Learning to write isn’t always easy. You can read good books and study how they use the language. Read blogs about writing techniques. But really the only way to learn how to apply that is to write a lot then turn it over to people to tear apart. It can be heart wrenching, depressing, discouraging and brilliantly enlightening.
In addition to having my work critiqued I have two ways of “practicing writing” These are things that aren’t filled with the same anxiety as my wip. Things I write just to learn a technique and never go further than that so there’s no pressure. One is five minute fiction. It happens every Tuesday and helps me loosen up and think things through. Quickly. The other is the exercise folder at Compuserve. There they give a prompt or assignment once a month on a skill or technique. Everyone posts their attempts and we suggest and give advice to each other. I’ve never done it and not learned something.
How do you practice writing?
I practice by writing as much and as often as I can. Hours and hours; it has to get better, right? I also try and pin down my weaknesses so I can be on the lookout for them as I plod along.
ReplyDeleteBtw, I have an award for you over on my blog:)
Aw, Thanks Ruth. I'll be right over.
ReplyDeleteI love the excercises. It's neat that you can stick to the five minute fiction - I wonder if I could be that creative that often?
ReplyDeleteWell, the five minute fiction is a little hit and miss. This summers has been crazy, and if I'm on a roll in my writing then I miss it. Luckily it falls during my regular writing time. That makes it easier, usually at that point I'm ready for a break to clear my head, then I can go back.
ReplyDeleteThose sound like awesome exercises!
ReplyDeleteCan writing blog posts count as writing practice? :)
Of course it does! Although that means I should maybe pay more attention to grammar.
ReplyDelete