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A casual Google search could give you many results on advice to newbie authors, but nothing beats this.One mistake every author or blogger makes is he forgets the audience he writes for. Some write for their friends, some write for an organization or group of people while some write for the world. But let me tell you, that if you write for any of the three mentioned above then you will get utterly disappointed.
Against common convention, writing was never meant for the world or masses, unless of course you're satisfying a dying man's wish or trying to record a message for future generations. The only person you should be writing for is yourself. Period. If you ask me why, here's why. Because writing gives you something that no other thing can. It gives a sense of joy which only you can enjoy, feel and understand. It emancipates your soul like no other. Have you anytime observed children closely? You play some music and they're on their feet moving to the beat. Do they dance for an audience? No. Do they care if there's an audience? No. Then whom do they dance for? Themselves. Why? Because it gives them immense joy.
When you write for yourself, you'll never get disappointed if people don’t read or comment on your work, since you have already got what you wanted. If people do comment or appreciate your work, take it as a bonus but not as the objective. Secondly, when you write for yourself, you are writing for the one single person you know the best - YOU. If you try to write for the world, your target audience is so jumbled up that it's likely to fall more on deaf ears. Simply put, if you try to make love to the world you’ll only get pneumonia.
Another piece of advice one should heed, which is closely related to the first is being true to yourself. Write what pleases you. It’s only when things come directly from the depths of the heart it touches the heart of the reader. Challenge yourself to convey the exact emotions that you want the reader to feel. If need be Google, read, ask people, visit websites like www.dictionary.com or http://www.merriam-webster.com or simply Google any word by prefixing 'define', but make sure you find the right words to describe the precise feeling - nothing more, nothing less. Till then keep hunting. Once it’s out on paper, use your mind. Format it well so the style is gripping and it makes the reader want more. Blatantly review it and get it reviewed for grammar, sentence construction, punctuation, etc. Edit, re-edit, write, rewrite, crop it & polish it. After all it’s only after a shinny stone is polished it’s called a diamond.
Tip: This is something I have learnt the hard way, which I wish I had learnt from day one. One thing that I do is after I have written a piece I take some time off it to concentrate on some other unrelated stuff and come back to it after a couple of hours or days. Normally when we write, we are filled with the emotions of the moment that words just flow from pen to paper. But while we are in that zone, we often miss out on the right words or the grammar. Getting away for some time helps us to reset our brains and see the same write-up from the eyes of a reader. Automatically the errors begin to show. Remember, when you're too close to a project, loopholes become too obvious to miss.
Once you've done this, you have done your best and have been successful. Remember, success is user-defined. If you have done your best you are successful. What happens post your hard work is beyond your control. All the best for writing that bestseller.
Is there any advice you follow which has helped you? Please mention it in the comments.