How to Write (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-02 02:28

Writing can be a fun hobby as well as an important skill. From realist fiction, science fiction, poetry, to academic papers. Remember, writing is more than just putting pen to paper. This activity requires a lot of reading, research, thinking, and revising. Indeed, not all writing methods are suitable for everyone. However, there are several things a writer can do to improve their skills and create truly compelling work.

Step

Part 1 of 3: Developing Your Writing Style

Step 1. Know why you are writing

Maybe you write for a hobby or maybe because you want to publish a book. It's also possible that you have a long essay writing school assignment, or want to improve your copywriting skills at work. Whatever the reason, you can improve your writing skills. By understanding the purpose of writing, it will be easier for you to determine the focus.

For example, if you're writing a paper for a scientific journal, you don't have to dig as deep into the background as you do with a novel. Understanding what to write helps you determine the approach to take to improve your writing skills

Step 2. Read work by different authors, genres, and writing styles

Read a variety of books by different authors, genres, and writing styles to gain insight into different styles and voices. Reading a lot will help you develop what to write and how to get your voice out in writing.

• Don't limit yourself to just one particular genre. Read novels, nonfiction books, news articles, poetry, academic journal articles, and even good marketing material. When you get used to many writing styles, you will have a wider variety of work tools.
• It's also a good idea to read a script that can help complete your writing project. If, for example, you're writing a science fiction novel, science journal articles will help you master technical terms, while good commercial writing can teach you how to build sensationalism and emotional appeal.
• Maintain a regular reading schedule. Even if your reading time is only 20 minutes before going to bed, you will notice that your writing skills have improved as a result.

Step 3. Find inspiration for topics, plots, and characters to use in a creative work

Before you start writing, you need writing ideas. You can write a love story between zombies and mummies. You can write about the planet Mercury. You can even write about yourself. All things you can write. Consider the following questions to help you get started:

• What genre do you want to write about?
• What theme do you want the story to be about?
• What characteristics would you like to have in the main character?
• What motivates your antagonist?
• What type of story will you cover (comedy, tragedy, etc.)
• Why would readers take an interest in the plot you developed?

Step 4. Map out the subjects, topics, and arguments for the non-creative work

Whether you're writing a news article, journal article, school assignment essay, or nonfiction book, start by narrowing down your topic. Think about as many subjects, concepts, people, and related data as possible and use them to narrow your topic down to subtopics. You can also make a mind map or rough sketch of the plot of the story.

• Ask questions like: What is my argument? Who are the readers of my work? What research do I need to do? What genre will I write about?
• For example, if you wanted to list the relationship between the Greek and Phoenician gods, make a list of all the gods from each nation and their attributes. Then, pick a few gods with the most obvious relationships to support your writing.
• If the subject of your writing is broader, such as relations between peoples from different lands in colonial times, you have more freedom. You could talk about how food crosses the ocean or how people used to communicate with people from different colonies across the ocean.

Step 5. Try freewriting so that your ideas flow unstoppably

Set a timer and write continuously until the time runs out. You won't have time to worry about mistakes and mistakes if you rush into words. It doesn't matter if you're not going to use it later. Just get rid of writer's block by filling in the blanks and forcing your muscles to write. In fact, inconsequential writing can already be used as an opening.

Freewriting can be used in almost any writing style. You can start writing a story, pouring out your thoughts and observations, pouring out whatever you know about the subject. Anyway, let your words flow freely without hindrance

Step 6. Get to know your readers and how well they understand the subject of your writing

Good writers understand the perspective of their readers. He knows how to use it so that readers are interested in reading his writings. Think about what kind of audience will read your writing. The more you know your audience of readers, the better chance your writing will live up to the expectations of the people who will read it

• By understanding your audience, it will be easier for you to determine which style of language to use, what to explain, and what to convey in your work.
• Audiences of academic work, for example, may have a similar background to yours and prefer solid explanations to winged sentences. You also no longer need to explain the basics to them.
• It's only natural that you want writing that can captivate anyone. However, the results will be better if you are realistic about your target audience. People who only read romance novels are still likely to read murder mystery novels, but fans of the mystery genre should still be your target group.

Step 7. Do some research on the topic of your choice

Whatever the content of your writing, research is still important. For an essay, you will need to research specific data and sources related to the topic of the article. For novels, pay attention to issues of technology, history, topics, time periods, characters of people, places, and anything else in the world that has relevance to your writing.

• Choose information from the internet carefully. Some internet sources are unreliable. Reliable sources such as peer-reviewed journals and books from academic publishers should go through a verification process and are safer sources.
• Come to the library and look for information there. You may find the information you are looking for in libraries that are not yet maintained online. For more extensive resources, try visiting the university library.
• Research is equally important in writing fiction. Of course, you want your writing to sound plausible, even if the events are fictitious. Details like your story's characters are 600 years old and know Julius Caesar (who lived more than 2,000 years ago) can confuse readers.

Part 2 of 3: Composing the Writing

Step 1. Define your timeline or goals

Your boss, teacher, or publisher may set a deadline for you, or you may even have to do it yourself. Use deadlines to determine what kind of goals you need to complete by a certain time. Set aside time to write, revise, edit, solicit opinions, and provide feedback.

• If you set an open deadline, you might be able to set goals like writing 5 pages a day or 5,000 words a day.
• If you have a specific deadline, such as a school essay assignment, you need to be more specific. For example, you could spend 3 weeks on research, 1 week on writing, and 1 week on editing.

Step 2. Draw an outline

Creating a simple outline for your writing will help you stay on track and ensure that you cover all the important points. The outline will become an outline with the basic points, or you can fill it with more facts and information.

• Outlines should flow in the order you want them to. Later you can arrange or rearrange the order while writing. What is clear, the presence of an outline will help the story points flow more unified.
• Some writers prefer to work without outline guides and this is fine. You'll need to spend more time revising and rewriting because you don't have a flow plan before you start writing.

Step 3. Include conflict, climax, and resolution in your creative work

Creative writing has so many variations. The basic story usually has a beginning, conflict, climax, and resolution that come in sequence. Polish your story by introducing your protagonist and his world first. Then, bring up people, objects, or events that can shake up the protagonist's world. Shake the world until it reaches a passionate and intense climax (climax) before bringing it back to its conclusion with a well-thought-out resolution.

• Resolutions don't always mean happy endings if that's not your style. The resolution is actually enough to bring all the plot twists together so that it makes sense.
• The use of conflict, climax, and resolution also applies to many types of creative writing, not just fiction. For example, popular history books also often follow this format.

Step 4. For the analytical work, provide an introduction, evidence, analysis, and conclusion

Of course, how you structure your analytical work will depend on the nature of your assignment and the standards that apply to your field. Even so, at least analytical writing usually introduces the topic and argument first, then goes into supporting evidence, followed by the author's analysis or interpretation, then conclusions.

• Step 5. Write your first draft

  Write down whatever you want to include in the piece. Ignore any misspellings or grammatical errors first. There will be time to rearrange and edit it. So, when you start writing, it's better to focus your attention on developing ideas.

  • You can make a full version of the post roughly. Determining a systematic, such as a series of chapters, is helpful if you are writing a fairly long work.
  • If you're preparing an outline, don't assume that you have to follow through on it. The outline helps you follow the outline of the writing. However, the outline is only a guide, not a standard rule.

  

  Step 6. Edit your second draft

  Re-read your first draft and then start editing and revamping the content. Dissect your plot and arguments and then focus on creating a neat transition from one point to another. Also start thinking about which parts are not appropriate and deserve trimming.

  • Check the coherence of the writing. Pay attention, is the content of your writing coherent and logically understandable? If so, continue writing. However, if not, you may need to revise or trim the parts that don't fit.
  • Check for writing needs. Do all parts of the story contribute proportionally? Does each section provide adequate background, support a plot or argument, develop an important character or point, or introduce critical analysis? If it doesn't meet these questions, just prune it.
  • Check for flaws in the script. Do all the characters or points appear in their proper proportions? Are all supporting data or information available? Do your points flow smoothly or are there still logical gaps?

  

  Step 7. Rewrite until you are ready to get an outside opinion

  Writing often has to go through many drafts and stages. Keep writing, rearranging, and revising content until you feel ready to show it to others and get critiqued. Always keep your writing deadlines in mind and make sure you also have enough time to edit before submitting the final manuscript.

  • There is no set number of drafts that must be written before a work is eligible to be displayed, the number of drafts depends on the timeline you create, your comfort level, and your writing style.
  • It's natural for you to always feel like something needs to be added or revised. However, try not to get too hung up on perfection. At some point, you just have to stop writing.

  Part 3 of 3: Tidying Up

  

  Step 1. Check the script for technical errors

  Remember, the spell checker can't always fix this technical problem. Only you know the difference between “even though” and “even though” or “out” and “out”. In addition to looking for misspellings and grammatical errors, also check for excessive or incorrect use of words.

  If you're writing in English, online tools like Grammarly and Hemingway Editor can help examine more complex issues like clarity of meaning and word use. However, as with any spell checker, you shouldn't leave all editing problems to this tool

  

  Step 2. Get an outside opinion

  This is a very important step because people will see what you actually wrote, not what you "presumed" to have written. Ask 2-3 people you trust to review your work and provide input on clarity, consistency, and use of correct grammar or spelling.

  • Teachers, professors, subject matter experts, colleagues, and other writers are among the right people to ask. You can also join a writer's group to show each other, read, and provide input.
  • Ask them to give an honest and thorough opinion. Only honest feedback, even if it's full of harsh criticism, can help you develop into a better writer.
  • If they need a little guidance, give them the questions you often ask yourself.

  

  Step 3. Combine all the inputs you received

  Of course you don't have to like or agree with anything people say about your work. However, if you receive the same comments from multiple people, you should consider them carefully. Keep a balance between keeping what you think is important in your story and making changes based on input from trusted people.

  • Reread your work while keeping the reader's opinion in mind. Take note of any gaps or parts that need to be cut or that need to be revised.
  • Rewrite important passages using knowledge from readers and from reading as you deem necessary.

  

  Step 4. Delete unimportant words

  If a word is not essential to the telling of a story or the semantics of a sentence, delete it. It's better if your work contains only a few words instead of wasting words. After all, using too many words only makes your writing look claustrophobic, haughty, or illegible. You should also be careful with:

  • Adjective. Adjectives describe nouns and are most effective when used for their intended purpose. Consider the following sentence: "He left the house furious and angry." The words "angry" and "angry" mean the same thing. You'd better write: "He left the house furious."
  • Idioms and slang words. Idioms, such as "toil" or "scapegoat," are not always appropriate in writing. Likewise, slang words are closely related to time (for example, are the words “ngeceng” and “JJS” still used today?) and are prone to be misunderstood by readers.
  • Use verbs. Use active verbs and better describe the situation. For example, don't just write, "He's tired." Instead, write down, "He collapsed and was no longer strong."
  • Use prepositions wisely. In Indonesian, we often confuse using the preposition "di" and the affix "di-". It should be noted that the word "di" is a preposition that starts with a placeholder, so it must be written separately, for example at school, at home, etc. Meanwhile, the affix "di-" must be followed by a verb and written in sequence, for example eaten, changed, etc. If you're writing in English, it's okay to use prepositions, but don't overdo it. For example, don't write, "The cyborg climbed on the molding above the staircase along the wall beside the throne." Instead, you write, "The cyborg skirted the staircase molding on the wall closest to the throne."

  

  Step 5. Use simple vocabulary

  While long prose with mellow sentences is preferable, often writing with a clear and simple vocabulary is the best choice. Avoid using jargon or fancy words just to look professional or convincing. Such writings often have the opposite effect. Complicated writing has the potential to confuse the reader. Consider the following examples from Hemingway and Faulkner. Which do you think is easier to understand?

  • "Manuel takes a sip of brandy. He's sleepy. It's too hot to go out. He really doesn't have anything to do. He wants to see Zurito. He'd better sleep while he waits," - Ernest Hemingway, Men Without Women.
  • "He doesn't feel weak, only gives thanks in the most disheartening sorrow during his recovery; the time when the time that compels him to move quickly is now gone, the seconds and minutes that go by and proclaiming in full that the body is a slave, good both awake and asleep, it has now been turned upside down. Now is the time to serve the pleasures of the body, not merely to submit to the impulse of shortening time." - William Faulkner, The Hamlet.

  

  Step 6. Use verbs to strengthen sentences

  Properly used verbs create impressive sentences and help prevent overuse of adjectives. Make sentences with strong verbs at any time.

  Consider the following sentence: "He entered the room horribly." The sentence is not grammatically wrong, but it feels bland and wordy. You can strengthen the sentence and make it more specific by introducing a new word. Try using “sneak in,” “tly tiptoe in,” or “sneak in” instead of “creepy in.”

  

  Step 7. Pay attention to the form of the verb

  In the active voice, the subject performs an action (e.g. "The dog found its owner"). In the passive voice, the subject is subjected to an action (e.g., "The owner was found by the dog"). Use active sentences as much as possible. That's the rule that many people follow.

  In some fields and industries, the passive voice is becoming the standard. For example, a scientific paper will mention "Solution with 2 drops of activator" to keep the word "solution" as the subject of the sentence. If the passive voice is standard in writing in your genre, follow these rules

  

  Step 8. Use figurative language to give effect to creative work

  Figurative language includes figures of speech such as simile (like), metaphor, personification, hyperbole, parables, and idioms. Use enough figurative language to have a striking effect. The sentence "His efforts are in vain" will feel even more striking if you use a simile like this: "His efforts are in vain, like wanting to hug a mountain but his hand doesn't reach it."

  • The use of similes and metaphors is easy. However, try incorporating different figures of speech to add texture and depth to your writing. Hyperbole, for example, can create text that blows up the page.
  • Another example of figurative language is personification which attaches human nature to other things. “The wind dances in the sky” creates a strong image of a strong but beautiful wind without having to write, “The wind blows hard, but it is beautiful.”

  

  Step 9. Use proper punctuation

  Punctuation marks help us understand the meaning of different word order. Punctuation must exist and flow without distracting the reader's attention. People often make the mistake of including too many punctuation marks, flashy, or even just make people glued to the punctuation itself. Focus on the impact the punctuation will have, not on adding as many commas as possible.

  Use exclamation points sparingly. People relatively rarely exclaim, and so should the sentence. The sentence “Jamie is so excited to meet him!”, for example, doesn't really need an exclamation point. After all, that sentence already stated that Jamie was excited to death

  Tips

  • Find a comfortable place to write. Each location may only be suitable for certain activities. For example, you can maximize your ideas while lying down in your room and pour out your best thoughts while editing in the library.
  • Avoid using words that are not widely used today and language that is too standard. It will be more difficult for you to write and the reader will have a harder time understanding it.
  • Don't be afraid to write out of order. Many writers begin their writing by presenting the ending or analysis, then move forward.
  • After completing the first draft, leave it to give yourself some space to write. With this distance, you can then reread it through the eyes of a reader. You may also come across some basic mistakes that you don't see when you're engrossed in writing.
  • Remember technical terms. If you're going to describe a house, you'll need to know terms like "eels," "columns," and "facades." These terms have no equivalent, and you may have to identify an object as "gold decoration" or "gold plated object on the wall."