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14 September 2016

Guest Post: 5 Signs You are a Non-Standard Writer


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This week I'm changing things up a bit. It is my pleasure to welcome you to my premier guest blog post, provided by the talented writer and blogger Christine Allen! Hope you find her writing as enjoyable and insightful as I do!


You keep wondering what really makes your favorite writers impress you so. You wonder what is so special they have, but you lack. You have probably read the compelling works of Ernest Hemingway such as ‘The Short Happy Life’ or ‘The Capital of the World’ where he magically seems to turn every other word into a fascinating icon. Most probably you have subscribed to Arianna Huffington Post because of the incredible way she tells her stories. Well, there are many tips that make you discover your unique writing skills and subsequently give you get an edge in the market.

You have always wanted to be a writer, but then you seem to always have the creeps when you finally try it. Or when you write, everybody, including yourself, can’t bear to read past the second paragraph. Or maybe, you feel as though you were never meant to be a writer because otherwise, you would have started already. Right? The fact that you are wondering whether you were meant to be a writer is a good sign of the right direction.

You want your writing skills to be fine and to help you reach the maximum possible number of people. However, you are wondering what writing skills are necessary to help you achieve this feat. There are several tricks that exist and which have been used by countless writers all over the world. The one thing you must know first is that you must have a writing style which will help the reader identify with you. After all, readers love to read the works of writers they can relate to.

Here are some of the helpful tips and techniques that will most likely nudge you towards the right direction:

1.    Find your niche and stick to that

There are many writers who practically write anything about everything and still manage to pull it off. However, more often than not, you will not be able to write expertly or with authority in over two topics. Take Ruth Dugdall for example, who has written such acclaimed works as ‘The woman before me’, ‘The sacrificial man’, and ‘Humber Boy B covers’ sequel. She recognized when she was in her 20s that the best genre she could work on is a crime. She has the tenacity to follow and investigate crime in all corners of the society and bring the stories like nobody else can. It is by sticking by her category of work and perfecting in what she does she has reached such worldwide fame.

2.    Bring the reader into action

How many times have you ever read a book that did not have dialogue among the characters? Much as such books might be interesting and educative, they tend to ultimately fail in delivering the intended message. Dialogue is important between characters in a story and it helps deliver your message as a writer in a more concise way. Take Ella Joy Olsen who manages to bring out her messages in a most intriguing way, even in the shortest of her works, using the conversation between characters.

By bringing the reader into action, the writer is able to show all the traits of the characters while at the same time helping the reader understand more what the writer is talking about. By bringing the reader into the action, you are making them buy into the story more.

3.    Always try to evoke strong emotions

Hardly will a reader connect with a character in your story that is blandly labeled. You need to evoke strong emotions in your story so that the readers can connect with the story more and faster. A majority of writers have mastered the art of evoking strong emotions such that the reader grapples at the change of every other situation.  As Steve Zousmer writes in ‘The Readers Digest’, you should concentrate on making the reader feel and see what you are talking about.

4.    Invest in making intriguing characters

If you were to read a book where there was no character to hate or love, then the writer will to some level have failed to achieve their goal. In fact, you might not be able to finish the story. Readers want a story where they can revile or fall in love with the characters. Such is the story even in real life. Make the story as close to how it is as possible while maintaining the intrigues of a story. In ‘The Game of Thrones’ which is written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, practically impossible not to fall in love with Tyrion Lannister and passionately hate the young King Joffrey Baratheon. The writers have invested heavily in making the characters stand out in whatever they do.

5.    Make all the senses come into play

The obvious reasons your work will stand out is the ability with which you can bring out all the characteristics of the various players in your story. When you describe how a boy runs to his uncle’s farm. It should be in such a way that the reader can tell whether the boy was running at breakneck speed or was just running and taking his time to spite his mother. The reader should read more about the characters’ feelings, tastes and other senses in your story. 


  

Christine Allen is young writer and blogger. She believes that you can get everything that you want. You just need to be sure in what you really want and be patient. You can follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

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