Beth Greenslade's Blog, page 101

How To Write Women’s Fiction

Finding a genre to write in can be an enjoyable experience for any writer. However, it is important that we do consider which genre our writing will fit into, learn about the rules of that genre, and consider what the readers of that genre want.

Women’s fiction is a massive market, and there is plenty of room for new writers to explore the genre and write interesting and exciting stories that appeal to a female audience.

Of course, the first thing to think about when writing women’s fiction is what is means to do so. First and foremost women’s fiction is a genre that is written for women. That’s to say that the stories will feature a female protagonist and the plot will centre around the experiences of that female characters life. Most authors of women’s fiction are women themselves. However, that’s not to say that this is exclusively the case and women’s fiction should be distinguished from women’s writing which refers to fiction written by women only.

So how do you write great women’s fiction?

Create a fantastic protagonist

A strong female protagonist is crucial. Women want to read about other women who are inspiring, adventurous and determined and who never give up even when the odds are against them. Characters in women’s fiction should be bold, exciting and charismatic.

Pay attention to the world you create

Remember, when writing women’s fiction you need to create a world from a female perspective. Paying attention to the setting is incredibly important. Typically women are the homemakers - where do they live? How do they view the world? What do they see and take notice of?

Explore relationships from a female perspective

Women’s fiction often focuses on the key relationships that the female protagonist has. All sorts of different relationships should be explored from romantic relationships to friendships, to children and work colleagues. Many women enjoy women's fiction for the feeling of inclusivity and understanding it gives them, so getting these key relationships right and helping your reader to empathise with the female lead is important.

Focus on women’s issues

What is important to women? What challenges do they face? How do the overcome them? Good women’s fiction will focus on women’s issues and the obstacles she has to navigate to succeed - or even just to survive.

Explore emotion cleverly

Women are typically more in touch with their emotions than their male counterparts, but how they choose to express or conceal their emotion is very different. Explore how your female protagonist communicates the way that she feels to others and whether she is truly understood or actually very misunderstood.

Read women’s fiction

Lastly, if you want to become an expert at writing women's fiction that you should read as much of it as you can. The quickest way to learn about the genre is to read it after all!

Understand what is not women’s fiction

Many writers can get confused between romance or ‘chick-lit’ novels and women’s fiction. However, if you do want to write women’s fiction, it is important to understand the differences. Women’s fiction focuses on a female journey, there may be romance but this isn’t necessarily the primary focus of the plot, nor does everything necessarily work out perfectly in the end.

Using the above tips you can begin to get to grips with writing wonderful women’s fiction - so what are you waiting for?!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post How To Write Women’s Fiction appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Tips For Submitting Short Stories And Poetry

Writing short stories and poetry is an ideal way for lots of writers to keep motivated, to practice their writing, experiment with their creativity and find their writing voice. While lots of us concentrate on writing one big novel, having other writing projects alongside this can be so helpful.

Writing short stories and poetry can be incredibly satisfying, because rather than working on one piece for months, or even years, we can perfect and complete these relatively quickly.

Submitting your short stories and poetry is also a great way to gain confidence, to get used to the submission process, to build a fanbase, to become more committed to your writing, to see your work in print and get paid for it too!

So if you are writing short stories and poetry how do you go about submitting them?

Search for publications with a similar style or theme to your work

Not every magazine or website is going to be the right fit for your style of work. However, the good news is there are plenty of outlets around, and so you are sure to find one that is! A quick internet search is the easiest way to find publications, whether online or physical, that are happy to accept submissions, so make a list of ones that are relevant to you and start from there.

Read submission guidelines carefully

As with submitting a manuscript, one of the most crucial parts of the submission process is making sure that you read submission guidelines carefully. Each outlet will have is own particular way of doing things, so don’t assume they are all the same, and certainly don’t assume that you know best. Follow all guidelines carefully, and you'll give yourself a much better chance of your work being accepted.

Avoid these common mistakes

Don’t send work that goes against submission guidelines. Word limits and formatting instructions are there for a reason, and your work will be automatically rejected if you don’t adhere to them.
Don’t miss deadlines
Don’t submit your work through a different channel to the one stated. You might think you have a better chance if you get in touch with the editor directly, but if they ask for submissions to come via an online form then do it that way!

Be prepared for rejection

As with novel writing, there are no guarantees when it comes to submitting your work, so be prepared that you might not get a ‘yes’ right away. However, the more you get used to the process and the more you write, the greater your chances will become.

Use these great websites

Writer’s Market – A useful guide to how to submit your work

Poets & Writers – Poets & Writers is a great website full of free advice and helpful information such as a database of literary magazines, dates of upcoming competitions and useful tips.

Writers & Artists Yearbook - a great website full of tips and advice, and you can order the incredibly useful yearbook which is full of a wealth of information and endless lists of places where you can submit your work.

Try submitting to writing contests

Writing contests may have greater competition and may not even pay, but they can be great fun and offer a good way in when it comes to getting your work published. Lookout for competitions that are relevant to you and then give them a try.

Go local

Try searching for local newspapers or magazines in your area that might be interested in publishing your work. Sometimes going local is a great place to start and you can build up your portfolio and credentials from there.

Keep trying

Remember, persistence is key - you might not get all your short stories and poetry published immediately, but just keep trying, and you’ll get there in the end.

By following the above tips, you will soon find that submitting your short stories and poetry becomes a natural and streamlined process, and begin to reap the benefits and rewards of doing so!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post Tips For Submitting Short Stories And Poetry appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Preparing Yourself To Market Your Book

Let’s face it; every writer is different. We all love different things about the writing process and struggle with others, and this is never truer when it comes to marketing our work. It’s fair to say that for every author, marketing one’s book is a mammoth task, while some revel in it, others simply dread it!

Gearing yourself up to market your book is so important. If you can start the process in good time and in the right frame of mind, you are so much more likely to do it well.

But, and particularly if we are one of those writers who dreads having to market their books, how do we get ourselves into a headspace where we feel energized, positive and prepared to start the marketing process? Here are some ways to do it.

Think of marketing as sharing your passion

You didn’t spend all that time and effort writing and editing your book because you hated it did you? Our books, the stories we create - they are our passion. Marketing your book is simply sharing that enthusiasm, that love of writing with other people. Assuming you are marketing your book to people who are interested in reading, and in particular people who might love the kind of book you’ve written, they’ll surely appreciate hearing about it . Whatever you book is about there is an audience out there for you, you just have to find them!

You already are a salesperson - because everyone is

You might think that you don’t want to be a salesperson, or that you won’t be good at it, but the truth is, you already are a salesperson. We are all selling something in some way or another, no matter what job we do or who we are - you might be selling the idea of further education to your kids, or selling the idea of eating healthily to your partner, or you might be selling your ideas, your wares, your time, you creations, your skills and knowledge - everyone is selling something and if you realise that your already a salesperson and you’re already good at it, your attitude towards marketing your book will be a whole lot more positive.

You are the only person responsible for your success

You can be exactly as successful as you want to be. But you have to put the effort in. If you believe this, you will come to realise that the world is your oyster and your potential is limitless. Truly believing that you will reap the rewards of properly marketing your book if you try your hardest will encourage you to keep going, and to give it your all.

Marketing is incredibly creative, and you can use your creativity to successfully market your book

Many writers hate the idea of writing because while they feel it’s something necessary, they also view it as restrictive and boring. However, you need to adjust your idea of what marketing is. Marketing can be extremely creative, and there are plenty of ways to use your writing skills, imagination and creativity to make it rewarding and fun.

The more you learn, the better you’ll get

Becoming good at marketing requires practice, so you need to experiment with it and learn from it. Just like writing, the more you do it, the better you’ll get. Sure it might be tricky to get your head around it at first, but if you persevere, it will get easier and become more natural too.

Marketing requires a budget

While there is plenty you can do to market your book for free, it’s almost impossible to properly market your book without a budget to help you along the way. Save up for this and be prepared to spend on certain services - it will be worth it in the long run - your book is an investment after all.

If all else fails, you can always get help!

Remember, if you get overwhelmed there are plenty of options for help out there! From fellow writers to hiring a professional you don’t ever have to feel stuck - so just try to bear that in mind!

If you follow the above as you try to market your book, you’ll find yourself better prepared for it both regarding your attitude and in terms of organisation too.

What do you do to prepare yourself for marketing your book? Let us know here!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post Preparing Yourself To Market Your Book appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

The Qualities That All Good Writers Have

Being a writer requires many different skills. Do you have the qualities that are usually found in great writers? See if these sound like you.

Good writers have:

High emotional intelligence

One of the most important things a writer must do is captivate their readers. To do so, they need to understand what draws people in. Being able to capture and express emotions in their writing is crucial. A reader needs to feel emotionally connected to the characters in a story, so a writer needs to be perceptive about emotions and use their emotional intelligence to create empathetic characters.

Lots of discipline.

Great writers are extremely disciplined individuals - they have to be. Writing is an art and something which takes time, dedication and practice to get right. No one can make a writer write, so without self-discipline it is so hard to continue to get things done.

A love of words. Writers love language and find words truly fascinating. A good writer is always exploring and testing language and discovering unusual and unique ways to use it in their work. Finding ways to improve their vocabulary and to perfectly capture a feeling or an image by using words is a writer’s greatest joy.

A profound interest in people. Writer’s don’t have to love people, but they do need to be interested in them. Great books come alive because of the incredible characters within them. Writers only write astonishing characters by keenly observing people all around them and taking what they see and hear in real life, and translating this effectively onto the page.

Incredible imaginations. Excellent writing requires a vivid and extraordinary imagination. Writers make up entire people, with entire lives living in entirely made up worlds. While writers use their own experiences, feelings and what they observe in the world around them in their books, it is their use of imagination that gives their stories life and excitement and makes them truly magical.

Bags of creativity. Being creative is part of a writer’s life. Being creative is all about seeing the world in new and interesting ways, in problem-solving, being innovative, using initiative, finding connections and being imaginative.

Excellent observational skills. Writer’s are like sponges. They keep their eyes and ears open all the time. They watch and absorb everything, from the way people interact and talk to how the sky looks just before the sun appears. They observe it all and try to find the words to describe what they have seen.

Self-motivation. Writers have the constant challenge of being their own bosses, or managing their own time, of having to market themselves, and organise themselves - let alone find any time actually to write. Being self-motivated is a huge part of any writers life and the more self-motivation a writer has, the better they will be.

These are some of the qualities found in all great writers - what qualities do you think great writers should have? Share them with us here!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post The Qualities That All Good Writers Have appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

What You’ll Learn From Doing A Book Tour

Doing your first book tour is an incredibly exciting time for any writer, if not a little nerve-wracking too! While it can be a fantastic way to market your writing, gain new readers and sell your book, doing a book tour can also be very demanding!

Here are some of the things you’ll probably learn when doing a book tour, and if you haven’t done one already, learn from them now so you’ll be even better prepared when you do!

You are a salesperson

You might think of yourself as a writer first and foremost, but when you go on a book tour that changes. You are a salesperson, and you need to get your game face on. To be a good salesperson, you need to:

- Believe in your book. Now is not the time to be self-deprecating and coy, tell people why your book is good, and why they should buy a copy.

- Be a good spokesperson. Know how to sell yourself and your work, be personable, friendly and approachable - a big smile goes a long way.

- Know how to close a deal. Being chatty is great, but at some point, you need to try and get a person to buy your book. If you can tell they aren’t going to, try to gently move them along.

Never miss an opportunity to sell. Take your books with you wherever you go, talk to people outside of your book tour locations, keep in mind that this is a business trip and the more books you sell, the more successful you’ll be.

You need to remember to bring certain things with you to every location:

You may end up sitting in the same spot for several hours, so it’s important to be prepared. The excitement of a book tour can make you forget even the most important items so before you leave each day make sure you have:

Copies of your book
Your business card
A pen
Some water
A list to collect email addresses

What you wear is important

Make an effort when you go on your book tour. You don’t need to wear a business suit, but if you dress smartly and look presentable, it shows that you care, that this is important to you, and people are more likely to take you seriously too.

Planning is necessary

Plan where you are going to stay, what you are going to bring, where you are going to eat, and how you intend to get to and from every location. There is nothing worse than rushing, turning up late, or finishing a session exhausted but still having to find a place to crash for the night, so be as organised as you possibly can be.

You’ll need to keep hydrated and eat right

Staying healthy on a book tour is so important. It’s easy to forget to eat, to not drink enough or get enough sleep but if you don’t at least make an effort to eat right and get some shut-eye, you’ll end up feeling (and looking) completely wiped out by the end of the tour.

You need to market your tour like nothing on earth

Do anything and everything you can to market your book tour. Research the locations you are going to and come up with ingenious ways to market your book. There may be some days where you get a disappointing turnout, but if you know you have done your best to get the word out, that’s all you can do.

Downtime is necessary

If you are travelling to new locations, it’s a good idea to plan your time so you can explore new places. You’ll probably have some time to kill in-between going to different places so use it wisely and have fun!

Saying thank you goes a long way

Remember to thank everyone who was involved in making your book tour a success. Not only the people who bought your book but the managers of the bookstores and other locations you went to and anyone else you can think of too. Keeping people onside will mean they will be more willing to have you back another time and organising your next book tour will be so much easier.

Planning a book tour is an exhilarating time. However, it’s important to be as prepared as possible. What lessons have you learnt from going on a book tour? Share them with us here!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post What You’ll Learn From Doing A Book Tour appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Prepare Yourself Mentally For Writing A Book

Deciding to write a book is an enormous challenge, and in fact, sadly, many people who set out to write a novel never actually get close to finishing.

One of the things you can do to make sure you do complete your book is to prepare yourself mentally for the road ahead. You need to feel passionate and committed as well as being aware of the challenges you may face and realistic about what it really means to write a novel.

So what can you do to get yourself in the right frame of mind for writing? Try these tips:

Decide to commit

Before you start writing your novel truly decide to commit to it. No matter how long it takes or how difficult it gets tell yourself that you will keep going. Focusing on this and making a promise to yourself to do so will help you set out in the right frame of mind. Tell friends and family about your decision too - the more people you tell, the less likely you are to go back on your word.

Be clear about why you are writing this story

Understanding your motivation for writing your story is also helpful. It might be that you have been carrying around this story with you and have always wanted to tell it, it might be that you woke up in the middle of the night struck with an entirely random idea, or it might be that you just want to give it a go. Be clear about your motivation and your expectations too.

Make a realistic plan

Having a proper plan in place before you begin will help you to realistically map out exactly what you have to do to complete your book, and the time it will take to do so. You can then set yourself goals and deadlines to keep you on track.

Familiarise yourself with common challenges and think about how you might overcome them

There are many obstacles that all writers will face on their writing journeys. Read and learn about them and think about what you will do when faced with them. Having solutions already in place means you will be better equipped to deal with challenges as and when they arrive.

Be a bad writer

Understand that you are unlikely to be this brilliant writer as soon as you start. Good writing is a process; first drafts are usually bad. Accepting that some of your writing might be terrible and may well make you cringe is a good place to start from. At the beginning just focus on getting your writing down instead of making it amazing.

Buy lots of books to read

Reading is one of the most helpful things a writer can do. Buy lots of books that you think will inspire and influence you, before you start your book. This way you’ll always have something new to pick up and will keep reading alongside the writing process.

Get help

Get a writing buddy to keep you motivated and to share work and ideas with along the way. A writing buddy will mean you are more likely to keep writing. Also sourcing other people to help you such as writers groups, online forums, editors, cover designers and anyone else you might need before you start will keep you organised and on track and leave more time to focus on your writing.

Enjoy the journey!

Remember, writing is supposed to be a positive experience, and it’s good always to remember that. Start writing with a great attitude, and try to think of obstacles as exciting challenges you must find solutions too. The more you enjoy the journey, the more like you are to keep on going!

Doing the above before you even put pen to paper can help you focus and stay committed to your writing. This way you are far more likely to achieve your goals and enjoy the process of working towards them too.

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post Prepare Yourself Mentally For Writing A Book appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Catchy Titles

"Who Brought Botany"

"What Made My Million"

"When Were We Winners"

"Where Are the Fun People"

"Why Do We Rush"

The main aspect in marketing is visual. Once you've caught someone's eye, there are a number of reasons you've succeeded. Either you've caught their interest, or you were simply OUT THERE with size, color or text. When I think of personality and content, I like to set the mood from instinct.

Many different examples of mood come to mind, first of all. Your target audience may appreciate classical images, graffiti, cartoons, photography, surrealism, abstract images, interesting text such as calligraphy, oil paintings or representations of any fine art.

Visuals are emphasized by a background that attracts the mood of your interested party. You may be selling a novel with a story-line set at the ocean-side and would succeed with shades of aqua and blue on your book-cover, because the feeling of water and breeze is right there at the onset. You may have written a nature study and will, of course, draw an interested audience with all sorts of beautiful green trees or plants and something fascinating seen upon closer inspection.

Colors to go with for most readers are warm browns, black emphasized by important variations (such as gold) and green. These are, in fact, the colors from which paper derives, and where trees have participated in lending knowledge.

"I Would Pay Per Chairman of the Board"

A title is thought of most effectively after one has imagined the entire plot or context of a book. Perhaps after writing a few chapters, one may ad-lib into success from a perfect name that occurs to one part-way through the imagined adventure. You're writing along and one word really hits you. It's powerful.

Let's think of a few really famous movie titles that everyone remembers:

"Gone With the Wind"

"West Side Story"

"The Sound of Music"

"It's a Wonderful Life"

Three to four syllables there seems quite memorable. Then again, you may be writing a very clever narrative that would succeed with a long, clever phrase:

"I Didn't Know You Liked Pistachio Praline Every Sunday"

A cook-book cover would want to remind the reader right away of their favorite recipes therein. A How-To on Building or Gardening would need to stand out as unique amongst all the rest. Yours is special. Yours in more interesting or easier to follow. You know best. (If that's not true, write something else?)

Let's say you've written a romance novel and have noticed that ALL the other romance novels show a beautifully crafted picture of a couple embracing. How will yours fit in and stand out at the same time? TITLE.

"SHE WANTED ME" (red aurora script on black with a rose)

"WE EMBRACED 'TIL DAWN" (satin sheets background)

When you have a title and book-cover that sells what you have in it, you've accomplished something akin to a person "dressed for success" who's working on a business deal in person. You've worn the right gown at the Beauty Pageant and it's expected as well.

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Character Writing: How to make people in your head believable to others

Character Writing: How to make people in your head believable to others

Every great story is born out of strong and well-defined characters built with extreme care to details and consideration. It’s every writer’s goal to be able to transmit the energies and concepts he or she puts in the characters created. Here are some things you should keep in mind when building your character.

Start with a  sketch

Before even thinking about the whole story and the trajectory each character will take in the build-up, take some time to make a sketch for each character. There are a few essential points you need to set straight right from the start:

Character’s name
Interaction and relationship with other characters
Possible role in the plot
Background of the character
Strengths and weaknesses

Take an interview

After you’re done with the character sketch, you can move forward and use a technique that is known to give some pretty awesome results. Pretend that your characters are real persons and take them an interview.

Ask them real-life questions like what is their proudest moment or if they have an idol or what’s the most precious thing to them. Go as far as you want to, the whole idea is that you get to know your characters, to understand how they think and the psychology behind them.

Make sure every character has a goal

By doing this you will make sure that your characters are believable and alive. Giving them goals and motivation will make your characters more than just by-passers through your story, you will involve them entirely.

You can start by giving them base desires like love, wealth or redemption. Always make sure that the goals you set to your characters are compatible with their overall motivation and role in the story. Of course, that won’t make you Tolkien but it’s definitely an idea worth exploring.

Don’t create ‘perfect’ characters

A perfect character that always does the right thing at the right time might become predictable and boring. That’s why flaws are an absolute must when building a believable character. Flaws are relatable and people will find themselves in your characters by identifying the same flaws they possess.

Another great thing about flaws is that it will make your character more inclined for actions or experiences that are not characteristic of them. By doing that, you will manage to surprise the readers and also make your characters unpredictable.

Avoid stereotypes

The most common mistake you can do is creating a character that represents a stereotype of any kind. Even if this sounds a bit complicated since there are so many stereotypes that are hard to avoid them all, you should be safe by staying away from ethics, nationality or vices.

Build dynamic characters

Even if the main idea is to create strong, believable characters this does not mean they can’t change over time. The events your characters are confronted with should impact them in a believable way and that also involves changing their goals and overall intentions in the story.

In the end, character building is only as hard as you make it. The aim is to create life-like characters that will appeal to your readers and make them identify themselves with the story and situations they go through.

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All that you are

Getting up early on a freezing cloudy morning for work is extremely challenging and the snooze button looks like the most tempting thing that exists..

And then we have Mr Benjamin Franklin who solemnly affirms;

"The early morning has gold in its mouth."

Who would disagree but imagine waking up early on a Sunday morning? It's nothing short of an unintentional irony..is it not the case?

7am reflections: I cocooned myself under the warm quilt, screwed my eyes shut adamant to grab another hour of sleep but a little over five seconds and it had me gasping for air! you know the momentarily drop of oxygen levels in closed dark spaces?! So I had to toss the covers to the side...

Sometimes sleep can be like happiness you know..the more you chase it, the more it eludes you.

The constant tick tick of the clock echoed in the stillness of the room. There was a faint yet very distinct smell of potpourri in the air. The weather outside wasn't too great. And I realised I had been staring at the haphazard traces of lines that seemed to have gotten frozen near the confined edges of my palms.

It's all part of God's Divine will. Period.

An uncontainable host of feelings crashed in around me. I reached for my journal and waited for the thoughts to explain their unannounced visit. The air hung over me with the weight of the unsaid.

I blinked hard and reality resumed.

Have you ever wished for an Undo button in life?

It sounds like an unbelievably tempting idea to entertain but is it worth the person that you have become over all these years? Is it really worth forgetting all that you've known so far and start all over again?

The thought of pushing the undo button grab holds my arm, sternly looks into my eyes and accuses me of being weak and helpless. It wants me to become oblivious to the boldest yet most beautiful ways my life has trended toward. It fools me into buying that a life lived free of mistakes and errors is a life fulfilled. It tries to bribe my mind by negotiating the grip on my life at the cost of letting go of all the details that occurred to design my life the way it is now. It whispers into my ear with a hissing voice.."you lose some you gain some". I let this voice be whisked away by the wind!

But it doesn't give up and continues to distract me from the pounding of my heart filled with gratitude for all the people who travelled miles and miles n' their lives touched mine. This reset button lures me into shutting all the doors that lead me to the path of self discovery where every single step released a new journey in and of itself. It makes me doubt that each turn in our life is guided by His loving hand and at this very breath, we are exactly where we are meant to be. And the people whom we were supposed to meet showed up exactly when we needed them the most. It was meant to be at that very moment when they offered us their hand in comfort in a stormy chapter of our life. And trace your own footprints making their way to the lives of so many people and creating an impact forever. Think about those friends who helped you grow to be your best possible version and your foes who gave you the motivation to exceed your own expectations. And in the end, take a look in the mirror. You'll see the person who has never left your side!

Are you willing to trade all of this for one glittery undo button?

I choose not to press this button for it invalidates my experiences, undermines my strengths and highlights my weaknesses.

I choose to withdraw judgement and look for the magic that exists not outside of me but only within myself..

I choose to keep offering the gift of my presence to all the precious people in my life just like they have always offered theirs.

I choose to be honest with myself for being ungrateful for all the blessings I unknowingly took for granted.

This button is a thief that robs us of our present happiness. It shows up at the door of your heart looking like nothing you've ever seen, entrancing your wits into an impossible dream. Don't be intrigued by its mysterious character. Listen intently to the soft voice guiding you to the light and shift your vision to a larger perspective.

Be grateful for everything that you are. And trust your journey. Say Thankyou to the Almighty.

Swing open the doors of your heart and let the so called tragedy of 'could.have.beens' stomp out of your life. Hear the deadened sound of its footsteps and rejoice. Let it go soo far and away that it never interferes with your reality again.

May God grant us the wisdom to live our life in congruence with His will.

Lo, when you look for God,

God is in the look of your eyes,

in the thought of looking,

nearer to you than your self,

or things that have happened to you..

There's no need to go outside

Be melting snow..

Wash yourself of yourself!

-Rumi

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A Guide to Writing About Unfamiliar Topics

As a writer, you probably have some fields you’re expert in and some field you don’t know much about it. Of course, sticking to familiar topics is a good option, especially if your writing career has just begun. However, this might lead to you missing so many amazing opportunities.

Sometimes, however, being assigned to write about unfamiliar topics is even not your own choice. Maybe your boss tells you to do so or your client suddenly asks you to write about something unusual.

Either way, this shouldn’t scare you much. Let’s be honest: not all the content online is written by people who are experts in the field. Sure, some of it definitely is, but the rest is usually created by writers who are able to quickly process and present new information.

You can become one of those writers too, feeling more confident when writing about new things. Here’s what you can do to achieve that.

1. Educate yourself.

When you feel like you should improve your writing, you take writing lessons. When you feel like you need to know more about the subject or two, you educate yourself. These days there are so many opportunities to gain new knowledge without even investing money in the process. You can start an online course, access an online library and read a few books, and so on.

Of course, it’s still impossible to master every subject even in that case. Even if you take each one of Coursera’s courses related to physics, for example, you can still be confused and clueless when assigned to write about something IT related. That’s why I recommend learning about different topics and focusing on one only when you are assigned to complete a long-term project about it.

Another important thing here is not to try consuming as much information as possible at once. If the topic is unfamiliar, you have to do it slowly, processing everything bit by bit to make sure you’ll remember it well.

2. Do proper research.

However, if you don’t have a long-term project ahead of you and didn’t have time to study the topic before, there’s still a chance to pull it off. I recommend focusing on the research – and by research, I mean not simply using Wiki and a few other sources you quickly googled.

If you have enough time, you are able to write the deeply-researched and completely reliable article simply by using the right sources of information. If the topic is scientific or simply serious, use online libraries and archives to dig for some sources. Check out social media – it might seem surprising, but actually many interesting articles and discussions can be found there.

Moreover, if you have the opportunity, talk to experts in the fields. Ask them questions, ask for their opinion, maybe even get some quotes to use later in your text. If you find it hard to contact the experts, then return to the social media and ask questions in groups related to the subject of your research.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should use all the information you found thoughtlessly. On the contrary, you have to double-check every fact to ensure that you won’t be making some mistakes not obvious to you but obvious to people well familiar with the topic.

3. Rewrite (but do it well).

Sometimes education or deep research aren’t the options. Both of them require time – and you don’t always have enough of it. In this case, rewrite is probably your only way out.

However, when I say rewrite I don’t mean simply rewriting the first article you’ll find. That’s not the right attitude and doing so won’t benefit you professionally. You can use someone else articles as a source of information, but even if you’re going to do so, you’ll have to do this the smart way.

If you read the articles and come up with your own one, which is based on them, this won’t look like a rewrite (of course, if it’s still written properly). If you add a personal touch to it, voicing your opinion and maybe even adding some personal data, this definitely wouldn’t look like one.

Basically, when you have to do such rewrite, you need to take the information you have and transform it into an original piece, changing as much as possible while keeping all the facts. It isn’t as complex as it might seem and there are plenty of tips online that could help you with that.

As you see, there are many ways to work with unfamiliar topics and to make the most out of your writing even if the process itself is challenging. I hope that this article will make this easier for you and wish you good luck with your writing!

 

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