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Maybe you are among the many whose talent is prose. You have the gift of conveying your every thought and feeling through exquisite words that seem to flow as easily as the River Nile. Though you may not posses a degree of any kind, you are confident in your abilities and are sure you can hold your own in the world of freelance. But upon your first attempt, your piece gets torn to shreds, along with your self-esteem. Don't let this discourage you; this is not an indication of a lack of talent, it may just indicate that you need to work on those dastardly things called skills.

Pick something you know. Writing on a topic you are an expert about can make a dramatic difference in the quality of your piece. Writing on what you know enables you to write an intelligent, well thought out piece that will draw the reader in. If you are passionate about your topic, this will shine through your words and make it exciting to the reader as well.

Organize your thoughts. Before you begin writing your piece, have a plan of action. Writing on a whim will almost always be your downfall. Keep your paragraphs organized, with a specific thought process in each. Jumping around from paragraph to paragraph will only confuse your readers and make your piece difficult to understand; this takes the pleasure out of your prose, no matter how eloquent your words may be.

Watch your spelling. It doesn't matter how great a speller you think you may be, typos can happen to anyone. If your computer doesn't have spell check, then pull out your dictionary and look up any words you believe may be questionable. If your goal is to be a professional writer, your piece needs to look the part. Remember, everything you submit is a direct reflection of you.

Check your grammar. There is nothing more frustrating than reading an article with grammatical errors in every other sentence. If you have used the word "your" when referring to "you are," or "it's" when it should show possesion like "its," the copyeditors will believe you were sleeping during fifth grade english. Be sure you are on top of your grammatical game, and each piece you write will seem like a masterpiece.

Research. If you find yourself in a postion of writing on a topic you are not familiar with, research it until you know every fact like the back of your hand. Ask yourself what the reader would want to know about the topic, and then do your research based upon the answer you have come up with. The better informed you are, the more well rounded and informative your piece will be.

Proofread. After writing each paragraph, read it over. This will allow you to check for any grammatical and spelling errors that require your attention. It also gives you the opportunity to change any sentences or phrases in the paragraph that do not flow, or may be awkward. Once you have finished the entire piece, proofread it again. This not only gives you a chance to check for anything you may have missed the first time, but allows you to read the piece as a whole and make any changes before submission.

Accept criticism. Always be prepared for constructive criticism and be open to learning from it. Most copyeditors are not there to tear you down, but are sincerely trying to help you become a better writer. They will often give you tips on how to improve your specific piece; however if you are smart, you will not only apply their suggestions to that piece, but to future pieces as well.

Whether you have a degree in journalism, or write simply because of passion and talent, you can be successful. You simply have to remember that the art of writing is a learning process that never ends. As long as you are willing to take that journey, your possibilities are endless.

Learn more about this author, Sherry Magillicutty.
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