Tips for writers

I am a writer. (Partly the reason I started this blog.) For other fledgling writers, I have a few tips.

~Have dedication~

If any of us are doing to pursue our dreams and see them lift off the ground, we have to be purposeful and dedicated. This may mean sacrificing other things to make sure that your writing improves. For me, I decided to cut back on screen time and reading so I could focus on writing. Decide if you are serious about writing and then change your actions to fit.

~Make writing a habit~

For some of us, this is the most difficult part. You may only feel inspiration occasionally. That's okay! But to improve, you must practice every day. This may mean rewriting the same scene over and over again to improve it, or it may be writing a new scene. You just need to practice. So for practicality, set a time goal or a word goal. Make it reasonable, but also long enough to make you improve. I have my time goal set at thirty minutes a day. I try to get it all in one sitting, but sometimes I spread it out.

To make it a habit, you have to do it every day. Find a time when you can do it, You could do it during lunch, make it a part of your homework, or do it before bed. Just do it every day!

~Find a topic~

Some of us have a whole plan of what we want to write. Others have no clue. But we all need a topic at one time or another. Look for writing prompts. Pinterest and Google are helpful there. (Some prompts aren't appropriate.) Or find an object near you and send it on a journey. Or describe someone you know.

~Encouragement and constructive criticism~

Every writer needs encouragement. Have a trusted friend or family member read over your work. Ask their opinion and listen to them. We all have room for improvement. Think over their comments and see what reason they have for saying them. I'm not saying you have to cater to their tastes, but having another opinion about your work is helpful. Sometimes I write a scene and something isn't right. I have someone read it over and tell me what they think. Sometimes I find the problem and improve the scene or I end up tossing it out. Either way, make room for improvement.

~Find a grammar/ spelling checker~

These are great! If you want to do all of your own proofreading, good for you! I personally struggle with spelling, so I appreciate having a backup. But I still read over my work and proofread. Have someone else look yours over and check for mistakes. Make sure the writing flows and isn't confusing.

~Write about what you know~

(This probably should go under finding a topic, but I decided it would be better by itself.)

When you write about something, check your facts. This saves you later embarrassment if someone notices your facts are wrong. If you are writing about something new, research it fully.

Whatever you write about, do it respectfully. Even if you don't agree with someone else and are writing your opinion, be polite. Rudeness obscures the message and doesn't make the reader want to read. (Not to mention, it's just plain rude!)

Overall, keep an open mind. I'm not saying fall for everything you hear but listen carefully to the other people and points of view. Be a careful, polite writer and be truthful. Make room for improvement and do your best!