Student Login
Enroll Online
Writing Tips: Get the Engine Rolling!
Perspiration? Inspiration? What gets your writing work accomplished?
Writers all need creativity, that spark of an idea that sets you on the path to writing something worthwhile. Yes. Inspiration is important. Unfortunately, you have to be able to get from the gem of an idea to the fully written text. That’s not so easy. That’s hard work.
How do you get through the agony of writing to the ecstasy of having written?
Here are some tried and true writing tips to help you through that hard graft. Do you have some good tips to share? Let us know. We all want to share and hear.
Remember: Planning and Preparation are crucial parts of writing. Pre-write before you actually write.
You would not plan a dinner party without thinking about who to invite, considering if they will get on well together, then developing your menu carefully, and going out to buy the necessary ingredients. In the same way, don’t expect simply to be able to sit down in front of your computer, get hit with an idea out of the blue, and be able to start writing effectively.
Spend time in the pre-writing stage. Develop your ideas. Reflect on what you want to say. Once you have clarified this in your mind, you’ll be able to set the ideas down much more readily. Some of our best writing is done while relaxed in a hot bathtub!
Introduce some schedules into your daily writing.
We humans are creatures of habit. We like to be scheduled. That’s why we divide our lives into weeks, months, years. It’s why we recognize birthdays and anniversaries. It’s why we set up timetables. You don’t have to be crazily officious about it, but do establish a more or less regular daily writing schedule for yourself at whatever time of day suits you best. Then stick to your schedule even on days when the words just won’t come easily. If 7am to 11am is your designated writing time, those four hours should find you sitting at your computer most days. Regular scheduling oils the wheels of creativity and turns your writing into a serious proposition.
Learn from Others. Read, Read, And Read Some More.
If you consider yourself a writer, you should also consider yourself (and be) an avid reader. Read your most beloved authors. Read them with a professional eye and ear. Read them as a writer. You have teachers all around you. Use them. Keep their books close at hand. Read them for stimulation and motivation. Why do you enjoy, learn from, lose yourself in, respect each author’s work? How can you learn from their styles to improve your own writing?
Don’t Worry About the Huge Task Ahead.
Do not get so concerned about the massive project you have undertaken that you cannot get started on it. Worry just about the next few steps. Nail Gaiman says it best in an article he wrote for the Guardian, “Write one word. Then write the next word.” What will you accomplish in today’s scheduled work? That’s enough to worry about for today. After all, in a year of worrying about the next word, you’ll find you have worried through a whole book! Right?? Write!
Editing Works. Never Imagine that Your First Draft Will be Your Last Draft.
Write. Leave some time to allow yourself to fall out of love with what you have written. Go back. Read it again. Edit it. Most good writers use this process. Stick with the process.
What gets your writing engine rolling? Let us know some of your favorite writing tips and tricks in the comments!
