I Wish That I Could Write As Well As You

Sometimes the grass really is greener. A short time ago I received an email that said the blog had jumped the shark. As the 17 readers of this blog know I didn’t lose all that much sleep over it, at least not more than the ten minutes it took me to blog about it.

Anyway, today I received an email that had a much different tone to it.

Dear Jack,

I am another reader who visits your blog from time to time. I would like to commend you for it as I am constantly impressed by how you continue to produce such high quality pieces. I have my own blog at www.iwishiwasyou.com (editor’s note, not the real URL) and would love to find out your seckrets.
How do you write so well and so often? Can you share any tips with me?

Thank you for all that you do. You make me smile.

Dear Reader,

First off let me say that I am very appreciative of your kind words. I do not have any secrets to share with you. All of my advice is obvious, but here is what I recommend that you do.

1. Write, write, write. Writing well requires practice. Keep plugging and pushing. This will serve you well.
2. Don’t be afraid to edit your work. It can always be improved upon. I rarely edit, but that is laziness on my part. BTW, if you have trouble with spelling be extra careful to check your work.
3. Read, read, read. It is always useful to see how others construct their tales.
4. Build your vocabulary. It gives you more tools to use. One caveat, be careful in how you use the new words in your lexicon. Misusing a word can make you look foolish.

Beyond that I would add that you should remember that many writers wish that their writing was better. And in the blogging world it is no secret that many bloggers wish that their blogs were as popular as (fill in the blank) blog.

I hope that this helps.

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