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Writing Articles

The Process of Being a Writer

In order to give you some insight into writing, I thought I’d start writing articles about the process of writing my detective mysteries as well as offer information about my experiences. I’ve written 3 books and am on my 4th in my Sam Parker mysteries and I’ve taught creative writing for many years as well.

These articles are not meant to be anything except a glimpse into how I approach writing. As you know, we all have different styles and methods for accomplishing our goals. There is not usually only one right way. Our roads towards our goals are unique and writing a book is different for everyone so what works for me, may not work for you. That doesn’t mean you won’t accomplish that goal. We all have our styles and whatever you do, if it works, it’s right.

I am also a content marketing writer and will be writing articles about copywriting as well. There are so many ways to become a writer and my interests are so varied that when I’m not working on a novel, ebook, or content marketing project, I am always learning new things. I enjoy sharing what I have learned and I do that by writing articles. 

Writing detective mysteries is fun for me, but you may enjoy another genre, and I’ll do my best to write about things that relate to all writing.

No matter what you write, there is a basic process

 

  • Choose a topic– before you write, you need to know what you will write about. You may need to brainstorm ideas and do some research.

 

  • Know who your audience is– who are you talking to? So many writers don’t consider their audience and that’s a big mistake. You will write differently if your speaking to new moms than you will when talking to sports fans.

 

  • Know your topic– As a copywriter, I write for several different types of companies from pet companies to software. I’m not an expert in every area I write about so I do a lot of research so I can write clearly to the intended audience.

 

  • Write an outline– This helps you to stay organized and stay on track. There is nothing worse than reading something that is disorganized and confusing. Don’t like outlines? Take a lot of notes, before and during writing.

 

  • Write a rough draft– Getting your thoughts and ideas on paper (or computer screen) is very important. Once your ideas are there you can go back and re-organize and re-write but if you try to make it perfect, you can forget some really great ideas and never get them back.

 

  • Proofread– always proofread what you write. And it’s a good idea to have someone else proofread for you too if possible. When you write and know your subject, it can be difficult to see errors. I have proofreaders and still find mistakes sometimes so a pair of fresh eyes on your work is invaluable.

 

  • Re-write– Most of the time, you can find another way to say things better. Take a day or two and then re-write. You will be surprised at how great you can write when you give it a little time.

 

  • Proofread again– Yes, just do it. A line-by-line and word-for-word process work best. Then have someone else read it as well.

 

  • Submit your work!

This is just the basic process of writing. Whether you are writing articles, writing novels, writing stories, a business brochure, or a newsletter, you’ll want to include these basic steps.

Of course, some projects require more of one or more of the steps or even additional steps. Don’t be afraid of it. It’s a process and it should be challenging, invigorating, and satisfying. If it is, then you know you’re doing it right!

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