Working as a writer is greatly different from working any other kind of job.\u00a0 For one, you must be ready for a life filled with solitude.\u00a0 Writing is one of those things you do best alone.\u00a0 You must also possess incredible discipline.\u00a0 Writing requires an almost fanatical eye for detail and a keen sense of logic.\u00a0 Without these characteristics, more than likely you are not capable of working as a writer.<\/p>\n
Many individuals are great storytellers, but there is much more to actually calling yourself a writer.\u00a0 Being able to tell a very good story over dinner or at the Sunday afternoon picnic is one thing, but putting those thoughts down on paper in a logical and disciplined manner so others may read what you wrote – and get the message – well, that might just be a horse of a different color.<\/p>\n
Many have considered the job of writing.\u00a0 Indeed, a good number of would-be writers actually sat down at a computer or a typewriter (the purists use pen and paper) and began writing.\u00a0 In fact, a few of those individuals can be very prolific with setting words to paper.\u00a0 Some reached the end of their 358-page treatise and typed \u201cThe End\u201d thinking they were finished.\u00a0 All real writers will tell you this is the point at which the real work begins.<\/p>\n
The first thing a writer should do after finishing any piece of writing is to put it away in a drawer and leave it for at least a week.\u00a0 Sometimes you can do this; other times deadlines prevent it.\u00a0 If you have the luxury of time, stow the piece for a week or two before looking at it again.\u00a0 This allows you come back to look at it with a fresh eye.\u00a0 When you do pick up the piece again, now the real work begins.\u00a0 This is called editing and re-writing.<\/p>\n
The writer must break each paragraph down into individual sentences and then each sentence into individual phrases.\u00a0 To separate the ideas, the writer must take pencil to paper deciding where to place each punctuation mark.\u00a0 Place a mark incorrectly and the phrase or the sentence takes on a totally different meaning.\u00a0 It will not convey the message originally intended by the author.\u00a0 Additionally, throw a few homophonic mistakes into the manuscript and see what bearing that has on the message.\u00a0 What the author must keep in mind is the success of his or her writing is directly measurable by how well the reader receives the message.<\/p>\n
Writing is very hard.\u00a0 In fact, sometimes I have to chuckle to myself when I hear someone say, \u201cWriting is easy.\u201d\u00a0 Keep in mind I have done some hard things in my lifetime.\u00a0 Writing may not be as difficult as landing an attack jet on a pitching carrier deck at night, but I assure you, it can give you the exact same kind of a headache – especially after three straight hours of editing.<\/p>\n
As I wrote earlier in the article, almost anyone can effectively put words to paper.\u00a0 But to get the message across, a writer has to carefully edit.\u00a0 This process takes a lot of time and effort and energy to produce a viable final product.\u00a0 Many who would be writers are incapable of this very important task.\u00a0 Without the ability or desire to edit, those who think they are writers truly are not.<\/p>\n
Merely getting something onto paper does not qualify one as a writer.\u00a0 Writers take great pride in getting their message just right. \u00a0This includes deleting words, adding words, changing phrases, making certain capitalization is just right, describing scenes appropriately, and making certain the punctuation is perfect.<\/p>\n
Well, it is late at night and the wife and cat are asleep.\u00a0 Did I mention writing could be a lonely job?<\/p>\n
-30-\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a9 2010 J. Clark<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Working as a writer is greatly different from working any other kind of job.\u00a0 For one, you must be ready for a life filled with solitude.\u00a0 Writing is one of those things you do best alone.\u00a0 You must also possess … Continue reading