Here are 3 quick tips to help you improve your writing skills.
1 – Done is Better Than Perfect
You may hear this a lot, but a gentle reminder won’t hurt your creative flow:
Your story doesn’t have to be perfect in the first draft; it just has to be written.
I’ve been guilty of this myself – I can overthink a sequence to the point where I question how important it is and whether I should delete it altogether!
But, by strengthening the impulse to write first and edit later, you’ll arrive at the editing stage sooner than you think and will be better prepared for it. So shake off the need to be perfect, friend, because you have a story to finish!
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
2 – Read More Books
“Read! Read! Read! And then read some more. When you find something that thrills you, take it apart paragraph by paragraph, line by line, word by word, to see what made it so wonderful. Then use those tricks the next time you write.”
Canadian novelist, W.P. Kin Della.
It’s good practice to read books about writing and to think about the stories you read as a writer. Some of my go-to authors, for both fiction and writing theory, include my long-standing favourite, Professor David Lodge.
3 – Don’t Be Too Hard On Yourself
Whenever you feel that niggling doubt about your writing or whether you’ll make it, or whether your story will ever be told, remember that there is no expiry date for creativity and no time limit for success.
I hope these tips will help you to take the next steps on your writing journey, but sometimes we all need help to get there, and that’s ok. You can follow The Reading Room Podcast for tips and insights. You can also take part in the writing exercises to enhance your writing skills.
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