Writing

Five Things I’ve Learned About Writing

Hello, friends!

This week, I’ve been reflecting on the lessons I’ve learned about writing over the past year. I thought it would be fun to share my top five takeaways with you!

1. Consistency is what makes a great writer

The greatest writing doesn’t come from mere luck or talent. While there are many talented writers, most of them became great by staying consistent and writing, even when it was hard. I used to believe that some people were good writers and others simply weren’t, but now I realize that great writing is something one can build toward. The key is consistency.

The level of dedication to your writing will either make or break you. It doesn’t matter how horrible your writing is at first. As long as you are putting words on paper, you are working toward becoming a little bit better every time you write.

2. First drafts are meant to be horrible

I always thought that the first draft was supposed to be great. After all, if you have a great story idea and you’re a decent writer, it should be great on the first shot, right? Well, not exactly. The first draft has one goal: write everything down and finish it. If it’s horrible at the end, at least you finished it and now have a full picture to work toward improving your story. Think about it this way: unless you actually finish the dough and bake the bread, you can’t see if it tastes good, and you can’t tweak the recipe according to the finished product.

I used to be very critical of my work and tried to edit it as I went. It’s hardly any wonder I had a problem just finishing a short story. But now that I’ve chosen to simply finish the first draft and let it be messy, I’ve completed a handful of short stories and have been able to perfect them in following drafts. If you’re stuck in your writing journey, just turn off your inner critic and write the first draft. Will it be great at the end? Probably not, but you’ll have something finished to taste and work with afterward.

3. Critique will grow you as a writer

I’ve had the wonderful privilege of being part of a critique group, and I’ve continually been amazed at how much I’ve learned about writing by receiving and giving critique. It surprises me how much insight others will have about my stories. As the author, it isn’t always easy to spot the details since I’m so close to the story. But when someone else reads it, they can easily spot things that don’t make sense to them as readers. By receiving these comments, I can better polish my story and work to make it better. And by giving critique to someone else’s work, I learn to edit well and analyze what works and what doesn’t in a story without being so close to it that I’m blinded by my own biases. Critique is intimidating, especially at first, but after a while, it can become one of the best things for your writing.

Learning this hasn’t been easy, but seeing my small steps toward becoming a good writer has made critique well worth it.

4. Never underestimate the power of short stories

I never used to see the value in writing short stories. After all, I wanted to write an epic trilogy with deep characters and wild plot twists. A short story wasn’t the place to work toward that. Or was it?

It turns out that one of the best ways to develop some of the key elements of fiction is by writing short stories. After all, they have it all: characters, setting, plot, conflict, dialogue, POV, etc.

By writing a short story, you can practice honing your skills in all these elements without having the overwhelming chore of finishing a full-length novel and then having hundreds of pages to edit and work through. Short stories make it less complicated to see easily what’s working and what’s not. They give you a good idea of the things you need to work on. They help you learn more about pacing, character arcs, conflict, plot twists, etc.

I’ve been reformed! Short stories are quickly becoming my favorite way to practice those skills that need work without overwhelming myself with a long word count and epic saga.

5. Heart stories aren’t the only stories

And finally, I’ve learned that heart stories aren’t the only stories I can or am capable of writing. A heart story is that one project you’ve always wanted to write. It’s your “darling.” But hey, at the end of the day, that’s not all you’re capable of writing. For many authors, their heart project has not been their bestseller or most successful story.

This doesn’t mean heart stories should be cast away. But it does mean that you are capable of expanding beyond that, and there’s a gold mine of creativity within you. Don’t limit yourself to one story. Spread your wings and try out different things. Maybe your heart story will be a success, but maybe you need to sit with it for a while to be able to do it justice once you get to it. Writers write. So try and write as much as you can.

Those are the five main takeaways I’ve learned as a writer. I hope you enjoyed reading them. If you’re a reader, enjoy the books you read. And if you’re a writer, don’t be scared to sit down and go at it—even if you have no clue what you are doing.

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Hello! I'm Anna, an avid consumer of books and tea and a passionate lover of Jesus. I'm passionate about words and storytelling. I love teaching and I enjoy embroidery and baking.

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