Are you writing?
If not, read my first article again and commit to writing. Once you've decided to forge ahead on the writing path, you need to learn the craft. The skills used by successful writers can be learned by anyone willing to put in the time and effort.
LEARN THE CRAFT
No matter how good of a writer you believe yourself to be, there is always room for improvement. However, don’t let that statement prevent you from writing. Write and learn at the same time. The top writers in the industry will tell you that they continue to write and learn.
“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”
—Ernest Hemingway
1. Collect your own writing library. Even if you have to start your collection by visiting the second-hand bookstore in your neighborhood, find good books on writing. Then read them. Merely collecting the books will not make you a better writer. Study the concepts they teach and apply them to your writing efforts. When you finish your first book on writing, start another one. There are plenty of great books on the craft and here are a few of my favorites.
The Writer’s Journey by Chrisopher Vogler
GMC: Goal, Motivation, and Conflict by Debra Dixon
Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell
Save the Cat by Blake Snyder (Written for screenplays, but applies to all fiction writing.)
2. Attend classes, workshops, and conferences. Find out what classes on writing are available at your local community college. Check with the libraries near you to see if they have free workshops on writing. Attend any writing conferences near you and network while you learn. The advantage to learning the craft this way is that an experienced writer is available to answer your questions. Attending live events with other writers also is a great motivator. A successful class, workshop, or conference will energize you and leave you excited to write.
3. Start with short stories. This is offered more as a suggestion than writing advice. A short story contains all of the important elements of storytelling as does a longer book, but takes less time to complete. In the amount of time that an author could create a story idea, plot it, fill the story with characters, and apply a satisfying ending to one novel, the writer could instead do the same thing for a dozen short stories. Short stories also force an author to trim all the writing fat and get right to the heart of the story/article.
If not, read my first article again and commit to writing. Once you've decided to forge ahead on the writing path, you need to learn the craft. The skills used by successful writers can be learned by anyone willing to put in the time and effort.
LEARN THE CRAFT
No matter how good of a writer you believe yourself to be, there is always room for improvement. However, don’t let that statement prevent you from writing. Write and learn at the same time. The top writers in the industry will tell you that they continue to write and learn.
“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”
—Ernest Hemingway
1. Collect your own writing library. Even if you have to start your collection by visiting the second-hand bookstore in your neighborhood, find good books on writing. Then read them. Merely collecting the books will not make you a better writer. Study the concepts they teach and apply them to your writing efforts. When you finish your first book on writing, start another one. There are plenty of great books on the craft and here are a few of my favorites.
The Writer’s Journey by Chrisopher Vogler
GMC: Goal, Motivation, and Conflict by Debra Dixon
Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell
Save the Cat by Blake Snyder (Written for screenplays, but applies to all fiction writing.)
2. Attend classes, workshops, and conferences. Find out what classes on writing are available at your local community college. Check with the libraries near you to see if they have free workshops on writing. Attend any writing conferences near you and network while you learn. The advantage to learning the craft this way is that an experienced writer is available to answer your questions. Attending live events with other writers also is a great motivator. A successful class, workshop, or conference will energize you and leave you excited to write.
3. Start with short stories. This is offered more as a suggestion than writing advice. A short story contains all of the important elements of storytelling as does a longer book, but takes less time to complete. In the amount of time that an author could create a story idea, plot it, fill the story with characters, and apply a satisfying ending to one novel, the writer could instead do the same thing for a dozen short stories. Short stories also force an author to trim all the writing fat and get right to the heart of the story/article.
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