The Seven Principles of Effective Writing (Part One)
by Glenn White

The Writer as a Teacher

When you are an effective writer you are a teacher. Whether you write sci-fi, children's stories, romance novels, devotions, or plain vanilla Bible studies when you are an effective writer you are a teacher. Your reader is learning your views and your values through your writing. You are teaching your reader.

The classic Christian text on teaching is The Seven Laws of Teaching by a Christian educator, John Milton Gregory published in 1884. Adapting the rules of teaching from this text and applying them as principles for writing will give you a new look at writing from an old book about teaching. This is the first in a series of seven articles.

The Principle of the Writer

The writer must know that which he would write.

You have heard it over and over again, "Write what you know." Here it is again with the words "writer" and "write" replacing "teacher" and "teach."

What the writer knows he must write.

By reversing the first rule, the second rule is stated. Again, only the words "teacher/teach" are replaced by "writer/write." What you know you must write. Know the web? Know kids? Know education? Know the Bible? Know God? Know love? Know forgiveness? What you know you must write to be an effective writer.

Imperfect knowing is reflected in imperfect writing.

Mr. Gregory sounds harsh with this principle especially when applied to writing. Don’t let this intimidate you or give you the burden of perfectionism. Simply use this principle as a reminder you can always grow as a writer. Never strive for perfection when you write. That is a recipe for writer's block. Your primary goal is communicating to your reader. Readers are very gracious overlooking imperfection if you write for them and not at them or to them.

A truth is best seen in the light of other truths.

Your reader must see truth in your story connected to other truths. Illustrate truth in your writing with examples the reader clearly understands.
For the Christian writer, truth is not a philosophical quest but a person; Jesus (John 14:6). So, your goal as a Christian writer is to write so that somewhere, somehow, at some time, someone will know Jesus.

Truth must be understood by the reader before it is vividly experienced.

Allow God to permeate everything you write and make your goal to write so your reader can understand God. Carry that kind of heart into everything you write. You can write very subtle or very bold depending on your intended reader. Without diminishing the art of writing, this principle is more about heart than about art.
Your other writing objective is communicating your passion about God in your story or article so the reader feels what you feel. You must have passion to communicate passion.

The writer's command of the story gives the reader confidence.

When you write with passion and confidence then the reader is confident and will follow your story. When writing non-fiction, know the 5 Ws & H (Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How) and you will have command of your story. When writing fiction, know the theme of your story, know your characters, know your reader, and you will have command of your story.

These are a few tips from a classic book about Christian teaching. Learn and use these principles from teaching and you will write to inspire!

Next: The Principle of the Reader