Skills That Writers Need
The way I approach my writing is first to understand the brief I have been given and the time the project needs to be completed and make sure I meet the needs of the client, organisation and the aims of my writing as well as the research.
Understanding any topic in depth requires typically reading 25 books; alternatively, online newsletters, educational videos and other sources from a professional expert can be used to supercharge a writer’s knowledge.
I have worked as a writer and doing research since late 2020 and have four years of experience at the University.
Knowledge & Skills
I’ve been writing since 2014 in academic style and since late 2020 as a copywriter; this is writing that sells, which in basic terms means the written word is tailored to a target audience to meet their needs and sell products or services.
A copywriter’s other skill is ensuring that our writing can be understood and be apparent by targeting the body of the copy to meet a target audience’s needs. For example, the average reading age in the United Kingdom is nine.
But if I’m writing for a mainstream magazine or newspaper like the Guardian, the reading age is 14 years old, partly because people that read newspapers are readers.
The critical skill of a writer is to be concise but to make sure that our writing can be understood and is easily readable.
Another skill set I have developed is essay writing, using the Harvard and APA styles, and I also experienced using the Associated Press style.
I’ve also developed digital and interview skills that modern writers require using social media, SEO and video and recording software.
The Importance of Experiences
The experiences I have gathered relevant to my writing is my time at Successful Mindset LTD; this was a three-month contract I wrote on mental health, disability and incorporating the needs of the vulnerable workplace.
What I learnt most and experienced was information on the most vulnerable people in our societies and how they still face discrimination and misunderstanding.
This kind of topic is very personal to me because I am dyslexic and use a speak-to-write software that I still get people thinking that I am simple and not writing my head. That’s why this kind of topic inflames my passions.
Another critical experience is my time at Nat Cent doing social research, where I developed my interview skills and communication abilities to understand the needs of drivers.
This is relevant to writing because, as a writer, it can be essential to gather interviews and information by directly speaking to other stakeholders or members of the general public, depending on the nature of the writing role.
My relevant Experiences outside of work are that I have written two books that expanded my research skills.
