A Writer's Journey

A writer’s path to success begins with a single word, but reaching that destination requires more than just putting words on a page.  It requires growth.  It requires being pushed beyond the comfort zone.  Of course, the ways we continually seek to expand our horizons are as varied as we are.  Some of us immerse ourselves in the act of writing and reading.  Still others seek growth through life’s experiences, supportive communities, and education.  In a recent survey conducted here on Writing.com, several authors took time to discuss their unique paths to improving their personal craft.  If you are serious about improving your writing skills, consider following one or more of these tried and true methods.

A basketball player will tell you, as he catches nothing but net, that it’s all about practice.  Writers will tell you the exact same thing -- the more you write, the better you get.  Every time fingers dance over a keyboard or a pen races across a page, our skills increase.  We are practicing the act of fine-tuning grammar and exploring the art of manipulating words.  As MorganAdam, a Writing.com author and Junior Leader of the Paper Doll Gang, explains, “It [writing] allows me to practice or try something that I would never think I could do.”  There’s just no substitute for this method. If you want to improve your writing, you have to write.  It’s that simple.

Next to writing, reading is one of the most popular ways that writers seek to improve their craft.  Perhaps, this is because of our love of the written word that drove us to become writers in the first place.  We seek to recreate the magic that we have experienced when reading a well-turned phrase or story.  However, we tend to approach reading differently than the average person.  “Reading provides insight into what good writing is like, and what bad writing feels like,” says Theorangefox, another Writing.com author.  Instead of just getting lost in the story, we find ourselves dissecting the language and literary elements with a critical eye. 

Some writers will even consciously seek to mimic the styles of authors they consider to be great.  Arizonaheat, a Writing.com author and member of the Paper Doll Gang, does exactly this.  Taking a sample from writing she likes, she then changes the topic and tries to duplicate everything about it -- sentence structure, paragraphing, structure, etc.  Not only is this fun, but it is a great way to play with different styles and techniques she might not otherwise have tried. 

Of course, reading and writing both provide great resources for us to strengthen and develop our skills, but are there other resources that remain untapped?  For example, what about life experiences?  If you ask a writer what inspires him, you will frequently be told about people or events in his life.  Why not, then, seek out activities and people that will keep that well of inspiration filled? 

“I put myself in a position where my life experiences spark ideas for my writing, and because of that I’ve never had a problem with writer’s block,” says Patricia Gilliam, a writing blogger and author of The Hanaria Series: Out of the Gray and Legacy.  Understanding how a variety of experiences can help you develop your writing, turns every new person you meet or every new thing you try into a resource for developing your skills. 

One way to add interesting people to your life is through on-line writing communities.  Even Writer’s Digest, a premier writing magazine, recognized this fact in their October 2009 issue.  In “Join the Crowd”  by Jessica Strawser, several websites were highlighted including such sites as Writing.com.     

Taking part in this type of community provides you with opportunities you might not otherwise have had.  Reviewing, for example, is a common activity on Writing.com and actually functions as a symbiotic relationship between the reader and the writer.  As mentioned earlier, reading in itself provides many benefits, but think about how much more you get out of reading something that has not been professionally edited.  When we, through reviewing, act as the editor, we become much more conscious of what qualifies as effective writing and what doesn’t.  We also rev up our own creative juices as we try to help the writer solve various problems.  When that awareness, that knowledge is applied to our own work, we improve our craft.  For this reason, many authors on Writing.com credit reviewing others as a main component of their own growth. 

On the receiving end of the review, the writer gains even more.  An objective review can provide insight in the form of positive reinforcement and constructive criticism.  When multiple reviews are received, we are gifted with an accurate, unbiased picture of our work.  As a resource for improving your writing, that gift just cannot be measured, and certainly it would not exist without being surrounded by a community of writers.

However, the benefits to belonging to such a community do not end there.  Perhaps the most important payoff is in the form of motivation and encouragement.  Being surrounded by people with a similar passion for the written word tends to motivate us to write more.  In such a setting, we receive this encouragement from people of all different skill levels, and when that support comes from a veteran, who may have even been published, it is an incredible thrill – a validation of our work.  Similarly, more experienced writers receive an immense sense of satisfaction out of mentoring those just starting out.  These veteran writers may even feel motivated and energized as they watch the newbies struggle to share their passions.  The result is a lasting relationship that benefits both parties. 

If that isn’t enough, many of these communities offer contests designed to spark creativity and motivate authors to write.  Writing.com is the perfect example.  There is everything from flash fiction contests, which limit the word count, to short story contests that encourage writers to extend beyond their comfort zone.  In essence, this is ideal for those writers, such as The0Hawk, who are competitive by nature.  Before joining Writing.com, The0Hawk wrote only sporadically.  Now, thanks to the competitive element, he writes and enters the flash fiction contests almost daily.  As a result, he has seen incredible growth in his writing.

Finally, many writers seek to better their writing through education.  For some, this means reading various magazines or books on writing.  For others, this means attending classes or conventions.  In today’s modern world, technology has made this more accessible than ever before.  For example, Writer’s Digest offers countless on-line seminars and various writing communities also provide opportunities such as the Newbie Class for The Paper Doll Gang found on Writing.com.  The potential for growth through these venues is astounding.  It allows the writer to try new techniques under the tutelage of experienced instructors and teaches them to write under pressure of deadlines. 

So the next time your writing life leaves you feeling stranded, remember all hope is not lost.  If voracious reading and writing doesn’t net you some results, take the next step. Try something new, or why not make Writing.com an active part of your life?  Start reviewing!  …building relationships! …entering contests  …or even take a class!  Before you know it, you will be well on your way to becoming the writer you dream of being.   



Author's Note: A special thank you to all of those who took the time to complete the survey "A Writer's Journey."  Without your invaluable input, this article would not have been written.





RESOURCES

Though writing and reading are the favorite ways to advance our craft, many writers do rely on a variety of outside resources.  Here is a list of the top books, magazines and websites used by many writers on Writing.com.  Perhaps among them, you might find a gem or two to help on your writing journey. 

Books

1. On Writing by Stephen King

2. Bird by Bird; Some Instruction on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

3. On Writing Horror by Mort Castle

4. Stein On Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies by Sol Stein

5. Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose

Magazines

1. Writer’s Digest

2. Writer’s Journal

3. The Writer

4. Shadows

Websites

1. Writing.com

2. Gather.com

3. Buddingwriter.com

4. Writersjournal.com

5. Writersbeat.com

6. Bksp.org

7. Authonomy.com

8. Nanowrimo.org

9. Ehow.com

10. Writerlibrary

11. Thoughts.com

12. Livejournal.com

13. Writersdigest.com

14. Writersmarket.com