Writing Tips

Writing for pleasure and profit should be an enjoyable process. Improving your skills in writing for the web or for print publications requires many hours of reading and practice. If you are finding it difficult to break into the freelance writing industry or get a decent cash offer for your work, you need to put down your pen and read more.

There is no need to wander the corridors of the web looking for these literary achievers; many of these great writers are here at Associated Content, and most are willing to answer your questions and provide feedback. Do a search for words like "published," "freelance" or "authors" and be sure to frequent the forums to read the wisdom of those who have already made it in the freelance writing business. Check out the profiles of people you find inspiring, and see what their writing credentials are. You can send them a message asking your question if you are feeling shy about making a public post. It would be better to do so however, as you will likely get more than one answer, and other new writers will also benefit from the responses. You will be able to gather a whole string of tips which you can save for future reference. Either way, you must read, practice your writing, and listen to advice if you are to succeed.

Take the time to check out your local community college, you will find that most will offer many levels of instruction on the topic of Grammar, English and Creative Writing. If you are serious about writing this may be a good option. If finances are an issue, check your local library for books on the subject. You will be surprised what kind of handy reference material is hidden in the bowels of these much neglected establishments. The internet provides easier access but I find that a few hours in the library is relaxing and offers a distraction away from all things annoying and electronic; at least for a few hours.

If you have a friend who is attending college, ask questions. Chances are they are doing, or have already done a course in creative writing or research writing, as well as some refresher courses in grammar. At this time, I find myself studying research writing techniques and it is proving to be interesting as well as extremely beneficial. Your college friend may also offer you some of their reference text so you can be reminded of the basic rules of grammar. College students have instant access to the school libraries online so getting some reference text for you to read only requires a couple of mouse clicks and ten minutes of their time. Explain to them where you are having problems so they can select the appropriate reading material for you.

Yet another unsettling issue you may have encountered is the small note which comes back to you when you have submitted an article for review. It will say something like "please cite your references." If this happens, do not become disgruntled or insulted. It only serves to interrupt your train of though; when this happens you may as well quit writing for the rest of the day. Even if you did refer to the author of your research within your article, there are certain guidelines to be followed when citing those sources and you need to take the time to learn how to give them proper credit. It can become confusing, as there are different rules according to which formatting guidelines you are following. I find that I am still wrestling with these differences, and I know there are many accomplished writers who also become confused, even after much practice. To learn more about citing your sources and the appropriate in-text citation procedures, you may wish to visit a site such as Son of Citation. This site will be a great help to you because you will be able to enter your source of reference, click a button and get the correct citation solution sent back to you within seconds. Go to the Son of Citation website here and save the link for later reference.
Having just directed you to this site, I strongly recommend that you also borrow or purchase a book to learn all about citation rules and how to protect yourself against claims of plagiarism.

If you take the time to learn the intricate details of writing, you will quickly see your writing style and your income improve. You may even find that you will attract the attention of someone who is looking for a suitable writer for one of their projects. When this happens you will realize your time was very well spent. Convert this time you spent learning into dollars and see what it was really worth.