Recently, I’ve been researching recommended tactics to become a better writer. Even if you’ve been writing for decades like I have, there is always room for improvement. The following are some of the top habits to improve your writing skills and boost your productivity as a writer.
Write Daily
“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” Louis L’Amour
If you wanted to build muscle strength, you wouldn’t lift weights occasionally and expect to see results. You would lift weights on a consistent and ongoing basis. Writing is like exercising a muscle. The more often you use that muscle, the stronger it becomes.
Set a goal to write something every day, even if it is just 15 minutes. I guarantee that by the end of 30 days, your writing will improve.
Create Rituals
“I don’t wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work.” Pearl S. Buck
When you sit down to write, it can be helpful to create one or more rituals that signal to your brain it’s time to get to work. Some writers light a candle, say a prayer, turn on classical music, stretch, read an inspiring passage from a favorite book, or meditate.
Remove Distractions
“Efforts to deepen your focus will struggle if you don’t simultaneously wean your mind from a dependence on distraction.” Cal Newport
According to this UC Berkely article, every time we are interrupted while focused on a difficult task , it takes an average of 15 minutes to get back to the same level of concentration. When it’s time to focus on your writing, silence your phone, ignore social media, and close the door to people (and pets!).
Delay Research and Rabbit Holes
“You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.” Jodi Picoult
If you want to keep your writing faucet turned on, avoid stopping to look up statistics, facts or other details. When I get into writing flow, I make a notation in the manuscript of “XXX,” so I can search for those notations later and locate a statistic or case study or whatever other information I need to add. Remember, the goal is to get it out of your head and onto paper!
Avoid Editing While You Write
“You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it.” Octavia E. Butler
When tackling a first draft of a manuscript, article, or blog post, try to ignore errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation. Editing while you write breaks up the magical flow state that can happen when you get on a creative roll. The goal is to write first and edit later.
Know Your Audience
“Your audience is one single reader. I have found that sometimes it helps to pick out one person—a real person you know, or an imagined person, and write to that one.” John Steinbeck
One of the best ways to write a manuscript that gets recommended and shared is to write FOR a specific audience. Determine who makes up your target audience. Is it people who struggle with a similar life challenge? Is it single moms with young kids? Is it men preparing to retire? The more specific you can get, the better you can focus on serving that audience through your written work.
Put Yourself in the Shoes of Your Reader
“You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone’s soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows that they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift.” — Erin Morgenstern
Once you are clear about who makes up your target audience, the next step is to identify their interests, needs, and challenges so that you can address them directly. For example, if you’re writing a book about weight loss for new mothers, you could assume they have limited time and energy. Knowing this, you can focus some of your content on helping them maximize the time and energy they have available.
Get Vulnerable
“No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.” Robert Frost
Read just about any memoir that has ever made a bestseller list or achieved acclaim, and you will see they all have one key element in common: the author showed vulnerability. These are the deepest, darkest parts of the story or experience.
When I read Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle, I felt like I was peeking behind the curtain of a strained marriage. There were uncomfortable moments that most people wouldn’t share with a close friend, let alone millions of readers. If you want your writing to resonate, vulnerability is essential.
Go to a Different Location
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” Maya Angelou
Creativity can be unleashed in a new space. I’ve written several books from a room at the Hampton Inn, located just a few miles from my home. The change of scenery and lack of distractions provides a major boost to my writing productivity. Your different location might be a park bench, a coffee shop, co-working space, or even just in a different room of your home.
Set Writing Goals
“The only way to learn to write is to force yourself to produce a certain number of words on a regular basis.” William Zinsser
Many writers find it helpful to set specific goals when writing. It could be setting a timer and writing for 30 minutes. Or you might set a specific word count goal for your writing session. If you write three typed pages a day, which totals about 1,000 words, you will have a substantial first draft in 60 days.
Show Instead of Tell
“Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader – not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.” E.L. Doctorow
Description is an important part of storytelling, which is especially important in narrative nonfiction and memoir. Challenge yourself to write descriptive scenes. Cheryl Strayed does this exceptionally well in her book Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail.
Clear the Brain Clutter
“Your intuition knows what to write, so get out of the way.” Ray Bradbury
Ironically, when I sat down to write this article, I struggled to focus and find my flow. After a short ride on the struggle bus, I realized my mind was cluttered with a to do list. I stepped away, grabbed a notebook, and dumped all those swirling thoughts onto paper. I also enjoyed a cup of coffee and spent an hour in my garden. When I returned to my desk later in the day, the writing faucet turned right back on. If you’re feeling stuck and you’re not sure why, step away and see if you need to clear out some brain clutter.
Read, Read, and Read Some More
“If you read good books, when you write, good books will come out of you.” Natalie Goldberg
Have you ever heard of a professional basketball player who never watched a game of basketball in his life? The idea sounds absurd, doesn’t it? Reading books is a powerful way we learn to become better writers. If you’ve never read a memoir, you can’t possibly understand what sets a great memoir apart from the rest.
Edit Your Work (After Your Initial Draft is Complete)
Examine every word you put on paper. You’ll find a surprising number that don’t serve any purpose.” William Zinsser
In today’s short attention span society, writing needs to be conversational. Few readers have the patience for long-form text, unless every single word serves a purpose. While it can be hard to trim back your baby, the editing process is the time to cut back the unnecessary and repetitive text to make your work as concise and engaging as possible.
Embrace the Frustration
“Writing is supposed to be a difficult, agonizing, a dreadful exercise, and a terrible occupation.” Ray Bradbury
Expect and accept that there will be moments when you get frustrated. This is true of parenting, working at a job, and doing anything worthwhile. Don’t let it derail your progress.
Make a Commitment to Yourself
“Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it’s the only way you can do anything really good.” William Faulkner
Very few writers have the luxury of endless free time to write. Even New York Times bestselling authors have day jobs! If you want to improve your craft, put writing time on your calendar and treat it like any other essential appointment you can’t miss.
Accept Imperfection
“If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.” Margaret Atwood
Speaking as a recovering perfectionist myself, I encourage you to embrace imperfection when writing. So many writers get stuck in analysis paralysis, reviewing their work repeatedly and finding nitpicky flaws. I can’t open any of my own published books because I want to make changes on every single page!
Did you know Johnny Depp refuses to watch his own films because all he does is see the imperfections in his performance? You are not alone if this is a challenge for you. This is why we hire editors. Let the professionals make it right and put your energy into getting your work across the finish line!
If you enjoyed this article, you will love our exclusive course:
Write Your Nonfiction Book Manuscript in 90 Days
Excellent post. Thank you Stephanie. The book, The War of Art, really speaks to your point on distractions. In the newsroom, we used to say that if you struggle with writing a beginning, you. haven’t done enough reporting. Best to you and all you do.