The most commonly heard advice for writers is “Write what you know” and though this rings true in some ways, there is a better piece of advice that every writer should first be given. That advice has nothing to do with spelling, grammar, style, or voice. It is not about point-of-view, or even choosing your niche. No, the best advice any writer can hear is…

“Whatever You Write, Write It With Passion!”

You do not have to be an expert on a topic to be able to write about it, you simply have to have an interest, a willingness to learn, and an ability to communicate. You only need to have the fire and the passion that makes a writer great. All other aspects can be taught and learned.

So, What exactly is passion?

Passion is the need, the desire, or the never-ceasing compulsion to share your ideas, opinions, or thoughts. It is a longing to communicate, and a love of words. It is a feeling that a writer gets when they turn a blank page into a form of art. It is the ability to create something, from nothing. It is the one element of writing that can never be taught, a writer either has passion, or they don’t… but odds are if your writing at all, it is there, you simply need to find it and learn to harness it.

Passion is often mistaken for information, and many writers will force their opinion or ideas through an over-abundance of that information. The result is an article, or other work, that rambles on-and-on filing the page with emotionless facts. Passion is not found in the content itself, but the way that content is conveyed to the reader.

One of the easiest places to share your passion for writing, and have it recognized, is right here on the web. Web writing is great for a number of reasons, one of those reasons being that when you are writing for the web you are able to drop some of the more professional practices and tones to your writing and get away with it easily. You can take almost any topic and turn in to a great read on the web if you have the passion. Most internet writing is meant to be short and simple, people do not want to sit and read a novel on their computers, and so concise, to-the-point writing is best suited for the online environment. It is because of this fast paced, information based backdrop that writing for the web can be such a fulfilling endeavor. People turn to the web to gather information and learn about a topic quickly, and oftentimes they are researching a topic they don’t necessarily want to learn about, but have to learn about; for various reasons such as employment or education. That is where you the writer  has the opportunity to share and explore your passion. If you can take a boring subject and make it a) easy to read, b) interesting to read, and even c) fun to read, quickly and with some talent, you will be successful in your writing.

That is passion; the ability to write, even when it is something that is not of interest to you, and to write it well.

Injecting passion into everything that you write is where the truly passionate writers get separated from the rest. Writing non-fiction with passion is an easier accomplishment for many, as it involves creativity and the power to twist and turn the plot to suit the readers needs. To take factual information, that is black and white, plain and simple, truth and lies, and turn it in to something that commands attention, is what passionate writing is all about. Not every writer has that ability, nor is it something that can be taught in a classroom or through a writing course. Luckily, the chances are if you can inject passion into any writing you will be able to inject it into all writing, you simply need to practice your craft and experiment with your creativity.

Passion in writing is a broad topic and I could ramble on for hours, but simply reading what I have to say would get you nowhere. If you feel the passion when you write than you, and only you, will know it. You will see glimpses of the result of that passion in your writing, as well as the way your readers accept it. So, instead of rambling on about the importance of passionate writing, I will end this post with a few tips to help you find and channel that passion, but remember, no matter what is said or done the only sure way to improve is through creativity and good old fashion practice.

Tips To Help You Find and Fulfill Your Passion For Writing In Any Form

  • For the Blogger –  To find your passion try taking one post a week, or just regularly random posts, and turn them into something more fun. Write ‘outside your box’ and switch up your style, experiment with different forms until you find one that gets your creative juices flowing. Pay attention to the feedback you are getting from your readers, and warn them in advanced if you are worried about shocking them with a change of pace. Chances are though, that if your followers like your content already they will welcome the change of pace and new approach to your writing. The point is to find the style, or way of writing that makes you want to write more and more. That is where the passion lies for you.
  • Forget Form for a Moment – Throw away the text books and set the style manual aside. Focus instead on writing from your heart. Don’t worry about proper punctuation or being grammatically correct for the time being, aim to get out the emotion and passion you have inside. Free your mind and show your feelings, be bold and strong, be honest and open, be dramatic and impulsive…. Just be! I am not saying that your writing should be sloppy, but you should be able to have fun. Writing can become boring even for the most creative writers, sometimes we have to keep it interesting, even if just for ourselves alone. By opening your mind and focusing only on your writing, rather than all the technicalities, you will probably find that you are producing not only more content, but more passionate and meaningful content as well. I am the type of writer who throws form to the wind when I am on a roll. I forget the rules and simply let the words flow freely. When I have a creative idea all I want to do is get it out before it’s lost. I don’t want to think about comma’s or periods, sentence structure, or proper phrases. Sure, was I producing a piece that I hope to publish I would probably pay more attention to these details, but you can always go back and do corrections later… Generally speaking, creative thoughts that are not acted upon run the risk of being lost forever!
  • Take Control of Your Writing Environment – If you have found yourself faced with a lack of stimulation and a need for more passion towards writing, one of he easiest ways to get your gears going is to change the environment you write in. Shut the door, move to another room, or pack up and change your location altogether. Experiment by writing in new and interesting places like the park, the beach, or a quiet café. Even a slight change in setting can spark your creativity, find something that works and stick with it until it works no longer, and then set out to experiment some more! You can often find creativity just by changing the lighting, the time of day that you write, or by atmosphere. This can be done by lighting candles, adding music, or waking up earlier in the day, even a simple change of scent can trigger your creativity. The mind is an amazing thing! The whole point is to find a place, or setting, that allows you to relax and focus only on yourself and your writing, often a difficult task to accept and accomplish in today’s tiring world, but taking the time to make the time will benefit you immensely in your writing.
  • Know Who You Are Writing For – Knowing your target audience is an important part of setting the tone of your writing, and finding your passionate writer within. By having a target group in mind you will be able to easily decide how to best write about the subject you are addressing. You wouldn’t want to write an article about Travel for the 50+ female that was filled with information about singles resorts and written in a humorous singleton slang tone would you? Having the incorrect tone for your target audience is like speaking a foreign language, your reader may not understand what you’re saying, or may turn somewhere else just to make their lives easier and to gather information more quickly. You have to know your reader to be able to share your passion on a level that they will connect with.
  • Don’t Overload on Facts – Factual information is a major part of writing in any form, but there is nothing worse than a post that is jam-packed with facts and stats, and has no voice or emotion what-so-ever. It is fine to want to share the facts with your readers, but if you are aiming to show them that you are a passionate, capable writer, you will need to fill your front page with more than just facts. There needs to be tone and personality to your writing, or your readers are simply going to skim your work in order to find what they are looking for, and never look back.
  • Share Yourself – The most important part of finding your passion in writing is to just be yourself. Open up to your audience and share who you are without fear. Passion is a feeling, an emotion, and the only way you are ever going to be able to express that emotion through words is by opening yourself up and putting yourself down on the page. Don’t let fear of rejection, or criticism hold you back, I can guarantee that if you take the risk and pour yourself into your writing, you will be accepted with open arms. Why? because then, and only then, will others be able to feel the way you feel through your words.

Find that flame that burns inside you by experimenting with your writing and yourself. Open up and try new things, share a part of who you are and enjoy every single thing you write, good or bad. Harness that passion and unleash it on the world by gathering your emotions and opinions, and expressing them through word and pen.

Deep within every person who has ever had a desire to write a single word is a brilliant writer full of passion and the ability to succeed.


Welcome to Open Themed Thursdays. How do you harness your writing passion?

Until Next Time….

Write On!

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