In Focus Consumer Credit


Getting started in writing: a beginner’s guide


Putting pen to paper can benefit your career, and the industry as a whole


Arthur Kaufman Independent writer and speaker arthur35art@hotmail.co.uk


Have you ever felt the urge to write an article for one of your professional journals, but not got round to doing it yet? If so, do not let age or lack of experience, or even worry about what your colleagues will think if your efforts appear in print or online, deter you. And, keep in mind that, apart from improving your CV, just one or two successful publications can be helpful where career advancement is concerned. One of the real positives about writing is


that it is a matter between you and the editor. There are no committees or multi- disciplinary machinations to delay or insist on rewriting your choice of phraseology. What is most important is getting your thoughts down on screen or hard copy, preferably without too much ‘wordiness’ or reliance on jargon, which can then be easily read by your intended readership.


No guarantees The fact that you are proficient at preparing business plans or financial reports is no guarantee you will succeed when it comes to individual or creative writing, even when discussing matters of a highly technical or specialist nature. Unfortunately, many individuals find it


difficult to get beyond their initial draft, which, if read the day after, may look unfit for purpose and make little sense. However, no-one else will see your first draft, or the second, or the third, or even the fiftieth until you decide to submit it for publication. Writing can be as private an affair as one wishes it to be, with the option of ‘coming out’ anytime or never. If you manage to get an article accepted, do not be surprised if those at work, or even


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What is most important is getting your thoughts down on screen or hard copy, preferably without too much ‘wordiness’ or reliance on jargon, which can then be easily read by your intended readership


close friends, seem unimpressed over your blood, sweat and tears. While some might comment favourably, albeit with a back- hander like “I could do the same if only I had the time”. This may reflect underlying jealously, because your name is on a title page and theirs is not. A few may even go overboard with


exuberant and heartfelt congratulations, but do not let this go to your head, since diminished reactions to a future attempt will quickly bring you down to earth. Moreover, do not automatically assume


that everyone who subscribes to the journal will actually read your article. Such is life in this age of much too much to keep abreast of. In some instances, you may wonder if it has been noticed at all. Still, it is hard to predict how everyone


will react to your hard done efforts, and a friendly smile and a polite thank you are probably the best ways of responding. Surprisingly, you may even be asked how much you were paid for your article, which should prompt an even bigger smile, but little else. If the questioner persists (and


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some do), it may be necessary to think of a reasonably large figure and then double it, which should put an end to such an unwarranted query. When attending out-of-town conferences


and meeting new colleagues who have seen your piece, the mere mention of your name may elicit friendly compliments and heartfelt pats on the back, or, even more important, free drinks at the bar. The simple fact is ‘a prophet is without


honour in his (or her) own country’, since, on your home ground, you may still be known as you always were, warts and all, no matter how often your columns appear in professional outlets. Eventually, you may be invited to write


articles instead of just sending them in and hoping for the best, sometimes on a topic you know very little about. When this happens, do not panic. Instead,


think of it as a learning experience, because the finished product may be better than a well-known authority's rehashing of a subject that has been rehashed many times before. A newer and refreshing up-to-date approach, which many readers will appreciate, might be just what is needed.


Under pressure The real ‘test’ in writing comes when a highly stressed editor desperately contacts you because of needing a quick 1,250 words by 12 noon tomorrow, when you are already committed to more than you care to think about. This could turn out to be a blessing in disguise, since it will force you to produce so many words within a limited amount of time. If you rise to the challenge, you can then think of yourself as a developing


December 2017


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