In the world that needs its doctors, engineers and scientists, the role of a writer are often neglected and frowned upon. Even in 2018, having a career in writing, books or content, is looked upon as a hobby and passion as opposed to a full-time career or job. In a growing country like ours, and authors and content writers emerging from all walks of life, it has all come down to how well one can express themselves through words that make all the difference. 

In this field now, comes in the role of competition that up until now was more or less discarded because of the lack of players. More and more writers and authors are now vying to make young India read their work and shoot to fame and glitz. After all, that is exactly what Chetan Bhagat did. 

However, it is a completely different game now. The readers now know what they like and they don’t which means that until the content isn’t new, intriguing or even refreshing, they would stay away. The pressure on writers and authors to meet these high expectations has often lead to a tussle between reviewers/readers and writers. 

It has often been seen that a new writer depends heavily on the editor to make his work look presentable but it doesn’t always work. They receive backlash for practically getting their book ghostwritten in the name of editing and has forced them to pay more attention to their writing skills, grammar and proficiency in the language of choice.

The most common trend is for them to keep writing until their critics have lesser things to say and point out, which unfortunately doesn’t always work. Any language has its own flow, rhythm and fluency which can only be achieved if the person in questions understands the basic foundations of the same. You cannot expect a great strength building to be constructed on a foundation that is shoddy, weak and crumbly. Taken as an insult when pointed out and defended with the rhetorical refrain that ‘It’s not my first language!’ isn’t exactly the kind of spirit or even the attitude of someone wanting to make an impact on his audience.

 It does take time but the most important thing for any writer or author is to understand what would make them different and unique from the clique.

GRAMMAR: The core building blocks of any language are the grammar lessons. You need to know the basics of sentence structuring, usage of describing adjectives, learning how to break and join sentences that not only create an impact but also, make sense and are easily understood by the readers.

INTONATION: Do not write or even speak as for that matter as if you are compiling facts instead of writing a sentence. Even in written words, where one’s voice isn’t heard, it can be in fact seen with the way one writes. Engage the audience by introducing expressions and changes in mood through words so that it keeps them reading.

VOCABULARY: Do not use simple, easy words that do nothing for the writing. Increase your vocabulary spectrum by using words that are rare, strong and impactful. No amount of writing will ever be termed good if it uses a mediocre language and writing style.

EDITING: An often neglected aspect, a crisp and streamlined writing is always a winner over vague, haphazard works. There needs to be a check in which one can keep to the point, remove over-description and create an article or piece that is enjoyable instead of boring.

RESEARCH: With so much information at the fingertips of the world, one needs to be well informed about the topic they are writing about. Make sure you dig in deep of the topic at hand and finding information that would come in handy to the readers instead of putting up knowledge that is of no use.

ACCURACY: Even in fiction, keep your facts straight and accurate. If you are writing about a place or product, present information that is correct instead of misleading the audience with false facts. Any writer worth his salt would know the backlash of a misrepresented fact quite well.

When one is only to be known and understood through their words and with so many other writers struggling to create an impact, it is the possession of these 6 virtues that can set them apart. 

Practising your writing can take you far IF done in the right way by setting up a good foundation. As mentioned earlier, it is only through strengthening your foundation that you can build a strong structure. Read more to learn more, engage in conversation especially in a language you want to excel, inculcate the habit of reading dictionaries and thesauruses to keep your Vocabulary polished and updated and most of all, never ever be discouraged by the criticism that comes your way. 

Use the critiques, mistakes and fails to redo your work and make it better. You cannot practice your writing and get better at it if you don’t let anyone see, read and review it. 

Understand the basic concept that writing is a very public profession. You cannot do it behind closed doors and expect applause, especially if you haven’t made the effort of presenting it to an audience. The fear of receiving a backlash or negative critique is understandably reasonable but one wouldn’t know what they need to learn or polish until someone else points it out for them. Self-editing and critiquing is one the most crucial aspects of being a writer. 

Read and review your own work before you present it to someone else totally with their points later, to know and understand what you missed out on in the first place. 

All in all, although writing seems like an easy job that needs nothing more than a writing tool and time, it is one of the most crucial building blocks of any society and framework and should be treated with indulgence, practice, critique and patience.