Why you fail at writing
One reason people fail at writing is simply they don’t know how to read well. When you write a page, you end up having to reread it many times. If you can’t read well, you probably can’t write well either. It seems counter-intuitive, but a way to be a better writer is to become a better reader first. People say they get stuck. Another common reason is found in this popular question: I really really want to write a book. Some things can not be done. If you don’t like writing a sentence, odds are good you won’t like paragraphs, and if you don’t like paragraphs you’ll be really pissed off when you learn about these things called pages (chapters will blow your mind). There is a big difference between wanting to say you wrote a book, and actually writing one. “A writer who isn’t writing is asking for trouble.” – Walter Kirn Many books are written by ghostwriters. Thousands of people start books and then stop. But many people who fail at writing really didn’t want to write in the first place.
Is your book idea good? (Yes, I promise)
“If you write for yourself, you’ll always have an audience.” -Bruce Springsteen“We can secure other people’s approval if we do right and try hard; but our own is worth a hundred of it, and no way has been found out of securing that. - Mark Twain It will take many hours to write a book. Therefore, you should write about something you, the writer, finds interesting. “Will anyone care about my story?” Many people with an idea want me to tell them their idea is worthy. Don’t wait for permission. If you care about the idea for the book, do it. If in the end if only one other person gets value from what you make, that alone justifies your efforts. If an idea lingers in your mind, and won’t leave you alone, just do it. If you think the story should be told, whether it’s yours, your Mom’s, or your imaginary friend Rupert’s, you are the only person in the world capable of telling it in the way you have it in your mind. So what if your idea is not original. Get started.
Writer's Block Doesn't Exist: Writing Exercises to Help You Generate Ideas
There is no such thing as writer's block. Anyone who says they have it is just in denial. Writer's block is more of an excuse for poor writing. You may feel that anything you write is bad, poorly written, doesn't make any sense, or just doesn't sound right. Turn off your computer screen. Make a list of titles. Write down what you hear. Read your work out loud. Start writing in the middle. The next time you find yourself frustrated with your writing, take a step back and try some of these exercises.
25 Things Writers Should Stop Doing
I read this cool article last week — “30 Things To Stop Doing To Yourself” — and I thought, hey, heeeey, that’s interesting. Writers might could use their own version of that. So, I started to cobble one together. That is, then, how you should read this: me, yelling at me. Then go forth and kick your writing year in the teeth. Onto the list. 1. Right here is your story. 2. Momentum is everything. 3. You have a voice. 4. Worry is some useless shit. 5. The rise of self-publishing has seen a comparative surge forward in quantity. 6. I said “stop hurrying,” not “stand still and fall asleep.” 7. It’s not going to get any easier, and why should it? 8. You don’t get to be a proper storyteller by putting it so far down your list it’s nestled between “Complete the Iditarod (but with squirrels instead of dogs)” and “Two words: Merkin, Macrame.” 9. The mind is the writer’s best weapon. 10. 11. 12. Writers are often ashamed at who they are and what they do. 13. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.
The Ultimate Guide to Writing Better Than You Normally Do.
Writing is a muscle. Smaller than a hamstring and slightly bigger than a bicep, and it needs to be exercised to get stronger. Think of your words as reps, your paragraphs as sets, your pages as daily workouts. Think of your laptop as a machine like the one at the gym where you open and close your inner thighs in front of everyone, exposing both your insecurities and your genitals. Because that is what writing is all about. Procrastination is an alluring siren taunting you to google the country where Balki from Perfect Strangers was from, and to arrange sticky notes on your dog in the shape of hilarious dog shorts. The blank white page. Mark Twain once said, “Show, don’t tell.” Finding a really good muse these days isn’t easy, so plan on going through quite a few before landing on a winner. There are two things more difficult than writing. It’s no secret that great writers are great readers, and that if you can’t read, your writing will often suffer.
