Arduous journey of gaining good writing skills

expressing yourself

Good writing skills are in demand in all the sectors of media. Be it a simple news report or an advertisement brochure, writing well becomes very important. Vikrant Khanna lists out some pointers to wake up the writer in you

.

EL Doctorow once said “Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader – not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.” It is this skill that is a requirement of almost all the job profiles in the media sector.

Can you imagine becoming a successful author or screenwriter without a good command over writing? Due to a dynamic work scenario today, you are constantly communicating with your colleagues, writing mails to seniors, readers, subordinates and many a times, also interact with people outside your organisation.

Good writing skills are hence, given paramount importance in the media. It boosts your confidence and also presents your opinion to the world. If you know how to form effective sentences, you are considered more qualified and reliable. Let’s look at some jobs where good writing is considered necessary:

Copy writer: Copy is a phrase or a small work of writing to illustrate something. Copy writer is a key position in any creative team whether it’s an advertisement agency, public relation firm, or a newspaper or a magazine house. This post is also very crucial in online media such as SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), internet content writing, catalogue writing and other marketing enterprises.

Script writer: There is a lot of scope for script writers in television and movies sector. One of the major requirements that is needed to survive in this field is to have an excellent imagination and creativity. Of course, you will need good writing abilities to put your imagination on paper. Having the ability to narrate
stories will be the X factor for you.

Journalist: The job profile of a journalist demands one to be dignified and responsible. As a journalist, you would be asked to write about all kinds of situations and events. Your write-up could be in news format, article, interview, feature story, reviews and more. Journalistic writing needs to be unbiased, accurate, factual, and oriented towards your targeted readership.

Editor: The job of editors is one of the most demanding ones. Right from conceptualising an idea to shaping the write-up to finally sending out the final copy
error-free, editors have many responsibilities. The technicalities vary in every
organisation but some of the profiles are copy editor, executive editor, chief editor, contributing editor and commissioning editor.

Public relations executive: A PR person acts as the identity of an organisation in the field of  media and thus, demands good writing skills. Here, one might need to prepare various press releases, draft articles, pamphlet, brochure and advertisement content. 

Author: A good author is known by his words. So, to become a successful author, you need to master the art of language. Possessing a unique style of representing your views will give you an edge.

Paralegal: A paralegal works in a legal firm or within a legal environment of commerce, industry or public sector entities. He needs to be a qualified and trained person who assists lawyers and judiciaries in various tasks. To survive in this ambitious field, writing and communication skills that are slightly above the average are needed.

To be successful in any of the fields mentioned above, you need to have strong
basics in writing. Let’s look at how can you improve your writing skills, in general.

Before penning down anything, you need to understand what you want to
communicate, how well you understand your subject, who is your reader, and how effectively your writing can influence your target readers. Content flow is very crucial.

Lines should follow your trail of thought and have a connection from the beginning to the end. They should be effective and convey your message in as few words as possible. Here are a few guidelines to help you while writing:

Identify your audience – You need to identify your reader for whom you are writing. Are you writing for a larger audience, or you attempting for one-to-one interaction? Are you writing for a professional purpose or for your personal use? Are you writing to your seniors or to your colleagues? Identifying your audience will eliminate all the clutter and help you write just what is necessary.

Objective – Define an objective for your write-up. This objective comes in handy if you are writing any long documents, presentations or proposals. It also helps you mark important key points and to manage them effectively, bringing more clarity in your content.

The mantra of ‘AIDA’ – AIDA means Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. Your write-up must draw the attention of the readers. It should create interest and also create a desire to know more. In the end, it should lead to action-oriented steps. You should always write in two-way communication format. This helps establish a connect with your readers. But in formal writing, your write-up should always be objective-specific.

Language – Your language should be simple with short lines and without any jargon. Be precise and don’t lengthen your sentences. For good writing, it’s always advisable to read more. Exposing yourself to good write-ups can increase your vocabulary and help you express better in the future.

No matter what job you are in, a good command over your writing skills can
reduce your competition and may also lead you to a better and successful position. Your remunerations may scale up, and your recognition may bring in new rewards. Yes, for specific job profiles, the beginnings could be slow. Nevertheless, if you are passionate about writing, it will find a way to reward you. A dedicated and passionate focus will take you places in this field and your words will become your identity. Remember, sky is the limit!