Tips and Tricks for Your Writing

I love writing. I really do, but sometimes it feels so very difficult to write even just one page. I feel defeated, crushed, and very unmotivated. The cycle is a never-ending loop for me, especially when there’s a deadline. Write, backspace, write some more, judge, and then finally delete. And then repeat until I’ve procrastinated so much that I have to hand in the unfinished and unappealing piece. However, through some internet surfing and looking at other’s writing tips, I have found my list of golden rules. So here are some of my personal tips and tricks for writing.

Time Management

I think that my biggest problem while I write is managing my time. I’m either too distracted or I’m too overwhelmed to get anything down on paper. During times like this, I try to set up a time schedule for myself.

For example, I have to focus on writing for one hour before I can have a little break. I find this really helpful because it helps me concentrate and get all of my ideas down on paper. After a break, I can start constructing them.

Don’t Edit

This is another problem that I face constantly, and I think others do as well. I always end up criticizing my work before I even get to the end, which causes me to continuously backspace and edit. That is why I try to live by the famous rule, “write drunk, edit sober,” by Peter de Vries. This is one of my favourite tips because you are eventually going to have to edit, so why not write out everything and then go back and tweak your stuff.

Writer’s Journal

A writer’s journal is a notebook, journal, diary or anything that you feel comfortable writing in. the essential idea of this is to write and plot out your characters, storyline, and everything in between about your book. For me, a writer’s journal is essential. This is because I prefer creative writing, where I can create my own fantasy worlds.

A writer’s journal helps me keep all of my ideas, plots, and characters together. It also helps me have a place to dump all of my scattered ideas for future writing projects. This is something that is unique to the individual.

Some people prefer it, and others would rather go without it. It’s your choice.

Purpose

Sometimes when I write, I struggle to start because I want to have a definite ending before I even start writing. This has caused me to stall on my writing many times because I’m always worried about the ending.  So, what’s my solution? Just write. Yes, that’s it. Just write because eventually, everything will fall into place.

I learned from a mentor that you can’t worry about the ending if you haven’t even started. This advice is what helped me start.

So, when you start writing, just keep writing without worrying about the ending because, by the time that you are finished, the ending will have developed.

Inspiration

Sometimes nothing inspires me. Nothing clicks in my head, and I’m stuck. This happens when I least expect it, and it’s really draining. I don’t know what to write. I don’t know how to create a world. I’m stuck. During this time, I usually end up searching for writing ideas or posts on creative writing. Searching writing prompts is really helpful because it gets my brain back on track as to what I want to accomplish. If you’re struggling with inspiration right now, here are some writing prompts I created:

• You are a fisherman’s daughter/son. One day, as you’re wrapping up the day’s work at sea, your boat tips over and you fall in. The sea is too strong and you end up being pulled under. You’re about to pass out, but before you do, you see a creature swimming towards you. When you come to, you see that you are surrounded by swimming people and realize that you can breathe underwater. Write about what happened to the others and what your adventure is going to be.

• You can only see in black and white. One day, in a crowd of people, someone bumps into you. They quickly apologize and hurry off. You turn around and continue walking when you stop suddenly. You turn around slowly and see it, and it isn’t a dream. You see the redness of a rose petal in the flower shop across the street. Write about your journey to find that person and what happens next.

• You’ve lived by the sea your whole life. One day you figure out that you have fire powers. This is something that people view as a curse because of an old-age legend. Write about how you master and accept this power.

I hope these prompts helped kick start something. When I’m writing, these tips work for me; however, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they have to work for you. Work with stuff that you are comfortable with but also be sure to explore new things to extend your comfort zone. I hope this helped thank you for reading!