{"id":19929,"date":"2019-05-21T23:23:07","date_gmt":"2019-05-21T15:23:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/?p=19929"},"modified":"2021-06-21T19:50:28","modified_gmt":"2021-06-21T11:50:28","slug":"freelance-writing-mistakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/freelance-writing-mistakes\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Common Writing Mistakes And How to Avoid Them"},"content":{"rendered":"

Finding one\u2019s voice in freelance content writing<\/a> often involves sacrificing perfect sentence structure. It\u2019s sad but true. Yet, this does not mean that every sentence in an article or blog post needs to be be incorrect.<\/p>\n

Creative license and style dictate that we write in a sometimes less-than-perfect but completely understandable format<\/strong> to reach the targeted audience, an audience that may not have a perfect grasp on the English language (but frankly, who does?).<\/p>\n

It is the abuse of this privilege that cannot go unnoticed or unrealized<\/strong>. It is the reason editors often have their hands full<\/a>. Let\u2019s take a look at tthe top 3 mistakes committed in writing, and how you can avoid making them.<\/p>\n

Recommended Reading: <\/strong>Popular (But Bad) Writing Advice You Should Ignore<\/a><\/p>\n

Freedom in writing comes with a cost<\/h2>\n

As professional content writers, it is our job to recognize our audience and adjust our writing accordingly to gain their confidence and trust<\/strong>\u2026 and not make a complete mess of our submissions.<\/p>\n

\"Freedom<\/figure>\n

There are various reasons on why these mistakes occur: the writer may be writing in the same way that he or she thinks<\/strong> (which is almost always a mistake). It could also be that they are tired, distracted, or plainly in the wrong profession. Sometimes, it\u2019s because the writer is trying to purposely stretch the word count<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

These leads to three of the worst offenses many writers make against a language that already has enough problems of its own:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Using too many words,<\/li>\n
  2. Being unclear with dangling or squinting modifiers, and<\/li>\n
  3. Redundancy (repeating what has been said).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Having problems writing?<\/h2>\n

    The human brain is naturally wired to think in words<\/strong>. With the exception of a small (but, according to studies, growing) percentage of the population, people see or hear the words they speak and write milliseconds before they speak or write them<\/strong>. In autism, this ability is often magnified and focused on a specific, such as numbers.<\/p>\n

    The problem with this is most of us think in less-than-accurate English or whatever language your speak. We think the way we heard others speak<\/a>, when the language part of our brain was still in the developmental stage. The professional freelance writer keeps this in check by altering the way he or she thinks during the writing<\/strong>, and then again during the editing process.<\/p>\n

    Read Also: <\/strong>The Myth-Busting Truth About Self-Editing In Freelance Writing<\/a><\/p>\n

    Tired brain, distracted brain<\/h3>\n

    It is pretty common knowledge that when we are tired, we care far less about whatever we are doing<\/strong>\u2026 including writing. A tired brain cannot completely focus on the task at hand<\/a> and mistakes slip through the weary cracks in our thought process. It\u2019s also impossible to write under certain distracting circumstances<\/strong> although we often have no choice.<\/p>\n

    \"Tired<\/figure>\n

    I once wrote out of an apartment next to a busy elevated train platform, which led to constantly having to rewrite, as my brain tried to block out the commotion and vibrating furnishings. When you are tired or distracted, it is more difficult to change the way you think or find the errors in your writing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    Read Also:<\/strong> Freelancers: 5 Signs When You Should Take A Break<\/a><\/p>\n

    A thief in the night<\/h3>\n

    There are writers who purposely make these common mistakes<\/strong> in order to<\/strong> extend the word count<\/strong> of the article or post. These unscrupulous wordsmiths either cannot see that it is the same as stealing, or simply do not care. As long as they can get away with it, they take advantage of clients<\/strong> who don\u2019t know any better. They may as well just pickpocket the client or take their money at gunpoint.<\/p>\n

    \"A<\/figure>\n

    Read Also:<\/strong> Freelancers: How To Work Better With Your Clients<\/a><\/p>\n

    How to fix them<\/h2>\n

    But you are not like them. You want to be a good writer, which means you want to know how to avoid making thse mistakes. Here\u2019s what you can do.<\/p>\n

    Read Also:<\/strong> Useful Tips And Guidelines To Freelance Writing<\/a><\/p>\n

    First of all, if you write sentences that are too long and have unnecessary words<\/strong>, try writing out the full paragraph as you would normally write it, making sure to get your point across completely. Now go back and rewrite it<\/a> in as few words as possible while still making a clear point<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    Once you have done this for a few weeks, it will come naturally and you will no longer need the rewrites.<\/p>\n

    Stop dangling modifiers<\/h3>\n

    Dangling and squinting modifiers are the perfect example of us writing the way we think<\/strong>. We\u2019re not hardwired to think like a dictionary. While we\u2019re born with natural speech and language software built into our brain,<\/a> we think the way we were brought up to think<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    Although we may speak without trouble using this software, forming sentences is a whole other ballgame.<\/p>\n

    Let\u2019s have a look from the two examples below:<\/p>\n

    The Dangler<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \u201cLong nose protruding like a spear, Bronx wondered how his editor could drink from the glass<\/em>.\u201d\n \u2013 The writer knows what is meant by this sentence because he came up with the idea. The reader, on the other hand, wonders if Bronx\u2019s elongated nose will require surgery to fix. Unless they surmise what the writer meant to say, they\u2019ll also wonder why the editor would have trouble drinking from a glass.<\/p>\n

    \u201cWith the editor\u2019s nose protruding like a spear, Bronx wondered how she could drink from the glass<\/em>.\u201d \u2013 Still as long, but clearer. At least, now we know the problem is with the editor\u2019s nose.<\/p>\n

    \u201cBronx wondered if the editor\u2019s long nose prevented drinking from a glass<\/em>.\u201d \u2013 At 5 words shorter than the original sentence, this is just as clear.<\/p>\n

    \"Stop<\/figure>\n

    The Squinter<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \u201cThe teacher said after the bell rang that Mark could stay and finish the exam<\/em>.\u201d \u2013 Hold up, hold up. When<\/em> did the teacher tell Mark he could finish the test? Did she wait until Mark was halfway out the door, or did she tell him before the bell rang that he must stay and finished the exam if it was not done yet?<\/p>\n

    \u201cThe teacher told Mark to finish the exam after the bell rang<\/em>.\u201d \u2013 Is Mark not allowed to finish the test before the bell rings?<\/p>\n

    \u201cThe bell rang, but the teacher told Mark he could stay and finish the exam<\/em>.\u201d \u2013 Why didn\u2019t you just say so in the first place?<\/p>\n

    Stop being redundant in writing<\/h3>\n

    If it can be said only once, just say it once. There is no need to use two sentences to say the same thing. All of us do this ocassionally \u2013 most of the time, it\u2019s easy to catch and correct. Below are some examples:<\/p>\n