Posts tagged For the Writer Tips

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been writing for 20 years or 2 weeks. We are  all writers, as soon as we start that first sentence and let our imaginations run rampant.

When all else fails, write a letter.

Want to write something, but don’t know what? Writing letters is a great way to get ideas out of you. The letter can be just  simple, short, and to-the-point, or long and detailed. It doesn’t have to be to anyone, though. Heck, you don’t even have to write a letter! It could be a dairy entry, or something similar. The point is that you’re expressing your ideas and getting your words out, rather than holding them in.

(This coincides closely to my previous tips. It’s not about the content or form; it’s about you.)

Be versatile in your writing.

I’ve seen many writers struggle to write because they want to stick to one medium: short stories, poetry, etc. Some things just can’t be expressed in one way. Say you see a fight happen on the street. How do you write it? A vivid commentary, full of personal insight? In a letter to your brother overseas? How ‘bout in a poem, so that others can picture it just as easily as you saw it? There are so many different ways to say the same thing. Why not use as many as possible?

Using different writing mediums also helps develop your skill as a writer. Each way you write a story builds off the other. Soon you’ll find that that short story you wrote has even more imagery than your poem!

Don’t write for others. Write for yourself.

Often times, I seen that people write for recognition. They want people to like the words they’ve strung together. They want to become popular with their stories or poems.

Don’t.

In the end, it never matters what others think. Even if what you wrote was a gift for another, don’t write it intending to please them. Write it to express your feeling, your side of the relationship. Even if the words are lame or cliche, the feeling you mean to convey will be there, and the receiver will understand.

Write to feel good about yourself. And if people like your work, then think of it as an added bonus.

When you want to write, just write.

I’ve noticed many, many times that the hardest thing for writers is to simply write. That is, just let their ideas flow freely, without the hindrance of editing or making sure it “sounds good.” I, of course, am no exception to this.

Many times, writers will think they have “writers block.” Really, all it is is feeling the need to “write perfectly.” When you can’t just let the ideas fall onto your page, that’s when your problems arise. Next time you feel the need to put words to a page, don’t worry about the beauty of the words or the fluidity. Just worry about getting the idea out of your head first!