Writing - Tips and Tricks
I’ve Been Writing for a Long Time
Way longer that what I had even realized. Recently, I found the first thing I ever published online. It was fan fiction, I was 14 when I posted it and at the time it was a big deal for me to share anything online. Not only was it a completely different time than now, but I was so nervous to put something out into the world.
That was 2007, and before that I was writing for at least 4 years. That means in total I have been writing for ~16 years. It’s been a lot of trial and error, workshops, and learning, and a lot of mistakes. A lot of comments and criticisms that I have taken in, and a lot of lessons learned.
I’ve worked for websites as a copywriter, managed events and plots for a virtual pet website, and I’ve published a number of things online. With all that time, I’ve encountered and overcome a number of challenges, things I’ve seen new writers ask about time and time again, and some things I think we can all use an occasional refresher on.
Before I get started, everything I am about to say should come with some massive grains of salt. What works for me may not work for you, but I hope that at least some of this will help you in your own journey through writing.
I’ve broken down this post into categories, based on my observances, and some requests on Twitter. They are as follows -
Getting Started
Writer’s Block & I Don’t Know What to Write
Being a Good Reader
Accepting Our Flaws
Goals
Each of these will be a very broad overview on the topic, but hopefully it’ll be helpful for you and your writing journey!
Getting Started
With every art form, this is a common theme. People say things like, “I can’t write!” or, “I don’t know how to write!” or, “I’m no good at writing!”
In my experience, the common denominator between all of these complaints is that they have not even tried to write. And if you haven’t tried, how do you know?
The biggest and most fundamental rule with any craft, writing included, is that you must do it. You must do the craft. You must sit down and make… anything! Write something short, write something long, write something good or bad. Write a poem, write about your day! Whatever it is write.
Sometimes it can be hard to hear, especially when we’re new at something. The idea that time and practice is the only way to get where we want is terribly dull. We always ask ourselves, Are we sure there’s no shortcut? And there never is.
Practice truly does make perfect, or at least, as close to it as we can get. Dedicate yourself to practice, and you will see yourself starting easier and easier, moving ever towards “Experienced Writer.”
Writing is a thing of love and dedication, and the only way to write, is to write. The only way to learn how to write, is to write. The only way to be good at writing, is to write even more.
Pick an idea, any idea, and just write something. Keep doing that over and over and over. You’ll get there.
Writer’s Block & I Don’t Know What to Write
Ahhh block, the enemy of all creatives. An age old foe who we all grapple with at one time or another.
But is it real? And if it is, does it matter?
You see I read something once, something that changed my entire perspective on writing and it was this, “A dream job is still a job.”
You know what that means… Work!
If writing is your dream job, or even just a hazy dream hobby you’d like to pursue, it takes work! Work is not fun all the time! Sometimes you’re filled with dedication to your job, inspired by a great review or a positive customer, but that feeling is not lasting.
The secret is to learn to write, even when you’re not inspired!
Is the idea foreign? Perhaps! There are many advocates out there that say you shouldn’t write if you don’t feel inspired, but consider this: You can help yourself feel more inspired, and to write even if you don’t feel like writing.
Can it be painful? Yes, you’ll have to learn how to put down words even when they don’t want to flow, but that doesn’t mean the words you are putting down are bad. Wouldn’t you want to put something down, rather than nothing? If we all constantly waited to do something until we felt like doing it, then how much would we get done?
So write all the time, even when you’re feeling blocked or uninspired.
Doing those two things can make a tremendous difference in your motivation and inspiration for writing, and we can accomplish both of those goals with a short but effective process.
Re-read your own writing.
If you’re stuck in the middle of a piece, go back and re-read what you’ve got so far! While you’re doing that, ask yourself a couple of questions like, is this conveying what I want it to convey? Are there any errors or dropped plot threads I should fix? Do I even like what I have down?
Iron out any stick spots or odd bits, and you might find that the way forward is clear to you again! And sometimes, just the simple act of re-reading can help you figure out what comes next!
If the above hasn't worked, stop and take a break!
Get a snack, drink some water, straighten your back! Blink your eyes real hard and maybe take a short walk. When you’re done, come back and sit down, see if you can’t continue writing.
Not feeling the scene you’re writing right now, but want to keep writing the same story? Skip ahead!
Sometimes a specific scene just isn’t in you right now so skip ahead to a segment you know you can write out. Writing doesn’t have to be linear. Find a part of your story or script or novel or poem that you can work on, and work on that! Progress is progress, even if you’re working ahead of yourself. Just remember to go back and fill in the blanks later!
Just as if you were taking a test in school, it’s ok to come back to things!
Generally, by the time I get to #3, I am writing again! We all have moments where we get stuck, but with experimentation we can figure out how to get going again, and the above is what I have found works for me! Try giving it a go next time you’re stuck
And if this still doesn’t work? It’s ok! Take a break for the day and come back to it tomorrow, the writing will still be there, just remember to come back to it, and give it your all! As we talked about, writing isn’t always fun but don’t make yourself miserable over it. Your health and wellbeing is the most important thing to look after.
Being a Good Reader
I think it’s practically ancient wisdom at this point: A good reader is a good writer!
Read books that interest you, read writers who write different from you, and do it as often as you can. We can learn so much from observation and from taking in how other writes tackle things.
Some of my favorite things to look for when reading are how an author handles dialogue, how they pass time or perform time skips, and how they structure their sentences.
Just taking in how other people handle things allows me to consider my own weaknesses and strengths when writing, and sometimes you can even discover techniques you can incorporate into your writing. Never stop learning, never stop trying new things! In the end, it will only make you a better writer.
Accepting Our Flaws
No work is perfect. No person is perfect. Nothing is perfect, but that doesn't mean that things are not beautiful or that people are not wonderful!
Flaws are perfectly okay! It’s wonderful and terrible to be flawed, it means we have room to grow, places to go to and explore within ourselves. It also means we must accept our flaws. We must uncover them and conquer them, and we must accept when others point them out.
Now, do I mean, “Listen to every hate comment you get on YouTube?” No, of course not!
What I do mean is that, if someone has said something to you from a place of kindness stop, and consider what they have said. Is it valid? Does it apply to you? Do you believe it to be true? Be honest with all of your answers.
If it’s advice that does not apply to you, or a comment that you find to be, truly, unfounded, then toss it! Get it out of your mind and move on! But if it is true, then don’t be mad someone’s discovered one of your soft spots, work on that soft spot!
The only way to get better is to shore up your weak points, and to press ever onward towards the best writer you can be.
If there ever was a cheat-code to being a better writer, accepting valid criticism and working towards remedying those things would be it. Find someone you trust and let them read your work. Ask for them to be honest (but kind) with you about where you need to improve, and then work diligently towards improving it!
No one can make you a better writer but yourself.
Goals
This point is easily summed up: Do not write without a purpose.
Does every single thing you write have to be grand and amazing and world changing? No. But write with intention, ask yourself how writing this piece will move you towards you goal, whatever goal that may be.
Will it help you work on your dialogue? Will it help get more words under your belt and give you practice? Will writing that blog post help you reach a particular audience? Are you writing a chapter in your book and need to flesh out an important plot point?
Whatever it is, remember it as you write, so that what you write can be as effective as possible.
Aimless writing, while fun, can tend to wander too much, and send you off track. There is only so much time in the day! If aimless is what you want, that is fabulous! But sometimes, aimless keeps you from accomplishing what you actually want or need to accomplish.
Don’t have any goals? That’s ok, it’s never too late to set one!
Even a small goal can be wonderful, and accomplishing a smaller goal can help give you the confidence to accomplish even larger goals.
I know this was a lot (so sorry about that), but writing is so nebulous, it’s hard to capture sometimes! But that’s also what makes it so wonderful and all encompassing. Writing is ever flexible and changing, and being able to write as much as I do is something I cherish, even when it is challenging.
So get out there and write! Have fun! Find your own nebulas and create your own galaxies.
My deepest wish is that you can find a way to write that makes you as passionate about it as I am. Never give up on your writing, and remember to keep at it! No matter how down or stuck or goal-less you may feel, your words will always matter.
I think you’ll surprise yourself with what you can create, and I hope you continue to surprise yourself for as long as you create.
What are your tips and tricks for writing? And if you try and of these out, let me know if it helps you!
I would love to learn from you all, and thank you for reading!