Technology is useful for a wide variety of reasons. One of the lesser heralded impacts that technology can have is on the writing industry. As websites become hungrier for fresh, quality content on a daily basis, there is a greater need for writers to satisfy such needs.
However, being a great writer that can produce a range of content is not as easy as it sounds. Yes, anyone can write, but to write well and come up with something that people will read, share on their social streams, and be rated highly is a different thing altogether.
What are the different ways in which technology can help writers develop the quality of their content?
Distance Learning
There are hundreds of online courses available for those who are looking to improve their writing. These range from reasonably simple and cheap offers that will help you to gain confidence in putting a piece of writing together, to wide reaching courses that will teach you how to write everything from a short blog entry to press releases and well-researched journalistic and academic articles.
The best thing about these courses is that the mentors are usually successful writers themselves, meaning you can have confidence in the feedback you receive and are not just being given rehashed nonsense from a textbook.
Better courses will also include guidance around getting your work published, too, and some even offer money back guarantees if you do not have a paid piece of writing published within six to 12 months.
Grammar Tools
Whenever you use MS Word or any word processing tool, ensure that the built in checker is looking at every aspect of your writing. Please note that this won’t automatically improve your writing, especially if you just resolve the errors quickly and move on.
However, if you use your program as a platform for going away and finding out what a split infinitive is, or for developing your writing so that wordiness is not a trap you fall into, then over an extended period, you will become a much better writer.
Finding a Spark
People who have never written a word in their lives think writer’s block is a gimmick, an excuse that we use when we cannot be bothered to work.
It is a real phenomenon, however, and if you have ever experienced it you are in good company. Thankfully, modern technology means that inspiration and ideas are never more than a few clicks away. Whether it is a blog entry or a social media feed, finding great ideas and the creative spark that might be missing has never been easier.
Access to Everything
The real secret to becoming a truly exceptional writer is to be a prolific reader. Whether you read e-books, blogs, e-zines, or just browse the net keeping up with the newswires, you can use technology to read all of the time.
On the bus to work? Read a news article. Waiting for a friend in a restaurant? Check out today’s editorials. Nothing on TV? We’re sure you’re getting the picture by now.
Reading is especially powerful if you want to specialize in a particular field. What better way to become a great blogger, for example, than by reading popular and influential blogs every day?
Computer programs and applications, in addition to the internet, has made becoming a great writer easier than ever before. Use everything at your disposal, and your potential will be limitless.