Thursday, May 30, 2013

What Do Writers Do?

Those of you who are not writers might very well wonder: What do writers do? The obvious answer to that question is....

They write. Since there are many different types of writers and many different things to write about, a writer might write books, stories, articles, essays, speeches, blogs, recipes, web content, press releases, letters, etc. After these have been written...

They rewrite. Writers are notorious for being perfectionists. It's not enough to simply write something. What is written must be as perfect as possible. To this end, writers will rewrite, once, twice or a dozen times until they feel the piece is finished. But, of course that's not all. Then...

They proofread/edit/correct. Proofreading, editing and correcting entail going over the so-called "finished" piece and checking it closely for misspellings, incorrect grammar, incorrect punctuation, and overall readability. Writers will fix a spelling error here, correct grammar and punctuation issues there, change verbs and nouns, and tidy up the whole before...

They post/submit. If a writer is a blogger, they will then post the finished and polished piece online. If they are writing for a publisher or agent, they will then submit their writing for consideration of publication. Then...

They wait. If the finished piece has been submitted for consideration of publication, the writer must wait for an answer. Sometimes they wait, and wait, and wait some more. But while they are waiting...

They write. Writers are busy people. They can always find something to write about so they can rewrite it, proofread/edit/correct it/ and post/submit it.

But, that's not all writers do. No, not by a long shot.

They read. Good writers are good readers. They read anything and everything related to their subject or genre so they are up-to-date on current trends in their business. They also read for pleasure.

They research. Writers who write non-fiction must research their topics thoroughly to be sure to give their readers accurate information.

They connect. This is the golden age of the Internet. Writers take advantage of this wonderful tool by connecting with other writers on social media sites, through their own websites and blogs, and through professional websites.

They learn. Good writers are curious creatures, and I don't just mean they're odd (though some of us can be). I mean they are curious about the world around them. They want to learn more so they can write more.

They experiment. Some writers write in only one genre or on only one topic. That is fine, if that's what they want to do. But many writers like to branch out and experiment with different types of writing styles in different genres.

And, while writers are reading, and researching, and connecting, and learning, and experimenting...

They write.
 

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