How to improve as a writer; tips to expand your writing abilities and habits

Hi there, it’s been a while again but I’m back(sort of). 

A few blinks of an eye and it’s already June!

Have been so busy the past few months and didn’t have time to write at all.

So I needed some tips to get back in that creative flow and thought I would share it with you!

I already posted something along the lines of this but it isn’t bad to repeat some things so here we go;

Find Ways to Be Creative Every Single Day

Creating a daily writing habit is the best way to improve,

but it’s not always practical for those of us who have full-time jobs, school, responsibilities etc… We all have times where we’re too busy to write, or we simply don’t feel like it.

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t find other creative outlets to keep yourself inspired. Even just thinking about your novel is a great way to work through sticky plot points, or round out character backstory. You can also make mood-boards, playlists or maybe sketch some things from your story. Maintaining that creative momentum will benefit your writing and ensure you’re always prepared to pick it up.

Read and Revise Your Old Writing

If you’ve been writing for a while, take the chance to go back over some of your old projects. Not only will you see how far you’ve come, you’ll likely find ways to add to or improve on what you already have. Once you get past the necessary cringe factor, this is an excellent technique to get you thinking about the editing process. You can practice on reworking your old writing without the stress of creating something ‘perfect’. It also helps to showcase and form your natural writing style. And you never know, it might be the one thing to get you re-inspired on an idea you previously shelved or abandoned. Alway keep your old writing!

“Open Yourself up to Criticism

Writers need a tough skin and they have to be open to criticism. Look at any bestselling novel and you’ll find an abundance of one star reviews amongst the four or five star ones. 

The truth is, you’re not going to please everyone, and that is completely okay!  

That being  said, feedback and critiques (even when harshly delivered) can help you grow as a writer. Having your work reviewed and read by others can highlight any key issues which you can then work to fix.

I’d suggest reaching out to other writers, readers or someone with appropriate experience in the craft to help identify any issues in your work that you can improve upon.

Hope this will help you! I’m going to try to stick to some of these tips and I’ll let you know how it ended or continued…