Lee Rene's Blog - Posts Tagged "8-ways-to-become-a-better-writer"
8 Ways to Become a Better Writer
8 Ways to Become a Better Writer
by Jennifer Novotney
Write in a journal
Some writers really took journal writing to an art form. Think of Anais Nin or or Virginia Woolf. Make sure your journal is just for you. A great poem or story may come out of your journal, but the journal itself is never meant for anyone else’s eyes. Be creative. Be daring. You have nothing to lose! Write in your journal as often or as little as you like. Write as much or as little as you like. This is your private writer space to be yourself.
Get a good editor
I expanded on this idea in my post on why every writer needs an editor, but four eyes are better than two. Have someone read over your work for errors or laps in the basic elements especially if you plan to submit somewhere. A critical read may be just what you need to improve and open your eyes to your own work.
Read. Read. Read
My last post was on the virtues of reading 100 books a year, but you don’t have to go that crazy. Read the latest article on your phone. Read that romance you’ve been seeing everywhere. Read to your kids each night. The more you read, the more exposed you will become to various writing styles and genres.
Experiment
Don’t get stuck in a writing rut. Maybe you see yourself as a short story writer. So try writing a poem, even if it’s terrible. Push yourself to write a novella and really expand on a character’s motivations. Write a personal essay about an issue that matters to you. Don’t get boxed in to one way of writing or one genre. Experiment and learn more about yourself and your writing styles. You may just surprise yourself!
Find a dedicated time to write
I wrote a recent post on this one, but it is worth including in the list. No time to write equals no writing. The best way to support your writing habit is to make it one. Pick a time to write each day. Maybe it’s first thing in the morning before everyone else in the house is up. Maybe it’s when you have a fifteen minute break at work. Whenever your best time is, get out your pen and paper or laptop and write.
Set goals
This may work for some people and not for others, but eventually, if you truly want to be successful at writing, you need to set goals. Write three journal pages a day. Write for fifteen minutes every other day. Write 200o words each day. Whatever your goal is, be realistic and try to stick to it. You will feel so accomplished just for reaching your goal and become more motivated to write more often, which is the greatest goal of all.
Create a writing space
Find a little piece of heaven just for your writing time. I wrote a post awhile back about combating writer’s block with a writing space. You’d be surprised about just how focused you’ll become in your own space you’ve claimed just to write. Your mind will instinctively switch to writing mode when you get to your desk, corner, bench, or wherever you’ve chosen to write. Push all thoughts out of your mind and get to writing, especially if you have limited time. Make sure those in your family know that when you are in your writing space, it is time just for you to write and that you shouldn’t be bothered. I always say that I can only be disturbed in an emergency.
Take breaks
If you are constantly writing, then you may not have time to think out your piece. Especially with novel writing, it is extremely important to take breaks from writing to reread what you’ve already written. For me, this is valuable to evaluate the plot or conflict points. A great time to reread is either right before you start your writing session or right when you are through. Sometimes, I like to just get to writing. Other times, I want to reread what I’ve written the day before to really get into my piece. You decide what works best for you. On days you really don’t feel like writing, take a break. Maybe that permission to rest will inspire greatness to grace your page!
by Jennifer Novotney
Write in a journal
Some writers really took journal writing to an art form. Think of Anais Nin or or Virginia Woolf. Make sure your journal is just for you. A great poem or story may come out of your journal, but the journal itself is never meant for anyone else’s eyes. Be creative. Be daring. You have nothing to lose! Write in your journal as often or as little as you like. Write as much or as little as you like. This is your private writer space to be yourself.
Get a good editor
I expanded on this idea in my post on why every writer needs an editor, but four eyes are better than two. Have someone read over your work for errors or laps in the basic elements especially if you plan to submit somewhere. A critical read may be just what you need to improve and open your eyes to your own work.
Read. Read. Read
My last post was on the virtues of reading 100 books a year, but you don’t have to go that crazy. Read the latest article on your phone. Read that romance you’ve been seeing everywhere. Read to your kids each night. The more you read, the more exposed you will become to various writing styles and genres.
Experiment
Don’t get stuck in a writing rut. Maybe you see yourself as a short story writer. So try writing a poem, even if it’s terrible. Push yourself to write a novella and really expand on a character’s motivations. Write a personal essay about an issue that matters to you. Don’t get boxed in to one way of writing or one genre. Experiment and learn more about yourself and your writing styles. You may just surprise yourself!
Find a dedicated time to write
I wrote a recent post on this one, but it is worth including in the list. No time to write equals no writing. The best way to support your writing habit is to make it one. Pick a time to write each day. Maybe it’s first thing in the morning before everyone else in the house is up. Maybe it’s when you have a fifteen minute break at work. Whenever your best time is, get out your pen and paper or laptop and write.
Set goals
This may work for some people and not for others, but eventually, if you truly want to be successful at writing, you need to set goals. Write three journal pages a day. Write for fifteen minutes every other day. Write 200o words each day. Whatever your goal is, be realistic and try to stick to it. You will feel so accomplished just for reaching your goal and become more motivated to write more often, which is the greatest goal of all.
Create a writing space
Find a little piece of heaven just for your writing time. I wrote a post awhile back about combating writer’s block with a writing space. You’d be surprised about just how focused you’ll become in your own space you’ve claimed just to write. Your mind will instinctively switch to writing mode when you get to your desk, corner, bench, or wherever you’ve chosen to write. Push all thoughts out of your mind and get to writing, especially if you have limited time. Make sure those in your family know that when you are in your writing space, it is time just for you to write and that you shouldn’t be bothered. I always say that I can only be disturbed in an emergency.
Take breaks
If you are constantly writing, then you may not have time to think out your piece. Especially with novel writing, it is extremely important to take breaks from writing to reread what you’ve already written. For me, this is valuable to evaluate the plot or conflict points. A great time to reread is either right before you start your writing session or right when you are through. Sometimes, I like to just get to writing. Other times, I want to reread what I’ve written the day before to really get into my piece. You decide what works best for you. On days you really don’t feel like writing, take a break. Maybe that permission to rest will inspire greatness to grace your page!
