Essential Utilities for Writers

Essential Utilities for Writers

Even though writing may seem like an impossible task to some, anyone, with the correct resources and encouragement, can produce high-quality pieces with time and effort. No matter if you're penning a novel, scientific paper, university assignment, web article, or journal for the local paper, you'll need the same seven tools. You will struggle mightily if you don't have access to these resources.

Book and pencil are Tools

Undoubtedly, the book and pencil are two of the most useful implements in your toolkit. Always prepared to record the thoughts that come to mind, the words that come to my ears, and the sights that meet my eyes, I always have a notebook and pen or pencil on hand. The primary benefit of a notebook and pencil is that they help you remember important details and ideas that you may otherwise forget.

Last night, for instance, I was mulling over ideas for a new essay while I was in bed. Honestly, I wrote this piece to provide guidance to aspiring authors. I started by writing the book's title, followed by a list of the seven essential writing resources.

For note-taking, I use both a compact A6 pad that fits in my wallet and a larger A4 journal-style book for more in-depth writing. Use the little A6 wallet book as a notepad to jot down interesting phrases and words you come across while out and about, whether you're at the mall, a restaurant, or anywhere else. The same idea can be expressed in a variety of ways, and you may find that the language of folks you meet in other parts of the country or the world is more alluring than your own, leading to increased interest in your work.

A Dictionary

There is no way to succeed as a writer without access to a dictionary. My copy of the Macquarie Dictionary, which I bought when I was in second grade, is still sitting on my bookshelf to this day. (Pause to acknowledge one's advanced years.) back more than 30 years ago. However, there are several excellent online dictionaries available now for no cost, making them ideal for novices. The alternative is to go to a book fair put on by a charity organization, which is something I highly suggest. Every year in Australia, a nonprofit called Lifeline hosts a book sale where attendees can buy bags of books for a dollar each and frequently find thousands of dictionaries for just $1 each.

Whence, then, comes the need for a dictionary? Actually, there are two: the first is to guarantee proper spelling; for all you computer nerds out there who insist otherwise, I regret to remind you that not all words in electronic dictionaries are correct, and that many of them do not even exist. And secondly, and more importantly, since you can check the word's meaning in the dictionary, you can make sure it's appropriate for the article's subject and tone.

Thesaurus

Simply put, this is a fantastic resource for authors. You can find alternative words to replace the one you used by using a thesaurus. What follows is a superb practice that you should try. I looked for better synonyms for "prior sentence" in my thesaurus, and here it is:

Using a thesaurus can help you find better alternatives to the words you're already using, which can greatly enhance your writing.

I changed the term "improve" to "better," and I added words to the statement like "hunt," "more appropriate," and "sound of the language" to clarify what you wanted to say. The thesaurus is a superb and entertaining writing tool that can greatly enhance the quality of your written work.

Recording Device, Instrument

The digital recorder has become an indispensable tool for writers. If you have a digital recorder, you can dictate portions of your piece rather than having to write them down (note the use of the descriptive phrase: "My thesaurus is working overtime today"). If you find yourself hauling around a million and one gadgets, you may want to consider investing in a personal digital assistant (PDA) that features a digital recorder as well as the capacity to jot down notes and take phone calls. My new PDAs come equipped with voice-activated software that allows my employees to quickly and easily share ideas and continue conversations with one another without ever having to touch a button.

The legal industry makes heavy use of digital recorders. Every time I have a meeting with my lawyer, he brings one along to record his notes and any correspondence (for which I will be charged an arm and a leg).

A Well-Stocked Bookroom

A writer's personal library is the single most important resource they can have. If you want to improve your writing skills, read as much as you can. My library has grown to include more than ten thousand volumes. Currently, I am working on amassing an even larger video collection to complement my extensive collection of books, which includes fiction, nonfiction, research journals, magazines, and much more.

Well, the more you learn about the many different languages and writing styles used by people around the world, the more developed your own approach will become. In addition, you should have a firm grasp of the style that is most fitting for the medium and the target audience. For instance, while articulating pieces for the web, my tone and style will be more casual and conversational than when writing a report for a corporate organization. If you want to be a successful writer, you need to be able to switch up your writing style depending on the assignment at hand.

True literary mastery is the product of hard work and dedication rather than innate talent. I used to be a lousy writer all the way up until high school, but as I've practiced more and more (with the support of my mom), I've seen a zillion-fold improvement in both my writing ability and my speed.

The books in the library will be useful resources because you can study the sentence structures, vocabulary choices, and descriptive adjective usage of famous authors to inform your own writing. Don't fall into the trap of buying only brand-new books while you're starting your library; that's an expensive way to get started. Just like I mentioned before, you can find bags full of books for a buck or less at places like book charity fairs and second-hand bookstores. Recently, I went with several friends to a Lifeline Book Fair, where we purchased $1 bags of books. Your ability to write powerfully, fantastically, and outstandingly will improve in proportion to the depth and breadth of your book collection, which should include works written in both classic and contemporary styles.

Listening to Good Music

Everyone has heard of "writer's block," and while I'm not convinced there is such a thing, there are certainly days when putting words to paper is more challenging than usual. One way I get around this obstacle, though, is to play music that stirs my imagination. I've found that baroque music, often performed at 60 beats per minute, works wonderfully for this.

Listening to baroque music at 60 beats per minute has been shown to increase the amount of alpha [calmness] waves produced in the brain.This is something that occurs on both the left and right sides of your brain.

This is comparable to how you feel when you whistle a nice melody or when you daydream: peaceful and relaxed. Whether you want to learn something new, come up with a brilliant new idea, or just unwind, this "alpha" state of mind is perfect for you. It's widely taught in Australia's classrooms. The instructor of an Australian remedial course said, "It tends to slow them down so they can think."

I've witnessed corporate trainers really boost the efficiency of training sessions by playing Baroque music during the session, and the participants' inventiveness truly shines as a result. My coworker plays it in the background of his memory training workshops and claims it helps with both recollection and inspiration.

A Dependable Computer

Present-day writers would be hard-pressed to make it without access to a reliable computer. A reliable computer is a necessity if you want to write professionally for a media company, newspaper, or magazine; without it, they will not accept your material. No longer do authors compose manuscripts by hand and mail them to their editors. The time for that has passed completely.

You'll need to install several programs on your computer before you can really start making use of it. To begin, you'll need access to the Internet; otherwise, you won't be able to email your content, and as I've already mentioned, all media outlets  radio stations, television networks, newspapers, and magazines now want electronic copies from their writers and journalists. Additionally, you'll require access to solid word processing software. Just for the sake of the spell-checking and the built-in thesaurus, Microsoft Word 2003 is a must-have if you have the budget for it. Plus, with this update, you can dictate your piece directly into the computer using the built-in speech recognition software, so it's a win-win. Back in the day, if you wanted to use a program like Dragon Speak, you had to shell out some cash.

Finalizing your writing setup with a high-quality printer is essential. If you're a writer, you should invest in a high-quality printer rather than a cheap one because it's much easier to review your work in print. However, a high-quality printer is usually three times as expensive as a cheap one. Since laser copies are less likely to smudge when notes are written on them, I always advise my clients to invest in a laser printer instead of an ink jet.