Writing tip for the day 8/12/2009

In order to be a successful writer, you need to first familiarize yourself with content that relates to the subject matter before initiating the writing process. Think of writing like giving a speech. Students that don't prepare for a speech, reading and taking notes, get nervous.

Fear of public speaking comes from worrying about making mistakes and criticism. If you have to, step aside and take off the critical gloves. Don't let the audience mentally pound out your confidence. Writer deal with the same obstacles.

Writing is like giving a speech. Speech are structures on the researched information in hand. The intended purpose of giving a speech is not solely based on the information, but how one delivers the material to the audience.

Instructors allow students to use flashcards, but they want to inspect them, so in case there no conflict with reading from a paper. Focus on the audience, shrink them in your head, and deliver a quality speech. Think of the audience as one communicating with one person.

Writing deals with communicating to an audience. Before you begin writing, you already know that there is going to be an audience; you know they will read your work - either liking or criticizing it. Spending too much time making corrections on the first draft will induce fear, making writing seem like a lucid dream.

Familiarizing yourself with the content will help you to become a better writer. Nothing is more frustrating than being frozen on the first page, struggling to find the next word. Students that give speeches fear making mistakes and forgetting what to say.

Most fear comes from outside influences. Don't try to be so perfect all the time. The first draft is not the final draft. Let your creative energy flow. Make the writing process about what you know about the content.

If you can't get past the introduction, more than likely the content is creating such fear, which is likely to make you feel that others will judge your work. You don't have to read every sentence on every page.

Focus on the information you need. People that do research only search for the information they need to support their thesis. In reading, use the same approach. Familiarize yourself with content that supports your topic to improve the efficiency of writing.