Developing Yourself as a Writer
Methods, resources, and tools to develop yourself as a writer
When it comes to furthering your career as a writer, continuing to develop your skills will hone your skills and pull in more readers.
The more we work to improve our writing, the better the chances that our audience will see the work throughout our writing.
Methods
When it comes to improving your writing through writing methods and routines, there are a few things to consider.
Writing daily
When we set aside time to write every day, we work our creative muscles and develop our technique.
If you don’t currently have an established time to write daily, it’s time to look at your schedule. What time of day can you commit to your writing daily? When considering this time, know that you should choose a time that you aren’t likely to sacrifice for something else.
2. Reading
As writers, we often get so absorbed with our writing that we forget our love for reading.
Reading other people’s work is the best way for writers to learn different writing styles, vocabulary, techniques, and possible storyline possibilities.
3. Writing prompts and Short Stories
Sometimes stepping away from novel-length works is the best way to improve your writing.
Writing prompts force us to think outside the box and try to think of a story based on a sentence or proposed situation. But if you are willing to give it a try, can prove to give you a great possibility for a story.
On the other hand, short stories help writers to improve their writing and develop a good story arc.
Resources
There are some wonderful resources out there from online writing courses, and other seasoned authors willing to share what they know, to books on different aspects of writing and marketing.
Here are some great books:
Save The Cat!: Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
The first novel-writing guide from the best-selling Save the Cat! story-structure series, which reveals the 15 essential plot points needed to make any novel a success.
Novelist Jessica Brody presents a comprehensive story-structure guide for novelists that applies the famed Save the Cat! screenwriting methodology to the world of novel writing. Revealing the 15 “beats” (plot points) that comprise a successful story — from the opening image to the finale — this book lays out the Ten Story Genres (Monster in the House; Whydunit; Dude with a Problem) alongside quirky, original insights (Save the Cat; Shard of Glass) to help novelists craft a plot that will captivate — and a novel that will sell.
2. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An essential volume for generations of writers young and old. The twenty-fifth anniversary edition of this modern classic will continue to spark creative minds for years to come. Anne Lamott is “a warm, generous, and hilarious guide through the writer’s world and its treacherous swamps” (Los Angeles Times).
Tools
This is a great section to focus on the dozens of different classes and tools that are available online now.
When it comes to learning tips and tricks on how to improve your writing, many of the courses listed above provide feedback and instruction on how to get better.
If you want to learn more about publishing, however, there are also some other wonderful resources out there for you as well.