Are you an aspiring writer? Or maybe you just want to expand your writing taste? While I am nowhere near an expert in the field of writing, it is a valued hobby of mine and I’ve learned some things along the way that I thought I would share. So, here are a few tips to assist you in becoming a better writer!
Write everyday
Now, I know this may seem obvious, but the most important thing to do if you are an aspiring writer is to write, write, write! Write all the time. Everyday if you can- which I know can be hard because I don’t even have the time to write every day. But, writing as much as possible, even if it’s one sentence, is important. It’s hard to get better at something when you don’t practice, even in the field of writing. Some people also think that everything they write needs to be worthy of publication and I can tell you half of what I write is definitely nowhere near ready to be published. Writing a journal entry, or even a short poem counts. You don’t need to write 5,000 words every night. Just writing one sentence a day is a good start.
Write different genres
Writing different genres will help expand your writing skill. By testing the waters with different categories, you learn more about your own writing and what you like best, what you’re good at, and what you want to get better at. Try writing a little bit from each genre: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, prose, and drama. Within each genre, you can go in depth with different stories that can consist of fantasy, contemporary, coming of age, sci-fi, historical, etc. Whatever it is, write it and write it often because with practice comes progress!
Write in different povs
Going along with the different genres is writing in different point of views. Testing all the POV’s (first person, third person, and second person) can help you decide what you’re better at or just what you’re more comfortable with. I used to only write in first person, but once I tried third person out more, I felt it helped improve my own writing. Writing in a different point of view can also change the whole trajectory of a story. So, if you’re not feeling confident in the story you’re writing, before tossing the whole idea try out a different POV and maybe it will fix the issue at hand.
Read a lot
With writing comes reading. Reading not only your own work, but other people’s work, is valuable. It’s hard to improve at something when you don’t learn from example. If you want to write a fantasy novel, think of reading a series in that genre first to understand how other authors write. This also helps me get motivated! Obviously, you don’t want to copy someone else’s ideas, but reading a mix of different genres and stories can help inspire your writing and assist you in creating new ideas you wouldn’t have thought of prior.
Share your work
This might be the hardest and most intimidating to do for some people, but sharing your work with others, even if it’s just a family member or a friend, can help give you clarity on your writing pieces. Getting input from outside sources is a good way of understanding what readers do and do not like. It also eases you into being more comfortable with having people read your work. And, the more you share your work, the better it can get, with constructive criticism and encouragement from real people.
While these tips may seem small and kind of obvious, it’s a good reminder for writers to not give up and keep their hobby alive. While I am not always able to write everyday and haven’t actually finished any of the books on my TBR, I don’t give up on writing entirely. I always try to write a little bit as often as I can, and that can be enough. Growing as a writer takes time, and these are just a few things that can help you to become the writer you aspire to be.