Juiced On Writing

Guest Post:

We’re all human beings, which is why we’re fallible; we make mistakes – some of us learn from them while others continue to make the same time after time. Writers are no exception to this rule – we make mistakes which sometimes crucify us and sometimes make us better at our job. As a writer myself, these are the errors I find myself guilty of most of the time:

1. Wasting time: Unless you’re a diehard technophobe with a strong aversion to computers and word processing software, you’re likely to be using a computer to get your work done. And when you have a computer, you more often than not have an Internet connection. And this makes wasting time a certainty; with all the sites that offer a variety of entertainment, with at least four emails to check and three social networking sites to interact with friends and strangers, with two instant messengers that keep popping up messages and numerous Twitter accounts to follow, there’s just not enough time to get work done on time. If you’re like me, the wisest course of action would be to turn off the net until you meet your daily deadline.
2. Putting off things till the last minute: Your deadline may be far away, but that does not mean you should wait till the last minute to finish work. If you work from home (as you most probably do), you should know that something or the other will turn up and you’re likely to be rushing to get things done as your deadline gets closer and closer. Finish work as and when you have time so that you’re prepared for any uncertainty.
3. Not preparing enough: There are articles that I write that seem to have no structure; my thoughts are all there, but they’re in random order and make no sense to the reader. Fortunately, I have an eye that spots such mistakes and I waste no time in rewriting the piece. Writers must ensure that they create a coherent essay, one that reads well from start to finish and gets across your point with no ambiguity.
4. Not knowing your target audience: If you write the same way no matter who your target audience is, you’re not much of a writer. But if you identify with the people who are likely to read your essay, you have a higher chance of making an impact on them.
5. Not paying attention to detail or paying too much attention to detail: Neither option is good – while the former means you’re not a good researcher and that you don’t bother to learn more about your subject, the latter implies that you cannot compile what you do know into a concise, yet coherent form.

Writing is not as easy as most people think it is – even the shortest of articles involves a great deal of planning and research. It’s up to you to do your job to the best of your ability, without letting mistakes get in the way of progress.

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