Many people believe that some are born with writers’ instinct and some are not. If we look at writers like Shakespeare, or contemporary best sellers like the late Tom Cleese, we may be tempted to believe it. If we do, we will miss the potential that is in us.
“A definition of instinct is an innate impulse, or just knowing something, without having to learn it or be taught.”
We do know some people seem to have a natural instinct for art, or music composition, and poetry and writing. However, the truth is not so simple. It may be true that not all musicians can ‘play by ear’, but it is also true many who cannot have become skilled musicians through hard work, learning and practice. Most of us want to be good at things without having to try too hard. We want to excel without putting in effort. However, even the great writers like Shakespeare had to develop their writing. The danger with this attitude is we might give up at our first attempt because we believe we do not have what it takes.
What does it take?
The truth is that anyone, even those who seem ‘gifted’, have to learn the skills necessary for writing. A skill is acquired through patience, training and practice. Today there is a great opportunity for online article writing, academic writing, writing of blogs and e books. So writing is a skill worth developing, whether you have an instinct or not.
How do you develop your writing instinct?
By learning and observing, doing and keep on doing, and finally by having professional help.
1. Learning
No matter how easily your ideas flow to your mind the fact is writing is all about expressing those ideas. If you want to be a skilled writer you not only need to have insight into events, you need to learn how to write. This you learn. There are rules that govern writing and you need to learn them. Articles writing is an area of writing we encounter daily. We have all read an article that moved us, bored us or inspired us. The ones that moved and inspired us were the result of hard work and learning. Finally, most forms of writing follow set rules. A scientist writing lab reports will follow different rules to a writer of an article. Discover and study these rules. The information today is readily available on Internet.
2. Observing is a major part of developing your writing
You have to spend time, much time, seeing how others write. As you read books, articles, academic articles and other kinds of writing you learn how these writers put together their work. From this you see what you can do to correct and improve your own style. If you have to write a book review start by reading book reviews, and see how those writers approached the task, what points they stressed, and their layouts and formats.
3. Doing
All the theory in the world will not help you write an article until you sit at your laptop and begin to write. Most things you write have an introduction, a body of content, and a conclusion. That is true of an article, a novel, or an academic essay or dissertation. Write and keep on writing. As you do so, add your learning to what you are doing until your form and depth improves. Eventually you will be skilled at writing a gripping introduction, even if your first one turned people away from reading your article.
4. Professional Help
No matter the field endeavor, people use the services of professionals to coach them. A good coach can make all the difference between mediocre and superb. In the writing field, writers need the help of other professional writers to excel. If you write a poem, an established poet can show you how to develop what you have written into an outstanding poem. If it happens, you need to write your dissertation an experienced professor can help you develop your paper into a powerful document. If you need to write an article, you can benefit from the advice and help of a professional. If you need professional help with your writing the best place to obtain it is online. There are reputable professional online writing companies on the Internet who have professional writers on their staff. These writers are experts who can assist you with your writing no matter the field you are interested in.
