I’m not afraid to admit that I’ve been a little behind the curve when it comes to the whole dotcom thing. I wasn’t the first on the facebook bandwagon, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around the concept of digg and others like it. But with the emergence of more and more blogs, wikis, and social networks, it’s impossible to escape this new Web 2.0 society.
But what, exactly, is Web 2.0? Some argue that it’s a marketing buzzword coined by the industry while others disagree. Tim O’Reilly, founder of O’Reilly Media and the man attributed with coining the term Web 2.0, describes it as “the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as platform, and the attempt to understand the rules for success on that platform.”
In layman’s terms, Web 2.0 encourages users to collaborate creatively and share everything from ideas to information. It’s not actually that the technology of the web has changed; rather we are learning to use it in a more social and mutually beneficial way. That’s why blogs run rampant on the web, and if you’re not involved in some sort of online social network, you obviously live in the Stone Age.
Terms like search engine optimizing, tagging, wikis, and the like are important to know in order to grasp a full understanding of the new and improved World Wide Web. Familiarizing yourself with these terms will help you use the web to your full advantage whether your goal is to generate more hits to your website or simply blog your heart out.
I can remember back to a creative writing class I took in college. It was the first round-table discussion writing class I ever took, and had I known ahead of time that each one of my classmates would read and critique my work each time an assignment was due, I probably would have never signed up in the first place.
See, I was comfortable writing for the eyes of my teachers only. Comfortable with the fact that the only one to critique me (besides myself) was the person instructing and giving out the writing assignments. That I could handle. But the judgmental verdicts of a class full of kids my age? It was a death sentence. And honestly, I was right. When it came time for the first round of peer reviews, my work was grilled…and not just grilled, but skewered and roasted to a slow and painful death.
Ok, so it wasn’t really that bad. It was sorely uncomfortable…but in a good way. Kind of like when your dad takes the training wheels off of your bike and gives you the first push into the world of two-wheel freedom. Surprisingly, the peer review opened my eyes to a whole new way of understanding my talent for words. Not only did I get feedback from others with my same talent, I also learned from reading their work.
It was a whole new world of varying styles and techniques – a hearty stew of words for me to feed on. So, instead of writhing in agony every time someone made comments or corrections to my work, I learned to absorb the good stuff and throw out the bad. I learned that styles that work well for some writers don’t necessarily work well for me…and that was ok because I was still learning. Learning that my writing weaknesses could be strengthened by someone else critiquing my work. Learning that someone else’s work could be strengthened by me.
It was (and still is) a simple give and take that is one of the most rewarding experiences in the writing profession. So if you’re not in the practice of having others review your work, dive right in. Join a writing group or have a trusted mentor look over your work. Any way you go about it, keep an open mind and allow someone else the opportunity to help your writing flourish. You’ll be amazed.
As I missed my international flight home to Houston from Trinidad today, I was suddenly struck with an inspiration. Writers can find their muse anywhere at any time. Now, you may be wondering why being stuck at a foreign airport alone with absolutely no money and no lay of the land could inspire this thought in my mind. But just think about it. I’m sitting here, computer on my lap, just tapping away at the keys. Doesn’t matter that I’m in a place completely unfamiliar to me or that I’m completely clueless as to where I’ll lay my head tonight. It’s just me and the keyboard spending some good quality time together.
So while I’m here at the airport with a whole lot of nothing to do, I’d like to take these moments to give you some ideas about where you can find inspiration for your own writing.
Remember back to things that made you happy in your childhood. Do you recall the first time you ever rode your bike, or the time Santa left the toy you had wanted so badly under the tree? Did you play dress up in your grandmother’s attic or sell lemonade on a hot summer day? Memories like these formed you as a person, and they are the perfect way to dig deep when you feel your writing has lost some of its meaning.
Take in the scenery around you. Write about the gorgeous nature (or lack thereof) that resides around you. Watch people as they walk by – each of them unique in character and offering something special to the world. The diversity that is found in all things is a wonderful way to open your eyes (and pen) to new content.
Get out. Do you ever feel stuck in the same routine? Do something different. Go somewhere different. Take a drive, go salsa dancing on a Tuesday, sit in the sand at the beach, and hike in the mountains. Simply remove yourself from the norm that is your life, and don’t act surprised when inspiration finds you out of your element.
Read. Read books, newspapers, magazines, advertisements, blogs, articles, or whatever else tickles your fancy. Open your eyes to the way others interpret the world through writing, and inspiration may come right out and smack you in the face.
Being a writer is NOT easy. You know that. Whether you are a freelancer or a Pulitzer-prize winning novelist, an immense amount of work goes into each word you put on paper. And even the most renowned writers have to work at it. Sure, every writer has his own personal tricks to keep the content flowing and the copy crisp, but since I haven’t the time or the energy to track down really famous authors for their advice, I’ll share with you my own tidbits. Chew on them, savor them, but please, don’t spit them out.
Write every day. Let me preface this by saying, you don’t have to wake up every day at 5 am yearning to write for the next twelve hours. As stated earlier, writing is hard, but as with everything, it takes practice. Think of it this way. Michael Jordan certainly didn’t become the greatest basketball player of all time by only playing when he felt like it. And the same goes for you. Pick a time everyday to sit down and practice your craft. You can blog, journal, work on a freelance article, write your name over and over and over. The important thing is to get your brain in the habit of working daily.
Make the most of your time. There will be days that you will sit down at your computer, and the creativity will flow like manna from heaven allowing you to capitalize on this copy catharsis. But if you’re anything like me, these days are few and far between. So what do you do the other 364 days a year? Read the rest of my blogs, of course. But seriously, keep your day’s writing goal in mind, and make the decision ahead of time to push through. Bounce your ideas, or lack thereof, off of other writers you know, and you may just find another route to the end of your project.
Realize you are your own worst critic (most of the time). In my experience, my most praised works have been the ones I personally thought were the worst. Unfortunately, this just isn’t the case all the time. Like I’ve said before, as writers, we get do-overs. And even when we feel as if our writing talent has chosen to take a hiatus right before deadline, the best copy can come from embracing the desperation. Think of it as a personal challenge. Get it all down on paper, and refuse to judge it until someone else has given their opinion. If you get good feedback, give yourself a pat on the back. Get negative feedback? Grit your teeth, rewrite it, and then thank God that writers get drafts.
As a writer, you can’t always blame writer’s block for the blank page that’s staring back at you. And darn that stupid blinking cursor, taunting you as it reminds you over and over again that there’s still nothing on your page. As seemingly fun as it is to waste time instead of delving right into a project, procrastination is not bliss. Here are a few tips to help you fight through the rigors of apathetic postponement.
Always keep the main idea in mind. No matter the size of a project, refuse to let it overwhelm you. In one sentence, write down the purpose your text will serve. Keeping the main premise of your task in mind will keep you from venturing off onto unrelated tangents and/or becoming distracted. And the fewer the distractions, the faster you will finish.
The end is in sight. It always helps to visualize the end product…especially when you are working on a large project. Take it one word at a time always keeping in mind that each word written is one word closer to the end.
Just do it already. Stop regurgitating all of the excuses as to why you haven’t started yet, and simply start writing. Lucky for us, we can have first, second, third, and tenth drafts in the writing world. Even if your grammar and spelling aren’t perfect the first time around, the important thing is to just get something—anything—down on paper.
Reward yourself for a job well done. Everybody loves rewards, and what better way to motivate yourself than by knowing you can savor a glass of red wine, enjoy a round of golf, or shop ‘til you drop.
Lose the “I Work Better Under Pressure” mentality. This is one of my personal favorites. Instead of reminding ourselves that putting off an unwanted project until the last minute really makes us want to pull our hair out, we justify it with this overly used devil of a saying. Stop thinking this way, and just get to work. You just may find that a project without stress is much more enjoyable than “working under pressure.”
