5 WAYS TO BE A BETTER WRITER

I know you'll have your writing goal in sight - nice work - but how do we push ourselves to get better at writing?  Especially at the moment when there is just so much going on in the world.

The good news is making one small change is ENOUGH to start moving towards being the writer you want to be this year. Obviously "write more often" is at the top of the list but here are 5 of my favourite tips you might not have thought about... 

DON'T GO IT ALONE

Writing groups aren't for everyone - but for me belonging to a community of  writers is one of the easiest ways to stay motivated and productive. There's just something about connecting with others who have the same goal as you - and talk the same language.   Plus company and people to share with!  I know the benefits of belonging to a group first hand and have seen the amazing shifts made by the members of my online Writing Room group. If you want motivation and encouragement this year you might want to think about signing up.

SHARE & FEEDBACK

Share your work with others and vice versa.  It is so useful to your own process to receive and give feedback. Getting feedback of any sort builds resilience and confidence. Giving feedback helps you hone your analytical skills and guess what, you take the lessons learned from analysing other people's work back to your work. Looking to upskill your craft? Check out our current workshops.

TIP: Depending on what appeals most - find a writer buddy to share your work with. Quid Pro Quo right? Or an online group that shares.)  

USE ALL FIVE SENSES

What you do - this writing lark - is all about immersing your reader in your fictional world.  Using all of the five senses in your work lets the reader experience the situation in a more visceral, real way and allows them to fully engage emotionally.  Is there a sense you don't really explore in your work? When you think about a scene - think about it through all your five senses - what can we see, hear, smell, taste, feel?   

TIP: Look at a work in progress, say an opening page, and rewrite it using a different sense to convey the same moment or plot point.  

CHECK YOUR INNER GAME

This is something many writers often don't think about - but I'm just gonna say it. Sometimes the bullshit story you have running around in your head is what's getting in the way of you becoming a better writer.  So perhaps this is a good time to check out your inner game and make sure it's serving you.  Here's an exercise I think you'll find useful.

Write a list of all the negative things you tell yourself about your writing dream your ability and your project. (Don't feel bad if it's long - we all have that critical voice.)

Now look over the list and decide whether the items are true or just an opinion.  Writing opinion or fact next to each item on your list is a great way to see any shenanigans you might be getting up to.  Now start crossing out the "opinion" items because they're not actually true - they're just opinion.

Or better still rewrite the items so they become more truthful or more "factual".

Opinion: My writing is an indulgent waste of time
True statement:  My writing might look like a waste of time but I love doing it, it gives me pleasure.

CONSCIOUSLY WORK ON  YOUR CRAFT 

Identify the part of your craft that you think could be improved. Is it story structure? Is it dialogue?  Is it sentence structure?  Perhaps you're not great at beginnings yet.  Whatever your craft weak spot is - put aside your pride and find out how to do it better.  Whether you take a workshop, get feedback from someone qualified to give it or track down a useful article online - it beats muddling along hoping that somehow you're going to get better.  Speed up the process and find out how.

Go well peeps.

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