Recently, I have had conversations with several people who expressed interest in writing books but lack writing skills.  From those discussions, I noticed three categories that aspiring authors fall into.  First, there are the people who want to write but lack skills.  Then, there are people who clearly have stories in them, but don’t want to write. They may have skills, but are not willing to put pen to paper.  The last groups are people who don’t like to write because they lack skills.

Instead of discouraging them from fulfilling their dreams of being authors and sharing themselves with the world, I provided the following tips to each individual group to get them  started on their writing journey.

Group 1: People who want to write but lack skills

1. Start writing and don’t worry about grammar, spelling or syntax initially.
2. Read everything even if it’s just a license plate or billboard.
3. Refresh grammar and punctuation skills by reading, writing and practicing.
4. Listen to how people speak.
5. Take writing classes.
6. Practice with writing prompts.
7. Find a writing mentor or coach.

Group 2: People who don’t want to write, but want to tell their stories

With advancements in technology, following are ways stories can be told without much writing.

1. Voice recognition software
2. Digital voice recorders. NOT tape recorders!
3. Ghost writers (hire us!)

Group 3: People who don’t like to write because they lack skills

I would give the same advice to this group as I did Group 2.  However, I would encourage them to journal.  Writing in a journal would not only help build writing skills, it would also build their confidence and possibly be the start of another book.

Just because people lack writing skills does not mean they cannot add “author” to their list of credentials.  Just be mindful of the tips above and a published book is sure to follow.

As our team meets with clients and prospects that have been in business for years, we have discovered that many of them do not have written histories for their businesses.  Sure, they can give you dates and details, but not many can provide a complete written history.  If you have a resume or a bio highlighting your personal successes and employment history, why wouldn’t you do the same for your business?

Call The Write Design Company at  877.570.5228 to write the history of your business today!

I sometimes create abnormal words in moments of spontaneity, creativity or boredom. My words are created on purpose. Grammatical practices such as using words and phrases incorrectly and using nouns as verbs, are just plain wrong. They also annoy journalists Tasha Clopton-Stubbs and Glenn Reedus to a high degree.

Tasha literally wants to scratch her nails across a chalkboard when the following words are used incorrectly.

Last but not least, educators who cannot differentiate between too, two, to and there, their, and they’re!

Glenn Reedus cringes when nouns are used as verbs:

Ok, the last one is mine; I just wanted to share my two cents.

As you know, the English language is already complex enough without us adding to the madness. To keep life simple, learn to use words as they are intended. If you are uncertain, check out your dictionary, dictionary websites, or Tasha or Glenn.

Have you ever listened to  people speak in every day conversation?

Have you ever paid attention to the number of times people said “like” and “ya know” in a given statement?

Have you ever bothered to count the number of times people said “like” and “ya know”?

Like, these two words have got to be two of the most overused words in the English language next tow “uh” and “um.” Ya know?

I’ll admit that I do listen and sometimes count the number of “likes” and “ya knows” in conversations, and have determined that people say either of the words at least three times in a sentence.

What is the point of this article?

My point is to be mindful of your “likes” and “ya knows” in conversation, and PLEASE don’t let them flow into your writings.

Face-to-face communication is quickly becoming a thing of the past with advancements in technology and time constraints.  E-mail, instant messaging, social networking sites and other communications tools leave little time for old traditions.  The one practice that should never fall by the wayside is personalizing thank you notes.

Personalizing does not necessarily mean you have to actually write thank you notes by hand, even though that would be great.  In fact, the recipient would hold you in the highest regard because you took time from your busy schedule to write your appreciation.

If your penmanship is not the greatest, a typed thank you letter or a thank you card with your signature would suffice.

No matter which route you take, just be sure to personalize your thank you notes.

Write Content for Blog

There is saying that goes, “It’s not what you say; it’s how you say it.” Well, in blogging, that is NOT true. What you say is just as important as how you say it – literally and figuratively. There are three ways to ensure that you say what you want to say in the way you want to say it is: 1) write relevant content; 2) use a conversational tone; and 3) use proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

The content of your blog must be relevant to your audience; otherwise, they are not going to read it. If your blog is about photography, and you’re talking about microwaves, you are going to lose your audience and credibility. Unless those microwaves take pictures, all topics on your photography site should be related to photography. Relevancy of content is important. Check out Copy Blogger for tips on how to write content for your blog.

In addition, the tone of your blog should be conversational whether it is formal or informal. People read official documents and letters all the time. Make your audience want to come to your blog by speaking directly to them in a professional, yet conversational tone.

Lastly, your spelling, grammar and punctuation need to be as close to perfect as possible. Unless you’re the most accurate editor in the world, you may not catch all your flaws. This is OK. Just don’t make it a habit. If you know these are not your strengths, hire someone to do it. If your cash is a little low, barter. Your written presentation – spelling, grammar, and punctuation – is as important as content and tone. Grammar Girl is a great resource for grammar and punctuation.

What you say is just as important as how you say it when blogging. Your content must be relevant; the tone of your blog must be conversational; and your spelling, grammar, and punctuation must on point. If you have these three things, you are on you way to a well-written and well-read blog.

If you need help with creating and maintaining your blog or content, The Write Design Company is here for you. Call us today at 877.570.5228.

Readers of this blog will get writing tips as well as things going on in the social media world.  You are encouraged to jump in, ask questions, and get conversations started if you want.  We are completely open.

If there are topics you want to see, leave a comment below, email us at info@thewritedesignco.com, or call us at 877.570.5228.