2 Things That will Improve Your Writing

Writing does not happen in a vacuum...don't get me wrong, though.  It's our world.  We do what we want in it.  No one can tell us anything different.  How would the literary genre grow if we didn't? (hint:  it wouldn't).  Some more conservative writers may call it bad practice, or poor quality(nay sayers!).  Being a pioneer in writing is a matter of perspective; to some you may be a genius, and to others...your work may not be worthy to grace their hindquarters (butts...I'm talking about butts).  What was I saying? Oh yeah, the vacuum thing:  it takes some outside forces to help mold and shape our abilities into that superhuman thing you've been wanting ever since you became serious about the pen.

Either way, there are 2 things that can really help elevate your writing experience.  They will help shape you into the writer that you want to be, and enlighten your mind so that you may discover the more intricate complexities of narrative formation.  A good writer (that's you) wants all the help they can get, and must never, ever back down from the seemingly overwhelming forces of evil (Sauron) that keeps us from moving on.  Remember:  we can always become better, but it will require hard work, sacrifice, and relationships.  What's that?  Why relationships?  Chill out, I'm getting there.

1.  Read & Take Notes

Reading is obviously part of being a writer (at least it should be).  I couldn't imagine a world where a
writer never read other narratives.  Writer's write, after all, and readers read.  But a writer always reads.  I am willing to wager that you probably became inspired to be a writer because you read someone's work and thought, "man!  I wanna do that!  I wanna tell a story like that one day!"

 The next thing you know, you've sat down in front of your computer, and started working away on that thing.  Of course, you trash the whole project two months later because you realize that it's tit for tat the plot of Lord of the Rings, or 28 Days Later (dark lords to zombies...someone should do it).  I became super inspired after watching Lord of the Rings as a child, sat down to Windows 95, and started pumping out pages.  I was a kid, so that was cool for me.  But as a mature writer (with age comes wisdom...I hope), I understand the necessity of reading for the purpose of writing.

There's the difference.  You have probably read a book for entertainment purposes, but have you picked up a few best sellers in your genre to see what makes them sell so well?  (Also, let's be honest. You're writing to sell your work so that people will read it...and so you can get money).  Look at the mechanics of how they write.  Look at their usage of punctuation, plot development, narrative structure, character usage, the tone of the story...I mean there are literally  thousands of things you can look for that can give you a boost in your writing.

Joe Abercrombie is one of those authors whose books I have picked apart mercilessly.  I love his stories, and the voice he was able to produce in his writing (The Bloody Nine...check him out).  I didn't know the first thing about writing a book (other than it would be epic), and realized that I had shelves full of professionals who could teach me the art of the craft.  Sit back with a few books and pay attention.  Take notes on things that you like, elements that work well, and those that just don't seem to fit.  You will be amazed at how much you will learn from the first five pages.

2.  Be In Relationship With Other Writers

This one might be a little tricky.  I doubt you have a ready-made pub full of writers like Tolkien and Lewis did to help them bounce ideas back and forth (but you might...if you do, I am envious).  But there are other ways to do this, thanks to the magical realm of the interwebs. Forums, groups, databases...a whole slew of sites that offer the kind of relationship you need to make things happen.

For instance, one such place is called My Writer's Circle.  This place is great.  Here, you will get all the encouragement you will ever need.  I recently joined the site (send me a PM if you join after reading this "CodyWright77"), and have found tons of ways improve my writing.  The benefits are innumerable, and I'm not going to get into them right now; I'll just mention the big one.

Critiquing.  You need someone other than Mom (God love her) to look at your work.  Family is great, but you need people who don't  know you from some other Joe.  Be warned:  those people are not there to kiss your butt and make you feel good about yourself.  They will look at your work and be honest...terribly, unashamedly honest.  Which is really a good thing.  Just be ready to take some hard blows.  But they are blows of love (butterflies, sunshine & rainbows)!  And they will teach you what a reader wants when they open your story (first lines are SO important).

Let's recap:  Writing is hard, and you can't do it all alone.  You need to look to people that have done what you want to do to get help (read books, take notes).  You should also think about letting total strangers on the internet look over it, too.  People that, truly, are kindred spirits to yourself.  This will help drive your story to the high places, unleashing your potentiality, and helping you get where you want to be.  Find those relationships, cultivate and reciprocate, and see what happens.

Have you already joined an online community of  other writers, or do you have a few buddies that get together every now and again to discuss your work with?  How about a novel you've read as both entertainment and research?  Tell us about it in the comments below.

If you found this information helpful, please share it on your social media go-to!  Others may find it useful also...but (darkness, thunder and lightening) how are they to find it unless you share!