:
1. Quality over quantity: It’s more important to create high-quality content that is engaging, informative, and valuable to your audience than to try to reach a certain word count.
2. User experience: Your readers don’t care how many words you’ve written. They care about whether your content is helpful and relevant to their needs. Focusing on content allows you to provide a better user experience.
3. SEO: Search engines value content that is informative and useful to readers. By focusing on content instead of word count, you can optimize for both relevance and quality, which can boost your search rankings.
4. Time-saving: Trying to hit a word count can lead to filler content, which can be time-consuming to write and will not provide any value to your audience. Focusing on content helps you to streamline your writing process and provide more value to your audience in less time.
Overall, while word count is important for some types of content, such as academic or technical writing, it’s more important to focus on creating high-quality content that engages and adds value to your audience.
Why “Actually Writing” is the Best Advice You can Get as a Writer
Writing is a skill that requires consistent practice and refinement. Even the best writers in the world started as beginners who put in countless hours of practice to become great. Therefore, the best way to become a better writer is by writing consistently.
When you write regularly, you learn more about the craft of writing, improve your writing skills, and gain more confidence in your abilities. You also become more comfortable expressing your thoughts, ideas, and emotions through words.
Moreover, writing exposes you to different styles, techniques, and voices that can help you develop your own unique writing style. It also helps you to identify mistakes and areas for improvement that you may not notice otherwise.
In summary, the best advice any writer can get is to “keep writing”. Don’t worry about perfection or publishing right away. Just write regularly, seek feedback, and keep honing your craft. With time and practice, your writing will improve, and you will become a more confident and skilled writer.
If you consistently read my blog, you will notice that I easily sound like different people across posts, and sometimes within the same post. How am I able to achieve this seamlessly? Because I “keep writing”. You can never be perfect, and writing is a skill that even if it comes first as a talent (born with it), you will still look back and cringe at your earliest stages. You can never avoid the first flaw-filled stage, it is a mandatory part of the process every writer must go through without exceptions. Therefore, the earliest you start and the more consistent you are, the earliest you will get past this cringe-worthy stage and move on to a brighter career. What’s ‘that’ truth I must tell you? You’ll never become perfect, you’ll make mistakes no matter at what stage you are in the writing profession, but you’ll become seasoned, grounded and fearless.
Write For Yourself First, Then Your Audience
As a writer, the best advice you can receive is to “Write for yourself first, then your audience.” This advice holds immense value for several reasons:
1. Authenticity: Writing from a place of personal passion and genuine interest allows you to express your true self. When you write for yourself, you tap into your unique voice, style, and perspective, creating a more genuine and authentic connection with your readers.
2. Passion and Motivation: Writing can be a demanding and sometimes challenging endeavor. However, when you write for yourself, you tap into your own passions and interests, which can fuel your motivation and drive to keep writing, even during difficult times. It becomes a labor of love.
3. Creative Freedom: When you prioritize writing for yourself, you liberate yourself from the pressure of meeting external expectations. This permits exploration, risk-taking, and experimenting with different writing styles, genres, and themes. You have the freedom to push boundaries, create unconventional narratives, and take literary risks that resonate with your own artistic vision.
4. Emotional Connection: When you write with authenticity, your words have the power to evoke emotions and create a genuine connection with your readers. By writing for yourself first, you tap into your own emotional experiences, allowing you to infuse depth, vulnerability, and relatability into your work. This emotional resonance is what captivates and engages audiences on a profound level.
5. Audience Appeal: Paradoxically, writing for yourself also increases your appeal to your audience. When you embody your own unique voice, passion, and authenticity, readers sense the genuine nature of your work. It resonates with them, attracting like-minded individuals who share similar interests, experiences, and perspectives. Your audience will appreciate your honesty and be more likely to connect with your writing.
Ultimately, the best writing comes from within, where you write first and foremost for yourself. It allows you to craft stories, essays, or poems that are true to your vision, invigorating both your creativity and your connection with readers. By staying true to your own voice and artistic instincts, you have the potential to create work that not only satisfies your own creative desires but also resonates profoundly with others, making your writing more impactful and meaningful.
The advice “Write for yourself first, then your audience” is considered to be the best advice for a writer because it encourages them to prioritize their own voice and creativity over external pressures and expectations. When a writer writes for themselves first, they are able to tap into their own authentic ideas and emotions, creating work that is more genuine and compelling. By then considering their audience, the writer can fine-tune the content to be more accessible and relatable to their intended readers, without compromising the authenticity of their own voice. This approach creates a balance between personal expression and audience connection, resulting in writing that is both meaningful and impactful.
“Write what you would be glad to read” is another invaluable piece of advice for writers. Here’s why it’s considered a great advice:
1. Genuine Interest: When you write what you would be glad to read, you tap into your own passions, interests, and curiosities. It ensures that you’re working on a project that genuinely excites you and keeps your motivation high throughout the creative process.
2. Personal Connection: Writing something that you would be glad to read allows you to create a profound personal connection with your own work. If you’re interested in the subject matter and the story itself, it shines through in your writing. This connection resonates with readers, evoking an emotional response and making them more likely to engage with your work.
3. Quality Standards: As a reader, you have certain expectations and standards that you appreciate in the books you enjoy. By writing what you would be glad to read, you naturally strive to meet those high standards for yourself. You become more conscious of elements like engaging plots, well-developed characters, effective pacing, and satisfying resolutions, resulting in a higher quality of work.
4. Relatability: Chances are, if you would be glad to read something, there’s a good chance others would too. Writing what resonates with you means tapping into universal themes, emotions, and experiences that others can relate to as well. This relatability helps to create a deeper connection with your readers, drawing them into your story and making it more impactful.
5. Personal Satisfaction: Writing what you would be glad to read allows you to fulfill your own creative desires and vision. It gives you a sense of satisfaction, knowing that you’ve crafted something that aligns with your own tastes and preferences. This personal fulfillment is essential for personal growth as a writer and fosters a sense of pride and accomplishment in your work.
By focusing on writing what you would be glad to read, you ensure that your artistic vision and personal interests shape your writing. This authenticity and passion will shine through in your work, leading to a stronger connection with readers and making your writing more enjoyable and impactful for yourself and your audience alike.
“If you can read it and enjoy it, then there’s an audience out there for it” is a powerful piece of advice that writers should take to heart. Here’s why it’s thought to be such a timeless advice:
1. Diverse Interests: Everyone has different tastes and preferences when it comes to reading. What might not appeal to one person could be loved by another. By writing something that you personally enjoy, you tap into your unique voice and perspective. The diversity of readers’ interests means that there will always be an audience for a variety of genres, themes, and styles.
2. Authenticity: When you write something that resonates with you and brings you joy, it authenticates your writing. Authenticity is a key factor in creating engaging and relatable stories. Readers appreciate and connect with writing that feels genuine and sincere. By staying true to your own enjoyment, you can produce work that captivates and resonates with others.
3. Passionate Writing: When you write about something you genuinely enjoy, your passion shines through in your words. Passionate writing has a powerful impact on readers. It infuses your writing with energy, emotion, and enthusiasm, making it more compelling and engaging. Readers are drawn to authors who write with passion and often become loyal fans of their work.
4. Niche Markets: Writing something you would enjoy reading allows you to explore niche markets that may have smaller, but dedicated, audiences. These niche audiences are highly engaged and passionate about specific topics or genres. By catering to their interests, you can build a loyal following and establish yourself as an expert in that particular niche.
5. Ever-evolving Audience: Readers’ tastes and interests are constantly changing and evolving. Trends come and go, and new genres emerge. By embracing your own enjoyment and writing what you would like to read, you may just be ahead of the curve, introducing something fresh and exciting to the literary world. The audience is always looking for new experiences, and by following your own enjoyment, you can contribute to that ever-evolving landscape.
Ultimately, writing something that you can read and enjoy means staying true to yourself as a writer. It allows you to create work that reflects your passions, captures your unique voice, and resonates with readers who share your interests. Embracing this advice ensures that you are fulfilled creatively and that there is an audience out there eagerly awaiting your unique perspective.
Therefore, as a writer, your own passion and interest are indispensable. Remember, while producing a material/content, ask yourself: how valuable is this information? If this content was produced by someone else, what would I think about it? Always be your most sincere judge. If you answered the above two questions honestly, then fret not, your content is not stupid and there’s an audience for it! Of course, not everyone will love your content even if it were more gorgeous than the starry night, only focus on yourself and those who care about your content, not those who don’t like it, because there will always be those who don’t like your content, in fact, no matter your profession (even if you weren’t a writer) there’ll always be the disapprovers, but you don’t exist for them, you’re here for the lovers, and you must keep improving for yourself and for them.
Now, what are you still waiting for? Start writing this moment!
Originally published on dilju.com in 2023
