Did you ever fail math class? You know the ones; those middle-school and high-school mandatories all about algebra or geometry? Those teachers always said there would be a USE for these mathematical problems, but to this day, I’m still waiting. They look simple enough don’t they, just some x’s and y’s and numbers, but I could never get them straight in my mind.
Here’s an example of what I’m talking about.
This STILL boggles my mind and I know it’s easy and if you just follow the prompts you’ll be okay. But, I was never okay. Because I usually messed up my simple addition or subtraction and never came out with the correct answer. You wanna know why?????
Because my mind was made for writing.
Just like these boots are made for walking, writing has ALWAYS been my strong suit. And I’ve known it since I was a kid. There were poems I would compose, little bits of writing that when my mother came across them would be astonished that I wrote that, then stories about a poor girl named Beth Ann, and a mystery story about kids wandering around in a ghost town somewhere out West.
I can still hear those moans and groans in English class
When the teacher would hand out those black and white spotted composition books and give us three options on the blackboard to write about. I never had a problem! Others would be sitting there doing mental anguish laps around their brains trying to figure out how to begin and I would be finished.
Spelling was a breeze for me; grammar as well. Over the years I started keeping journals. More to just let the steam off for the most part, but there are still things I go back to and marvel at.
That I wrote that!
Since 2006 when I started my first website, I’ve written ALL MY OWN CONTENT for everything you see. No ghost writers for me, I AM the ghost writer. Because putting words together is heaven for me. It’s fascinating the written word is; words have always beguiled me in their meanings, and origins.
I did write articles for the school newspaper and then there are all those letters to the editor. Writing is something that just comes naturally to me. You’ll know it if you have the talent, too.
Here’s how to know if you’re a BOOKISH person:
- You love bookshops
- You would rather receive a book as a gift over anything else
- You have your own blog and write your own articles
- You are usually reading three or more books at once
There are other things, but if you love the written word as I do, you’ll always find a reason to be around books.
Writing is a beautiful craft. If you find great satisfaction when you sit down to compose articles, or create blog posts, or simply to read another good book, you might be thinking it’s time to go further. To write that novel you know you have in you!
Writing is easy but not as easy as you think
You know the great writers you’ve read over and over again. Some of my favorite writers you can find here. People like Stephen King, Louisa May Alcott, Taylor Caldwell, Agatha Christie, Rebecca du Maurier, and Dean Koontz.
Nowadays, there are so many ways to read books. You can still get them out of the library if you so choose, but I much prefer Amazon and Kindle. I still prefer the real thing over an ebook or a digital copy; but I read those too, and get just as much satisfaction out of knowing the story in that format.
If you love reading, any format will do
Which leads me to a love of writing. It usually holds that those who love to read, also love to write. You may not be a prolific writer, or someone who cranks out articles, ebooks, posts, or anything else for a living. You ARE someone who feels very fulfilled when you do sit down and create your words.
Writing has many genres, and genres in the genres even. There’s non-fiction, romance, satire, comedy, drama, horror, fantasy, and fiction. Within fiction, there are many sub-categories; historical, realistic, crime, mystery, thriller, Western, and suspense. To name a few.
What is your favorite fiction genre?
You can find a few of mine just here and right here.
You may be wondering how to improve on your writing. You MAY be thinking about writing a book. Because some of the books you’ve read, are good, but you say to yourself, “I can do better than this.”
Am I right?!
Then again, you think to yourself, not everyone can be a Stephen King.
Or can they?
With that in mind, here are 7 TIPS for making your writing even better. Because you have questions, and I have solutions.
Answered: Your Most Burning Questions About Writing
#1) Read, read, read.
You probably love reading books in your favorite genres, but try other genres, too. Being a person who loves to write, it’s natural that you’ve found your voice through reading others stories.
There is NEVER a time to say, “ok, I’ve read enough!” — that will never happen. Be sure to read the great writers in those genres you love. Pay attention to how they WEAVE their stories, how they fashion their beginnings, how they move you along through the middle, and how they tie everything together at the end.
If there is ONE book I can recommend to you to read all about writing, it is Stephen King’s masterpiece titled On Writing
#2) Write, write, write.
You knew THAT was coming. Any one who loves to read probably loves to write. And you should make writing a DAILY part of your life, come what may. Even if you only have 30 minutes a day; that adds up to 3-1/2 hours of writing time each week.
Writing is a SKILL and like any skill, you only get better at it, the more you practice it. In fact, writing a book isn’t just sitting down and starting at page one. There is a definitive method to writing any book, but writing just for the fun of it or when composing blog posts or newsletters, will make you a better writer with each sentence you create.
#3) How many times have you thought of a great idea and had no place to write it down?
Later, when you want to recall that great idea, it’s gone for good! Don’t do that anymore. Always keep a pad with you to jot down those ideas which seem to drift on down from the clouds. Or have an app where you can record them or notate them. Never be without SOME WAY to capture your thoughts!
Utilize services such as Evernote or an editorial calendar to stay organized. Because you never know when or where inspiration is going to hit!
#4) Turn OFF all those distractions.
First of all, take yourself OUT of the hustle and bustle of your home and find a space which you can make your writing nook. ONLY write here. Make it a point to always seek out this sacred writing space and never deviate from it.
Then, turn off all distractions. This means, no open browsers, no checking emails, no taking phone calls, no texting, no TV, no anything! You can do that for an hour. And as you write, your writing time WILL become sacred to you and you won’t want those distractions moving your mind from your writing.
#5) Learn that shorter is better.
Quick, concise sentences that “speak” to your reader are what you want most of all. A flowing conversational style may be easy for you to achieve; if not, it’s something you need to work on.
Write just like you would speak to someone. Don’t be all prim and proper, unless you’re writing a doctoral thesis. Make use of powerful words that mean something. Don’t lose the thread of your scene by going off on all manner of tangents that your reader has no interest in reading.
#6) Take a GOOD writing course.
There are many at colleges near you, but the easiest way is to take a course online. Because for now, you don’t need anyone’s feedback. You’re still learning.
One of my favorite authors is Joanna Penn. She writes thriller novels and is fantastically successful at it. You can find Joanna at The Creative Penn where you’ll find all of her books and also a wonderful novel writing course, as well as books on writing, publishing, and marketing your own novels.
Another great way to plan out a novel is through the Snowflake Method. Writing a novel is easy. Writing a really great novel is hard work. Learn more with the Snowflake Method.
#7) Remember who you are writing for.
And WHY you write. You write because it’s what you do and who you are, but you write to make others happy. And you would do it for no money, because you just love to write.
And there you have it.
Answered: your most burning questions about writing.
Start simple. Stay the course. Remember who you are writing for.
Writing is a craft, just like anything else is a craft. There are thousands of books for sale on Amazon, so how do you choose? By seeking out the best ones. It’s that same thing if you need a cardiologist or an auto mechanic.
Those top-notch people didn’t get there by cutting corners or taking the easy route. They honed their skills until they can do them in their sleep! That’s what writing is all about, too.
Are YOU ready to go for it?
Are YOU ready to put it all on the line?
Are YOU ready to see how far your writing will take you?
I’m betting on YOU. That you will take your writing seriously and make the commitment, to write
EVERY DAY.
Write your story for all the world to see. When all is said and done, you just may find out you’re the new bestselling author! So, just go for it! You have NOTHING to lose!
So, what are you going to do now?
- Read
- Write
- Jot
- Turn off distractions
- Find your writing space
- Take a writing course
- Remember who you are writing for.
START TODAY
But, do something! And, listen to no one. If you have had that novel whirling around in your head for years, the one you keep going back to because it’s THAT good, get it out on paper. Write out that first draft, flesh out your characters, deal with that boring middle, give your readers a thrilling ending.
They’re waiting for you. Don’t let them down.
You CAN become the next bestselling author.
