If writing was easy, we would all be best-selling authors by now. Whether you're a career author or an aspiring blogger, I invite you to consider these 7 habits of a good writer so you can develop quality content that your audience adores.
Who are you writing for? How are you going to help them? Why do you want to help them? Know the answers to these questions if you want to connect with your ideal audience; otherwise, you might find yourself performing for an empty house.
1. It's not about you, it's about them.
Before you even begin to write, you should ask yourself the following questions:- Who am I writing for and what exactly do they struggle with?
- How am I going to help them through that struggle?
- Why do I want to help them? (hint: this is the most important one)
Who are you writing for? How are you going to help them? Why do you want to help them? Know the answers to these questions if you want to connect with your ideal audience; otherwise, you might find yourself performing for an empty house.
2. Brevity is the soul of wit.
The above saying, popularized by Mr. William Shakespeare, is something you should apply today. Do not interpret this to say you shouldn't write a full-length novel epic in proportion; however, if you are adding content for the sole purpose of increasing your word count, I'm afraid you might find yourself with all fluff and no substance.3. Condense, condense, condense.
When you have completed your blog, article, or book I encourage you to walk away from your finished project for at least a few hours (maybe even a few days). Look at it again with a fresh perspective and you'll probably discover words and sentences that add little or no meaning to your work of art. If it doesn't need to be there, cut it without mercy. The more quickly you can make your point, the more powerful it will be.4. Analyze your competition before you start.
If you're writing a book about how to become a successful freelance blogger, you should look up other books about that very subject on Amazon before you write a single word. Find the most highly-rated books in that niche and check out the reviews. What did people like the most about this book? Don't rip-off their ideas, because nobody likes a copycat, but do seek inspiration wherever you can find it. Also, pay attention to the negative reviews, because if you see a common theme in the criticisms, you'll have an advance heads-up telling you what to avoid in the publishing of your book. You might want to buy a few of the top-rated books in your niche while you're at it for inspiration that might steer you in the right direction.5. Talk to (not at) your audience.
Have you ever read a self-help book that was helpful, but you felt like they were talking in words that were over your head, as if they were speaking a different language (I'm talking to you, Stephen Covey!)? If you don't consider the language your audience speaks, you could elicit the same reaction. Buy magazines that are targeted to your audience and do a little research. For example, if you write for women, you would be wise to buy a few issues of Women's Health or Shape. Pay attention to the language used in articles and advertisements and decide how you can apply this style to your writing (while maintaining your own unique voice). Your reader should feel like they are having a friendly chat with you over coffee. Unless you're in the business of writing dry technical manuals, the more conversational your writing, the better.6. Feedback is your friend.
Wanna know a dirty secret that helped me craft a book that was so contagious it has now been read by over 20,000 people in 3 short months? My audience wrote it for me. I don't mean that literally, because that would make me a dirty plagiarizing thief, but it isn't far from the truth. During the writing process, I would post brief excerpts from my book on my Facebook page to see how they did in terms of interaction (i.e. likes, shares, and comments). This allowed me to quickly identify which ideas were winners and losers. If an excerpt exploded in interaction, I developed that idea further and made sure to highlight it in every way I could. If an excerpt didn't do so well, this meant it needed to be modified, condensed, or cut. Assuming you have an audience of readers, you might consider giving away advance copies of your book in exchange for honest feedback. Just make sure you actually ask detailed questions like:- What did you think was most and least helpful?
- Are there any sections that seemed out-of-place or beside the point?
- Did anything seem like it was lacking in detail and needed to be fleshed out in more detail?
- How do you think this book could be more interesting, helpful, and relevant?