Authors
love to write and each of them believe they write well. No one forced them to write. They do it out of love or need. Writing is not a chore for those who
write. Their writing is the end product
of who they are – the sum of their life experiences, psychological makeup,
philosophical approach to life, and their physical resources. Most of all, their writing puts forth ideas,
views, and information that they believe will do something for or to another
person. Secretly, they hope to use words
to change or influence others. My
question or proposition is this: How will you make your writing better in 2015?
Here are
10 ways to raise the quality of your writing:
1.
Write
– often and a lot. Not everything you
write is gold, but if you produce enough content, something is bound to rise to
the top.
2.
Edit. Great writing comes when you apply great
editing. Edit yourself first, but then
get a second opinion.
3.
Ask
readers for feedback and listen to it.
Even if you think they are a bunch of freaking idiots who are too dumb,
prejudiced, or jealous to fully appreciate your talented offerings, consider
that they may have a point worth examining.
It can’t hurt.
4.
Read
more. Many terrific writers read the
works of others to draw inspiration from.
5.
Increase
your vocabulary and you will increase the level of your writing.
6. Experiment with new styles and formats.
6. Experiment with new styles and formats.
7.
Take
things to the extreme. If you write a
romance novel, go all the way. Make the
characters not just believable/likeable/interesting – let them be the ultimate
at whatever they do. If they have an
affair, make it on top of the Empire State Building, where not only is one’s
marriage threatened, but their physical well-being too. If you write nonfiction, don’t just tell us how
to lose weight or make money; tell us an outrageous way to do these things.
8.
Switch
genres or subject matter. You are not
married to one thing – go and explore a rich world of people, places, and
things.
9.
Shake
your life up. Writing often comes out of
your own experiences so if you have more experiences and ones in which new
things are tried or crazy stuff happens, all the more fodder for your book.
10. Write what interests you and what
you know best. You can’t write for
others or what they tell you to write on.
Being an
author is not a high school student doing a term paper on a designated
subject. You are free to write about
anything, anyone, any place, and any idea, in any time period. Feel liberated to let your writings take you
to where you could never be or go. Write
the book you would want to read.
Lastly,
to be a better writer, tell others to leave you alone and to give you
flexibility in your schedule to write when the need or desire presents
itself. Writers think about writing more
than they permit themselves to spend time writing.
Writing
can be a therapeutic device. It can be
the great equalizer. Writing can cure
any deficiency and correct a world of wrongs.
It can make us feel that life has meaning, that a victory can be seen in
a loss, that a love exists even when surrounded by hatred. Writing shapes our lives, changes the world,
and helps us live through competing ways of seeing things.
Could
you be a better writer in 2015? I have
no doubt that you can – and shall – improve as a writer. Start now.
Write, then write some more, and keep on doing it until writing is your
full-time avocation. Let your passion
drive you!
DON’T MISS: ALL NEW RESOURCE OF THE YEAR
2015 Book PR & Marketing Toolkit: All New
Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog
are his alone and not that of his employer, Media Connect, the nation’s largest
book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him
at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person.
This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2015
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