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Story, Speech and Blog Writing: 3 Tips from the World-Famous Writers

Lili Hemsworth

The main mistake is to think that writing is a talent.

No, it is not God’s blessing, it is a skill we can learn and hone.

What is the difference between you, Stephen King, and Agatha Christie?

You just have not known you can be a pretty cool writer yet. Let us remedy that straight away by learning the writing tips from the world-famous writers.

The genre doesn’t matter.

Whether it is a blog, article, story, or essay, writing is still one of the most powerful tools.

As a writer, you stretch your imagination and express your emotions, beliefs, opinions using different words and combine them into eloquent sentences.

But if you feel like it is not something you want to spend your time on, just order cheap essays and get back to things that inspire you the most.

Story Writing: How to Write a Perfect Story

Stephen King’s tip number one is to start with a short story, which takes place in one sitting and one season. It will help you to focus on the details. You probably know that there are no new stories, there is a paraphrasing of the old ones. But the innovative details make a difference. So, what to include in your story and which words to use to make it unique?

The world-famous author of “The Shining” and “Misery” is sure that verbs are crucial for your story, they are its muscles. The use of verb shapes your writing whether you are composing the novel, essay or review. Therefore, you should always be on the hunt for interesting verbs you can add to your text. What are the most common verbs we use for dialogs? Take the world “run” for example.

There are so many ways to write it differently. Let’s say: he is speeding, she planned to go for a jog, I have got to dash, can you sprint back to town? These phrases add more rhythm to your story. Once Stephen King said he thinks of each word as a dollar he needs to spend to write. So, use this particular word only if it is worth it.

The next tip actually belongs to the famous Russian novelist Anton Chekhov. If you have not read any of his magnificent short stories, fix it now, it is like a free masterclass. So, he always said to show the picture to the reader, not to tell about it. The picture in your story needs to have a smell, taste, and sound. It is all about the details I mentioned before. Do not tell the readers about the protagonist who lives in the wood. Show them where exactly he lives. Is it a secluded island which is surrounded by nothing but the open ocean? Is it a modern city with crowded streets? Show it with your words using all of the fifth senses.

The last but not the least piece of advice dates back to the 1960s. Once I have heard quite a rare interview of Agatha Christie (yeah, they exist) and she was asked a genius question. “Why do the book characters always drink coffee while they are talking? Can’t they ride a bike, swim across the sea or, after all, make love?” So, do not be so obvious in your story writing. Let your characters hike by the Grand Canyon, surf the Internet, watch Friends, take their clothes from the laundry, but not read and drink coffee. Get your character somewhere interesting.

Blog Writing: How to Write a Perfect Blog Post

Well, it is hard to find a world-famous writer that can give you a couple of pieces of advice about blogging. Let us admit it, they are all fans of old-fashioned books and paper pages. So, it is time to get new blog followers and appeal to famous bloggers. They are also writers in a way, right?

Where do I you start? What am I going to write about? How many words do I use? All kinds of questions swirl through your head when it comes to writing a post. But here is the thing, you do not have to be a Mark Twain to write a blog post. All of the world-famous bloggers would say that you just have something to say that will overlap with the audience. They are not looking for a masterpiece from you, just some useful information on a subject they are interested in will be enough. So, what do you do when it is time to start writing and you are feeling like a deer in the headlights?

The general outline can help kick-start your creative juices. First things first: Have a compelling title. More people will read your title and decide if they are going to click “read more” or not. So, come up with a sentence that will grab the reader’s attention. Next is the lead paragraph. It should get right to the purpose of the post and make it useful to your reader. The shorter, the better. Do not take too long to summarize. A good image is also crucial here. It should convey the message of the blog post prominently.

It is always good and fun to put yourself into the post when possible. So, try to share a personal experience or a twist. Why do you think the ugly photos of celebrities or ones where they look funny and not so stunning get the highest number of Likes? People just want to know that you are like them, you are one of them, you have the same failures and feel the same pain.

Speech Writing: How to Write a Perfect Speech

Is there even a difference between story writing and speech writing tips? Sure. Now, it all boils down to the audience. There is no reader anymore, there is your audience. Famous Ted Speakers and journalists agreed that there are two key goals of a good speech: to make a great impression and leave the audience with a couple of takeaways. The rest is just entertainment, which you need to think about. So, how to do it?

Write down the structure. The audience loses an interest and stops listening to you when you veer off a logical path. When your speech is full of random thoughts and quotes, no one will ever listen. You need to show to them the exact path and the exact destination. Just write down the key points and make a quick outline. Revise and make the structure looks like a pyramid, add some examples and personal pieces of advice. If it doesn’t relate to your core message, delete it.

To be memorable and to make a good impression, you should have one or two unique sentences stand out in your speech. I do not mean a Stephen Hawking quote or citation from “Gone with the Wind”, I am talking about your personal quote. It can be something simple but really related to the topic. For example, when I was preparing for a keynote speech on how to go through stress, I came up with a phrase “Sometimes the wrong choices bring us to the right people and places” or “You never know what you get yourself into unless you are in it”. Make your own one.

Now, it is time to think about a good first impression. First words: The first 60 seconds are crucial for your speech. People are going to judge you based on your opening. And there are two tips. Forget about platitudes like “good morning” or “what an honor to be” here unless it is an official conference. Do not use a joke. What if it does not work? So, how can you open? Start with the simple word “imagine”. What it does in the audience’s brain is setting them up for listening. The audience goes to the place that you asked them to, even if they do not want to.

The other way is to tell a surprising truth. You have to challenge a conventional belief. It can be something like “Have you ever heard that in the era of global warming? Actually, it is the era of global freezing” or “Plants and the whole flora can actually hear and understand the human language.” So, all you need is to have something to say, something relevant, important and sometimes funny.

Read good books, listen to the right interviews, write, practice and stretch your imagination as the muscle.

Author Bio: 

Lili Hemsworth is a professional writer of the Coolessay team. As a PR specialist, marketing expert and journalist, she deals with a hook in the introduction, well-planned structure and memorable conclusion in no time. Whether it is the 19th-century Russian literature review or philosophy paper, she knows how to write so that everyone wants to read.

Readers, please share so writers of all genres discover Lili’s tips and improve their writing ideas for speeches, blog writing, and stories.

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