On this blog, I have stressed several times that writing is critical to your success. You should invest time to learn how to write good english and hence developing your own methods and style of presenting your opinions. I also told you that you need to express your ideas convincingly. In this article I will explain something additional that you should think and know about; you should be able to make a clear distinction between efficient writing and effective writing.

What Is Efficient Writing?

An efficient writer is someone who writes an article considerately, without showing any true commitment, any true motivation and without any true desire to touch his audience. He writes just to convey a message. The message is there, that’s only his satisfaction. But do note that an efficient writer is doing things right.

What Is Effective Writing?

An effective writer is someone who is very diligent about what he writes. Unlike an efficient writer, he cares more than just conveying a message. He is keenly concerned in the way he wants to express his words, in how his readers will respond and about the overall quality of his “work”. He is very stubborn about making a forceful, appealing and convincing approach to writing his thoughts, taking care proofreading his work and refactoring it over and over again until he convinces himself that the work is a masterpiece (showing good characteristics of pillar articles). As you have guessed, an effective writer does the right thing.

Employers Will Look For Effective Writers Who Can Make The Difference!

If you are to do well (as a student, as an employee, as a writer or as a blogger) and if you want to progress in your chosen career, the ability to express yourself clearly, concisely and persuasively is a skill you should be trying to develop and nourish. In any competitive environment if two contestants are otherwise equal in intelligence and skills, the one who is the most effective in conveying his message will be the one who will earn the highest points, respect, credibility and consideration.

To Think ABout: If a marketing agency is looking for writers or composers, will he choose an efficient writer or someone who is effective?

How Is Your Writing Judged By Your Audience?

Over To You - In Which Writing Category You Fall?

Do you write often? In what category do you fall, effective writing or efficient writing? What do you think you can improve with your writing?

(Use the comment form below to voice your opinion convincingly!)

If you are a blogger or a writer, you have surely stumbled upon the word ‘pillar article‘. Have you ever wondered or thought about how you can define it? I bet most of the time you’ve taken the word for granted and passing over to the next lines. This is an opportunity to have a discussion, so let’s talk about pillar articles..

What Is A Pillar Article?

I define a pillar article as an article depicting all of the following:
1) Is a lengthy article which clearly, concisely and deeply explains the subject matter
2) Makes you feel that the writer has expertise in what he/she is saying and hence demonstrate an authority. The author knows exactly what he is writing about and will often share his experience or elaborate on different facets.
3) The article comprises:
- a clear, simple definition,
- a full-fledged body,
- with examples and analogies
- and/or a conclusion. (This pattern seems analogous to writing a GP Essay)
4) The content itself is very unique, wonderfully structured, well researched coupled with the author’s own writing styles. (Very much like a balanced diet with an exquisite dessert)
5) The article is evergreen - it will still be valuable for the next incoming years

Why Write A Pillar Article?

1) Writing pillar articles very attractive and appealing to bloggers and hence they are willing to linkback or talk about your article with a happy heart.
2) You are not just writing an article for the sake of writing it or for search engines, but you are writing for humans, providing your readers with good, valuable content. Hence you are showing that:
- you value your readership
- you are not wasting the time of your readers
- you are serious with what you are writing
- your article rocks!
3) On the whole, a pillar article lures and increases traffic

What Does It Take To Write A Pillar Article?

1) Time and energy demanding.
Writing pillar articles is NOT like writing about ‘What John Chow is eating everyday‘ or what ‘Shoemoney is doing at PubCons‘. Obviously, in addition to your own expertise, you will need to make some research. Then you will need to refine and proofread your article to make sure it is of a high standard.

For some it might take hours and hours, for others it takes days and still for some it might even take weeks. But it all depends on your personal skills, passion, experience and maturity. Assuming you have the habit of writing, I think 2hrs is just enough, else I think you need to stop blogging and start writing for Readers Digest!

2) Passion and true desire to write
If you don’t have a free will to write a pillar article, just forget about it. Better not write, than spoiling the article and your credibility.

How To Write A Pillar Article?

I think if you have a passion to write a pillar article, I don’t need to tell you how to do it. It’s like football, if you have passion to play it, you will play your own tunes - like Ronaldinho or Cristiano Ronaldo. But still, keeping in mind that not everyone is an artist, I will briefly give you some hints as follows, but these are not by any means the only aproach.

=> Choose a topic or subject which you are confident about or which you have had enough experience with.
=> Brainstorm ideas without any reading or research
=> Now go make some research if you feel the need (but whatever your skills, research is important to keep you on track)
=> Link your ideas + the one you’ve acquired through reasearch
=> Sit down with an inspirational mind, write your article.
=> Proofread your article and come back later to make sure everything that you wrote is still making sense and is ready to be ‘published’.

Writing a pillar article is very much like writing a poem or painting. Just feel the inspiration and let the spirit guide you to write some wonderful masterpieces.

What’s Your Opinion On Pillar Articles?

Do you agree with what I’ve said? What is your approach to write a pillar article? I’m sure you might be having some more brilliant ideas on pillar articles, so please do share it..

The Essence Of Writing

Writing forms part of the evolution of a human being as from the small age or more precisely in the first stages of primary education. Why is this so? To answer this question we should perhaps first of all ask ourselves what is the aim of education; the purpose of all education should be (is?) to teach students to think and to write well so that they can express their thoughts effectively. Students should also be taught how to read critically, thinking about what they read - because reading supported by personal observation and conversation is the key to knowledge and knowledge is the key to virtue and acquiring wisdom!

What Is Writing - Is Like ‘Growing It’

That element of writing forms part of the pillars of a successful man. At an early stage, when children are introduced to this new tool which is writing, some of them think it’s so boring. I remember my first essays at primary school. Those were my headaches, as so many of my friends. But we were still so young and immature, so what about the mature (only physically or mentally) and grown-up people? Still nowadays many adults find themselves in a deep confusion when the ‘boss’ asks them to draft or to write a report or still some become utterly perplexed when the little ‘Mr junior’ comes and say “daddy/mummy teach me how to write a good essay..“. This sad outcome is the result that those people either failed to grasp the importance and true meaning of writing or they have perhaps not been able to nourish and maintain the faculty of writing efficiently and hence effectively in the long run.

Why Should You Write - Writing Is A Catalyst To Success

Why should we write conveniently? Is it just because for the sake of education, for the sake of x, y or z? NO to a large extent! The ability to express yourself clearly is (and will be) an essential basis for success as a student, when applying for employment and still in any career. In any subject (even in any career), if two students (or 2 job applicants) are otherwise equal in ability and intelligence, the one who is the better able to convey thoughts effectively in writing will score the higher marks and earn the higher respect and due consideration.

My Famous And Loved Quote - Purpose Of Education

To end here, let me quote a very lovely, thoughtful and valuable sentence from a famous writer, Dorothy L. Sayers - in her book ‘The Lost Tools of Learning‘, she wrote: “Modern education concentrates on teaching students subjects, leaving the method of thinking, arguing and expressing one’s conclusions.. [Teachers] are doing for their pupils the work that the pupils themselves ought to do. For the sole true end of education is simply this; to teach men how to learn for themselves and whatever instruction fails to do this is effort spent in vain.”

I hoped I have instilled in you the importance of writing and that you have appreciated this first piece of work/contribution of mine. I wish you all the best and may you enjoy the benefits of writing and hence the success of a professional man.

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My next article is on: How to write good english