Tutorial Writing

In the world of modern academia, and of continuing education long after graduation, tutorial writing is fast becoming the “in” field for writers. Tutorials on how to operate some of today’s high-tech equipment are often more difficult to read than the device is to understand. It is, therefore, essential that the writer of tutorial remember the goal of the work is to instruct.

Instruction, or tutorial writing, follows protocols. It introduces the subject and breaks it down into steps that, when followed, produce a desired result. It should also point out things that ought not to be done. A tutorial work on how to operate a space heater really should point out where not to use it, and when it should be turned off. A tutorial on how to set up an effective filing system should warn about common errors that will hinder the process. But, for the most part, tutorial writing is about what should be done.

Good practices in tutorial writing are to keep the paragraphs short and utilize lists. Repetitive phrasing or rephrasing to emphasis key points is helpful for the reader and reinforces what has already been learned. Good tutorial writing should have the goal of instructing and simplifying any process.

Travel Writing

Travel writing is fast becoming one of the most popular fields of modern research writing, both for short work (articles, etc.) and for novelists. Since travel is a subject that fascinates most readers, the writer endeavoring to enter the travel writing market, needs to be aware of their market audience.

The travel reader is usually an intelligent person who either plans to travel extensively or may already have done so, or they are not in a position to travel and so use their reading as a substitute. Either way, knowing your material is essential to sell well in any travel writing market. Many guidebooks, travel web pages and other sources who utilize travel writing, require their writers to actually have visited and have first-hand knowledge of the area about which they write, in addition to having done extensive research.

While travel writing is essentially factual, it can be stretched and pampered a little with the use of colorful descriptive wording and allusions to activities that might be undertaken in the destination. This allows a writer room to stretch their vocabulary as long as they keep it within the limitations of fact obtained from an honest perspective. It’s no different to the academic approaches to critical essays at online universities or on-campus colleges – you’re writing for an audience that want to gain knowledge, but don’t necessarily want it delivered to them in a haughty, over-factual manner. Thus, it behooves the travel writer with less experience to refrain from using excessive first person statements and stick closer to their research.

Thesis Writing

Thesis writing is the apex of academic writing. In a thesis, the goal is to form an opinion or theory (a.k.a. a hypothesis) and then research respected, reliable sources to find facts and data that will support this theory. The thesis usually contains an introductory paragraph stating the writer’s theory or thesis, and then is followed by subsequent paragraphs that contain the supporting data.

A good thesis must follow an outline. The outline will ensure that instead of random arguments for the proposed theory, the reader will be able to follow a clear road map that takes them step-by-step through the writer’s reasoning. Summing up the paper is a paragraph known as the “summarization” or a concluding statement. This restates the initial thesis with the added benefit of having already “proved” or made a strong argument for its veracity. It is essential that all sources used in thesis writing be documented in a bibliography that is attached as an addendum to the work. Direct quotes and other “word-for-word” data inserted in any paragraph should be duly footnoted so that the reader can access the material and verify the facts.

Thesis writing is non-fiction, but can be presented in an informative manner that engages the reader, eliminating their having to endure a string of stale, dry factual data. Good thesis writing involves planning, outlining, researching and meticulous preparation.

Short Story Writing

Writers often compose their first short story in grammar school. In the same token, many prominent novelists began their distinguished careers as the writers of short stories. Short story writing is not child’s play. Usually fictitious, the story can range from as short as two hundred and fifty words, up to ten to fifteen thousand, depending on the publisher’s criteria. Since brevity is of the essence in most instances, the writer will need to convey the tale in concise, compelling sentences.

Think of short story writing as building with a small stack of lumber. You can’t construct a mansion, but you must make each piece of lumber count if you’re going to keep out the rain. It is, for many writers, more challenging to keep the word count down than to wax eloquent with excessive verbiage. The storyline must be followed. The introduction, body of the story and the conclusion are still vital. But the writer will need to fill in these blanks with the fewest possible words that will enable the reader to not only follow the tale, but enjoy it, as well.

Short story writing requires searching out the most efficient words to complete each sentence or phrase. This allows the writer to make maximum impact with minimal wording, which is, in essence, what short story writing is all about.

Sales Copy Writing

Persuasive writing finds its strongest voice in sales copy writing. Sales copy, whether it is written for advertisement or description, must entice the reader. Good sales copy will tout the advantages of the product or service to be sold, using terms targeted for a specific audience. Usually the copy is short and requiring unique, catchy phrases that will not only engage the reader’s curiosity about the product, but also stick in their minds. The catch phrase, or tag line, used by big retailers sets them apart and is a part of sales copy writing known as “branding”.

Sales copy can be short, almost terse and still get the point across. Some advertising copy can be a single word accompanied by a stellar video. Other times, there are no pictures, only the writer’s words to illustrate the product/service and its desirability to the audience. Strong, persuasive sentences that command attention and action are the backbone of good sales copy. This ultra-competitive form of writing defies the rules of traditional grammar and punctuation for the purpose of grabbing the attention of viewers, listeners and readers. The copy is written in a compelling.

Negative words are avoided, unless the copy requires the contrast and comparison of a product with that of a competitor. Sales writing copy is meant to sell not only the product or service, but the writer’s skill, as well.

PR Writing

Writing a press release or any other article whose purpose is to promote public relations for an individual or for a company, requires writers to walk a thin line. They must maneuver between the facts upon which their writing is based, and the reputation of the person or business that has employed them to present those facts in a light that reflects best upon their own interests.

P.R. writing is a fine mixture of fact and fiction. While outright fabrication of facts is not only unethical, but can also rebound with negative repercussions if found out, the gentle omission of facts that are less than flattering to the client’s needs whilst ensuring the wording of facts that promote good public reception of the client or his business, are essential. P. R. Writing will begin with the bare bones of the facts about the situation or the person/product. Then, like a skilled carpenter, the writer will hone the material by cutting away any less-than-desirable content and polishing the areas that will draw the reader and the reader’s opinion, to the desired outcome.

Unlike articles written purely for factual information, these types of articles are usually designed to be released to the press to promote and foster the public’s good opinion about the writer’s employer or that employer’s business.

Paragraph Writing

Writing a paragraph is, after sentence composition, the most basic step in writing. Paragraphs, like sentences, can ask questions, command actions or state facts. They will lead with an introductory sentence, especially if the paragraph is intended to stand-alone and is not part of a larger work.

The body of the paragraph will back up, modify or explain that introduction. The number of sentences needed to fill the body of the paragraph will vary depending on the complexity of the subject matter. The final sentence will in most instances, be a summarization of the introduction or one that segues into the next topic or paragraph. Paragraph writing consists of compiling a group of sentences that relate to one another with regard to the subject.

Paragraphs can be as short as three sentences or fill an entire page. Bad paragraphs are the ones that try to cover too much disparate material, and often end up confusing to the reader. The writer’s ability to separate similar ideas that encompass a different aspect of the subject matter into concise paragraphs is vital. A solidly constructed paragraph, where good transitional phrasing and grammar are used, conveys a solid idea or thought well. Paragraph writing should be fine tuned and honed by all writers, since it is a vital building block for nearly all written work.

News Article Writing

Few types of articles are more challenging than news article writing. For beginners and for those brushing up on old skills, the rules of thumb are simple. News article writing will involve the gathering of factual information and presenting it to the reader without the benefit of personal bias. The “what, who, when, where, how and why” of journalism provide the blueprint to be followed in order to create a newsworthy article.

The writer, by answering these five fundamental requirements will find that their article will, almost literally, write itself. First, what are you writing about? Who is involved? Where did the incident/activity take place? Why did it occur? And how was it done? Of course, there will always be rare exceptions when not all of these criteria will apply to the news article, but for the most part, they are the backbone that the writer needs to make the article not only readable, but also credible and informative.

As with any other type of article, the professionals involved in news article writing must be certain to maintain the integrity of their facts, and not allow space for speculation or assumptions. By virtue of what it is, the news article is meant to inform rather than entertain.

Freelance Writing

Freelance writing is nothing more than writing for a profit but not for any specific employer. The work, the written article or story, can be shopped around in the market to fetch the best price. In today’s world of cyber-commuting, many writers who used to drive to an office every day to write copy for advertising, to pen news articles for papers and magazines or to put together study materials for schools, now can sit at home and compose their documents either under contract to a specific entity, or to put on the market to any number of possible publishers.

Freelance writing has the benefit of not requiring a long-term commitment on the part of a writer to perform repetitive work. It allows them to bring their skills to market and often, if they are wise, find a gainful return. It also allows the freelance writer the freedom to turn down an assignment or not writes something requested by a would-be editor or publisher, something no sit-a-desk, conventionally employed writer would ever dare to do. Freelance writing, or freelancing, as it is known, is not without its pitfalls. There is no guarantee the writer’s work will sell, enabling them to meet their financial obligations. But on the whole, most well rounded writers with solid skills should enjoy the flexibility of this type of writing.

If you think you possess a creative bent of mind, a flair for writing and you really want to do something to utilize your talent for earning yourself some handsome amount of money, freelance writing is waiting for you. No doubt, any talent has to be developed and slowly groomed and so there is some work and study to be done from your end to be a successful freelance writer.

Fiction Writing

Fiction, by definition, is make-believe and is defined as “a product of the imagination” by The American Heritage Dictionary. Fiction writing is, ergo, the process of writing stories, poetry or novels that have their basis in the writer’s imagination. Fictitious stories can take place in the “real” world, one that everyone can see or relate to. Or they can take their readers into worlds that exist only in the writer’s mind. Good writers of fiction often blend total fiction with just enough truth to keep the reader grounded in the known, but enabling them to stretch the wings of their own imagination and reach that next plateau of wonder. Any type of writing can be fictitious.

Novels, short stories, essays, poetry and even the occasional editorial sort of article can be produced from the wonderful, endless supply of ideas that fill the writer’s brain. Though it requires less tedious research or fact-finding than most non-fiction, fiction writing does require the writer to build upon known facts and ideas, or to create and explain unknown ones in a way that is easily understood.

The best fiction writing will not simply tell a story that requires the reader to visualize and see the tale in their mind exactly as it is written. We read the words, but we each see and experience the tale from a unique perspective anyway. So, good creative writing will encourage and foster our own interpretation of the words.

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