I’ve written numerous spec features for newspapers and magazines in various countries and discovered something very interesting – the articles I had fun writing were always accepted by editors. The ones I struggled with and that I forced myself to complete, were invariably turned down. It took me a while to realize there was a connection between my mood at the time of writing, and the success of the material.
Everything is Energy
I’m sure you’ve noticed that when you have completed something you didn’t like doing, you felt tired. Doing things you don’t enjoy uses a large amount of energy, that’s why you feel exhausted at the end of it. On the other hand, when you engage in activities you enjoy, you feel energized. You’re still using energy but it is what I call ‘good energy’.
This is not the place to discuss vibration frequencies but just let me say, that all energy vibrates at various frequencies, some are high, some low. This explains why you feel energized while doing things you like and feel drained when you are engaged in activities you don’t enjoy.
Now apply this to writing, if you enjoy what you’re creating, time flies and you feel invigorated. Ideas flow, leading to satisfaction at the end of your writing project. This is because you have ‘vibrated at a high frequency’. Words written with a low vibration frequency more often than not fail to attract readers. This becomes important to remember when that reader is an editor who has the power to purchase or reject your material.
Make Your Writing Fun
I have decided there is no point forcing myself to write material that doesn’t interest me. I create everything from kid’s books to travel and adult material and I make sure I have fun with the content.
If you adopt the right frame of mind when writing, you’ll find the words will flow and it will be fun—you’re vibrating at a higher frequency! I avoid flippancy in my writing . However, I don’t shy away from humour, but it must be relevant to the content. Inserting jokes for the sake of it is not, in my opinion, the sign of good writing, but if you can come up with the occasional humorous aside, especially if it’s a personal experience, then use it. The tone of your material needs to reflect the fun you had writing it.
Speak From a Light Heart
You will have a much higher success rate with selling your material if it reflects a light heart, and more importantly, your readers will enjoy reading what you have written. It is a win/win situation.
Over the past few years I have studied consciousness. This involved reading a considerable number of books from different authors. I quickly give up on ones that presented the subject in a lecturing, no nonsense manner. On the other hand, the authors who presented this complex subject with some humour, were a joy to read and more importantly, I learnt a great deal from reading their books.
Avoid Waffle
While on the subject of energy, don’t waffle in your writing. Too many books and blogs, in my opinion, are full of padding and take an age to reach a point. It is an easy way to get the word count up but also a good way to kill your reader’s interest. I don’t have the time or patience to wade through a sea of words that fail to engage me with relevant information. When confronted with this material I always move onto something else. I’m constantly aware of this when writing my own stuff. Engage your reader by getting to the point as quickly as possible. It will also keep you focused if you stick to the points you want to make without ‘additional material’ that adds nothing to the subject.
Frame of Mind
If you have to write about something that doesn’t particularly interest you and probably involves a great deal of research, you can still make the task pleasant. It’s simply a matter of altering your frame of mind. If you go into the job with a deep sigh, you have set the expectation that it will be a grind and guess what, it will be! If you approach it with the attitude it will be a fun challenge, you will find the task of writing will be a lot more pleasant.
It’s all a matter of your frame of mind.
Remember, it is energy you’re working with, nothing more, nothing less. If you engage ‘good energy’ your writing assignments will be a joy to create.
Have fun. Smile as you write. I’m confident your reader will enjoy what you have written.
Ceidrik Heward is the author of several books, many of which can be found on Amazon here.