Top 3 Things To Avoid When Writing
By
Jean Claude
The more a writer is able to shed negative habits that typically plague a writer, the more s/he will be able to shine the way they were meant to. With that said, let’s explore 3 common mistakes that writers often make.
#1 ABUSING THE READERS ATTENTION SPAN
Understanding this common mistake seems to elude most writers when they start out. Of all the wonderful things this fast approaching age of information has given us, one negative manifestation has been an over-saturation of information. People all over the world are being bombarded with information overload. The fact that we have the entire world’s information at our fingertips is a beautiful thing. Along with this however, seems to be an endless flood of trivial information with little value.
A writer should set out to write quality content, not novelty. Sure, there is a market for novelty information, but if that is your bread and butter then it is a road not worth traveling in the long run.
Set yourself apart, and put value and weight to the words you write. Gimmicks and tricks may give you a boost in the short term, but if that doesn’t evolve into something more refined, then it has all been for not.
If you choose to go the route of novelty, then make sure that you are gradually evolving. Getting to the point of writing about what you are actually passionate about is a treasure all it’s own.
#2 WRITING ABOUT SOMETHING YOU CARE LITTLE ABOUT
Have you ever been in a speech class, a work meeting, or any other gathering where somebody had to make a presentation? If so, you’ll remember how boring it was when somebody was speaking on a topic that they did not care about personally.
Some people however, even knowing very little information about the topic they were speaking to, would captivate me regardless.
Why?
Because they had a passion for what they were speaking about. Even if very little “knowledge” was provided by the presentation, the enthusiasm was infectious nonetheless. This is what you, as a writer starting out, must aim to embody. Certainly this is no excuse for lacking the technical or factual dimensions of what you are writing about, but if enthusiasm comes first, the “knowledge” will not be far behind.
#3 BEING NEEDLESSLY OVERLY DESCRIPTIVE
When we were children in grade school, we were encouraged to write as descriptively as possible.
Some examples include:
“The sun glistened on the waters like a clear azure sky..” “Her hair shimmered in the light, and danced harmoniously to the wind that came to meet it..”
Although a few instances of the above can be a wonderful asset to your writing, you need to also keep in mind that unless you are writing a novel, these overly descriptive details are not needed, and can border on tacky. We have all had the same cookie cutter lessons in grade school, and over employing this tactic can scream “amateur” to the reader.
Avoid if not needed or irrelevant to the subject.
– JC ❤ –