16 Writing Tips for Writers: The Basics

1.       Write every day

It is the cliché we hear all the time but it does work. Writing everyday creates momentum. It forces you back to the well to drink more water, creating a relationship between you and your work

 

2.      Writing is Rewriting

Hard writing makes easy reading and easy writing makes hard reading.

This is the best quote I have heard that speaks for the need of rewriting.  Put forth the effort—revise and revise again.  Do yourself a favor and save those revisions, sometimes your internal editor deletes the good stuff.

 

3.      Write long

I read about a writer who wrote 12 hours day. I will gladly admit that I am not that type of writer unless I am under deadline. Yet, learning how to write long, without stopping is great skill to own. It slowly builds your acumen as a writer. Many successful artists over time, learn through practice, how to work for long periods of time. This practice not only changes your writing, but it also changes your thought process.

David Mamet says:

The purpose of any technique, the purpose of any skill which is learned through cognition and repetition in the arts, or in sports for that matter, is to break down the barriers between the conscious and the unconscious mind so that you don’t have to think about what you’re doing. You can only be free if your unconscious is unfettered. There are a lot of people who don’t have technique but whose unconscious is unfettered: children, psychotics, some artists. But for most of us, we need a technique to enable us to get out of our own way.

 

4.      Experiment with different forms of writing

Craft blogs, create advertisements, write jokes, pen plays, compose poetry, etc. Expand your skills.

 

5.      Voice

Developing your voice is a goal for any scribe. Your voice is your word choice, style, diction, and tone. Your voice may change depending on subject or genre. I look at it this way, there are ways that Stephen King writes compared to a Philip Roth or compared to a Toni Morrison. Each one of these writers, make different choices as he or she writes, with implementing and revealing the story. Poetry is a great genre to study voice because poets may create multiple voices in one poem. Yet some writers do not believe in voice.

 

6.      Copy

I do not mean stealing or plagiarizing. I mean copying to learn. It could be fiction, magazine articles, or poetry—select a writer and copy his work word for word by paper or by computer but using paper is a better process. Copy the same passage or an article every morning for several days to help you uncover the writer’s voice, style, and method.  It will teach you how he or she wrote piece—how he or she uses research in their articles, their sentence structure and vocabulary.

 

7.      Study writers

This is the second step of copying passages. Select three writers that you admire and study their works. Examine their backgrounds and analyze how they became successful, start to finish. Choose a variety of writers. Sometimes, it’s best to compare writers of like genres—three novelists, three poets, or three news column writers.

 

8.      Write on paper

With the vast array of digital products, writing on paper has become “the lost art.” Writing on paper connects us to our thinking. Adding “paper practice” to your daily regimen is great for your writing process. It’s a good thing to do.

 

9.      Get a writing mentor

A writing mentor can show you the ropes and lead you into the right writing direction. The main requirement is to have a writing mentor who will take the time to understand you and your writing. Find a mentor who fits your needs. Just don’t sign up with a mentor because you like his or her work. Do your research and interview your potential mentor, especially if you are paying.

 

10.  Employ writing exercises in your writing regimen

There are numerous writing books packed with writing exercises and methods.  Currently, I am using Naming the World, an anthology of writing techniques and practices by authors, writers, and teachers.

 

11.  Workshop your work

Join a group or design a workshop with your fellow writers. Workshops are geared towards creative writers; however, other writers may still meet, discuss, and work to improve their craft. The most effective workshops have a set structure and set goals for each writer. During the summer time, many festivals and conferences offer workshops and classes with writers. These conferences, workshops, and festivals range in price and expertise. With these workshops, you may develop old work and create new work depending on the goals of the instructor or the course.

 

12.  Analyze your own writing

What makes you tick as a writer? What is your passion? What pushes you to write? What are your nuances? Understanding how you write, the way you think is part of your metacognition—you learn how you think—it’s the learning of learning.

 

13.  Write and read poetry

Learning how to read a poem and learning how to write a poem are good skills to have. Many famous writers started as poets moved into other genres.  Poetry builds your core writing skills:  concision, word play, rime, meaning, intention, voice, vocabulary, and imagination.

 

14.  Find your niche in writing

Fiction writing is your love, but blogging is your best talent. This paradox is difficult to accept for some writers but I say embrace it. Conquer that niche with your best efforts, and let it flow into another genre or style of writing.

 

15.  Record your writing

Whether you are creating a script or writing an article like reporters of the past, recording your writing to craft creative work is a great method.  You might just record your hot ideas. Since most electronic devices are equipped with a sound or video recorder, it is easy to do.  But, if you want to be nimble, you might consider buying a separate, stand alone recorder.

 

16.  Use how to’s books but don’t over do it

I know from experience, it easy to become enamored with the latest writing guru or so called guru.  Read their books, take some notes, and put it aside. Develop your own acumen.