Writers Abroad Magazine Issue 7 November 2017 | Page 22
WRITERS ABROAD MAGAZINE: THE THIRD SPACE
WRITING TIPS
BY Nigel Wild
Idea
If you’re a writer, then you’re going to have myriad
ideas; the key is to record them so they’re not lost.
We all know where our brain is at its most active –
walking the dog, relaxing in the bath, lying in bed.
Probably the simplest is to have a notebook by
your side, because often, one word will recall that
cerebral moment. A mobile phone can be handy to make a note, or even to email
it to yourself. Writing a long work like a novel will involve generating thoughts,
perhaps for years. Have a system for collating your ideas so that they fall easily
to hand and don’t become buried.
The latest software will allow you to keep track of things. Evernote, Google Keep
and OneNote work across platforms and let you take notes, create lists and
organise them. Notes can be text, documents or images. Don’t lose those
inspirations!
Synopsis
Be it an article, a short story, a book, it’s going to need ‘shape’. If pitching to a
magazine or a publisher, order your ideas and create a synopsis. Editors are busy
people and a well-crafted synopsis will make the difference between grabbing
their attention and being spiked.
Target Audience
Whatever you write, you need to define your target audience. Are you writing for
children, young people, an older readership, primarily male or female? Your
approach, the content, the style, all will pivot around that target.
If you’re writing for a magazine or periodical, obtain copies, learn what they
publish and get a feel for the style and length required. Many editors will give you
a tightly defined written brief to which you must adhere. It can be a steep learning
curve, teaching yourself to stick to a brief without losing your own style and flow.
But if you wish to be successful commercially, it’s the first rule of marketing –
give the customer what they want.
The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook, published annually, is an invaluable source
for the author, covering every genre from newspapers and magazines to TV and
theatre. It also contains listings for agents, societies and self-publishing services.
Articles by inspirational writers offer a wealth of advice to the budding scribe.
Research
Part of the fun of writing is the research. Meticulous research is the hallmark of
professionalism.
The internet has made research infinitely easier, but how do you keep track of
all your sources? Social bookmarking offers an online solutio n that allows you to
both mark, tag and share bookmarks of web pages and access them from any
internet device. Delicious and Diigo are very popular. First, copy and paste the
URL for any useful web page. Then add tags, keywords that describe the page
21 | NOVEMBER 2017