I was invited as a writing skills lecturer last Saturday, and it was focused on writing news; and I have realized after that that I haven’t really written a blog post on tips in news writing. I have written a couple news stories before and I have also studied about it in my high school and college years but, obviously, I rarely write news after that. But even though, I still like to share some tips in news writing which I learned in high school and college.

Here are some tips in news writing that may help you.

1. News writing deals with pure facts, so do not include any of your opinions.

2. Make sure that your facts are accurate and correct. Check the spelling of proper nouns like names of people and places.

3. Avoid adjectives and adverbs, use strong verbs instead.

4. Be concise always. Delete unnecessary words. If you can express facts in shorter words or sentences, the better.

5. Write using the third person, never I, we, us, and you. Use they, them, their, his, her.

6. Apply the principle of the inverted pyramid.

7. The 5 wives and 1 husband are your best friends– the who, what, when, where, why, and the how.

8. Know the different kinds of news leads– summary lead, quotation lead, question lead, contrast lead, punch lead, staccato lead.

9. Learn how to angle your news story. Begin with the most significant part of the story.

10. Use the past form of verbs, specifically your main verbs.

11. The AP Style Guidebook will help you a lot so invest in one and refer to it often.

I hope that in your next campus journalism contest, these tips in feature writing can help you!

Here are some smart tips to improve writing skills.

• Offer to proofread, edit, or give feedback on others’ articles.

I have already mentioned that asking other people to read through your article and give comments is one way to improve writing skills, since their constructive criticisms would help you realize the things you are doing right and the things you need to improve on.

It is also a very good idea to do it the other way around. Ask someone if you could go over his write-up or feature story and then give your comments and suggestions. You could even look for possible errors; try to proofread or edit the article. In this way you could have the perspective of the reader. You could experience how a reader thinks and reacts. Then apply in your own work the things you have learned from this experience.

• Apply the number 3.

If you are a beginner in writing, try experimenting using the number 3. There are three important parts of any written work– 1. Introduction or Lead 2. Body 3. Conclusion or Ending. You should always have these three elements for you to have a “complete” article.

When you are having a practice writing exercise, write a 3-paragraph or a 300-word article, 100 words for the Introduction or Lead, 100 words for the Body, and another 100 words for the Conclusion or Ending. Have and explain or describe three points in your 300-word story, one for each paragraph. Just remember that those three main points or three ideas are interconnected with each other for your story to have a good flow of thoughts.

• Use punctuations correctly.

Punctuations may be very small but their size does not make them less important. Sadly, they are taken for granted most of the time. A missing or misplaced comma could ruin your whole sentence, and could badly damage your whole article. So do not take for granted these little elements. Learn and study how to properly use them.

The following are simple tips to overcome writer’s block.

1. Eat healthy. You will have a healthy mind if you eat healthy and nutritious food. The brain is the human organ you use to write (basically the organ responsible for any human activity). So feed it with a healthy diet every day.

2. Exercise regularly. The habit of exercising regularly would also lead to, not just a healthy brain, but also a healthy you as a whole.

3. Change your surroundings. If you are writing for a long time in the same place, try transferring your laptop in another spot, say from your bedroom to your garage, or might as well in your garden (the surroundings in your garden has a more relaxing and pleasant site). Your brain also gets bored, and if it does you might experience writer’s block.

4. Stand up and stretch. If you get tired from long hours of sitting, your brain will feel pain on your back or shoulders. If any part of your body complains, your focus goes to such discomfort or pain instead of what you are writing about. Stretch your back; rotate your shoulders. In my case, I crack my knuckles to get rid of the uneasiness I acquire from hours of typing.

5. Do some breathing exercises. Writing could get you immobile and physically inactive for long hours simply because you do not need to be physically energetic to write. You just sit there, get your mind to work, and write. And if you are not that active, you only inhale casually and therefore get just a little amount of oxygen in your body. But being immobile for long period of time on a regular or daily basis is not a healthy habit. So, once in a while, in the middle of your writing tasks do some breathing exercises.

6. Leave your laptop and have a short walk. If doing some breathing exercises is not enough to get more oxygen in your body, take a stroll outside of your room or outside of your house. This is another way to relax your mind and sort of recharge.

7. Close your eyes for a few minutes. This is a good and simple way to relax not just your eyes but also your mind. Your eyes get tired also when you sit in from of your laptop and write for a long time.

8. Listen to one of your favorite songs. This is also another relaxing activity. Scientists say that music has a unique and remarkable way of extracting creative juices in our brain.

9. Stop thinking and clear your mind. It is ironic that one way to overcome writer’s block which basically means having your mind blank is also getting your mind go blank. Clearing your mind of anything especially the thing you are writing about helps the brain to relax.

10. Take a quick break and eat or drink something. A comfort food or a refreshing drink might help you refresh your mind.

You might have noticed that the word “relax” has a lot of things to do on how to overcome writer’s block. This is because we could write well and more smoothly when our brain is relaxed and free of stress or any discomforts.

Below are some of the previous articles I have posted that have connection with how to overcome writer’s block:

• How to Overcome Writing Anxiety
• Overcoming Writer’s Block
• Obstacles in Writing
• Challenges of a Writer

*image from cyclistdad.com

Articles about tips to improve writing skills are truly worth reading. They are a good source of knowledge and smart ideas on what to avoid when writing and what to remember which eventually would lead to developing your writing skills.

Here are some tips to improve writing skills:

Since there are many forms of writing, you better know first what type you are writing. Know the purpose of your piece. Know the reason why you are writing and to whom it is intended for.

Once you have identified what kind of writing form you need to write, find out who are supposed to read your article, piece, feature, or essay. After you have pinpointed your target reader/s, know them, literally. You have to obtain important or basic facts about them just so you could tailor -fit your writing and approach to their wants or needs, behavior, characteristics, attitude, way and level of thinking and understanding, and so forth.

Choose the most appropriate tone. Do you need to be formal, semi-formal, casual or conversational? Determine the right tone needed in your write-up and be consistent. Use that specific tone all throughout your article. Sometimes, writers especially beginners get lost with the tone. At times they begin formally then gradually they go informally and end up too conversational. If your writing task require a formal tone, stick to it from beginning to end.

One of the most important tips to improve writing skills is this: Choose the most appropriate voice and be consistent. If you need to use the third person then use it from beginning to end. If you need to make use of the first person, then again apply it from start to finish. Most writers commit an error on this element in writing.

Example:

Paragraph 1. “Students should study hard, stay committed to learning, remain persistent and patient in order to earn good grades. You should remember that education is very vital; and that not every person is given the chance to be educated.”

The “You” in the second sentence of the Paragraph 1 is where the error occurred. On the first sentence, the writer used “Students” which means that he is referring to the students, of course, then he suddenly changed course; he suddenly “talked” to the readers by saying “You.”

To make the second sentence coherent with the first, the “You” should be replaced by “They.” But like most rules-of-thumb in writing or in English grammar, there is also an exception to this rule. The  second sentence could stay as it is, without having any conflict with the first sentence’s voice if the first sentence expressed a what is called “general truth.”

Example:

Paragraph 2. “Students are expected by their parents to study hard, stay committed to learning, remain persistent and patient in order to earn good grades. You should remember that education is very vital; and that not every person is given the chance to be educated.”

The first sentence in Paragraph 2 presents a fact that is generally accepted. It is not an opinion unlike the one in Paragraph 1.

Remember and apply these tips to improve writing skills.

Below are some of my posts that have connection with how to improve writing skills:

• Why Writing Skills are Important
• How to Improve Writing Skills
• Improving Writing Skills with Writing Exercises
• Why Writing Skills are Important

*image from writingforward.com

How to Overcome Writing Anxiety

Have you ever left your pencil studded with marks caused by your gnashing teeth, or worse broken in half? Then you must have experienced writing anxiety. It’s funny how your pen gets the ugly impact of the distress and frustration in writing. Poor pen. But that is not actually how to deal with or even overcome writing anxiety.

Here are some simple but vital tips to overcome writing anxiety:

1. Identify the cause of your anxiety. The first step you need to take to overcome writing anxiety is to determine why you are having such uneasiness.

The following are some reasons of writing anxiety.

• the topic
• the type of writing (essays, research papers, literary pieces, dissertations, documentaries, technical writing, journalistic writing etc.)
• the style
• a fear
• laziness
• lack or absence of commitment
• lack or absence of enthusiasm
• lack of self-confidence
• lack or absence of knowledge and writing skills
• lack or absence of moral support
• lack or absence of motivation

There are many reasons why you worry or feel hesitant towards writing. You need to know why, so you know how to troubleshoot your anxiety.

2. Study the reasons behind your writing anxiety. One way to overcome writing anxiety is by following the principles behind the process of solving a math problem; you need to analyze it first before you could derive at the correct technique or strategy, the formula and eventually give the right answer.

The above mentioned reasons of writing anxiety also have underlying reasons. Take note that they are or could be interconnected with each other.

The following are some tips to overcome writing anxiety and its causes:

A. The Topic, The Type of Writing, or The Writing Style.  Most often than not, you can not do anything regarding the topic and the type of writing if you are thinking of changing them to something you would like or be more comfortable with, especially when it is a given topic or type of writing, something which is required at school, work, or in a writing contest. You can not alter or manipulate them.The writing style however could be flexible, but it is still wise to inquire on what writing style is needed or wanted by whoever gave you the certain writing task.

The best thing that could help you overcome writing anxiety caused by these three elements is by changing the way to think or the way you perceive the them. If you can not control what you are assigned with, you can, however control the way you approach them, or the way you see them. Think of the topic as a challenge, and not something that burdens you. This is the first step — the proper mind setting.

B. A fear. A fear, identified or unknown could cause writing anxiety. There are likewise many reasons why you could fear writing. It could be because you lack self-confidence; you fear negative criticisms; you are uncertain of the outcome of effect of your piece; or simply because of the unknown. Like any other fears, you need to face it. Do not escape from it by performing poorly or simply quitting. You write. I say, there isn’t supposed to be anything scary about grabbing a pen and paper or sitting in front of a computer. But of course, you need to accept and realize that you have such fear in writing. Denial isn’t a good solution, though.

It could also help if you talk to somebody you trust, especially when you can not pin point why you have fear in writing.

C. Laziness, Lack or Absence of Commitment, Enthusiasm, or Self-confidence. These are some tough reasons of writing anxiety, and their worst effect is quitting. When you are feeling lazy or you lack commitment or enthusiasm to write, even the strongest emotional or physical push could not move you, specially when you get used to slacking, you will be as motionless as a rock.

Motivation, inspiration, uplifting words from people who care about you could help, but it is your own initiatives that could really get you into writing. You need to help yourself up and start writing. You need to realize the need and importance of commitment. You need to know, understand, and realize the good returns or rewards of good writing. Think about good grades, recognition, trophies or medals, monetary returns, commendations, recognitions, or self-fulfillment. You need to discover what will make you commit and what will make you enthusiastic about writing.

If your anxiety is because of the lack of self-confidence, you need to study, gain and hone writing skills. Also, gain enough writing experiences, these will help you boost your self-confidence.

D. Lack or Absence of Knowledge and Writing Skills.The only antidote to this reason of writing anxiety is to gain and develop knowledge and writing skills.

The following are links to my other posts which may help you improve writing skills:

Writing with Precision

Writing with Clarity

Why Writing Skills are Important

Challenges of a Writer

Qualities of a Good Writer

Characteristics of a Good a Writer

How to Improve Writing Skills

How to Improve Writing Skills with Writing Exercises

Tips to Improve Vocabulary

E. Lack or Absence of Moral Support and Motivation. If you lack or worse, do not have any moral support and motivation, you’d better get some! If people do not give it to you, you look or ask for it yourself. Moral support and motivation in writing should be constant and not fluctuating. Your sources of these important elements are your family and relatives, your friends, probably teachers or mentors.

To overcome writing anxiety, measures involving emotional or psychological elements should be taken because, most often than not, this uneasiness is founded on human behaviors and principles, and people’s way of thinking.

Lastly, it is your strong will to defeat it that would effectively help you overcome writing anxiety.

Even if I feel I have gained and honed enough knowledge and writing skills, when one or two obstacles in writing attack, I could be caught off guard. I’ve experienced having deep, frustrated sighs; looking blankly to an indefinite spot; scratching my head. But some may have experienced way more intense — gnashing of teeth, pulling of hair, even screaming or walking out and quitting!

If you are experiencing obstacles in writing, you need to be really knowledgeable about them.

Here is a list of some of the obstacles in writing I have experienced:

1. Writing Anxiety

2. Writer’s Block

3. Procrastination

4. Disruptions

Here are the obstacles in writing with their nature and definition:

Writing Anxiety is the uneasiness or distress with regards to writing. This negative feeling may be caused by fear of some sort,  at times identified, and at other times unknown. It is a mental trouble making the writer unable to write; or if he does write, the output is less remarkable. The occurrence of writing anxiety is a case to case basis since every writer has a different way, style, and preferences and expertise. A writer may feel anxiety towards writing a thesis while another is always comfortable with it. In another scenario, a writer may feel uneasy writing documentaries or feature stories while the other takes it with pleasure.

Writer’s Block is the cousin of writing anxiety because this could be its product. When writing anxiety strikes, expect that the writer’s block will follow. The writer’s block is a state when someone loses his ability to produce write-ups of good or high quality. This is a common affliction that writers will undergo at one time or another. It is the difficulty or even the inability to start, continue, or finish writing for reasons not associated with the lack of commitment, basic knowledge, or writing skills.

Procrastination is basically a bad habit of some writers wherein they delay for tomorrow some of their tasks when they could actually finish it right away. There are a number of reasons for this. It could be triggered by lack of commitment or motivation, lack of sense of fulfillment,  or mere fatigue or nonchalance.

Disruptions come in different forms. There are those that strive within the writer like emotional or psychological disturbances, physical challenges, or even socially related obstacles. Others occur outside — people, things, and events going on around you. Any of these could prevent you from producing good articles.

Obstacles in writing should be spotted early on before you experience them. Search and study. So when they happen to you, at least you will have a head start and you will have an idea on how to approach and overcome these obstacles in writing, otherwise you won’t be able to produce good quality articles, stories, or essays.

Writing A Good Title for a Feature Story

In writing a good title for a feature story, you should take time to plan, think, and strategize. The title is oftentimes the most overlooked part of a feature story, when in fact it is at times as important as the lead or introduction. It is actually the very first material your readers will encounter, because the title is written above the lead. In print media, titles or headlines are the initial magnet that draws people into reading, so writing a good title for a feature story is also as critical as writing a good and effective lead.

Here are some tips in writing a good title for a feature story:

1. Make sure your title is still connected with the topic or the thoughts, ideas, and facts presented in your feature story. Do not put “just any title.” Some writers have this tendency to rush the writing of their title since they it less important. Some times they write it during the last minute, just before handing in their feature story to their editors, teachers, professors, or feature writing contest judges, and therefore having only a little time in conceiving and conceptualizing a good and effective one.
2. The title for a feature story could be  likened to the lead, so make it strong and interesting enough that it will draw your readers’ attention.
3. Playfully connect your title with the topic of your feature story. One of my favorite entrepreneurial books is Joey Conception’s “GoNegosyo, Celebrity Edition.” It is a compilation of feature stories on celebrities own businesses. Aside from I love how the stories are presented; the titles are likewise skillfully written. A feature story about a business owned by famous celebrity make-up artist Fanny Cerrano was titled “A Fanny  Story.”
4. Present your title with a tinge of ambiguity. In the same entrepreneurial book, a feature story on a lingerie business owned by sexy star Joyce Jimenez is entitled “Not-so private Joyce.” Her business name is “Private Joyce.” You see, her business name itself is ambiguous. It could suggest something about her being a sexy actress and it also conveys something about the nature of her business — a shop for lingerie, underwear and the like. The title of the feature story about her business could also mean a lot of things — her work in show business, her personality as a sexy celebrity, her business and how it’s not supposed to be “private” (or kept in secrecy) since it is something to be promoted to the public.
5. Use your wits in thinking of a good title that matches your feature story’s topic. In the same book by Joey Conception, a feature story on a restaurant business owned by actor Dingdong Dantes is entitled “Success on a Plate.” You could just sense at once the wit that comes with the writing of the title. The word “success” refers to the  flourishing business, and the word “plate” refers to the nature of the business, which is food business. Very witty, indeed!

Writing a good title for a feature story includes wits, skills, time, organization, planning, and an ample amount of thinking and pondering.

In line with this blog entry on writing a good title for a feature story, you may want to check out other related blogs:

1. How to Write an Effective Conclusion

2. Dos and Donts in Writing an Effective Feature Lead

3. Tips in Writing a Good Introduction

4. Dos and Donts in Writing

5. Feature Writing Contest Tips

6. Feature Writing Taboos

If you want to know how to write an effective conclusion, here is how!

When writing such for your feature story or essay, you could follow the tips on my previous blog entry entitled “Dos and Donts in Writing an Effective Feature Lead”, because the principles behind writing good and effective leads or introductions and conclusions are basically the same. There are but a few extra things to take note of when writing a conclusion for your composition.

I have always believed that leads or introductions and conclusions are equally important; therefore the impact they both make should be of the same level of strength. But when I have written a feature story about the death of former Philippine President Cory Aquino wherein people who have read it, as stated in the comments they have left at the bottom of my story, only brought out feelings and ideas pertaining to the thought I presented at the conclusion; nothing about my lead, body, or any part of my 800+-word feature story, I have realized that the real impact of a certain story is made in the conclusion, and that the things which will stay stamped on readers minds are those which are presented on the ending.

But this does not mean that the importance of the lead and the body are diminished. It does not make them less essential. I told my favorite feature writing student — the body is important, the lead in more important, and the conclusion is the most important.

So here are some tips on how to write an effective conclusion:

1. Sustain or even intensify the eagerness your readers feel upon reading your lead and body by leveling up the element of interest or intrigue in your words or writing style.
2. Leave a moral lesson. Present the biggest lesson in the conclusion; some sort of moral lesson just like parables where there is always such at the end of the story.
3. Leave something your readers will answer or ponder about. Your feature story is effective when you can motivate your readers to think or search for answers. Ask a significant question, something that is worth your readers efforts to look for answers, something they could relate to,
4. Leave a direct or indirect quotation from someone, or a book, song, story, poem, or line in a movie.
5. Leave an exclamatory sentence. Using the exclamation point itself where instinctively connotes a strong emotion, will bring an equally strong effect to your readers. But this still depends on how you present the ideas in your exclamatory sentence.
6. Do not force your story to end. It will be easily noticed if your feature story ended abruptly. You could write a good ending, but if you do not have a smooth transition from your body to your conclusion, it would still be less effective. The conclusion, which is basically the last paragraph of your feature story needs the support or help of the last few paragraphs or the last paragraph of the body. They should sort of “introduce” the conclusion. They should gradually give your readers the getting-near-the-end feeling, so that it won’t feel like it was forced to end.
7. Make sure your conclusion is not hanging. Make sure it has a sense of finality.The readers will easily feel if your story has a hanging ending; and its impact are anything but positive. It would be disappointing having to read a well-written lead and body with a lame or sloppy conclusion. It would also be annoying taking the time to read a feature story which basically went no where.
8. Make your conclusion the equalizer of your feature story. If the focus or topic is based on anything negative, your ending should make the over-all feeling positive to your readers. Even if you are writing about tragedy, your conclusion should radiate a sense of good fortune, blessing, or luck. Even if you are writing about failure or death, your conclusion should suggest a strong sense of success or a new beginning. Same also goes with a feature story that revolves around misery and struggle, your ending should be with a tinge of lessons learned, comfort, and relief.

I hope the above listed tips will help you on how to write an effective conclusion!

Writing skills are specific capabilities which help a writer put into words his thoughts, ideas, and knowledge in an effective, clear, comprehensible, and at times in a unique or artistic manner.

These skills like any other skills take time to possess because once learned, they are to be honed and developed appropriately which oftentimes takes years. It is like giving time and effort for an egg to hatch. You do not force or hurry the process; otherwise the output will be anything but good and pleasing.

Writing skills are essential in order to attain the goals in writing which are: effectiveness, clarity, comprehensibility, creativity, and independence.

You should attain and develop certain writing skills to be an effective writer. If your stories, essays, articles, or letters are ineffective, it is not worth writing. There should be specific impact to your readers after they read your pieces. Such impacts could be a motivation for action, an inspiration for change, an enlightenment, persuasion, entertainment, or knowledge. Remember that a good writer aims to elicit only positive impacts or effects from his readers.

The writing skills you have or will have should be enough to bring clarity and comprehensibility to your readers. If they basically do not understand any or most of the things you write, or the way you write, again, it is not worth writing. You will be defying the primary purpose of writing — to be bring across a message clear and comprehensible enough to be understood.

When it comes to creativity in writing, you need to put extra effort in gaining and developing writing skills because the thing that separates one writer from the other is his creativity. If you wanted to have a name of your own as a writer and not just be tagged as a mere “writer,” you need to develop your creativity to a level that stands out from the rest.

Creativity just like beauty is relevant; it is as they say depends upon the “the eyes of the beholder.” To one, your writing may not be creative, but to another, it is.

Independence in writing will require you tons of patience and practice; and it is achieved by gaining well developed and sufficient writing skills.

To be an independent writer, you must be able to produce wonderful written pieces without much assistance. If you rely too much on dictionaries, spell check and grammar check applications, or another writer, you are way far from being an independent writer. To be one, you need to widen your vocabulary so you wouldn’t turn to the dictionary too often for word definitions, synonyms, and spelling; you need to strengthen your foundations in grammar so you wouldn’t depend solely on Microsoft Word’s grammar checker, wherein its skills in spotting and correcting grammar errors are limited  and therefore inadequate.; and you need to equip yourself with sufficient writing skills so you wouldn’t rely too much on another writer’s skills like proofreading, editing, composition, construction, or style and creativity.

Writing skills are indeed indispensable in effective, clear, comprehensible, and creative writing; that is why you need to gain and sharpen them!

You may want to check out my previous blog entries entitled “Why Writing Skills are Important,”  “How to Improve Writing Skills,” and “Improving Writing Skills with Writing Exercises.” 

Here are some definitions of public speaking:

• Public speaking is speaking to a small to large group of people using skillful manner of speech intended to inform, educate, enlighten, influence, entertain, or persuade.
• Public speaking is the art of delivering a speech to a crowd using communication skills intended to bring across a certain message with significant value to the listeners.
• Public speaking is the process of presenting ideas, facts, thoughts, and knowledge about a certain subject matter to a group of listeners.
• It is the process of structured, deliberate, and formal way of speaking to a group of people.
• It is the art of oral communication with an audience having a specific purpose.

Further definitions of public speaking:

• Public speaking is synonymous to oration.
• It is a powerful tool to motivate or urge people to act on something.
• Its purposes are: disseminate information, bring across a message, educate, entertain, persuade, motivate, influence, or enlighten people.
• Effective public speaking is one that brings about change or good impact to audience.
• Effective public speaking also involves writing a good and effective speech.