Writing is like any other art form—subjective, intimate, and often frustrating. It doesn’t matter if you’re a novice diarist or an accomplished novelist. If you have a passion for writing, you’re likely seeking constant self-improvement. Just as learning is a lifelong expedition, writing is a persistent expansion of creativity and communication skills. Kudos to you for being here, because it means you’re seeking new ways to do just that: improve your fiction and flourish. Here are five tips that hopefully help:
1) Read Anything and Everything
This first tip is self-explanatory and might seem obvious. Common advice says to read as much as possible in your preferred writing genre or style. Take it a step further and read beyond your favored genre. Absorb as much literature as you can across the board—in all forms. Short stories, magazine articles, and online publications can all help enhance your reader’s eye, which will improve your writer’s gift. Read new releases to stay up to date with publication trends and read classic literature from various countries to see the foundations of storytelling. The more you can absorb, the more you will see patterns in grammar and storytelling emerge. You’ll likely find inspiration for your own stories and discover new ideas for scenes that have you stuck.
2) Observe and Absorb Your Surroundings
Next time you’re out in a public place, whether it be a park, coffee shop, a mall, or the grocery store, monitor the surrounding happenings. Observing the mannerisms and quirks of real-life people can inspire characteristics in your own story and bring them to life. Taking notes on scenery can help increase your imagery. Listening to conversations can help influence lifelike dialogue. Bring a journal and take notes of what you see, smell, hear, taste, and feel. You can even snap a few photos of various places—being respectful of those around you of course—to reference for later.
3) Write Nonsense and Rubbish
This is another one of those “duh” type tips. Of course, you must write to get better! However, make sure you’re not only writing when it comes to your projects. Write even when it’s nonsensical chaos—when it’s just a scribble of thoughts in a notepad. Making daily habits of writing can help influence your thought process and creativity. Plus, you never know when inspiration will strike. Perhaps you can end up using one of those jottings later, or maybe it will inspire a stream of thoughts that brings you closer to solving a plot-hole. A seed of imagination and a bit of nonsensical writing normally births art; noting all your thoughts will allow you to save them for later. At the very least, it will help improve your creative skills and writing habits.
4) Indulge in Entertainment and Media
Most writers love books—that’s a given. But try playing a video game, watching a movie, or indulging in other art forms such as music. All art has three things in common: Creativity, storytelling, and emotion. These three components are just as essential to good writing. Playing a new video game could inspire a scene in your story. Listening to a song could inspire an emotion you want to evoke in your readers, or a message you want to portray in dialogue. Browsing paintings could inspire setting or scenery. The more you expose yourself to, the more fodder you will have for your own stories.
5) Find a Critique Partner
Criticism is the key to growth in most facets of life. It’s a hard fact. But criticism shouldn’t be feared. It doesn’t mean insultation or disrespect of one’s work—it should be a way to help pinpoint a writer’s “blind spots” and components of the story that might need tuning. A good critique partner will not only point out the flaws, but the strengths as well. They should provide explanations and examples of improvement for your clarity and benefit. Keep in mind, critiquing is subjective, and the advice is just that—advice. It can help if you let it, but at the end of the day, the writer can create a story however they choose.
Now that you have five new tips, go get those creative juices flowing! Get out there and write—or read, play games, or paint. Whatever you do, do it with intention and remember it’s all experience that will aid you in the long-run. Joyous writing!
