Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Wanna Be a Better Writer?
In Dennis A. Mahoney’s weblog titled “How to Write a Better Weblog,” he offers knowledge of different types of blogs and also delves into tips on how to write a professional and innovative weblog. He explains the differences between amateur and professional digital writing which allows the reader to examine his or her own style in the effort to better his or herself creatively.
Mahoney feels that the overexposure the internet provides to everyone who believes themselves to be a writer allows for mediocre to poor writing to be published without editing or critiques. His criticism includes that blogs should focus on good grammar, saying that clarity is essential for good writing. There should be declarative sentences, but at the same time, statements that are too bold could turn off a lot of potential readers. The first person point of view should either be used to the fullest extent or avoided at all costs. You should either voice your opinion strongly or do not use it.
The biggest point he made was that you should write to entertain, enlighten, or grip your readers. Amusing the reader is important because many aspects of life are funny. Share funny stories and anecdotes because everybody likes to smile. With this comes the understanding that not all reactions to your site will be positive. You will get criticized maliciously, but have a thick skin. You cannot please everyone.
Your weblog must be able to stand on its own as a unique and innovative site that will give the readers something that they cannot get anywhere else. Your ideas and writing should be fresh and offer your audience a fresh perspective with fresh information and fresh background material to back it up. Do not fall in line, but rather start a whole new line. I feel that this article was very accurate on two main points.
The tip to amuse your audience is especially poignant because that is why the reader is logged on. He or she wants to be entertained. If they are bored or uninterested, they will not be a consistent audience. Creativity breeds interest. A second point was that proper grammatical structure is vital to the clarity of a work. The use of Instant Messenger has broken the back of good grammar online. The younger generation’s liberal use of abbreviates and quick spelling has changed the written word digitally. It is up to the writer to understand that all people are not accustomed to this.
Be professional. Write professional. To be taken seriously means taking rules seriously. Good grammar is the best way to express opinions clearly and definitively.
Mahoney feels that the overexposure the internet provides to everyone who believes themselves to be a writer allows for mediocre to poor writing to be published without editing or critiques. His criticism includes that blogs should focus on good grammar, saying that clarity is essential for good writing. There should be declarative sentences, but at the same time, statements that are too bold could turn off a lot of potential readers. The first person point of view should either be used to the fullest extent or avoided at all costs. You should either voice your opinion strongly or do not use it.
The biggest point he made was that you should write to entertain, enlighten, or grip your readers. Amusing the reader is important because many aspects of life are funny. Share funny stories and anecdotes because everybody likes to smile. With this comes the understanding that not all reactions to your site will be positive. You will get criticized maliciously, but have a thick skin. You cannot please everyone.
Your weblog must be able to stand on its own as a unique and innovative site that will give the readers something that they cannot get anywhere else. Your ideas and writing should be fresh and offer your audience a fresh perspective with fresh information and fresh background material to back it up. Do not fall in line, but rather start a whole new line. I feel that this article was very accurate on two main points.
The tip to amuse your audience is especially poignant because that is why the reader is logged on. He or she wants to be entertained. If they are bored or uninterested, they will not be a consistent audience. Creativity breeds interest. A second point was that proper grammatical structure is vital to the clarity of a work. The use of Instant Messenger has broken the back of good grammar online. The younger generation’s liberal use of abbreviates and quick spelling has changed the written word digitally. It is up to the writer to understand that all people are not accustomed to this.
Be professional. Write professional. To be taken seriously means taking rules seriously. Good grammar is the best way to express opinions clearly and definitively.
