Community is the heart of the product, that’s why we enjoy talking with our users and learning more about their approach to work and writing. A couple of weeks ago we asked them to share their top 3 advice for crafting amazing content. Here’s what they had to say.
Natica Solari, Student
‘’I write about things that I either have experience with or a subject that piques my curiosity. Researching my topic beforehand gives me a perspective from other’s view, and helps to shape my own ideas. Lastly, I always include reliable sources from which I draw from as my ideas form.’’
Manuel José Pinero Gavidia, Researcher at UFPR
- Start by doing something, it can be as simple as a phrase, but you’ll never know how it will go if you never try.
- Do more than just read your articles, in research we’ll always have to read articles related to our field of expertise. If you take a close look, you’ll see a pattern, the way phrases are constructed, how information is delivered and constructed. Use that to create your article.
- Don’t be too harsh on yourself at the beginning. Writing something is an art that you must practice a lot, like painting or hand drawing. You will get better with time.
Petra Ceason, Author
“Write about what you know/what interests you. Write LOTS, even if, especially if, it lacks merit. Edit; EDIT; read it back to yourself OUT LOUD and EDIT AGAIN RUTHLESSLY, what’s left just might be meritorious.”
Cat Balli, Independent Contractor for Graphic Design & Marketing
1. Brainstorm your ideas until you can’t think of anything else to add. Planning ahead of time will keep you focused, and you’ll find the end product more polished.
2. Take breaks during working, just small 10-15 minutes to take a walk and freshen your creative juices.
3. Make content you’d want to watch. If you’re making it on things you’re not passionate or at least interested in, then the content feels disconnected.
Suleman Ahmed, Student
“To craft a great content you must know the interest of the audience. Secondly, you have to read and research a lot about the content you are creating so that your audience gets interacted with you. Thirdly, provide truth-based knowledge and your own created content. Never try to copy someone because you are unique because of your thoughts and feel proud to share your ideas.”
Juliann Melillo, Writer and Life Coach
1. Think less about yourself and more about your reader. Your reader just wants the facts, or the story, quickly and without fluff. Long introductions, rambling, or writing in circles can be very frustrating for a reader. Think about the times you felt annoyed reading, or even had to close a book because it was just too boring or didn’t make any sense. Save your reader from those headaches by being intentional with the way you write. It’s really just empathy to consider your reader in every word you write.
The pitfall is when writers think about themselves too much and allow their ego to do the writing — then we get pretentious prose, long rambles that say nothing, or entire chapters that exist only to puff up the writer’s ego but do nothing for the story.
2. Make sure it’s not boring. A bit boring is okay, especially if you are writing a technical document — you probably can’t make that enthralling — but who knows? Maybe you can? To keep my writing from being boring, I imagine that I’m telling a story to someone at a party who might lose interest quickly. This helps you stick to the relevant information and explain things in an interesting way. Nothing bores me more than seeing five pages of description about what the leaves or grass looked like. Unless it’s relevant to the story, don’t get too carried away. The description might be beautiful, but it will soon become boring if it isn’t related to the story or relevant in some way.
3. Meaning. Is what you are writing meaningful? And is your meaning clear? The only reason we speak or write is that we are trying to communicate. “I’m dying of thirst,” and “I love you,” and “Please change the channel because I hate this show,” are all meaningful and have a purpose. But people forget this sometimes when they write. It can start to just feel like big words on a page, to both you and the reader. That is boring because it lacks meaning. It becomes blah-blah-blah…what was my point again?
When there is meaning, people immediately listen, or keep reading. When there isn’t meaning, it sounds like a jumble of words. Figure out the meaning behind what you are trying to write. What do you want to say and why? Do you want people using a new microwave to not burn themselves? Well, then you’d better make sure the instructions are super clear! Do you want your reader to feel what it’s like to fall in love? Or, to get your reader to think about important issues in a new way? Or to feel empowered and break through their barriers? You can do all of this and more with writing, which is amazing! Focus on the meaningful thing you want to communicate, and then do so in a way that is clear.
What would you add to the list? Share your writing advice with us in the comments section.
