How To Become A Better Writer

If you dream of becoming the next Khaled Hosseini or J.K Rowling, there’s another thing coming towards you. Are you ready though? Being a writer comes naturally to everyone; the only distinguishable factor is continuity. What is this continuity that we speak of? Here’s how to become a better writer.

Also Read: Follow Your Passion In Pakistan

Let’s not be vague about this – becoming a better writer isn’t easy. It takes hard work, but it’s worth the effort. And if it seems like an insurmountable task, there are some concrete things you can do today that will get you on the road to improvement.

 

Read Stuff From Great Writers | How To Become A Better Writer

This may sound obvious, but it has to be said. This is the place to start. If you don’t read great writing, you won’t know how to do it. Everyone starts by learning from the masters, by emulating them, and then through them, you find your own voice.

Read a lot. As much as possible. Pay close attention to style and mechanics in addition to content.

 

Write A Lot

Try to write every day, or multiple times a day if possible. The more you write, the better you’ll get. Writing is a skill, and like any other skill, you have to practice it to get better.

Write stuff for yourself, write for a blog, write for other publications. Write just to write, and have a blast doing it. It gets easier after a while if you practice a lot.

• Write down ideas, all the time.

Keep a little notebook handy (Nabokov carried around index cards) and write down ideas for stories or articles or novels or characters. Write down snippets of conversation that you hear.

Write down plot twists and visual details and fragments of song lyrics or poems that move you. Having these ideas written down helps, because they can inspire you or actually go directly into your writing.

• Create a writing ritual. Find a certain time of day when you can write without interruptions, and make it a routine.

For us ProPakistanis, mornings work best, but others might find lunch or evenings or midnight hours the best. Whatever works for you, make it a must-do thing every single day. Write for at least 30 minutes, but an hour is even better. If you’re a full-time writer, you’ll need to write for several hours a day, as we do. But don’t worry! It helps you get better.

• Just write. If you’ve got a blank paper or a blank screen staring at you, it can be intimidating. You might be tempted to go check your email or get a snack. Well, don’t even think about it, mister. Just start writing. Start typing and get the fingers moving. Once you get going, you get in the flow of things, and it gets easier.

Note: We like to start out by typing things like a name or a headline or something easy like that, and then the juices start flowing and stuff just pours out. But the key is to just get going.

 

Eliminate Distractions | How To Become A Better Writer

Writing does not work well with multi-tasking or background noise. It’s best done in quiet, or with some mellow music playing. Do your writing with writing tools like WriteRoom or DarkRoom or Writer, and do it in full-screen.

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.

Plan, Then Write

This may sound contradictory to the above “just write” tip, but it’s not really. Professionals find it useful to do their planning or pre-writing thinking before sitting down.

They think about it during a daily run, or walk around for a bit to brainstorm, then write things down and do an outline if necessary. Then, when they’re ready, they sit down and just crank out the text. The thinking’s already been done. For a great method for planning out a novel, see the Snowflake Method. It’s a bit funny, but the info is outstanding!

Experiment

Just because you want to emulate the great writers doesn’t mean you have to be exactly like them. Try out new things. Steal bits from other people. Experiment with your style, your voice, your mechanics, your themes. Try out new words. Invent new words. Experimentalize everything. And see what works, and toss out what doesn’t.

 

Get Feedback

You can’t get better in a vacuum. Get someone to read over your stuff — preferably a good writer or editor.

Someone who reads a lot, and can give you honest and intelligent feedback. And then listen. Really try to understand the criticism and accept it and use it to improve. Instead of being hurt, thank your editor for helping you get better.

 

Put Yourself Out There | How To Become A Better Writer

At some point, you’ll need to let others read your writing. Not just the person who you’re allowing to read it, but the general public.

You’ll need to publish your book or short story or poem, or write for a publication. If you’re already doing a blog, that’s good, but if no one reads it, then you need to find a bigger blog and try to submit a guest post. Putting your writing out in the public can be nerve-wracking, but it is a crucial part of every writer’s growth. Just do it.

 

Well, there you have it guys! This was all about how to become a better writer. If you have any questions, just leave a comment in the section provided below.

Good luck!