User:Zaereth/Writing tips for the amateur writer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Writing is a very complicated process. In the speaking world, we string coherent sentences together effortlessly, conveying thought and meaning at a mind-boggling pace. However, in speaking, we use much more than our words to do this. Our body language actually tells a great deal of the story. Facial expressions give emotion, while hand movements imply both emphasis and motion. Even without these cues, such as when talking on the telephone, our tone also conveys emotion and emphasis.
This essay contains many of my personal insights, and is meant only to be a helpful guide to Wikipedia writers. This should not be used as a reference in any article.
I'm not going to go into any great detail. I created this essay to help Wikipedians understand the underlying reasons for the many rules involved in writing, but I'm not going to explain the rules themselves. Although the rules are helpful in the long run, this essay is meant as a quick way to help people start writing coherently, now. Pay close attention and you may even notice that many of the things I discuss will be incorporated into the very sentences that discuss them.
In writing, these verbal and non-verbal cues are mostly absent. Writing relies on careful choice of words, noting how those words may be interpreted or misinterpreted within the context. Writing also relies on punctuation to provide most of the emphasis and emotional changes.