Learn How To Write Proficiently -By Sunday Saheed

The 4-WH To Proficient Writing

1st WH: Why do you want to write?
2nd WH: Who do you want to write to?
3rd WH: Where do you want your write-ups to go?
4th WH: What do you want to write?

1st WH: According to the theory I discovered, mostly, what you want to write will determine the type of way your writing will seem. For example, we know poems should be quite figurative than the others. So if you want to write a story and you are making it being cooked up in figurative expressions, its message might be hard to get. You should write a novel in a “novel” way, plays in “plays” way and poems in “poem” way. Do you Understand? Great!

2nd WH: Who you want to write to should be what will determine your diction, that is, your language. You can’t be writing to children and be using words like “Circumlocution”, “metamorphosis” and “Proliferation”, some of these words might be familiar to some of them, but remember, “some”, not all. Don’t try to impress your readers with your “big vocabulary”, instead impress them with your “big thoughts and ideas”. If your write-ups aren’t understood by your readers then it absolutely serves no function at all. In another way round, if you are writing to adults, choose your language between the high one and the middle one, never take the low language. If your write-ups are for adults, using a low diction will only ward them off. A Low diction in a novel or drama meant for the adults will make the two looks too ordinary.

3rd WH: Where you want your write-ups to go should be considered by you before writing at all. You can’t be writing about certain streets in Lagos State which is in Nigeria and expect people in Turkey to create a perfect imagery, no! If you are limiting your write-ups to Nigeria, then you can start writing about a state in the country. If you are limiting your write-ups to America alone, then you can start writing about a street in America. Though, I wouldn’t advise you to set boundaries and limitations to your books, that may not help all.

4th WH: What do you want to write? A novel? A poem? A play? Good! Just know that the one you are writing will determine the guidelines you will be following. You shouldn’t write a poem like a novel, and you shouldn’t write a play in a novel-like because they are all different genres.

You might have learnt everything here successfully. But if you are still not courageous, you might end up being like someone who knows nothing when fear covers you. Fear is like a bat, it only seems fearful but on another part, it’s not. It’s as you describe it in your mindset.

By Sunday Saheed

An excerpt from “Learn How To Write Proficiently “.