You Are a Writer: A Practical Guide to Writing Effortlessly and Effectively Connecting with Your Readers

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To aspiring writers like myself…

Writing is arguably one of the simplest journeys anyone can embark on in our society to convey fictional or non-fictional information. Although there is a popular belief that staunchly argued writing is a journey reserved for the very few talented people. However, after going through the journey, I found that even those who marvelously write get better at it by continuously writing every day. Although there are certain fundamental guidelines that you must follow to establish yourself as an experienced writer. This is what this article will try to elucidate. 

According to experienced writers, you can be a writer regardless of your background of studies or innate ability. The point is that you simply have to have a drive — something that pushes you. As far as I know, it takes a few minutes of your commitment each day to someday wake up and genuinely say “I am a writer.” The journey can be arduous, though. However, your enthusiasm could be a strong force to propel you forward. It is also critical for aspiring writers to imbibe the culture of reading what other people have written. If you make this part of your daily routine, you are only a step away from becoming the writer you hope to be. It is as simple as that.

Before we delve into this article, let us unravel the intricacies surrounding the concept of “writer's block.” In my opinion, this concept is funny to me. Admittedly, there are stale days you may not feel inspired to write or to even respond to your friends' messages on WhatsApp. This is typical human behavior. Hence, “writer's block” is like a mirage, the more you get closer the faster it fades away. This means that the more you write regardless of circumstances the quicker your tendency to achieve amazing objectives. Besides, you conjure ”writer's block” owing to your fear of producing an ugly first draft. The fact is that you must produce it before you can make it tidy and meticulous. Therefore, you have no choice but to write even on the dullest days.

To improve on that, you may also locate writing partners to help you avoid “writer's block” or rather procrastination. Having a writing partner by your side is beneficial, you can discuss ideas together and proofread each other's work. Likewise, you can set daily goals of writing 150-300 words. If you are consistent, I can guarantee you that writing will be as simple as ABCs. If you can develop the habit of producing short pieces regularly, you have a good chance of improving remarkably. Indeed, this habit will change your perception and decongest your mental fears.

Besides, writing is not an inborn phenomenon. For instance, I am not talented and I am not studying any course that I could be taught how to write. I am a student of Biology. But my burning desire to someday write effortlessly and effectively keeps me going. Therefore, if you want to be a writer, you simply have to write and find your motivation. In other words, if you make it a habit and get addicted to it rather than considering it as a rare psychological capacity, your ability to write compellingly will only get better.

On the other hand, establishing oneself as a professional writer is not possible without writing your first ugly draft. The fact is that even the most accomplished writers produce first terrible drafts before they work on them to near perfection. An ugly draft is the first rough version you wrote without checking for grammar, punctuation, etc. For example, experienced writers like Dr. Muhsin and Dooba always educate us that a good essay emanates from writing and rewriting several times. Dr. Dooba emphasized that to seamlessly rewrite your first draft, you might consider keeping it away to relax for some hours. When you return to rewrite with fresh ideas, you will be astonished — you will edit as though you are an established professional. 

In addition, it is pertinent to know that every piece of writing or good content has an introduction, paragraphs, a summary, and a conclusion. This is important because the introduction gives the reader an overview of the essay; the paragraphs give your most compelling arguments and illustrations, and the summary outlines the whole essay's main points. And the conclusion is where you pull the reader's attention to examine how potent or impotent your argument transpired.

Moving on, it's important to bear in mind that you are writing for other people to read. However, it is fairly typical today to see writers disregarding this basic rule. This is wrong. Thus, you should create an empathy loop in which you address your readers' questions in each of your essays. Some individuals are instinctively empathic, whilst others must scout for more information before making that connection. Therefore, before you start writing on any subject, switch places with your readers. This is how you can simply reach their hearts. 

Another strategy to connect with your readers effectively is to make your writing as concise as possible — supported by facts and logic. Though, this may vary depending on the subject and the required length. Keeping your essay simple and concise implies avoiding the overuse of clichés and lofty terms. You should instead utilize simpler and more recognizable analogies to convey your message. In this manner, you can keep your readers' attention until the very last line. 

Moreover, it is fascinating to learn how experienced writers connect with their audience easily. The basic logic is that they will not only tell you what they want to inform you; they show you what they want to tell you in action. Therefore, if your character is lifeless, you should be able to bring it to life. Again, established writers always avoid complex terms to beautify their work. They utilize the power of simpler expression to penetrate their audience's souls. This implies that you, too, should avoid too fanciful and unnatural expressions, they are easily detected. They can render your entire work meaningless.

Correspondingly, how do you create good content? This depends on how much research you've done, or how well-versed you are in the subject. To put it simply, compelling content is the result of proper preparation that meets opportunity. Additionally, the content should be able to answer the why, how, and what of the talking points. This is how good content is created. By giving your reader the feeling of ownership of your idea. Likewise, taking this approach will help you organize your work. Organization entails staying on track with the main idea. Because every piece of writing has a unique method, and what works for me may not necessarily work for you. Be yourself. Read others and pay careful attention to how they organize their work. 

Furthermore, great essays should capture the attention of your readers from the first sentence. To do this, carefully and creatively show your readers why this is important to them. Everyone wants to achieve great things. Yet do not lie to your readers. Similarly, you can connect your readers with a scenario they can easily relate to. This is why you should eliminate any form of distraction from the beginning. However, if you must introduce a distraction, do so at the end; unimportant points at the beginning of a sentence will keep your readers away. Be wary of that.

According to professional writers, after producing your first rough draft, you can use “developmental and line editing techniques” to enhance your work. Developmental editing involves questioning your work, such as "have I covered the key ideas, and do my paragraphs align?" While line-editing is a technique for trimming your essay word by word, line-by-line to detect incorrect syntax, and punctuation, and will also help you create a seamless transition between paragraphs. You may also hire a skilled editor, to proofread, edit and rewrite certain portions, and finally polish your work to near-perfect quality. 

Most importantly, it is worth noting that simply because nobody likes or comments on your article does not imply that you are bad at what you do, or your work stinks badly. No. Building a cult audience takes time — it requires consistent effort and dedication. There is a renowned saying that goes, “the size of your audience doesn't matter. Keep up the good work.” Therefore, keep going; do not give up. There will come a day when you will be the port of call — notifications will inundate your inbox.

To summarize, all written content is meant for public consumption. So, after you learned the fundamentals of conceptualizing and plotting your work, the next stage is to make it accessible to your audience. Make no mistake, your readers are always eager to discover new things. Do not write without thinking about them. Maintain simplicity. Control the usage of anything that does not add value to your work. You will most likely be required to write your first ugly draft, revise, edit, and edit until you have a near-perfect essay. This is how writers and great content are born. 

Finally, I am still a budding writer and writing is my most important passion. Although I have attended several online courses and read numerous books on writing — and I am still learning every day. You have to bear in mind that writers are always open to learning, unlearning, and relearning every day. Well, if you aspire to be a writer, I think this essay might help you get started. It is straightforward. All it takes is to simply put in the necessary effort and follow the simple principles. If a Biology student like myself can accomplish it, I believe you too can achieve it if you are willing to try. All you have to do is believe. Write now! 

If you enjoy reading this, please, comment, like, and share it with anyone who may benefit. See you next time. I do this for you! ❤