We explain what writing is, its stages, importance, types and characteristics. Also, how to improve the writing.
What is copywriting?
Generally, when we talk about writing we refer to the ability of a person to write. That is to say, is the ability to put thought into words, accurately, coherently and understandably.
It is one of the capacities that are encouraged and promoted earlier in formally educated individuals, since language and writing are the most common, everyday and fundamental tools that every human being uses both personally and professionally.
The word “write” comes from Latin reduce, translatable as “compile” or “put in order”, and was initially used for actions such as collecting logs for a bonfire, or materials for construction. From there it went, figuratively, to be used to “order words”, that is, to write.
Writing involves much more than meets the eye. Partly because not everyone has the talent to handle language effectively, but also because, like any other learned skill, it requires practice and the correct application of a method. It is generally thought that the process of writing something involves three distinct stages:
- PlanningThis is the stage in which sources are consulted, the information is mentally organized and it is decided what type of text will be made, where it will start to be done and what is the direction in which it will advance. That is, a text or sketch plan is developed, which will serve as a guide when writing.
- Textualization, stage of writing itself, in which a draft of the text is prepared, that is, a previous stage, adhering to the previously established plan. Usually this stage consists of “filling in” the text plan, that is, developing the ideas that appeared in the previous outline.
- Revision, closing and control stage, in which we must reread what has been written and correct errors, redundancies or sloppiness, to guarantee that the resulting text is as understandable as it should be.
On the other hand, the word “writing” is often used to refer, in specific contexts, to the newsroom of newspapers or newscasts (“the BBC newsroom”), or by metonymy, to those who make it up and take in it the editorial decisions of the newspaper (“it was decided by the newsroom”).
In the school environment, this is the name given to compositions or tasks that ask the student to write an essay or reflective text on a topic (“a composition about farm animals”).
Characteristics of the writing
The writing, in general, has the following characteristics:
- It’s a learned ability, which can (and should) be studied, exercised and put into practice, to carry it out in the best way. Therefore, everyone who knows how to write has a way of writing, be it good or poor.
- Writing depends on our ability to organize words in written speech, that is, how well we use writing. Therefore it “feeds” on reading.
- Your goal is obtain texts as understandable as possible and that they express their contents with the greatest clarity, agility and precision possible.
- Copywriters are the professionals who practice writing.
Importance of writing
The ability to communicate in writing has been, throughout human history, a key element of civilization. Well-written texts allow communication over enormous distances or even hundreds of years, thus overcoming the barriers of the presence and the human body.
For that reason, since the letter remains, the messages must be as well worded as possible, since the author will not necessarily be there to explain to the other what exactly he wanted to say.
On the other hand, a minimally effective writing is a prerequisite for practically any form of professional practice. Especially when it depends on transmitting information, giving an account of what has been carried out, or simply giving instructions to another to follow them to the letter. A good writing is a guarantee of a correct understanding in writing.
Types of writing
There are different types of writing, depending on the nature of the written text, such as:
- Academic writing. Typical of university, school or research life, it is a form of writing that is governed by fairly rigid standards of style, and that requires very high levels of correctness and formality. Use technical language, keywords, footnotes, and other similar textual resources.
- Literary writing. It is the one that is put into operation when writing literature, that is, making art with the word. It is a very free type of writing, but not because it dispenses with the formal rules of language and writing, but because it knows them so well, that it is allowed to break some and stretch others in order to obtain a greater aesthetic or poetic effect.
- Business Writing. It refers to the writing of the field of marketing or marketing, that is, advertising. This form of writing focuses its efforts on the persuasion of the receiver and on the dissemination of the message, so it is usually much more flexible than the previous ones. It is typical of advertisements, commercials and other advertising genres.
- Journalistic writing. That which is typical of the exercise of social communication, that is, of journalism in its different facets: newspapers, chronicles, columns, editorials, and so on. All these journalistic texts are governed by the rules of the language and also by an ethical and professional code that privileges objectivity, truthfulness and formality, over the colloquial and the distorted.
How to improve the writing?
Writing in a better way is not something simple, nor can it be achieved without effort and perseverance, but there are key points to pay attention to if we want to improve our way of expressing ourselves in writing.
- Read more and better. It sounds simple, because deep down it is: if we want to use language better, we must know it better, and for this we must go to those who know: writers, translators and poets. There is a whole world literature to choose from. People who read more generally write better.
- Have clarity of ideas. As a general rule, being clear about what we want is essential to be able to say it in the best way. Or what is the same: if we are not sure what we want to say, we can hardly communicate it effectively.
- Plan texts more carefully. Investing more time thinking about how we want to write our text can pay off, and a good strategy for this is to create an outline with the main ideas, which we stick to when writing. In this way we can check that the order of ideas is logical.
- Use simple language. This does not mean that we should always write as for six-year-olds, but that we must make use of the language that we know and that we are good at. In that sense, it is convenient to bet on the simple (not simple): short sentences, with svp structure (subject-verb-predicate), with words of whose meaning we are 100% sure, and to the extent that we feel more secure, we can move towards more complex grammatical structures.