WordPress is one of the most famous platforms on the internet. I’ve heard it said from two audio books that about 80% of websites on the internet are created with WordPress. WordPress is like the Microsoft Word of websites. So, when WordPress offers you a free PDF to improve your writing, you might want to read it and listen. What I will do hear is summarize some of the points in the documents and post a link to anyone who would love to read more in detail. The points are straightforward below; however, the actual document presents excerpts from professional writers to support their points.
The You in your Writing
A key idea in the very beginning of the document is that most stories are versions of like seven basic stories. Thus, when one writes, she should focus on the unique aspect of the story. To begin, the article points out that our perspectives are unique. The 5w’s of writing, who, what, when, where, why, and how are factual details. The important piece of writing is to channel your voice. It is the person behind the words that is most interesting, not the words themselves. Words are like the lines that compose our fingerprints. Until they come together to articulate our unique personalities, the are lifeless.
Pick Unique Details
Second, focus on the distinguishing marks of our stories. God is in the details. What details could you add to support your central ideas that are idiosyncratic or display your personality and perspective? These are the details that you should add to give color to your writing.
Recall Events in Your Life
Most of us have a treasure trove of stories in our lives. We have many stories that would take us a fair bit of time to tell. This means that we have a lot of material. The benefit of being a writer is that you get to use it. Our unique stories, whether good or bad, serve as material for us to carve statues of words. These stories, once placed on paper, can become immortalized. This is a serious benefit of writing to me. It is one way of extending one’s own life. It is a way of living past the age of your physical body. You will have, by placing your unique patterns of thought and perceptions and anecdotes, successfully captured your consciousness on the page.
Squeeze old memories for new insight
Once we find an important memory that we want to use as a detail or details in our writing, it is important that we reflect deeply on this memory. We want to use imagery to recall the story. Imagery is when you use words to put a picture into the reader or listeners head. What did you feel during the event? What did you think? What did you want or wish for? How are you different now? These are all questions you can use to “juice” a memory.
Focus on objects as ways into memories
These objects need to be things of sentimental value. People are able to relate to the sentimentality we show towards things, like a soft sheet that you would use to calm your nerves and get you through sleep at night or like rocks that you would collect as a kid. These are ways to show the reader your unique outlook or perspective and to connect with them on a heart to heart basis.