Lesson 4: How Professional Writers Do It

Objectives:

• To know more about professional writers and how they do their work
• To find out the tools that professional writers use when working
• To understand the Advantages and Disadvantages of being a professional writer

Quick Navigation through the Lesson 4:

• Professional Writing
• Writing for different Industries
• Tools that help Professional Writers
• Disadvantages of being a Professional Writer
• Advantages of being a Professional Writer

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Professional Writing

Another term for professional writing is technical writing. Professional writing is a form of writing where in the writer creates a story or piece that is informative and that can easily be understood by consumers. Professional writers get paid to write a lot, they can enter different kinds of medium as well. Some write for newspapers, some for TV and radio commercials, some write reviews and so on. First step in becoming a professional writer is finding out what one wants to write for, in which medium does the writer work best. When they find that medium they now must learn or study this type of writing over time. By studying and learning about the different forms of writing the writer gets to develop a more solid tone for their work thus will know how to create pieces for the professional world. They will learn how to edit their creations in a way that is more appealing to a broader audience or the mass market in general.

Writing for different Industries

• Newspaper Article – A writer must always remember to incorporate the 5 W’s (Who, What, Where, When and Why) when writing a news article. He/she must follow and find the story. The writer must be precise and accurate so as not to degrade the quality of the news they are reporting on.
• Magazines – a writer for a magazine can write about a lot of topics which include health, fitness, cars, beauty etc. it all depends on the genre of the column and the type of magazine.
• Books – this can either be educational books, children’s books, self-help books, novels etc.
• TV and Radio Commercials – this is also linked to copywriting. Here, the writer prompts the audience to act either to buy a product or try a service. He/she must convey the information to the consumers in a timely manner.
• Screenplay – this is writing a script either for the big screen or the stage. This type of writing mostly consists of dialogue and change in scene. The writer creates a piece to be acted out and not just to be read.
• Entertainment – this includes song writing, writing for video games, digital media outlets etc.

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Tools that help Professional Writers

Writers who want to become professional writers someday may opt to take extra courses to know more about the field. Besides taking extra courses would be beneficial and helpful because there is a lot to be learned from proctors who have already done what one wants to do in the near future. Taking lessons on creative writing will enrich and help the writer grow in the direction he/she wants to tackle. There are also other tools to help budding writers which are listed below.

• Laptop

Is an electronic tool that can help a writer write down what he/she wants to convey in an instant.

• Smart phones

Smart phones have the same characteristics that a laptop would have only this one is lighter. These tools make writing fast, quick and hassle free for writers because it captures everything one needs to create a story.

• Voice Recorders

Voice recorders can help the writer quote the interviewee word for word without misquoting. With the help of the voice recorder it would be easier now for the interviewer to double check his/her work without troubling the interviewee.

• Camcorders

Camcorders on the other hand can document what happened on the field easily if one is a reporter.

• Pen & Paper

The pen and paper are the traditions tools for writing, they will always be trusty partners for writers professional or not.

Disadvantages of being a Professional Writer

• Money

Money is going to be an issue. If a writer wants to take a course or buy professional tools one needs to shell out money.

• Time

Time will also be a factor here because taking a course will definitely take up most of the writers’ time. They will be immersed on doing more assignments and have less time to do some free writing.

• Increase on Internet use

When a writer does a lot of assignments this can lead to the increase of internet use. Internet use, again, can lead to lesser time for free writing because research may take up the writers’ time.

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Advantages of being a Professional Writer

• Discipline

When a writer takes a class he/she will slowly grasp the concept of discipline because they need to be right on time when dealing with deadlines and passing assignments or projects.

• Motivation

The writer gets motivation as well because he/she will be placed in an environment that is full of people that share the same goal.

• Confidence

When one gets motivated he/she becomes more confident which is a great skill to have as a writer. Confidence gives the writer courage to share his/her work with others. And this teaches them to trust their judgment and gut feel more.

• Feedback

There will be a support group behind him/her to critique and give constructive criticisms which contributes to the development of his/her story or work in a classroom setting.

• Books and reading material

Being in a school setting, the writer then gets immersed to a whole range of books helping him/her learn more about the art and also can aid in developing their skills.

In conclusion, you now know the different ways on how you can become a professional writer in the future by studying this lesson. By knowing which niche you want to enter into you can start your way up from there. If you really love to write then make a living out of it.

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The next lesson will introduce you to the world of narrative essay writing. A narrative essay means that you write based on your personal experience. It talks about you most of the time. Read the next lesson to know more about it.