I was tagged by Tami of What Tami Said for The Three Pieces of Writing Advice tag/ meme. And even though I am not a professional writer I'll give it a try.Be passionate!
My first rule is to write about things that interest me. If I'm not interested in something I'm writing about it shows. Being passionate about the subject is the most important thing.
Don't edit yourself!
On my first draft I allow myself to go nuts. I write whatever is in my head on the subject. I don't worry about length or grammar. I just let it flow. This to me is an important step in the writing process. It's during this stage that I get the truest expression. This is the stage that allows me to understand the point of my post.
When I say understand I mean that without the edit going in my head I can get a clear picture of my thoughts on a particular subject. I've tried writing with editing in mind at this stage and I never get my point across properly.
Edit yourself!
After I have allowed myself the abandon of writing without worrying about length or grammar then it's time to edit. This is the trickiest part of the process.
One of my favorite things about writing is trying to say what I want to say in as few words as possible. This can be both a blessing and a curse. On many occasions I have over edited which means I haven't made my point the way that I have wanted to.
I routinely start the editing process by deleting paragraph after paragraph. It's not unusual for me to start the editing process with 10 paragraphs and pare a post down to 3 paragraphs. I get a thrill out of saying what I want to say with as few words as possible. This can be problematic though. Often I don't quite hit the mark I was looking for.
Sometimes I edit just a little too deeply. When this happens the comments I get usually reflect that people think I am making a point that I am not actually trying to make. It's actually a good learning experience. I have gotten better at not cutting too much from a post.
But when I get it right and use an economy of words and make the point I want it's a wonderful feeling!
I'm supposed to tag three bloggers and they are;
Undercover Black Man - Because he's an expert on the subject.
Symphony at Essential Presence - I love the passion in her writing.
The Black Actor - Because I love the joy and flow of her writing.
What is your writing process?
