WRITE

It is ironic that the classic usage of the three R’s that formed the basis of schooling only had the first R being used correctly when we referred to Reading, wRiting and aRithmectic. The other two R’s shot into prominence because of the phonetics, which again was ironic considering that the English language is not based on phonetics. Despite this anomaly, the critical role that is played by knowing how to WRITE can best be understood when we realize that it is a Way to Record Important Thoughts & Emotions. History is testimony to that since we are aware of what happened centuries ago, mainly because we had paintings and writings from those eras to fall back on. A major part of the credit must go to those who took pains to write and record happenings and events of those times.

Today we have so many writing and recording options that we are truly blessed, for we can with relative ease, write on what we fancy.  Yet for the vast majority of people, writing is a taxing chore that is best avoided. There are others who would have loved to write but perceive themselves too inadequate to the task. There is also a motley lot who believe that they have the ability to write and plunge headlong into frenzied writing churning out reams of material but then are aghast that they don’t seem to get sufficient readership.  Having regularly written this blog and www.actspot.wordpress.com  for over a year and a half, let me take the liberty of sharing a few tips to all those who would like to explore their writing talent and share their thoughts, emotions and storytelling skills.

Here are the 4 essentials to any form of writing.

Have a clear objective for writing. It is important that we visualize the audience who we are addressing for only then can we get some clarity as to what we want to write about, work on how we can convey what we want to share and ensure that our writing reaches the audience we target.  Many people write randomly and then feel frustrated that they run into writers block, don’t get sustained reader attention and worse still is that sinking feeling that no one knows that I write.

Develop your own style. The writing style is not merely limited to the content, the manner of presentation or the techniques used to keep reader interest alive. Style also refers to the choice of medium, the frequency of writing, the dynamics of reaching out to newer audiences and making your writing stand out and be noticed. Also pay attention to your own strengths in visualizing and transcribing for one can be a poet at heart, a story teller by inclination, an essayist by skill sets or a philosopher by nature. Each offers an opportunity to explore one’s writing abilities and we can attempt it all and then freeze on what suits our natural style best.

Have self belief. The problem for many beginners who attempt to write is that they give up too quickly. Writing is both a skill and an art. Unless one is exceptionally talented, it takes time to be noticed, needs discipline to prolific, takes courage of conviction to keep going when recognition takes time and one has to be creative and strategic to reach out to the right audience. Not all of us are blessed with all these qualities but those who have self belief will persist with patience and optimism.

Improve the play with words. All writing in any form is ultimately a play of words. There is no substitute for a rich vocabulary, a vivid imagination, a structure and syntax when put in print and a flow that is appealing and engaging. Experiment, experience, explore are the three E’s that will aid one in playing around with language and the fine nuances of it. If required, don’t hesitate to get feedback from people who can be objective, experienced and encouraging.

Hopefully, you will be able to grasp the subtle nuances of the points I have elucidated above and be able to appreciate how to WRITE well. If I have achieved what I set out to do, you too will find a Way to Record Important Thoughts & Emotions that are yearning to be put in print.

Action Points:

1. Can you recollect 3 of the best articles and 3 of the best poems that you read/ studied in your language text books in school? Can you outline the reasons for still being able to recollect those articles/ poems? 
2. Attempt to solve Crosswords, play a game called “Pictionary’ and / or   ‘Scrabble’. Also find out other innovative ways to improve your vocabulary.

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Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

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