“I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.” - Anne Frank
Hello fellow writers! Thanks for stopping by to read this post about writing and staying consistent with your writing! Lately, I've been trying to take my writing more seriously, so I put together some helpful advice that may be useful to you as well! In the following post, I'm going to tell you about 6 Things That Will Improve Your Writing & Consistency. These are in no particular order, but make sure to read them all, because I believe each one is useful in it's own way... so here are six ways to improve your writing and consistency -
A SCHEDULE
Having a schedule is a very important because it keeps you accountable to your goals. I have printed calendars from online for September, October and November with goals set for each day of the week. I taped these on my closet door so I can keep track of them and see my progress. For example, the month of September (dubbed Month One) I have "write 100+ words" on four days of the week. This currently works for me, due to the fact that I just started and expect to increase that number each month. So for October I have "write 200+ words" on four days of the week, and likewise, November my goal is to write 300+ words, four days a week. And even if one hundred words doesn't seem like a lot to you, if you think about it, if you stick to your goal, by the end of the month you would have written 1,800 words! Point being, every word counts...
SET GOALS / CHALLENGES
Personal goals and challenges are great motivators! So grab a notebook and write down some challenges you'd like to try! A fun goal I would suggest is the 100-100 Challenge - it's a hundred-day challenge were you write one hundred words each day. Another thing you could do is what I talked about above; start a schedule and see if you can stick with it! Use a green marker or pencil to mark off each day you reach your goal, and see how many you have at the end of each month! This is a great way to build confidence and consistency.
READ, READ, READ!
Okay friends, it's so key to finding what you enjoy reading, and what characters you like, and how a book makes you feel - so my encouragement to you is to read, read, READ! You don't have to become a introvert and read ALL the time, don't get me wrong, but set a goal for yourself each month to read, say, three books a month. Also, taking notes on what you like and dislike about a book, this can be helpful too! Write down what characters you connect with, described scenes you like, or the opposite - what you didn't like! Basically, become and editor as you read different books.
~ If you'd like some recommendations for good books, I have 25+ suggestions for you on my Book Reviews page! ~
WRITE SHORT STORIES / ESSAYS / BLOG POSTS
This isn't required to become better at writing, but it definitely helps. Starting small with short stories or essays or even just writing blog posts can get you started with how to structure a sentence or describe a character, etc. So I would suggest beginning small, and grow gradually. There are hundreds of websites online who host short story contests or essay contests, or if you like poetry, there are contests for that too! So, you may be able to participate in something like that, and gain valuable experience in the process! So, experiment with different forms of writing, and you may even find that you prefer writing blog posts over novels!
TAKE WRITING CLASSES / COURSES
Become part a writing community! This can be so encouraging to see other young writers striving to do the same thing you are! Connect with a group locally, or find online courses and classes you can take - just continue to learn, and grow! Also consider starting a group! I'm sure there are others around you who want to learn more and grow in their writing as well, so starting a book club or writing group at your library is a great option as well! Working with others, and finding encouragement from peers can be a great motivator for consistency! And maybe in the process, you can be a blessing to another young writer! <3
ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT
This one is so vitally important for success in anything, really! Having people around you who are for your writing is the best motivator to stay consistent. Whether that's you family, friends, fellow writers, authors, teachers, whatever! So if you don't have someone that you know who you can ask for help, I would highly suggest getting in touch with someone who can mentor you in your writing. Get in touch with an author - I think authors are more willing to help young writers than we may think... or email them and ask them questions! Just don't do it alone.
Well, that wraps up today's post, I hope you found some of these tips useful! I'd love to hear how your writing is going, and what's helped you progress as a young writer!
Don't forget that you can sign up for Septembers monthly newsletter here, and... I'll see you guys next time! Farewell!
What has helped your writing? What is your favorite type of writing? Short stories? Essays? Novels? Comment below and share! <3