Introducting about writing:
We write because we are reacting to someone or something. While writing can feel like an isolating, individual act—just you and the computer or pad of paper—it is really a social act, a way in which we respond to the people and world around us. Writing happens in specific, often prescribed contexts. We are not just writing—we are always writing to an audience(s) for some particular purpose. When we write, we do so because we want, need, or have been required to create a fixed space for someone to receive and react to our ideas. Understanding this social or rhetorical context—who our readers may be, why they want to read our ideas, when and where they will be reading, how they might view us as writers—governs some of the choices we make. The writing context requires writers to have a sense of the reader’s expectations and an awareness of conventions for a particular piece of writing. The context of the piece further determines the appropriate tone, level of vocabulary, kind and placement of evidence, genre, and sometimes even punctuation.
"Working with creative types taught me that, despite their incredible talents, the best still worked very hard at their crafts. I’ll never forget the first time I found out a favorite artist took hours to produce a portrait that I had previously thought took her minutes."
The Benefits:
Being freelance does require a certain amount of self-reliance – there’s no regular, monthly salary, sick or holiday pay to fall back on – so it’s not for everyone. However, for any writer brave enough to become freelance the benefits are enormous.
A good writer is constantly gathering creative input. Ideas are the inspiration for artists and writers. You need to have a system for collecting them. A great tool to help you do this is Evernote.
ReplyDeleteHard to explain, but there’s a part of the writing process that is mysterious. You can’t take full responsibility for what you create. A good writer knows how to avail herself to the Muse. She knows inspiration is like breathing for the creative spirit.
DeleteAn essential part of writing is rewriting,
ReplyDeletedistilling the fluff down to some core content that will actually make a difference. This is hard, but important. Stephen King calls this “killing your darlings.” And for good reason. It ain’t pretty. But it’s necessary.
There’s a lot of noise and little clarity right now. I hope that you’ll take the time to hone your voice, craft your message, and write with excellence. Because this tool of writing can be squandered. Your message can fall on deaf ears and be ineffective.
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