Bite into the 'core' of your writing

This week I've been learning the importance of writing exactly what you mean. This sounds easy enough, but is actually more difficult than it looks. Take for example, when it comes to writing product reviews. I've been writing on various topics and in various styles for a while now, so I'm used to expressing content in different ways. But sometimes you forget the importance of self-evaluating your own work. It makes sense in your head. Then other people read it to you...and you realise that what you thought you had written, didn't quite convey that meaning.

Don't get me wrong, I find this easy to point out in other people's work, perhaps because when reading other's work, I can approach their writing style from a fresh angle. But in your own writing, it can be difficult to spot.

I come across this quite a bit, particularly in my line of work. I have to edit a lot of copy which is sometimes poorly expressed. I have found business blogs which are meant to be professionally written by what I can only assume are copy writing agencies, But what they have written is not grammatically correct. They write copy, but don't review it and as a result, the meaning gets lost in translation.

Partially I think the problem might be because when taking on a very conversational style, it is easy to forget to check through work once it is written, to ensure that every word reads as best as it can. Time and deadlines aside, I could see why some people may think 'that'll do' and post it up without revising their work. But a quick five minute review can enhance the professional output, get to the 'core' meaning hidden behind layers of waffle and pay off dividends for both yourself and any potential client in the long run.

Here are some tips to make your writing more concise:

- Once you have finished writing, read it back to yourself
- Listen for redundant words or phrases such as 'could' 'maybe' or 'of course' - which add nothing of value to a sentence. Being definite makes the meaning clearer
- Eliminate clichés
- Separate writing into short paragraphs, it makes it easier to digest
- Think how to best rephrase a long or awkward sentence. Does it sound clumsy? How can I extract the true meaning?
- Read through again and repeat the above steps
- If you're still uncertain, ask for a second opinion

These tips should help you to get the most out of your writing. Like any skill, writing is often overlooked as it's seen as an easy convenience for most people. But there is an art to being able to express what you mean.

Especially in these days of tweeting, tumblr and the numerous and endless channels for social conversation. By all means, bite into the 'core' of your writing, but don't let it rot away and become meaningless when there are so many modern mediums in which to express your message.

Does your writing 'need a trim' ?

It's something that is often overlooked, but just as important as the actual writing.
Editing.
We've all felt that urge to chop into our writing, whether it be academic, business or creative in its message. It doesn't matter what the medium, all writing looks best when it is coherent, tidy and concise.

Many writers will tell you that the creative process involves silencing your inner-editor, at least during the actual writing process. This is so you can let your muse do the work for you. The critic comes in later on. This is how it should be. Creative writing needs to flow with the craziest ideas people. Business and academic writing should also explore all angles possible before reaching its final conclusion.

When writing, we can often forget or even meander off the true point, the reason behind why we are writing. We can get carried away, exploring and explaining every single detail. While this is great as it helps to unleash our thoughts and get material written, it can be detrimental to us afterwards during the editing process, when we decide we're not quite sure in parts what we written after all.

Below are some tips to help you edit any piece of writing:

1) Read your writing out loud. Does it make sense?
2) Read through any sentences that sound odd and edit for grammar, spelling mistakes, etc.
3) Edit unnecessary words which are more 'filler' than 'killer', i.e descriptions of unimportant objects, adjectives which add nothing to the subject matter or distract from the subject.
4) Add full stops and commas where appropriate, especially in long sentences.
5) Read it out loud once again. If you're still uncertain, get a second opinion.

These are just a few of the ways you can edit your writing.'Trimming the ends' off your writing can help it to be the sharpest it can be and help it to express the most meaning.

So how has the editing process helped to improve your writing?

Thinking outside of the box.

All too often, it is very easy to get stuck in a rut. Wake up, work, home, dinner, bed. You get the idea. But that's precisely it, this process can suck the ideas right out of you after a while. Sometimes it's just nice to be able to do something different.

Breaking from the mold can really help you to evaluate your life, workload, goals and ambitions. Recently I read an article called 'Brain Training for Journalists' by Rosy Moorhead in Writers' Forum magazine which inspired me to think in a different way. Now, I have already done a degree in Journalism, so I feel like I am pretty clued up when it comes to knowing how to get stories, etc. But it is surprising what you can forget so easily. Especially three years down the line.

After a long time of not doing anything with my journalism degree (two years is practically a lifetime looking back) and languishing in a recruitment role, I can feel like it is finally all coming together. But doing copy writing and social media consulting, you sometimes forget what it is to truly go out and find a story again. This is what I have been trying to do lately.

Think outside of the box and retrain myself to come up with new ideas for stories...and once it is pointed out to you, then you realise stories are everywhere. There is always a different way of looking at things, a spin which can completely change the way we see a simple subject. For example, I read that in my local paper the other day that bus services are being cut and services reduced in order to save money. Already I am thinking about potential features that can come from this and which magazines or newspapers I could pitch to. This simple change in perspective has once again shifted my thinking and opened up a million doors to me that were once shut.

Inspiration can come from anywhere...takeaway leaflets, radio show phone-ins, other news/magazine features,an eavesdropped conversation in the streets. Just about anything when you put your mind to it.
But to make it happen, you have to think it first.

New opportunities

I realise it's been a while since I last updated this. Not through neglect or any fault of my own, but rather because I have been busy enhancing my networking opportunities in regards to my writing. Plus, I have some exciting news.

I am now working in the writing and editing industry. My job is Assistant Editor/Content Creator for a digital publishing and social media consulting business called ApexHub which is based in Liverpool. I'm very excited to have taken this opportunity and I'm looking to work with clients in the dental/healthcare industry to manage and edit/publish their media for them. So this is a very good opportunity, which I am very excited to be a part of.

Alongside this, my freelance writing is going fairly well. I'm in a much more stable place than I was a few months ago, since my writing is now encompassing a range of different areas. This includes freelance writing- mainly writing retail articles at the moment, but I am also writing background articles for business/property clientele too. I occasionally do proofreading for my friend's PhD when the need requires it and I have been offered potential proofreading overflow work - so we shall see how that goes! I'm still in cahoots to get my work read on a much larger scale and I have no doubt that all of my experience will soon be paying off in the long term. But I do need to be a little more persistent with it all too. Thankfully I write consistently, so all is going well on that front.

However, I am thinking that perhaps I could be taking on too much work for my own good as well. In my eagerness to succeed in this field, there is the danger of spreading yourself too thin after all. Which is actually counter-productive. But I can delegate and I am learning as I go along what I actually enjoy doing and what is more of a chore and actually not worth the hassle in terms of recompense.

I think it's important to weed out the jobs you like doing from the ones you don't when it comes to freelancing,as this in turn makes you more productive in the long run. You need to be enjoying what you are writing, as that increases the depth of understanding in the topic, which in turn means your reader is more likely to enjoy it. Which is what writing should be about after all.

Who I've been writing for lately...

Recently I have been exploring new writing projects. This includes doing research into potential new writing outlets, including blogs, content sites and various other freelance writing opportunities.

The main website I have been impressed with lately and I have been writing for is Wikio Experts. This is a content writing site, which allows you to write numerous articles in different categories. Firstly, you have to create a trial article based on a topic of your choice. The categories available include Health and Wellbeing, Culture, Entertainment, Fashion, Health, Love and Relationships, Music, Sports, Travel and much more.

Once your initial trial article is accepted, you then become 'Seasonned' in a category and you can then choose a number of articles to write. The titles are available in the 'Marketplace' section and once reserved, you must write that particular article, usually within 3 days otherwise it will be released. Writing the articles is easy; the keywords you have to include are in a list down the left side of where you will write the article.

You must ensure the writing makes sense, is coherent and grammatically correct. You will generally have to write around 350-440 words per article. Depending on the subject matter, some categories will be easier to write than others. Once you have finished writing, ensure that the article makes sense, is structured well, contains relevant paragraphs and headings and that there are no spelling mistakes. You can add media to your articles from the Wikio library which is generally recommended, or you can add your own (bearing in mind the laws of copyright).

Once submitted, the article will then be proofread and if accepted, will be submitted for publication on Wikio Experts or Overblog. Depending on what rate the article is set at, you will generally receive €5.00 at a fixed rate, or €15.00 at a floating rate, with €2.50 fixed rate. Higher rates are generally reserved for Wikio Experts with 10 or more published articles in one specific topic within a category.

Verdict: Wikio Experts is generally easy to use, with topics which are interesting and fairly easy to write about. Articles are generally accepted straight away, whilst the rate of pay is not high, for the amount of articles you can write and that will be accepted, you could write a few within an hour or two. Compared to other websites, Wikio is a good choice and can be a good way of sharing your knowledge whilst earning a side income.

Other websites I have looked into applying for is Contently, as well as a writing website which I have applied for, but I have yet to hear feedback from these yet.

Whilst writing for content websites can be a good way of earning an extra income, they are often saturated, as freelance writing has become an extremely popular way of making an income, especially due to the internet.

I do of course have other ways and means of experimenting with my writing and I am looking into the various ways of expanding my freelance writing skills through these ways. This includes blogging, article writing and finding various outlets which are looking for freelance writers. This could be on a local, trade or national basis.

The most important factor in all of this is to keep an open mind and look for opportunities in topics that interest you, but in places you didn't think of previously. Looking for opportunities within opportunities can help to open closed doors.

Deep City

Deep City

I have recently become involved with writing fashion features for the Deep City website, which comprises fashion and celebrity news. I am very excited about helping to write features for the online magazine and I look forward to helping to oversee its development, with a team of fellow writers.

More Wikio Experts articles I have written...

How to stop stress from ruining your life

How to grow your hair long in no time at all