By Jennifer Blanchard
Yesterday, Mary Jaksch (of Write to Done) wrote a guest post on Copyblogger that listed 73 tips for becoming a better writer.
Here are some of my favorite tips:
- Become a blogger.
- Use self-imposed word limits.
- Accept all forms of criticism and learn to grow from it.
- Take a break between writing and editing (Stephen King recommends at least 6 weeks).
- Challenge yourself: write in a crowded cafe, write on the toilet, write for 24 hours straight.
- Read, think, read, write, ponder, write – and read some more.
- Make notes of your (fleeting) brilliant ideas.
- Avoid passive voice.
- Be inspired by other art forms–music, dance, sculpture, painting.
- Read your old stuff and acknowledge how far you’ve come–and how far you have to go.
- Tell everyone: “I’m a writer.”
- Recognize your fear and overcome it.
- Try new ideas or hobbies–the more variety you have in your life, the more likely you are to keep on generating good ideas on the page.
- Join a writing group. If you can’t find one, form one.
- Break out of your comfort zone.
- Write at the scene. If you want to write about a beach, get a picnic rug and go write by the sea.
- Go to the supermarket, the ball game, the class room, the building site. Make notes of the sensuous details, the atmosphere, the people. (Changing scenery can really spark your creativity.)
Visit Copyblogger to read the rest of the 73 tips. And be sure to read the comments section…there are many, many additional tips readers shared.
And here are some additional writing tips from me:
- Do what works for you–This is by far my number one writing tip. This tip always sees me through the most difficult writing times. Always.
- Find at least 10 minutes a day to write, every single day, no exceptions.
- Take a break every now and then–If you don’t take breaks, you will burnout quickly. Trust me.
- Learn how to build complex characters.
- Believe in yourself and your writing.
- Never let rejection kill your confidence.
- Plot out your novel.
- Write a guest post (for Procrastinating Writers).
- Never give up on your writing dreams. Never.
- Stop letting procrastination hold you back.
- Write a shitty first draft.
- Learn how to turn off your inner editor.
- Learn how to stand out from the writing crowd.
- Subscribe to Procrastinating Writers–I work very hard to make this site as relevent and useful as possible. Subscribing will help you stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest.
Do you have an additional tips to share? Leave them in the comments.
