Magnetic Writing | Writers' Treasure

Warning: Do You Know that Your Paragraphs are Not Good Enough?Warning: Do You Know that Your Paragraphs are Not Good Enough?

February 4, 2013| Idrees Patel| 4:41 PM

Have you ever wondered why your writing was not good enough?

We’ve all done it.

You write and you write. You stress over your choice of words and your sentence structure. You’ve got the headlines and the subheads perfected. Your content is fantastic, something that deserves to get viral, deserves to be read by people. It’s helpful, informative and funny as well. It’s brilliant according to you, and yet no one bothers to read it (even if you market it like crazy).

So where’s the problem here? If there were one more sentence before the 2nd and 3rd sentences in the last paragraph, a sentence like this… “You write superb paragraphs.” Then it would explain the problem. Why, though?

It’s like this: a bricklayer can do his work brilliantly, but if his fundamental blocks – the bricks – are of poor quality, then how is his work and the result going to be perfect?

If the fundamental building blocks are of low quality, then how can the overall result be a masterpiece?

And what are the fundamental building blocks in writing? … Paragraphs.

So how do we get these paragraphs right so that we can speed on our way to other important things that matter? In short, how can we master the art of writing awesome paragraphs?

That’s what we’re here for. So let’s begin, class is in session!
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How to Master Clarity in WritingHow to Master Clarity in Writing

September 6, 2011| Idrees Patel| 9:10 PM

Hey everyone, I’m back. At least, for some time. I’m sorry for not writing for so long, but the thing is, these examinations never really leave you in peace. I have to study for the SSC (Secondary School Certificate) Examinations which are going to happen in March 2012; and as you might imagine, there is a lot to study, which is why I couldn’t update this site up till now. In an ideal world, I would update it every week, now even every month isn’t looking too sure.

Still, I will definitely update whenever I get some time. And after all, quality is more important than quantity, right? So therefore you can still await those superb articles filled to the brim with writing tips (all right, all right, enough bragging).

I actually lost the draft of this post before, due to Human Error and a false trust on Windows Live Writer (seriously, Microsoft). And everyone knows it’s quite difficult to write again once you’ve lost your writing, and the flair is not there. Still I will be trying my best. (Windows Live Writer was deprecated with the launch of Windows 8, a year after this article was originally published).

Now, on with the show!

Clarity is a hot topic in writing. As you can imagine, nearly every writer and blogger out there is saying his piece on what is, and what isn’t clarity. How to attain it, how to use it. And why it’s just so important.

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Top Ten Tips to Fight and Defeat Writers’ BlockTop Ten Tips to Fight and Defeat Writers’ Block

February 27, 2011| Idrees Patel| 2:02 PM

Writers’ block is common. In fact, it’s so common that there have been countless posts on how to avoid it, and how to cure it if it’s there already.

Some people say there is no such thing as writers’ block. It’s just an excuse for procrastination. After all, these people say, how many other professions are there in which one can say he can’t work because he has a block? Is there a bricklayers’ block or something? Are we missing something?

I think we can all safely say that there is a thing called writers’ block. It’s not the same for everyone. Some people may be so talented or get extremely lucky to the point that they don’t get writers’ block, ever. That’s a good thing. But the vast majority of writers have had to face writers’ block at least once in their career. At least once, they were attacked by it. But they managed to fight it, and defeat it well too. Can we do the same?

What a silly question. Yes, you heard it right: the answer is a loud “Yes!”.

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Be Aware of the Reading Level of Your AudienceBe Aware of the Reading Level of Your Audience

February 22, 2011| Idrees Patel| 10:46 PM

What you think is easy to grasp may not be easy to grasp.

What you think is easy to understand may not be easy to understand for other people.

What they think is easy could be hard for others, and vice versa.

You write at a level comfortable for you. For you, it is good. For you, it is suitable as well as satisfactory. You don’t want to make any changes to it.

But what if you discovered that some of your readers may not be understanding your content (or, maybe they found it too simple on the other hand)? What if they may be confused with it? And worse, what if, as a result, they would leave your content?

It’s all related with clarity. If your writing can’t be understood, it won’t be read further. It won’t be appreciated and it won’t be remembered. Would you, the writer of an amazing piece, like that?

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The Need to Say More with Less – Concise Writing TipsThe Need to Say More with Less – Concise Writing Tips

June 2, 2010| Idrees Patel| 11:22 PM

As attention spans keep getting shorter, tight writing becomes more and more important. In recent years, people have shown a tendency to ignore and scan any content which does not appear to be written tight. But what is tight writing? Tight writing is a matter of survival, says Copyblogger Associate Editor Jon Morrow. There is another name for it – concise writing. Writing which cannot be any shorter or longer.

But it takes some time to use concise writing to your advantage. Ideally, you want your work to have as many readers as possible to judge its work. If your writing isn’t concise, however, you may get some readers who like your work. The majority, however, will scan a sentence or two (this is especially typical online) and then run away to the hills, never to come back.

In contrast, if your writing is concise and interesting, these people will not scan or go away. They will read. Of course their reading it doesn’t guarantee your success, but it is one step closer all the same. If your writing subject matter interests the readers and if there is something for them in it, then people tend to stay and think. And, if it is great, possibly spread the word as well.

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