An author writes, that much is self-evident, but when you begin talking about what he or she writes and how it is written, things gets a lot less clear. Every writer has a personal style and it is that style that sorts the wheat from the chaff. Everybody probably has a favourite author and that usually means that the person likes the style in which that writer writes.
Knowledge is also vital, but style is important even in technical writing although in technical writing, the best style is to being fair and impersonal. After all, a mechanic does not check with a handbook on a certain car’s gearbox to read the author’s personal opinion of that gearbox, but the same person will read a review of the car as a whole by a writer whose opinion he or she respects.
I know people who have not read a book since school because they were put off by Shakespeare. In one case, a teacher told the boy that he was clearly a moron if he could not see why Shakespeare was the best dramatist ever. He still cannot understand why, and it ended his reading.
The first tip for a author is to read lots, but never to imitate. No-one wants to read work that attempts to be a copy of someone else’s style. If you like Shakespeare and you read it often, it will almost certainly affect your style of course without you having to do it on purpose, but that is different from impersonation. That is influence and that is not necessarily a bad thing.
After you have had the urge to wrote, you have to make the decision what to write on. Are you going to become a novelist or an author of ad hoc articles? You can do both. You need to eat and a (first) novel may take years to complete, writing short pieces may place food on the table in the meantime.
There are numerous web sites that provide writing projects for article writers. Usually, you have to list what you can write on and supply a free sample. If you are accepted onto the register, you can browse the list of articles for which clients have put orders. When you have finished it, you upload it, which is very easy, and if it is approved, the payment is transferred to your account.
In my experience, writers become better the more they write, so do not be discouraged if you find it difficult to get going when you first begin in your writing life. Confidence comes with training. in most lines of work, including writing.
The best piece of advice on writing that I have ever been given is ‘to write for at least ten minutes every day’. It was the daily tip in a diary I had around 15 years ago. I remind myself of it at least once a week.
The best thing about it is that I find it not possible to write for only 10 minutes. It may take a while to get going, but when I’m off, an hour or two flies past without me noticing. Try it and see for yourself.
Owen Jones, the author of this piece writes on many topics, but is at present concerned with Professional Translation Services. If you want to know more go to our web site at Real Translator Jobs Advice.