Impact

Do you wonder what impact your writing has on others?

I mostly consider impact from the other side. That is I know my theme, what impact I’d like my piece to have and focus on selecting words I think will best achieve that.

What impact will your work have on readers?  Pixabay image

What is lovely is when readers give you feedback and you can judge if the impact you thought your piece would have did so.  If you wonder about commenting on a post but don't, think again! Comments are noted.

Feedback isn't always positive (alas!) but seek to learn something from it.  Pixabay image.

Even negative feedback can be useful if you use it to gauge whether your critic missed the point of what you were trying to say or you didn't make the impact you thought.

Look for positive impact where possible.  Pixabay image.

How do you create impact? Look for the strongest words for description. No "he wore grey" here. Go for "his suit was the same colour as my cheapest cutlery". You use a few more words but the imagery, and resulting impact, is more powerful. I don't need to say the guy here is unlikely to be getting his suits from Savile Row. That is implied by "cheapest".

Use strong words for descriptions.  Using strong questions can  help you get to what you want to convey.  Pixabay image

In thinking about impact ahead of writing a piece, you’re also trying to engage with potential readers from the outset. This is great because you’ll be less likely to go off at tangents which add nothing to your piece.  (It is easily done!). That saves editing time! I must always cut so anything helping me edit more efficiently is welcomed!

Now this IS what I call making an impact!  Pixabay image

For bloggers, feedback doesn't always come when you think it will. Sometimes it won't come at all! But that doesn't mean your words lack impact. All it means is you don't know about it. Frustrating though that is, if you enjoy blogging, carry on for that reason alone. I've also found as I blog, ideas for posts (and sometimes stories) pop into mind. By writing you are feeding your creative spirit.

Feedback doesn't always come when you think it will.  Pixabay image

Look at why you want your piece to have the impact you've chosen. Are those reasons good enough? Do they match the brief of your story competition or article theme the editor has called for?

Naturally we want the impact of our work on an editor to be "Wow! Got to take that.". It is a question of accepting the need to polish your work and knowing sometimes the piece will make the cut. Sometimes it won't but there's nothing to stop you revisiting that piece and submitting it elsewhere assuming your topic or story is relevant to the market in mind.

Polishing your work is hard work!  Pixabay image

Think about impact on you as a writer. If rejections are getting you down (and they do for everyone), harness the support of writer friends.  This is where they come into their own.  In time, they’ll appreciate your support during their difficult periods.

Every writer has their share of turn downs. They don't necessarily stop when you are published.

We rightly talk about the writing life as a journey. Let's make its impact on us and those around us as positive as possible.