5 Secrets to Good Writing

What drives a writer to write? The greatest pleasure of writing is in the appreciation. But are we really doing good enough to earn their applause? Creativity without appreciation is like a word misspelt- it feels incomplete, it feels wrong. Passion is not the only thing  needed to write nowadays. Neither is talent. It is the channelisation of these aspects, with a fine balance of a few secret ingredients which help in making your writing look good. Here are some secrets to Good Writing which I would like to share:

Secret #1: If you enjoyed writing it, your reader would enjoy reading it.

Secret #2: Write not with the heart, but with fire in the belly

Secret#3: Focus on adding value, not vocabulary

Secret#4: The right spirit is more important than the right language

Secret #5: Respect the language you are writing in. If you don’t like your name being spelt wrong, why spell any word wrong?

Sharing secrets is fun. Hope you enjoyed these…and many more to follow.

The Successful Writer – setting up a business

After the Internet settled in, the need for writers multiplied manifold. That’s good news! So you have several options to choose from – website content, copy, SEO Writing, Social Media and the works. And because of the variety you have to offer, it is good enough to actually setup a team or start out alone as a Writer for a full-fledged business.

First things first. To start out your business as a Writer, here’s is what you need to do

1) Own your own Computer: Get yourself a decent desktop / laptop with a hi-speed internet connection

2) A place to work: Select a corner to work from. Initially you might not require an office – you might want to sit anywhere inspirational to write your heart out – by the sea or the sunset. So choose your favourite corners – even it means the quietest one at home.

3) Brand identity: It is advisable to have a brand identity. You come across as a professional, meaning to do business, unlike some rookie freelancer who is not sure of his/her address! Get a nice name and logo designed for yourself.

4) A good website: It might cost a bit initially but opt for a decent website – you could try joomla for starters as it is cheaper. Though it would be better to opt for an html / flash where you have better scope for design and creativity.

5) A good social media presence: It is a must to have an attractive profile on the key social media networks. FB and Linkedin for starters would be good. It helps to network with the people we know first, talk to them about your new venture, keep them posted about your services.

6) Keep a web-ready portfolio at handy. Collect all your work samples and send these to prospective clients as and when required.

7) And of course, get yourself some pretty business cards, a nice diary and pen for meetings and notes…and there – you seem all set to go out there and kick some butt eh?

So, you have your basic infrastructure in place. The key is to be professional and work professionally. Try to shirk the tag of a ‘freelancer’. It sucks big time.

The Successful Freelance Writer – 2

HAVING AN EDGE:

So, you sent an application to the editor and he turned you down? That does not mean the end of the world. It means you learn something from the feedback. The common feedback would be : either we don’t accept freelance contributions or stating that your styles does not suit our style etc. I am sure editors are laden with such offers everyday, especially from new writers. So probably you need to be a step ahead:

1) Your covering letter should state clearly what topic you are interested in writing. Write simple, don’t use wannabe and hi-fi words. Write concise and to the point

2) Your samples should be relevant to the media vehicle you are sending to. eg if you are applying to a fashion magazine or portal something related to apparels, accessories or the latest handbag trends would make sense

3) Throw in fresh new ideas by stating how you can add value to their content, and not how they can better themselves or what they should be doing

Now there are a plethora of vehicles which accept contributions from writers. Do a wuick google search or better still, look up these sites:

www.getafreelancer.com

www.writerlance.com

www.freelancewritinggigs.com

www.chillifreeze.com etc

Look up these sites and start bidding or applying to them for assignments. And till you land an assignment, keep practicing your writing. If you really have a flair and are passionate, it will reflect in your writing. The next post explains how setup gradually your freelance writing business – a successful one.

The Successful Freelance Writer – 1

If you like writing, you can be a freelance writer, but if you love writing, you can be a successful freelance writer. I am not an expert, but I am experienced. And after over 6 years of writing ‘freelance’, I decided to take the plunge as an independent writer.Here are a few first steps and guidelines for anyone – a homemaker to a teenager to a working woma – who wants to start out as a Freelance Writer and then proceed towards a successful career.

1) Draft your samples: If you want to start out as a freelance writer, you got to first have your samples ready. So think of 3 topics which you are comfortable with first – it could be anything – from Art to Sewing to the latest fashion in lingerie! Write about 500 words with a focus on the topic. And it could be in any language which you want to write it ultimately

2) ReWrite your sample: After writing the first sample, sleep over it and the next day read it over again. If you are hooked on to it, chances are the reader might like it too. If not, you might need to rewrite it. So write the same piece till you begin to like it.

3) Read,read, read: The best way to learn writing is to read some good writing. Look up the magazines / media you aim to write for and try to adapt the style. Mind you, if you are not comfortable, do not try to force it else it would appear me too. So adapt the style you are comfortable in

4) Feedback: After your samples are ready, you could show a few trusted friends around – they are your sample target readers. Get some feedback from them as well. Take criticism sportingly, and try to improvise on them. Rewrite the sample if need be.

5) And now, if your sample is ready to be shared, look up the contacts of editors / sub-editors and write a nice mail to them, like a covering letter – with your resume and the 3 samples attached therein.

Usually it takes a few days for them to respond. Especially if its the issue closing time, they might be incommunicado so don’t get depressed. Wait for the revertal – and whether it is positive or negative, don’t take it personally. There’s room for everyone…

Part 2 will take you further down the road. Till then happy writing!

Writing a Film Review

Word of mouth is a powerful influence medium in cinema. We scurry for film reviews in newspapers or watch Rajeev Masand’s opinion before buying the tickets. What makes Rajeev’s or Taran Adarsh’s reviews quite accurate & dependable, is their overall analysis. But most reviews today happen on the faster and seamless online media. And in the online space, there are very few dependable writers whose opinion really matters. Many reviews I read seem worse than the film itself that the writer has criticized much. And we cannot ignore the bland taste of such opinions which are read by more people online than all TV channels and Newspapers together in India.

So while a handful of reviews do justice to a film, most are restricted to the plot and use of hunky dory words. And the inexperience is clearly visible in the choice of words and overall content. Some reviews are totally mixed up, no clarity. Some are a spurt of redundant words. Some only talk of limited aspects failing to give an overall picture. While there are no rules of thumb followed to write a review, here are some things which make a review a ‘good’ review:

a) View and then review. Don’t go by second hand googled-up opinions to rehash and make your own remake. It’s easy to get a million of them online, but as a reviewer you have an online reputation to take care of!

b) Watch and understand the film from various aspects: Story & storytelling (script, pace, texture etc), Actor performances, Technical points (cinematography, direction, art direction, dialogue culture etc.), Music et al/ reading up a bit or learning a little about the art of film making helps.

c) Give the plot, not the story away.

d) While you speak of all the cinematic aspects with a balanced tone, end with YOUR opinion. The reader wants to know your final take on the film

e) Include certain important details like the genre, suitable for which audience type (like a list of the cast and the makers, date of release etc.)

f) While there is no rule, again, but a word limit of about 600-700 words is good. Cybermedia is not like newspapers – it has the mouse as its remote

g) Use humour / wit to soften your negative comments. Constructive criticism is a better approach rather than mindless attack (though some films truly deserve it)

h) Use the right words for overall description such as  (racy / cheesy / fastpaced /thriller / socialist / dramatic / romantic / slice of life) etc. Don’t get SEOed for the greed of google crawls.

i) Weave in references of the original film, if the one you are reviewing has takes from that (which usually is the case)

j) Mention the nuances and highlights-  maybe a dialogue you liked or a scene you enjoyed or didn’t. Makes it more interesting.

While the list can get longer, let’s cut this short. Very important to remember that be honest and not biased in your opinion. Give the facts, but also form an opinion. Don’t make a choice for him / her, help

The Month Gone By

The last 30 days beginning August 10 2009 have zoomed by. The day I ‘launched’ my writing and communication service as an independent professional with this website and blog et al, I felt like an underachiever – because there’s a world to conquer and things to do before I leave. I might have met 2 dozen new people, potential clients and bagged a few projects as well. At times I felt the pinch of not having the luxury of that fixed fat month-end credit. But the reverse was challenging. Hunting to earn your pennies is hardkicking. Working more than ever before (yes, even in the toughest of jobs), letting go of weekends, typing away into early mornings….an independent career as a writer has been anything but a cakewalk. Call it a tightrope walk instead. What I learnt most in the past few weeks is there is immense scope and opportunity for the kind of work I do, which keeps my hopes pinned high…but keep the expectations as low…the work might not materialise – the proposal might sound too expensive for some, or they might simply not answer your followups. Strange. But the key to all this worriedness not affecting you and walking on, your path with as much confidence as the Lion in his forest. No one can defeat him, he has the courage to rule.

The excitement is in bagging new projects – seemingly interesting and so different from the other. Plus the facility of flexi-time (and overtime a lot) has got me balance things out – my home,my health etc. So while taking a different career path to follow, covered with gravel, snow or boulders it takes courage to walk. Sometimes alone, sometimes not. The fact is I have chosen this untread path, not knowing how many miles to go before I taste the first grain of success. Or how many boulders to crack and mountains to cross.  As a Writer, an independent writer,  with a brand name I can call my own (unless someone decides to pay a hefty fee and steal the copyright legally. But otherwise, my own trumpet to blow away into the winds of the mystic valley. The 31st day begins now.

Why The Brand Name ‘ The Word Jockey’

Why i don’t like the word ‘Freelancer’

I feel like Achilles in Troy when they ask me ‘are you a freelancer’? The word was coined back in 1800 for a mercenary soldier. So much for a Writer being labelled as a Freelancer, today. I prefer the title ‘independent professional’. It’s my career, not an affair. Thodi izzat do, writers hain hum. Apparently, the word ‘freelance has gathered threads of perception of being  ’unbelonging’ – like how the stick gathers candyfloss.  More so, few nonchalant samples take the word too literally. They want the writer to work for free. Check dictionary.com please, les miserables.    And mind you, writing is a damned tiring and intellectual job…   The good news is for most people who think anyone can write must know that anyone can write. The strange news is most can’t. There is a writer in everyone, like there is an actor in all, or a singer. All World’s a stage after all, said a great writer once. And he was no ‘freelancer’ either.

So there, I am not a freelancer.

A CAREER IN WRITING – I

It was the beginning of the famous 2009 Recession. All the share indices were tumbling. People were being hacked from jobs. The credit market had busted. All the skulls and skeletons were out from the closet. So much for the dramatic background. That’s exactly the time when I decided to venture out on my own. Take my own path. Begin a career on my own. Quit the monetarily happy job with a big workdesk and my own laptop, and work from home. People ask ‘what exactly have you started out as’? And I proudly say ‘ As a writer and communications’ consultant’. And they respond ‘wow, that’s nice!’. And that felt nice too. The positive response I got from friends, family, my network – was pretty good. And encouraging. I felt I am on the right track. I still feel so. It is a dream career – to convert one’s passion into afulltime job.  Though I was always prepared for lesser income initially. But I was sure that from the past experience, there exists a need gap for a good communications’ expert – a copy, creative and content writer in the market. In the corporate world. Despite the gloomy market conditions, I was confident of bagging work, sufficient to sail through the expenses. Though I do I have my husband as a huge support, but I earn enough to maintain a decent lifestyle already.  So here’s to a successful career as a Writer. In the following posts, based on my experiences, I would be sharing some tips on :

• Beginning a career in writing
• How to get and manage clients
• How to market oneself
• The pros and cons of a fulltime writing career venture etc.

Happy Writing!

Welcome to a Writers’ World

Hi, welcome to the official blog of The Word Jockey. Explore the magic of words, read stuff on writing  as a career, types of writing, critical analysis of films, books et al, the power of language (any) and much more. Share, discuss, review, start a conversation. The blog is all about words. Words which give us the power to communicate with each other. If you have any interesting anecdotes / links / facts about words (preferably English for global readability, but other languages are welcome) do post your comments and write in to me. Write Right.