5 Practical Quotes That Every New Writer Must-Know

When I started my career as a content/creative writer, I had zero formal training. I was a fresh mechanical engineering graduate from NIT Manipur, who had a passion for the craft of writing. I needed a lot of direction.

The five quotes listed below showed me the way. They were my compass. They steered my thought process, research methodology, and writing structure, in the correct direction. (Writers who are just starting out can refer to them when they are lost or intimidated by the vastness of a blank page. They will find them extremely helpful and practical. I still do.)

Phrase 1: “They do not have to read your content.”

Marketing writers, who are new to the game, often end up writing novels when they are assigned a blog. This happens because of a useful habit called reading.

Most freshers who choose writing as a career are often bibliophiles. Their taste may vary—some may like the intrigue of a Dan Brown, while others may prefer the thought-provoking works of Virginia Woolf. But one thing is always common, they enjoy reading, and they expect their audience to do the same. This assumption is false.

The reader is under no obligation to read anything, especially if it is free. Even when they pay, it is no guarantee the piece will be given attention. The proof lies in the stacks of unread novels in cupboards around the world.

Make it interesting or lose them.

Phrase 2: “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.”

Adverbs are a writer’s kryptonite. They make the content weak and difficult to read, for no logical reason. Compare the two sentences:

He was extremely disappointed at Jane’s betrayal.

He was appalled at Jane’s betrayal.

By substituting “extremely disappointed” with “appalled”, the second sentence becomes succinct and packs a bigger punch. Here is another example:

Dave swiftly ran past us.

Dave dashed past us.

I used to be a regular adverb user before I came across this insight. I made a conscious decision to stop, and it has worked wonders.

When I edit a piece, adverbs are the first casualties.

Phrase 3: “Give them small bites, keep them hungry.”

A marketer's goal is to keep the reader engaged and give them value for their time. Someone who reads an article should feel it was worth it. It is the writer's job to ensure this.

That is why it is better to space out the best content bits throughout the content. Think of it as serving a three-course meal. The entrée is the appetizer, the main course is the body, and the desert is the conclusion. The portions should be light, and just enough to whet their appetite for the next course. After each course, it is a good idea to ask whether they want to taste an expensive wine on offer, this is the CTA (call-to-action). Use this approach for storytelling or sales landing pages.

Overloading the plate, only confuses the reader.

For writing informational pieces, however, use the inverted pyramid of news. Journalists follow this rule while writing their pieces. Everything important is given in the first paragraph, those that follow are less relevant. This way, someone who is pressed for time can get all the necessary information quickly fast.

Phrase 4: “If it can go, it must go.”

If I ever write a playbook on editing content, this would be rule number one. Only a writer will know how tedious it is to fill a blank page. From the first paragraph to the final full-stop, hours of research and effort go into a single article. So, when the editing hour approaches, there is an unconscious effort to retain most of what is already written. This feeling should be balled up and thrown afar.

It does not matter how much time or effort it took, if a sentence or paragraph is not relevant for the audience—select it and press [?]. This will ensure the article is engaging and worth the reader's time. It also reduces redundancy, decreases fluff, and makes the blog uber relevant.

I have re-written countless blogs on the instructions of my mentors. Deleting hours of typing was painful, but it taught me to shift the perspective from “what I wanted to say” to “what the audience wants to read.”

Never get attached to the content.

Phrase 5: “Professional writers are amateurs who didn’t quit.”

Writing as a career is not for the faint-hearted. For one good piece of writing, it takes hundreds of mediocre drafts. Then there are the reviews. Sometimes they will feel like a full-body check-up, where every flaw and shortcoming gets exposed. Pair it with bouts of writer’s block and the recipe for morale crushing hours is complete.

A writer needs to tackle all challenges with diligence, take critique with logic, and listen patiently to critical reviews, especially when writing for a client. Learn from mistakes and avoid repeating them again. In case of setbacks, dust it off and start writing again.

The secret is to never give up and keep typing.

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There are many other gems and quotes that have shaped the way I approach content writing. But these five will always be special to me.

I stumbled upon three during my first year as a writer. The remaining two were told to me in reviews, by mentors for whom I have great respect. I am lucky to have found them when I did.