I find it useful to do my planning or pre-writing thinking before I sit down to write. This may sound contradictory to the above “just write” tip, but it’s not really. Turn off email or IM notifications, turn off the phone and your cell phone, turn off the TV, and clear off your desk … you can stuff everything in a drawer for now until you have time to sort everything out later … but don’t get into sorting mode now, because it’s writing time! Clear away distractions so you can work without interruption.ħ. Do your writing with a minimal writer like WriteRoom or DarkRoom or Writer, and do it in full-screen. It’s best done in quiet, or with some mellow music playing. Writing does not work well with multi-tasking or background noise. I like to start out by typing things like my name or a headline or something easy like that, and then the juices start flowing and stuff just pours out of me. Once you get going, you get in the flow of things, and it gets easier. Start typing away - it doesn’t matter what you write - and get the fingers moving. You might be tempted to go check your email or get a snack. If you’ve got blank paper or a blank screen staring at you, it can be intimidating. But don’t worry! It helps you get better.ĥ. If you’re a full-time writer, you’ll need to write for several hours a day, as I do. Write for at least 30 minutes, but an hour is even better. Whatever works for you, make it a must-do thing every single day. For me, mornings work best, but others might find lunch or evenings or midnight hours the best. Find a certain time of day when you can write without interruptions, and make it a routine. I like to keep a list of post ideas for my blog, and I continually add to it.Ĥ.
Having these ideas written down helps, because they can inspire you or actually go directly into your writing. Write down plot twists and visual details and fragments of song lyrics or poems that move you. Write down snippets of conversation that you hear. Keep a little notebook handy (Nabokov carried around index cards) and write down ideas for stories or articles or novels or characters. It gets easier after awhile if you practice a lot.ģ. Write just to write, and have a blast doing it. Write stuff for yourself, write for a blog, write for other publications. Writing is a skill, and like any other skill, you have to practice it to get better. The more you write, the better you’ll get. Try to write every day, or multiple times a day if possible. Pay close attention to style and mechanics in addition to content.Ģ. Everyone starts by learning from the masters, by emulating them, and then through them, you find your own voice.
TIPS FOR FINDING A GREAT PLACE TO WRITE HOW TO
If you don’t read great writing, you won’t know how to do it. This may sound obvious, but it has to be said. No matter what level of writer you are, there should be a suggestion or twelve here that will help.ġ.
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