31 Days to Better Freelance Writing
July is going to be a whirl of writing tips for and by freelance writers. And although I’ll be sharing what I know, I have absolutely no intention of writing by myself! Sure, I’ve got a lot of info stuffed into this head of mine, and some of it is already on this blog – so I’ll be pulling up some of those during August.
But I don’t know everything about freelance writing and never will. I already know some of you who have all sorts of good ideas about improving your freelance writing income, and I’m sure there are even more out there I don’t know. Let’s share some info with the goal of giving all of us a shot in the arm.
Get ready to participate!
There are at least 4 ways you can join this informational fun:
- Post a freelance writing tip in the comments – I’ll gather them up and turn them into posts.
- Post a tip or two on your own blog and let me know so I can feature that link.
- Send me an email with a tip you’d like to share and share it I will.
- Ask a question you’d like answered about freelance writing – I won’t promise to answer it myself, but I will promise to get it answered.
Wow… I’m really looking forward to this.
(By the way, I should give a nod of credit to Darren Rowse - this idea is a direct steal from his 31 Days to Building a Better Blog - thanks Darren!)
Write well and often,
Subscribe to Abundant Writing News
Related Stories
POSTED IN: 31 Days of Freelance Writing Tips
3 opinions for 31 Days to Better Freelance Writing
Scott Nesbitt
Jul 4, 2006 at 5:59 pm
Over the years, several people have asked me for my advice on writing. I’m always kind of surprised when it happen. Sure, I’ve been doing this for a long time. But that doesn’t mean I know what I’m doing …
Anyway, here is the advice I give people who want to write (and not just be writers):
Learn the basics. I’m talking about proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation. But there’s more to the basics, things like how structure what you’re writing, how to do basic research, how to write a query letter, and manuscript mechanics. These are the basis of solid writing.
Read and analyze. No matter what kind of writing you do, read as much as you can. Look at good and bad examples of the genre to learn what works and what doesn’t. Also, think about why it doesn’t work.
Write. Just as you can’t become a good basketball player by only watching NBA games, you can’t learn to write well simply by reading. Take the time to write — even if it’s only a few paragraphs or sentences. Everything you put down on paper or on the screen will aid in your development. Which leads us to …
Be critical of your own work. Re-read what you’ve written. Look for the flaws in your writing. This could be poorly-formed sentences, bad turns of phrase, weak characters, or shaky arguments.
Edit and re-write. Do as many drafts as necessary. Within reason, of course — going through 10 drafts of a 500-word article makes no sense. But take the time re-shape your work. Chances are it will be better for it.
Learn to write tightly. This is an especially useful skill for people involved in writing general non-fiction, as well as business and technical writers. Get rid of unnecessary words. If you can give readers the same information in six words rather than 10, you and they will be better off for it.
Reading, redux. Read books for writers. Start with books like The Elements of Style and On Writing Well. Then, look for books on the particular genre of writing you’re interested in. As a writer of non-fiction, I can recommend anything by Robert Bly, Hot Text, Writing in Bullets, and Basic Magazine Writing. Also, read writers magazines and Web sites.
And, finally, write. Keep writing, keep striving to improve.
Anne Wayman
Jul 5, 2006 at 1:15 pm
Thanks Scott… I did some reformatting and posted your tips… if you have a web addy you want me to add, let me know.
The Golden Pencil: The Freelance Writer’s Resource » 31 Days to Better Freelance Writing Starts Tomorrow!
Dec 20, 2006 at 12:27 pm
[…] The 31 Days to Better Freelance Writing series starts tomorrow. Find out how to participate. […]
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: