Becoming a Great Writer

Becoming a great writer takes time, patience, and skill. There are however a few tips and tricks that are undeniable. I often think about the term people use in the hip hop world “Ya feel me?” In the writing world it could refer to the very important process of establishing an affinity.

Establishing an affinity with your reader is very important because it allows the reader to become attached in some small minute way to your work. If you give your reader an anecdote after your introductory main idea it could allow your reader to “Feel you”.

Other ways to produce great work include:

Using the old Journalism trick- by coming up with the why, who, how, what, when, and where questions; you will have covered all the bases for your piece.

Appeal to your readers- Sway them through emotion or logic. It helps to know when you appeal to someone that you are appealing to a certain thing like pride or value.

Build an argument- One important skill that can turn a boring work into something thought provoking is building an argument.

When you have a good subject with good points on both sides you can play Devil’s Advocate presenting one side of the argument and then combating the information with the other side of the argument. Or you can present the side you like best, and leave the reader to draw their own conclusions.

When you are building an argument you should think of something others can relate to like: relationships, raising children, or absentee parents.

Citing sources-lend your writings more weight so the reader knows it is not just you and your opinion that you are writing about. You need real backup!

Think about the reader- How does the reader see your work? It takes a lot of insight for an author to be able to tap into their own work, as well as perceiving how the reader might see it.

In order to make your work a little more flavorful, try playing Devil’s advocate from time to time, and don’t forget to cite your sources. Becoming a better writer can be fun but being a great writer is even more fun!