Five lessons on how to be a better writer

After decades of aspiring towards it, for my sins I today find myself working as a professional writer. I’m based at a PR agency, but I also do work for outside clients, usually writing and ghostwriting books. I’ve also edited magazines, written screenplays for movies and TV and typed a bunch of articles and columns. I decided, since it is probably my only real competence, I am probably qualified to cobble together a few writing tips.

I also certainly have better credentials to write about writing than about being topless on a dinner date, Uber-ride overshares and snogging older ladies while hypnotised, which is my usual fare in these columns. So here it goes: Hagen’s Basics of Writing.

Audience

“Who’s it for?” is a question I usually ask of the people briefing me right up front. This will dictate much of the work that follows. Are we trying to reach young people, women, businesspeople, the black market, book club ladies, visitors to South Africa, industry experts in a certain sector … who? Once we know that, we will know how to approach the writing work. As someone trying to publish a book or get a screenplay produced, it’s also useful to know who you’re writing for. The people you’re trying to interest in funding your project definitely want to know this too! They want to know there’s a market.

Format

“What” are you writing? Is it a media release, an op-ed editorial, a listicle, a social media post? Each of these has its own conventions around structure, tone, length, language usage and more. It’s worth following them, as in some cases, gatekeepers will immediately reject submissions simply because they’re not in the correct format. Some format rules are more flexible than others. For instance, screenplays for movies generally need to be written on Final Draft, with the dialogue centred and in 12pt Courier font. So research the format of what you’re trying to create.

Thesis

This is the point you’re trying to make. In non-fiction this is critical, because it pays to know what you’re trying to say before you start saying it. Meandering along, hoping to come to some insight lower down in a piece can bore your readers, and get you completely lost. So, before you start writing, do some thinking. Clarify your thoughts, do some research, and try to arrive at a personal insight of your own that will enrich the understanding of your audience. Often you want to state these up front and then make your argument or illustration. In creative texts and fiction, the insight can be kept until later, but you as the writer certainly need to know where you’re headed before you set off. Failure to clarify the thesis may be why so many novels and screenplays run out of steam halfway through and are never completed.

Read as a reader

Okay, so you’ve written your piece. But you’ve written it as a writer. You are privy to all the internal understandings and assumptions that underpin what you’ve said. The reader knows none of those things. So as you enter the editing phase, try to imagine how someone will read the piece if they’re coming in cold. If they read this for the first time, will they understand what you’re trying to say? Will they have an easy journey? Think of writing as ushering a reader through a series of thoughts. If you do it well, they will feel safe, informed and entertained, they will laugh at the right points and they will come to understand your thesis clearly.

Rhythm

This is an oft-neglected aspect of writing. But it is key. Listen to this bit from Julia Donaldson:

“Did you ever go to Silversands, on a sunny, summer’s day? Then perhaps you saw the mermaid, who swam in the big blue bay.”

The rhythm absolutely propels you through the text! And it launches you into the next bit with momentum and interest. Rhythm is combination of word choice, punctuation, sentence length and metre. A good way to sense the rhythm of your writing is to read it back to yourself. Again, you’re reading as a reader, not a writer.

We’re not all writing children’s books like the incomparable Ms Donaldson, but the principle holds true. You don’t need to rhyme, but be conscious of rhythm. It is what pulls your reader through your piece. It’s the beat and the bassline that underpins the melody of your writing.

And that’s the other thing. It’s your writing. So by all means do it your way. Know the conventions of the type of writing you’re doing, but feel free to adjust and reject them as you feel. Find the way that works for you, and try to get to the essence of your subject to relate to it in a human way. Discover the love that sits inside everything. There are people passionate about all fields under the sun – from basketball to garbage collecting. When you’re writing about it, find the love and try to express it. That is what will bring your writing to life!

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