A question that every writer is bound to face sooner or later is,”What is the best time to write?”

The politically correct answer would be: “When inspiration strikes” or even a, “When you feel like it.”

But if you write on a regular basis, or have a regularly updated blog, I am sure, you are aware that waiting for inspiration to strike you is a definite recipe for not getting anything written. Sometimes, you are so far from being inspired that you are actually looking for excuses to do anything but write. How can you get yourself to write during such times?

If you want to be taken seriously as a writer, or a blogger, you have to meet deadlines and, more likely than not, write according to a schedule. Also, if you want to make money as a writer, writing to a schedule becomes even more important.

This, however, does not mean that writing is not a creative process. It most definitely is. So the key here is to be inspired at will, rather than wait for inspiration to hit you.

Sounds difficult?

It is. Probably even more than it sounds. But, it can be done. The one and only way to write regularly, I think, is  to practice, and practice as much as you can. Here are a few things that you can do to be inspired:

• Write a lot, if possible write every day.

• Every time you sit down to write, tell yourself that you won’t stop before you write a certain amount of words, and that too in specified time.

• Write regularly. Writing every day is best, but if for some reason you can’t do it every day, make a schedule for yourself. You can write every third day, or two times a week. The interval does not matter, as long as you have made a schedule, and are following it.

• Identify the time of the day when you are most likely to be creative. It varies from person to person – for some it is the sunrise, for others it is the sunset. Only you know what time of the day brings out your creative best. Keep that time aside for writing, and ensure that you do not have anything else scheduled for that time.

• Lastly, writing is fun, that is why you want to write. Right? When play becomes work, you don’t  enjoy playing as much as you used to when it was not work. So make sure that you don’t put too much pressure on yourself to write. Make it come naturally. It will take time and patience, but it will happen.

So, do you have a time of the day when you are at your writing best?

As a blogger, you are sure to come across people who will ask, “Hey, why do you even blog?

A lucky few can answer the question with, “I do it for money”. A majority of others have to make do with,” I blog because I like to.”

I am sure you like to blog; I am sure because I do too. But, in addition to that, there are some practical reasons why a person should blog. Here I am going to list four of them:

1. To improve your communication skills: To communicate is a human being’s most basic need. Whether it is happiness, or joy, or just a general state of  ennui, it has to be shared. Writing is an important means of sharing, and one that you have to resort to often – both in your personal as well as official life. I have seen many people who can accomplish the most difficult tasks in a jiffy, but they break a heavy sweat when they have to write something.

If you blog, however, sooner or later, you begin to love writing, and though there may be times when you want to stop, there are other times when you just can’t wait to get your hands on to a computer so that you can post. Also, when you have been blogging for any length of time, you will see a marked improvement in your writing skills.

Blogging also helps in arranging your thoughts in a manner that they become coherent and presentable.

Have you ever read something really impressive and thought to yourself, “Hey, wait a minute, I had exactly this thought a few days back!” You must have, except you did not realise it at that time. Blogging will help you pen down that thought before anyone else does.

2. To make friends: The rise of blogging is most importantly because of it being an interactive medium. When you write something, you quickly get feedback from the readers. Some of these readers will like your blog, begin to visit your blog regulalry, and even you might begin to visit theirs, if they have one. Then, before you realise it, you find that you share more things in common than you orignally thought, and you become great friends.

Ask any blogger you know and, I am sure, he will have a story to tell you about how he made great friends through his blog. Who doesn’t need a good friend in these days and times?

3. To become an expert: Maybe you are not interested in improving your communication skills, and neither are you interested in making friends. Should you still blog?

The answer is a vehement yes!

When you blog, one fine morning you will find that you have run out of things to say. You have said all you knew. The proverbial pen has run dry of the ink. What do you do? You refill the ink, right?

This is to say that you begin to explore and learn more about the subjects that interest you. There is a source of infinite knowledge – the Internet – at your disposal, and you begin to use it. Soon, before even you realise it, you have more knowledge about the subjects than your peers. If you keep at it, you even run the risk of becoming an expert.

4. To become an early adopter: This one is hard to explain, but due to a variety of side effects of blogging like spending more time on the Internet, trying to spread the word about your blog, having more smart friends, etc. you will find that you become more aware of the latest trends that are taking the world by storm. Not only do you become aware, but you also  want to experience these changes first hand ( maybe because you want to blog about them before anyone else does). So, you go on from being a laggard to an early adopter.

So, are you going to start blogging now? If you already do, what is your reason for blogging?

Image uploaded by swisschee on SXC

We know how some writers have the ability to grab the reader’s attention attention with the very first line, and then hold on to it for the rest of the piece.  Then, there is another class of writers whose very first line makes the reader yawn.

Whether a piece of writing will grab the reader’s attention, or bore him, will depend, to some extent, on the subject being written about. There are, however, a few simple things that you, as the writer, can do to make sure that the reader can’t help but be enthralled by your words.

1. Make sure you make no spelling mistakes. A spelling mistake is a big turn off for the discerning reader. As soon as the reader comes across a spelling mistake, he wants to stop reading at once. If it is a blog post, we are talking about, it won’t take him long to click on the little “x” button on the top right. Using a spell checker is one easy way to take care of the problem. These days most word processors have good spell checkers, and even a few browsers come with inbuilt spell checkers. The risk with a spell checker, however,  is that you might type out a wrong word, but with the right spelling, and it won’t show as a mistake. A program can be very good, but, for the present, it can’t replace a human. So, do read your piece at least once before you hit that submit button.

2. Good punctuation makes for great reading. Punctuation marks are like spices. Too much, and you can’t swallow your food. Too little, and the food tastes bland. So, try to ensure that you use the right amount to make your food finger licking delicious.

3. Know your grammar, and use it accordingly. This is one area where I falter at times. As a kid I never paid any attention to grammar. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my English books. It’s just that I didn’t think I needed to study grammar. After all I was acing the exams without studying it. Now, I feel, that it is very important to know your grammar and use it appropriately. Improper use of grammar can make it difficult for the reader to understand what you are trying to say.

Those were the fundamentals, now let’s move to the trickier parts!

4. Write unique content. You will find these three words on every site that claims to make you a better writer, or a better blogger. Though these words have been over used, they are still relevant. If you can write unique content, you can even afford to make some spelling, punctuation, or grammatical mistakes. The mistakes will still bother the reader, but you are producing unique content, and the reader will be interested to know what you have to say.

5. Use real life examples. When you are trying to explain something to the reader, try to use examples from everyday life and relate them with the subject you are writing about. I am sure posts  with titles like “What My Dog Taught Me About Writing” never fail to capture the reader’s imagination. If you have read any of Malcolm Gladwell’s books, I am sure, you must have noticed how his use of real life examples underlines the point he is trying to put across.

6. Avoid long sentences. Sometimes the thought process gets the better of the writer, and the sentences he writes become as long and winded as his thoughts. This can be rectified by revising the writing, and breaking down the longer sentences into shorter ones. It is however even better to change the structure of your sentences every now and then, so that your sentences don’t become monotonous. Don’t do it too often though – a bump or two during a long ride help you stay awake and alert, but too many bumps tire you out and make you want to take a break.

7. Understand your audience. It always pays to remember that you are writing for your readers, not yourself. So, write in a language and a tone that your readers can understand and appreciate. You are not writing to show off your knowledge (you can always get a PhD for that), you are writing to share your ideas and thoughts with your audience. It is about them, not you, and you should always remember that.

These are the seven points I can think of at the moment. What do you think a writer can do to make his writing interesting?

Image from Michael's blog

I have been writing about writing on this blog for quite some time now. But, it is only recently that I have chosen writing as the niche for this blog. It is therefore not surprising that off late I have begun to take active  interest in other blogs about writing. It is always fascinating to know what other people in your niche are writing about, isn’t it? It helps you stay up to date in the your chosen field, and often helps in forming meaningful relationships online.

As I was searching the Internet for writing blogs the other day, I came across Michael Stalzner’s blog. On his blog, he has been holding an annual contest to choose top ten blogs for Writers. This year the contest is in it’s fourth edition and the nominations for the contest are open till September 11, 2009. So, if you have a favourite writing blog, it is time you headed off to Michael’s blog and nominated your favourite blog for the contest.

My blog has also been nominated in the contest, so if you like what I write here, please do spare a few minutes and nominate the blog for the contest. To win a contest like that would surely feel great.

Anyone who has been writing, or blogging, for any amount of time knows the power of criticism. A good comment never fails to bring a smile to the face, and a bad one can make you feel like you have lost a close friend. If you are, however, proposing to write for a long time you have to master the art of dealing with criticism.

Before you can become better at dealing with criticism, it would be in your best interests to understand the three types of people who will usually comment on your work.

The “I don’t care” critic. These are people who have to say bad things about your work, regardless of its quality. This critic may be an enemy, a competitor, or just another blog hopper; he just has to find faults. In all likelihood, he will not even read your work. He comes across your write-up, and finds a place to vent his venom. He does so without even knowing what your work is about.

The “I care too much” critic. These are people who do not want to hurt your feelings, or perhaps they don’t want you to think of them in a negative light. They are mostly good of heart, and will only say good things about your blog. Even if your post is worthless – and you may know it too, you simply had to write that quick post – they will praise your work to no end. In the least they will leave a comment saying, “Nice post!”

The “I care” critic. These are people who will actually read your work. In all probability, they don’t know you. If at all they do, they know you through your writing. They will be ruthless in their criticism. If you are good, they will tel you so. If you are bad, they won’t mince any words. These are the type of people that should be commenting on your blog, and you should pay attention to them.

If you start paying attention to the first, or the second kind of critic, you are bound to end up feeling like either a wet sponge, or a cotton fluff. You, I am sure, would not want to be in either one of those two states.

What you would want instead is to know the true merit of your work, and ways in which you can improve it. Here, paying attention to the “I care” critic will help you in a big way. He is the critic that you should be looking out for. You would be lucky to have a large number of such critics, for listening to them will help you iron out the creases in your writing.

The first and the second kind of critic should simply be ignored. You can, if you want, respond to them politely on your blog. After all comments of any kind make you feel good on some level.Don’t they? But, when it comes to being affected by them, you simply shouldn’t be.

Money makes the world go round is an often quoted phrase. Whether the statement is true or not can be an eternal debate, and it is best to steer clear off it. But, one thing is certain – most people are constantly making an effort to find ways and means to enhance their supply of money. Money can’t buy happiness, but a lack of money can definitely make us sad.

Therefore, naturally, you are very careful with the way you handle your money.

It would hold you in good stead if you treated your words like you treat your money. Here is how you can do that:

1. Be Frugal: You would usually not go out and waste money on something that you don’t want. You would also ensure that you get maximum value for every penny you spend. A similar principle should be followed with words. Use words to convey your meaning with the least number of words. If a word adds no value to a sentence, don’t use it. Save it from some place else.

2. Multiply Your Wealth: Just like you constantly keep adding money to that bank account (or that secret safe hidden in your bedroom), you should constantly keep adding to your vocabulary. You would not miss out on any opportunity to make an extra buck. So, why miss an opportunity to learn a new word? The more words you know, the better you will be able to use them.

3. Use the Right Currency: If you go to a foreign country, you will ensure beforehand that you have converted your currency to the currency used in that nation. If you don’t do that, you won’t be able to buy anything there even if you have all the wealth in the world. Similarly, you should ensure that you use words that your audience can understand and relate with. Maybe, you are an expert of words, but if your audience doesn’t know the meaning of glottologist, they might as well think of you as some part of the human anatomy.

4. Keep an Account: Most efficient people keep a record of every single penny they spend. They also plan the future inflows and outflows of money. You should plan on how much you wish to write in the days to come, and then you should compare targets with actual achievements. In light of the actual achievements, you can either review your targets, or you can identify reasons for falling short of your goals.

So,  from now on are you going to treat your words like you treat your money?

All of us have gone through phases where the eternal spring of writing seems to dry up. We can sit at the computer for hours but when we look at the screen, all we have is a few lines, and those too aren’t worth much. Thanks to technology, all we end up wasting is our time, unlike the old days when along with time a lot of paper was wasted too too. Today, all we need to do is hit delete and start all over again.

Why does the spring dry up though?

One of the major reasons for this happening is that we try too hard to write something that will impress our readers. We read a lot of things, and some of them leave an impression. We, in turn, want to write something that leaves an impression on others. But, try as hard as we may, we fail to come up with that masterpiece. The harder we try, the worse it gets. It’s like trying to hold quicksilver in your hands – it just keeps slipping out.The reason is simple, we are  trying to write in a style, and on a subject that is not our own. If we don’t know about a subject how can we possible write about it?

A classic example of the above case  are the “how to blog” and “make money blogs” that have spawned the Internet over the past decade. The reason for this spurt is the fact that some of the blogs that talk about blogging and making money are actually very successful. Many people want to take the easy way out and want to replicate this success without ensuring that they have enough firepower in their arsenal to keep the blog going. Not surprisingly, many of  these blogs die a premature death.

The similar thing happens with writing too. We look at subjects that have been delicately handled by other writers. We enjoy reading their work, and we want to write something similar to what they have written. But, we fail because we forget that what had impressed us was not merely good writing, but the in-depth treatment the writer had provided to the subject. Such an in-depth treatment can come only if you have sufficient knowledge and experience on the subject you are writing about.

Jeffrey Archer, the famous author, puts it beautifully in the following lines:

If you look at the work of Jane Austen — arguably the greatest novelist that ever lived — she lived in a small town, had four sisters who couldn’t get married. So she writes a book about four sisters who couldn’t get married, a story about three sisters who couldn’t get married, a story about two sisters who couldn’t get married, and a story about one who couldn’t marry herself off. All of them are masterpieces. So you write well if you’re an author who writes about what he has an experience of. When young people come to me and say, “Jeffrey I want to write a book. Should I write a ghost story, should I write a thriller?” I say write what you know about, because if you get that over to the public and if it’s a good story, they’ll want to turn the page.

He who rejects change is the architect of decay.  The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery.  ~Harold Wilson

Change is an integral part of survival. When a person, or even an organization, refuses to change,  doom is inevitable.

For a long time now, I had been trying to avoid making some changes that were necessary for this blog to continue. But, today, I finally decided to make the changes happen, and I am glad I did. I realised that I had let the blog become very unorganized and cluttered. At a time when blogrush has ceased to exist even in our memories, I found that the code for the blogrush widget existed in my side bar. I have removed that code now.

Some other changes I made are:

1. Upgraded Wordpress to the latest version i.e. 2.8.3
2. Changed the Theme to something that I hope is more contemporary
3. Tried to make the site user friendly and social network friendly
4. Reduced the clutter in the sidebars

These changes, however, are not yet complete and I think I will continue to tweak the site over the next couple of days. I would request you to bear with me while I make these changes. If you have any suggestions for me, please feel free to tell me about them.

Whether it is for work or for fun, in today’s day and time, no one can escape writing. Whether you like it or not, you will have to do it, so why run away from it?

Instead, try to improve your writing, so that instead of avoiding writing you are looking forward to opportunities where you can demonstrate your skill with the written word.

It takes some talent and a lot of practice to become a good writer. Most of you may not even want to become professional writers, but keeping the following things in mind will help you in writing  better on whatever level you need to.

Plan Well. “A man who does not plan long ahead will find trouble right at his door,” said Confucious, and Confucious, we all know, was a smart man. It is a good idea to form a plan before you attempt to write anything. The plan can even be in your mind if you, like me, are not very good with pen and paper. But, if you don’t have a plan, you will be stuck in the beginning, and in the middle, and in the end. That is without a proper plan you will get no where. A plan will be your guiding light that will illuminate your destination, and the path that leads there.

Break rules, but know them first. If you are writing about a serious subject it can get monotonous;for you as well as for your reader. At such times, you can add some flavour to your writing by breaking some rules, and adding unique touches of your own. Many famous writers are known for breaking the rules to suit their style. But this is risky territory as your reader may take you to be an amateur if you break rules haphazardly. To break rules to your advantage, make sure that you know your rules first.

Eliminate superficiality. When you are writing, avoid beating around the bush and come to the point as soon as you can. These days there is so much information available online that the reader has a very small attention span. Make the best use of the time that the reader has decided to spend with you. Say what you have to say, and be done with it.

Another aspect of this point is that words like very, just, actually etc. – i.e. words that add no value to your writing – should be pruned out. There should be no needless words as there is no point wasting effort on words that are merely idle baggage. Say what you have to say, in as few words as you can.

Use punctuation to good effect. The use of punctuation in writing is like the use of a spice in the preparation of your food. Too little and your writing will be difficult to read, too much and your writing will be difficult to read.

The comma, especially, is a very interesting punctuation mark, and different writers have been known to use it in different ways. A misplaced comma, or lack of it, can alter the meaning of the sentence. Learn to use punctuation well, and your writing will never be boring.

Revise. This is one of the most important aspects of writing, and the most ignored. Ideally speaking, one should revise one’s work after a substantial amount of time has elapsed since it was first written. In today’s fast paced world, however, time is something that is not found in abundance. So, just ensure that you revise your work before you set it out before your reader. Some words that seemed apt at first might seem out of place when you read the whole piece as a single unit. In any case, a revised work is always better than an un-revised one.

There are many advantages of being born and brought up in a bilingual country. One grows up learning, and interacting with, two languages. These advantages, like all good things, come with a few drawbacks.

One usually ends up reading and writing in one language, and conversing with friends and family in another language. This is akin to having a multiple personality. One is led to the fallacy of believing that he is proficient in two languages, while he is good at none. Being good in any language involves a mastery of both the written and the spoken word in that language.

Words of the eminent novelist Raja Rao on the subject stand out, and are worth repeating here. In the introduction to his 1937 novel, Kanthapura, he writes:

One has to convey in a language that is not one’s own the spirit that is one’s own. One has to convey the various shades and omissions of a certain thought-movement that looks maltreated in an alien language. I use the word alien, yet English is not really an alien language to us. It is the language of our intellectual make-up – like Sanskrit or Persian was before – but not of our emotional make-up. We are all instinctively bilingual, many of us writing in our own language and in English. We cannot write like the English. We should not. We cannot write only as Indians. We have grown to look at the large world as part of us. Our method of expression therefore has to be a dialect which will some day prove to be a distinctive and colorful as the Irish or the American. Time alone will justify it.

To a great extent, his words have proved to be prophetic. Today the English language has been enriched with many words that are Indian in origin. We are almost at the stage where the world is ready to accept an Indian version of English, in addition to the American and British versions.

Writing for a global audience is, however, still challenging for most people from India and other countries where English is the second language. As Raja Rao has said, it is simply not the language of our emotional make-up, and writing, especially creative writing, has to do more with emotions than with intellect.

In addition, there is the problem of local grammar, and even slang, creeping into the English language. These sometimes results in the most unexpected, and often funny, sentences. I am sure all of us have come across such usage at one point of time or another. (e.g. heard in an office: I am really tired from the long day, time to spread my legs now.)

According to you, is being bilingual an aid or a handicap for a writer who aims to write for a global audience?