The Importance of Proofreading
I love creating new stories, articles, poems and blog entries. What I don’t enjoy is proofreading them afterwards. I find it tedious. I sometimes even find it a tad boring. I know how the story ends. Or I want to get on with the next project.
Over the last six months I have written a total of over 500 articles on my three blogs. In that time I have learned of the importance of proofreading. When you write so much you must spend to time and effort on getting your writing as near to correct as you can given the time restraints. This has taught me the importance of rapid proofreading. I know I still miss things, small typos, missed words and so on. But I am getting better. With fewer mistakes. It takes effort – but it is still a little tedious.
Anne, on her blog The Golden Pencil has written a post about “How to Proofread Your Own Writing.” She has given some very good strategies on this topic.
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How to improve your blog
Neil Patel over at his Pronet Advertising blog has posted an interesting article called 5 Ways to Building a Better Blog.
Neil highlights the importance of writing quality content on your blog. He also emphasises the need to look after readers of you blog.
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Writing Hint #12 Write what you love
“You’ve got to love libraries. You’ve got to love books. You’ve got to love poetry. You’ve got to love everything about literature. Then, you can pick the one thing you love most and write about it.”
Ray Bradbury
Good advice.
Without a love or a passion for your subject you will struggle to write. It will seem hard work. It will take effort. It will sound false to the reader and you run the risk of turning them away. Some may never return.
I love watching birds. I hope that on my birding blog I write about them with a passion, a love that flows from my words and pictures encouraging readers to return often. Similarly with my travel blog, where I share my love of exploring the great Australian environment and cultural heritage, added recently by a growing love for Thailand and Nepal.
As for this writing blog, I have dreamed of being a writer since the age of about eight. It saddens me to some extent that I let life get in the way of my dream, my passion to be a writer and my love of words, books and literature. Granted, I have been able to share this love with thousands of students in a 35 year teaching career. I know I have influenced many, an influence that has resulted in transformed lives. For example, a former student of mine recently began a career in journalism with our local newspaper.
Now, however, in retirement from teaching, the dream is well and truly alive. I spend many hours every day pursuing my love of words, books and writing.
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Writing Hint #11 Metaphors
Metaphors, similes and idioms are literary devices that add so much colour to our writing. When used carefully they are like diamonds sparkling in the sun. Your poetry can become little gemstones and your prose a goldmine of beauty.
Come on Trevor. That’s laying it on a bit thick.
But it remains true that metaphors, similes and idioms, used wisely, can enhance one’s writing and your writing begins to paint a glorious canvas for the reader. It needs to be said, however, that they need to be used carefully. Mixing your metaphors can lead to mixed up readers. Using metaphors carelesslessly quickly becomes a literary minefield. Careless writing is like trying to climb a greasy pole; it gets you nowhere fast.
The following writing hint says it beautifully:
“Even if a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.”
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