The night is cool, the stars are shining, and the new semester seems like it's arriving a bit too soon. It's been a while since we last updated, and I think we might as well share a few writing tips. There are a lot of potential writers out there (especially among language students like us), but from time to time, we need to take some tips from others. So what better way is there than to share our experiences?
For now, there are five writing tips that I would like to share. Of course, different writers work in different ways, and the best thing to do is to experiment to see what suits you best when looking for improvement. But here are some tips, and I hope that there will be more. Post your comments, e-mail us, and we can share more writing tips in the future!
- Be a good reader first: I think quite a number of our dear APB lecturers have drilled into our skulls about the input and output of language learning. Listening improves speaking skills, and reading improves writing skills. This is generally true. The more you read, the more you are exposed to the different styles of writing and also the different ways language can be used. Take this to your advantage! Pick out a few novels to read and immerse yourself in the land of words!
- Revise your punctuation: Punctuation may seem trivial compared to writing, but the use of periods and commas are actually very important. They set the pace in your writing and controls the reader into what they feel when they read. Make yourself comfortable in decorating your text with punctuation. Imagine making a movie or game trailer. Punctuation is the music in the background as the images flash by.
- A thesaurus is your best friend: You can find a built-in thesaurus in MS Word nowadays, so make use of it! Expand your vocabulary by using new words while you're learning them, and your writing may sound so much more sophisticated than what you started off with.
- Write everyday: I know, I know. It's not easy to try and write something every day, but trust me when I say that every little bit counts. You don't want to lose your skills, so the best way to polish it is to practice everyday. You don't even need to write much. A hundred words is enough practice for a day, and it can be anything - a review, an article, a work of fiction, a scene in your head... or a writing tip! Don't be afraid to keep on writing!
- Take criticisms: One of the hardest, really. I mean, you're a writer, and the story is your baby. To have it criticised can be a rather frightening experience, but it's also a way to improve yourself. You're letting a different set of eyes read through your work, and some comments they give can tell you what you're missing and what you're doing well in. You don't need to publicly post your work to get criticisms. Show your work to a lecturer, maybe one of your friends. Nothing's stopping you from sending an e-mail to us! We'd be more than happy to review your work without publishing it onto the site if that's what you want. The ultimate goal of YSC is to spark the interest in writing, and if that's what it takes, then that's what we'll do.
- ...I guess there's just one more that I have to say. So yes. Six tips in total. The very last, but (in my highest opinion), the most important tip of all: Enjoy yourself. Take pleasure in what you're writing about. Feel good about it. Not everyone can be writers, so have fun while you're at it. Don't just look at writing as something you have to do. Instead, look at it as something that you actually want to do, that you enjoy doing.
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