Writing Advice

Writing Process

Ideas and Brainstorming

Free Your Mind: Clear your headspace for the creative process.
Capture Ideas: Jot down any thought that could become a potential writing project.

Scope

Define Your Topic: Choose an idea and specify what you want to write about.
Set Your Goal: Determine the purpose of your writing.
Define the Scope: Establish what aspects you will cover in your work.
Identify Your Audience: Understand who you'll be writing for.

Research

Gather Resources: Start collecting relevant books, articles, reports, etc.
Conduct Research: Dive into these resources to learn more about your topic.
Take Notes: Jot down important points, facts, or quotes that you may want to include in your writing.

Drafting

The essence of drafting is to get your thoughts down first. Don't worry about perfection in the first draft, whether you're writing an argumentative essay or an informal blog post. The refining happens later in the editing and polishing stages.

Form Your Central Idea: Regardless of the writing style, there needs to be a central idea, argument, or theme. This can be a thesis for an argumentative piece, a narrative thread for an informal one, or a key question you are addressing in any piece.
Create an Outline: Plan your work based on your central idea. Argumentative pieces might require a more structured approach with clear sections for introduction, arguments, counterarguments, and conclusion. Informal pieces might follow a less strict structure but an outline will still help in organizing your thoughts and ensuring your narrative flows logically.
Set Writing Goals and Schedule: Having a writing schedule helps in maintaining progress.
Write Your First Draft: Now start turning your outline into complete sentences and paragraphs. If it's argumentative, focus on clarity and making solid points. If it's informal, allow more personality and storytelling to come into play.
Writing Techniques: Depending on the style of writing, use appropriate techniques. For instance, argumentative writing might require statistical evidence, quotes from experts, logical reasoning, etc., while informal writing might call for anecdotes, metaphors, humor, etc.

Editing

Take a Break: Before you start editing, take a break to clear your mind.
Self-Review: Go through your draft and look for areas of improvement.
Revise Ruthlessly: Start making changes, cutting unnecessary words, refining sentences, etc.
Get Feedback: Have others review your work to gain different perspectives.

Polishing

Proofread: Check your work for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors.
Refine Your Style: Make sure your writing style is consistent and suits your audience.
Review Your Argument: Ensure your main argument is clear and well supported.

Pre-Publishing

Write a Strong Introduction and Conclusion: Make sure your opening grabs attention and your conclusion effectively wraps up your argument.
Finalize Your Title: Choose a compelling and relevant title for your work.
Include Visuals (if applicable): Add relevant images, graphs, infographics, etc., to enhance comprehension and engagement.

Publishing

Choose Your Platform: Depending on your purpose, you might publish on a blog, a website, a literary magazine, a scientific journal, etc.
Follow Submission Guidelines: If you're submitting to a specific platform, follow their guidelines for format, length, etc.
Publish: Post or submit your piece.

Post-Publishing

Share Your Work: Promote your work through social media, newsletters, etc.
Engage with Readers: If your platform allows comments, engage with your readers to build a relationship.
Reflect on the Process: Consider what worked and what didn't for you in this process as learning for your next writing project.

Writing Style

Show, Don't Tell (Anton Chekhov): Paint a picture with words, don't merely report facts. 'He was nervous' becomes 'His hands trembled as he fumbled with the papers'.
Omit Needless Words (Strunk & White): Remove redundant words. 'In spite of the fact that' can become 'although'.
Use Concrete Language (George Orwell): Use specific, concrete language instead of vague, abstract phrases. 'The weather was bad' could be 'Rain lashed against the window panes'.
Avoid Jargon (William Zinsser): Use simple language. 'Utilize' can simply be 'use'.
First Drafts Aren't Perfect (Ernest Hemingway): Remember, the first draft is always rough. Write first, edit later.
Write for One (Kurt Vonnegut): Write as if you're speaking to one person, making your writing more personal and engaging.
Vary Sentence Structure (Gary Provost): Mix short and long sentences to create rhythm and keep readers engaged.
Don't Fear the Thesaurus (Roald Dahl): Expand your vocabulary. It can make your writing more vibrant and engaging.
Choose Strong Verbs (Stephen King): Use strong, active verbs. 'He gave assistance' is weaker than 'he assisted'.
The Power of Brevity (Mark Twain): Use short sentences and paragraphs for impact. It can make your message clearer.

Writer's Block

Break it Down: Don't let the whole piece overwhelm you. Start with a single sentence. For example, "Climate change affects us all" can be your first step.
Change Your Environment: Stuck in your usual spot? Move. Try writing in a park, or at a bustling coffee shop. Different surroundings spark new ideas.
Rekindle Your Passion: Remember why you write. Start writing about anything you love, even if it's not your main topic. If you're stuck on a scientific report, write about your favorite movie scene. It gets the words flowing.

Misc. Advice

Audience Understanding: Know who you're writing for. Will they understand your jargon? What interests them? For instance, a piece for tech enthusiasts can get away with technical lingo.
Purpose Clarity: Be clear about your aim. Are you informing, persuading, or entertaining? This goal should guide your tone and approach.
Consistent Tone: Your writing voice should reflect your purpose and audience. A formal report requires a different tone than a personal blog post.
Strong Transitions: These guide your reader through your piece. Phrases like "on the other hand" or "for instance" help connect your ideas.
Use of Examples: Concrete examples breathe life into abstract concepts. They also add credibility to your points.
Inclusion of Visuals: Charts, images, or infographics can break up text and aid understanding, particularly in technical or data-heavy pieces.
Inviting Feedback: Be open to critiques. They can expose blind spots and help you grow as a writer.

Quotes

Most writing is full of unnecessary words and those extra words make it harder and less enjoyable to read.
~ On Writing Well[1]

The secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components. Every word that serves no function, every long word that could be a short word, every adverb that varies the same meaning that's already in the verb, every passive construction that leaves the reader unsure of who is doing what -- these weaken the sentence.
~ On Writing Well[1]

Writers must therefore constantly ask: what am I trying to say? Surprisingly often they don't know. Then they must look at what they have written and ask: have I said it?
~ On Writing Well[1]

The most important sentence in any article is the first one. If it doesn't induce the reader to proceed to the second sentence, your article is dead. And if the second sentence doesn't induce him to continue to the third sentence, it's equally dead. Of such a progression of sentences, each tugging the reader forward until he is hooked, a writer constructs that fateful unit, the "lead."
~ On Writing Well[1]

Authors Who Advice I would Like:

Stephen King
Benjamin Franklin
William Zinsser