The 10 geese at a local lagoon represent the top 10 writing tips to get you inspired for writing in 2019!
By Shelley Widhalm
Lists are everywhere for a trip to the store, errands and business tasks, but do you have a list for writing?
Even if you are not a writer, these tips can help you get started. Or if you already love the process, do you have your own top 10 writing tips?
Why a Writing List?
My list helps me get motivated and stay on task, turning the desire to write into the action of writing. If I don’t keep resorting to it, I let other things fill my planner. It’s easy to do, and despite tracking how many hours I spend on writing each week, I come up with excuses for not writing.
It seems ironic—don’t do what you desire though you desire it.
The idea of a list is to turn desire into a habit, something that can be carried out through 2019. My list is compiled from writing advice I gathered from magazine articles and books on writing, writing conferences and workshops, and my own personal experiences.
The advice includes a few rules to live by to make writing a routine and, over time, a habit without too much planning, thinking or agonizing about it. It’s a way to show up for writing, finding that once you got started, you have something to say, a poem to write, or descriptions and storylines to add to a work in progress.
Top 10 Writing Tips
- Write as much as you can, setting a writing quota with daily, weekly or monthly goals, such as writing three or four times a week. For example, make it a goal to write for two hours or 1,000 words in a session.
- Get rid of distractions and the inner critic, which can keep you from writing.
- Don’t wait for inspiration, because it could take awhile to arrive. Also, the more you practice writing, the easier it is for words and ideas to come to you.
- Figure out what is most essential for you to write about. Write about what interests you, what you want to learn about and, of course, what you already know.
- Have more awareness, using all of the senses when making observations to add details to your descriptions. Take notes for later use.
- Think about where your writing wants to go, realizing that you’re not in total control of it. Trust your subconscious to make connections your conscious mind isn’t ready to or won’t necessarily be able to make.
- Realize that rough or first drafts aren’t perfect on the first try. As you write, the story or message unfolds and isn’t readily formed until it’s written. Get the sentences down, then revise and revise again.
- Accept that writing is supposed to be hard.
- Focus on the process instead of the results. Enjoy that process.
- Last but not least, read. Reading makes you a better writer.
Writing lists are a great way to pinpoint the best advice and serve as a source of motivation to find the time, discipline and inspiration to do the hard work of sitting down to write. With that list in hand, it’s a great time to make writing a habit in 2019!