Hey Friends!
I hope you are doing well and staying warm! It has been cold here, but this week has been nice and sunny! It was very nice to see the sun!
So, I’ve been busy working on my writing projects and living my over 50 creative life. I found an illustrator on Fiverr, and we are working well together. I cannot wait to show you our finished product this year.
Since I’ve been working on my writing, I thought I would share some writing tips that have helped me and my writing students over the years.
When faced with a blank screen or paper, your mind empty of ideas. For over 25 years as a writing instructor, I saw this time and time again in my classroom. I know writing is a challenge, but it’s a dream for many. So today we will look for ways to improve your without writing a word. Yes! Without writing a word!
I know you say Shelly how is that possible? I have to tell you it is possible. I’m sharing ideas with you from my research over the years. One article that I read in 2000 is one that I loved. It’s called “How to: Improve Your Writing Without Writing a Word” by Chandra Moira Beal. Yes, it’s an old article, but the information is still relevant.
Many people widely recognize that writing consistently on a schedule is the best approach, but it’s important to balance it with time for gathering information and developing a firm foundation.
Tip #1 Have a reading life
The first way to improve your writing is to have a reading life. When you are reading, you are internalizing vocabulary, how sentences are created, and building your foundation of knowledge. It’s hard to be a writer if you are not reading. Therefore, please start a reading life. When you decide on what genre you want to write, then you need to start reading those types of books. You will benefit because this practice helps you learn how that genre is written.
I attended an online webinar for children’s writers and the presenter, who is a published author said that to improve our writing life, we needed to read 100 children’s picture books. She suggested that we evaluate the books and learn from those writers.
Tip #2 Find time to walk
The next way Beal discusses how to improve your writing without writing a word is to walk. She says that this exercise will get your circulation going and deliver oxygen to your brain, clearing it of that incessant “mind chatter”. She believes that overthinking can kill that writing spark. Also, this practice allows you the opportunity to be observant of your surroundings and just be in nature and enjoy God’s beautiful creation. If you don’t live in the country like I do, find a park where you can be outside. Be ready to snatch up some inspiration!
One activity that you can do is to try and describe what you see. Using a writing pad or your phone, just start brainstorming and thinking of ways to describe what you see using vivid verbs and concrete nouns. When writing descriptively, using these parts of speech will help you write more creatively. The more you can brainstorm descriptive words, the more vivid and descriptive your writing will become. To me, this practice brings any writing to life.
Tip #3 Talk about your writing
The next way to improve your writing without writing a word is to talk about your writing. I think I had the hardest time with this one. I think that I had imposter syndrome. I had wanted to write for so long that when I started writing, it didn’t seem real. Ms. Beal says that your writing exists the moment you have an idea.
She suggests that you use every opportunity to discuss your work, including seeds of new stories, your current projects, and your frustration. And–there will be frustrations, but don’t let this be an excuse to give up. When you are creating, you will have good days and bad days, but hang in there.
Tip #4 Practice quietness and observation
The next way is just to be quiet and observe. Stop, look, and listen! What’s going on around you? What sounds do you hear? Look at the body language of those around you. Can you describe how a person moves their hair or scrunches up their nose as they smell something bad or smiles as they smell something good that invokes memories of days gone by?
Tip #5 Network and meet other writers
The last one is so important in your writing life and that is to network. Find a way to meet and talk to other writers. I have fallen in love with free online webinars. The community of writers is wonderful! In these forums, you can ask questions or just discuss your fears or frustrations with other writers, who may have the same concerns as you. Since the pandemic, there has been an explosion of online resources. Please take advantage of these opportunities to learn more about your craft. Many of these resources are free and available to any budding or experienced writer.
I love these five ways to improve our writing without writing a word. Thank you, Ms. Chandra Beal, for reminding us of these wonderful ways to build our writing life. In my next blog, I will share more tips from Ms. Beal to help you live a more creative life. If you are trying to get your writing life off the ground and want a more creative life, please tell me which tip you found helpful and please follow my blog.
Talk to you next time, friend! Please be kind to someone today! Our world needs it!
Shelly
