Writing Tips to Make You Bettter
If you want to become a better writer, get ready to do some work. Because it won’t happen overnight, and not just because you want it to. You’re going to have to practice.
Why am I sharing this? Because I believe you have a story to tell — we all do — and the world needs to hear it. So let’s dig in.
So… you want to be a writer?
This all begins with believing you already are a writer.
A writer is a writer when he says he is.
—Steven Pressfield
Anyone who writes is a writer, but that doesn’t mean they’re a very good one. So let’s talk about how to become a better writer. We’ll begin with the basics — here are seven key lessons.
Writing is simple, but not easy.
Before you get a larger audience, you have to get better.
Practice makes you better; it’s the repetitions that make it effortless.
Until you put your work out there, you’re only screwing around. Write for real.
You can’t practice without discipline. Keep showing up and persevering.
There will always be resistance; type through it, anyway.
Get over your excuses and do the work.
Before getting started
Before you begin writing, ask yourself these important questions:
Why do I want to write?
Who am I writing for?
What’s my message?
Have I found my voice yet?
What am I willing to sacrifice for my craft?
What won’t I give up?
Once you count the cost and make the decision to begin, it’s time to start writing.
Tips for when you begin
1. Write every day.
2. Make sure your writing is effective.
3. Don’t be lazy; do your best to avoid sounding stupid.
4. Stay focused! Distraction is the enemy of all great art.
5. Stop worrying about being a good writer; just write.
6. Forget about fame; write what’s worth writing.
7. Get over your perfectionist tendencies.
8. Don’t write to get published.
9. Write with conviction.
10. Read
11. Build your platform
Although writers need to write first for the craft, it’s not a bad thing to want to get published. But that’s a byproduct, not a goal.
This isn’t just something that happens accidentally. You have to work at it. So how do you create work that earns you the attention of publishers, exactly? You build a platform.
These days, a lot of writers use blogs and the power of the Internet to get their writing discovered. There’s no reason you can’t do the same.
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