How To Become A Better Writer
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Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot on the subject of growing
as a writer. Mostly prompted by some excellent books on writing that I’ve been
reading. There’s such a lot that we writers could be doing to get better at our
craft. Everything from taking classes and going to conferences to buying and
devouring as many writing craft books as possible. And while these are all
great ways to grow as a writer, there are some more basic things we can do for
no cost at all that can help you become a better writer. In no particular
order, here is my list of suggestions.
Fail a Lot
Failure is just a part of writing. Every writer has to
accept that. But to never fail is to never try. If you try, you’re going to
fail a whole bunch of times before you succeed. But every failure teaches you a
little more about writing, what works, what does, what suits you, and what you
should leave to other writers. Failing is disheartening. But also a necessary
part of growing as a writer. If you’re not failing, you’re sitting square in
the middle of your comfort zone. And no one learns anything when they don’t try
new things. The more you fail, the better you get. So don’t be afraid to fail.
Learn from it, and try again.
Finish Things
It’s easy to get stuck in a rut when writing, working on the
same project for months, years. Without diversity in what you’re writing, you’re
not learning on growing. At some point, enough has to be enough. Finish things.
Start new projects. You learn more by writing and finishing a variety of works
than by spending years painstakingly perfecting a single novel. Finish and move
on. Finishing projects and starting new ones pushes you, stretches your
capabilities, and forces you to grow and learn as a writer.
Write What You Love
Too often writers don’t write the ideas that they’re really
interested in because they might not sell, or people might think they’re weird.
Don’t be afraid to write what interests you, even if it’s a bit out there. One,
the world need more diverse books. We don’t need the same plots rehashed over
and over again. And two, there is more value in writing a book you love than a
book that is designed to follow popular trends. One will be mediocre because
there’s no passion, and the other will be a work of art as your pour your soul
into it.
Hang Out With People Who Inspire You
Creativity is contagious. Hang out with creative people,
people who chase their dreams, people who make you want to do better, be
better, write better simply by being around them. Make friends with people who
inspire you to believe that you can be great. If there aren’t people in real
life that can do this for you, try social media. Twitter is a great place to
find awesome writing communities. Talk to creative people, help them, and learn
from them. Hanging around with great creatives is a good way to grow the habit
of being creative.
Love Yourself As Well As Your Work
You are a writer, and you love your work. And that is
awesome! But at the same time, you’re not a machine. Take care of yourself as
well as your writing. Make sure you’re rested, healthy, and happy. Good writing
doesn’t have to come from being a tortured soul. In fact, your mind is much
better suited to creating when it’s relaxed and well cared for.
Learn Constantly
Never lose your inquisitive nature. Learn new writing
techniques. Experiment with other writing forms. Look up strange biology facts.
Learn how to ride a skateboard, code a website, or speak another language.
Learning keeps your mind sharp and open to new ideas and input. Plus learning
is a great way to find new inspiration for your writing.
Read A Lot
Read everything. Read bad magazines, read good fiction, read
books on the craft, read textbooks. Open yourself up to all kinds of writing,
not just fiction, and not just good writing. You can learn as much from bad
writing as from good, and find inspiration and knowledge everywhere. No reading
is ever wasted.
Take Time Out To Live
Writers write. But good writers also take time away from
writing to go out into the world and live for a while. How can you write people
if you’re never around them to know how they work? How can you write emotions
if you never feel them? How can you be a well-rounded writer if you never see
the world? Take a break from writing sometimes, go and live for a while, and
then come back refreshed, renewed and stronger than ever.
15 comments
Great tips! I like what you said about how no reading is ever wasted. We can always learn from others, and mistakes/bad writing often teach us better than good writing. Great post! <3
ReplyDeleteExactly! After all, even if you didn't enjoy what you read, you can learn what not to do from that. Certainly for me, I often. find it easier to pinpoint what isn't working than what is.
DeleteI love this post and I think you gave great advices. I think writing what you love is the most important because writing should be fun and how can it be fun when the author doesn't love the story? That's just plain misery. :)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely right! If you don't write what you love, you won't enjoy it, and honestly, you probably won't write your best either so other people won't love it as much. So where's the point really?
DeleteOoh, I love this!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear it!
DeleteThat last point is really relevant for me right now! I started college this month, and it's becoming apparent that this is a season for mainly living. And rather than being discourage about writing less, I want to remember that this is benefitting my writing in the long run! Great post, Imogen!
ReplyDeleteCollege is such a difficult thing to write during, isn't it? Not beating yourself up over not having time to write is the best mindset to have. The only way to get through I think is to accept that this isn't going to be the best time to write, take advantage of what time you have, live, learn, and come back to writing more when life allows it. Good luck with college! That must be exciting for you.
DeleteI really like your point about how if you're heart's not in it, what you write will be mediocre. I used to just try to write something I thought others would like, would want to read. But now I write for me, and it is probably the best feeling in the world. <3
ReplyDeleteI loved this post! I can really relate to the first point, because I HATE failing - but it's something I need to be more comfortable with if I'm going to get better at writing. It's part of the process. Thanks for such a helpful post!
ReplyDeleteAlso I just wanted to let you know that I tagged you for the Small is Beautiful blog tag over at my blog,O Ye Scribes. :)
Agh, all these tips. I should listen to them more! I especially like the idea of hanging out with creative people, because, you're right, they make things better. I should also finish more things... which might involve starting more things, too. *sighs* But, hey, I have been reading quite a bit. So, go me. :) Thanks for these awesome tips, Imogen!
ReplyDeleteYES. These are all such good pieces of advice. I know I didn't start really growing as a writer until I started giving myself room to fail. I remember I was so worried that I would write an awful draft that I couldn't even let myself experiment and grow and all that stuff that needs to happen in order to get better at writing.
ReplyDeleteThe same goes for finishing things. I was really bad at finishing works and following through, and not only did it stunt my writing progress, it just discouraged me a bunch in general. I felt like a failure as a person, and when I started finishing things, I started feeling way better overall, like I was finally fulfilling my purpose.
And that last one--I still need to work on that one. I know I can be slow to experience life because I want to spend all my time writing. But I also know that I need to get out at least sometimes so I can have more to draw from when I'm actually sitting down to write. :P
(Hey, I just tagged you for a "get to know me" tag thing. Here's the link if you wanna check it out! http://words-inmysoul.blogspot.com/2016/10/get-to-know-me-tag.html)
ReplyDeleteThis is really really handy! Thanks :-D
ReplyDeleteSo glad you found it useful!
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