Read Because You Write

Why is it so important to read if you are a writer?

The same reason it is important to ride that bike even when you fall, or to play that piano even when you make a sour note. It is like practice for anything; practice improves you. And reading is one of the keys to practice as a writer.

"Read a thousand books and your words will flow like a river." — Virginia Woolf

I once read a short essay by Virginia Woolf in a writing class I was taking for college. And let me tell you, this quote above is the honest to goodness truth. Her essay was like a river of words, and was excellently written. So, I would have to say that she knew what she was talking about when she made that statement.

As a writer, we may think that the only way to practice is by writing. Well, that makes sense! A person learning to play the violin has to actually PLAY it to practice. And a person learning to swim has to actually get in the pool and swim to practice.


But with writing, it's not all that cut and dry. Yes, it is just as important (if not more) to write as a writer (duh), but it is also critical to read. Read lots of books, as many as you can. But especially read the type of books that you write. Because that will help you the most.


However, don't just read them to read, read to understand and improve. Read with the knowledge of a writer and use everything that author does to improve yourself.


I read a really helpful tip on another writing blog a little while ago that I would like to share with you all. If you come across something in a book you are reading that just makes you stop say wow, or that you wish to you could do in your own writing, then write it down! Pause in your reading, and identify how the writer did whatever it was that made you stop. Then, make a note of it! The next time you are writing and are stuck on something like that, refer to the notes and make use of them.


Here's a plus to this whole idea of reading to improve your writing: if you enjoy reading (like me) then it gives you an excuse to buy lots of books and read, read, read! Because, why not? It is research and practice after all!


So go forth and read to improve your writing!

“I cannot live without books.” — Thomas Jefferson

Finding the Motivation to Write

Welcome back to my blog! Read on as I talk on about the wonders of writing and how to improve yourself! Thanks for reading!

Yes, this post is going to cover the dreaded topic of motivation. The writer's worse night mare and something that is always a constant struggle if you are honest with yourself. Sometimes its just so hard to get back at that keyboard and actually write. And sometimes when we do get to that keyboard, our brain instantly thinks up a million other things that need to be done.


Or maybe, our brain just decides to shut itself off. And then we have absolutely no words to write and feel (if you're anything like me) that we don't know a single word. That a dictionary us purely a foreign concept and we have no hope of ever achieving it.


But, have no fear! I have here to give you some tips that have worked for me on conquering the path to write and to stick with it.





[tip one] Music.
Yes, music. For myself, I find that music can be my greatest inspiration at times, and my worst enemy at times. Sometimes, the music just makes me write and write and write without stopping, while other times, I find myself typing the lyrics to the song I'm listening to. True story.


So, what do you do? Why, listen to music without lyrics of course! I am not kidding, it really does help. Listening to music that has lyrics forces our brains to have to process those words as well as what we are trying to write and that makes it twice as hard to write. But, if you listen to music that is without lyrics, it helps stimulate our brains and help us to focus. Gaming music especially tends to do this, as it is made to help the gamer focus and be motivated in the game.


[tip two] Location.
I have heard this tip from many other people more experienced than myself, and I have found it to be true. It is very important to find a location that is quiet, and allows you to focus. So that means, distraction free! No internet if possible, no phone, no electronics, no people, no ANYTHING that distracts you. Once you have found your special writing place, you will hopefully find it easier to write more and to write for longer as well.


[tip three] Routine.
This one is especially helpful, but it is also hard to achieve. I am still struggling majorly with this one. It is important to have a writing routine, and to stick with it! If you write every day, even for a little bit, and keep on track, you will find it easier to come back to the keyboard each time.


[tip four] Free Write.
This tip is one that I came up with on my own, but I have found it really effective for myself. I have found it so much easier to write for my books and novel and to focus on them, when I take time to write other things. Sometimes, when I am just writing for the same things over and over and I feel the stress of needing to be serious about it, it can just drag me down and take the fun out of writing.


Because of that, I decided to start other stories and little writing prompts on the side, but made sure to keep them light and nothing serious. By doing this, I am still practicing writing, but I can leave a lot of the stress behind when I take breaks to do these. Then, I feel (surprisingly) motivated to get back writing my more serious stories, sometimes just for the steadiness of them. (Believe me, some of my loose and light stories are pretty crazy)


These are the four biggest tips that work the best for me and I have found to be the most practical. Hopefully these tips help you as much as they have helped me, and give you the push you need to get back to that keyboard!





P.S. No flower pictures this time :) I didn't see how they would fit in to my discussion. But I hope you enjoyed the pictures I did put in!

“Don’t waste time waiting for inspiration. Begin, and inspiration will find you.” 

-H. Jackson Brown Jr.
 

The Importance of Outlines

Welcome back to my blog! Read on as I talk on about the wonders of writing and how to improve yourself! Thanks for reading!

This week I'm going to share what I've learned on a specific part of the writing process, thus named: the outline. 

Wait! Don't be scared off by the title, because, yes, outlines can be scary and intimidating. I have felt the same way as you might be feeling right now. But I'm here to tell you that outlines don't have to be scary. And when used correctly, they can make the writing and editing process so much easier.

Now, I agree that there can be things about using an outline that make the writing process less... exciting, maybe. And that can be true when you take the time to completely map out your story details and plot, but we can't forget the good that outlines do. Yes, it takes any spontaneousness (wow, what a word) out of the writing, but let's be real, is spontaneousness always good? 

Now take this flower. It is intricate and delicate and there are so many components that make it up to be like it is (those of you who read my last blog post will remember some of this analogy). This flower represents a finished story. Imagine it as your story all finished and completed. It is beautiful, for certain, but it didn't always look like this. At one point, it probably didn't look like anything special at all, and let's face it, most of us who write have probably felt this way about some part of our writing at one time or another. Just... be honest with yourself. :)

Now, back to my point. This flower is beautiful now, but how did it get this way? It had to grow! And what does a flower need to grow? Let's see... if I remember correctly it needs soil (earth), sunlight, and water. It cannot grow into such a beautiful flower without ALL of those components.

So an outline is like the soil or earth for the flower to grow in. It is the foundation for the flower. And it is what keeps the flower centered and firm while it grows. That is just what an outline does for a story. 

An outline keeps the story on track when it is so easy to follow those many rabbit trails that are always calling to us writers! The outline reminds us to keep on point with our story so we may share something meaningful with the world.

Plus, the outline also makes the editing process go easier (and I'm sure we all want that). When we don't follow as many rabbit trails, then there is less to cut out and rewrite once we reach the dreaded stage of writing called: revision. 

I'm sure I've probably convinced you that outlines are important by now (at least I hope so) and you are probably thinking, "so what? I can see they are important, but does that matter? It doesn't change the fact that I hate writing and using them!" And yes, I get your point. And I was just going there.

Perhaps you are like me in that you don't always use an outline when you write. Yes, I confess I am a bit of a hypocrite at times when I write, but sometimes it's just nice to not write so seriously, and just do it with more freedom. As a result, I have had some experience in writing stories using both an outline and writing without one.

When I prepare and outline, and use one, there are several tricks I use that I have gleaned from several writing classes I have taken throughout my life. And I hope that by sharing them with you, it will make your outline easier to write :)

First: don't even start the outline unless you have a lot of ideas and information written down or in your head for your story (this stuff is usually called brainstorming).

Second: start the outline somewhat vague (this may seem weird, but from experience, I've found that it does help to not go into so much detail right away). By keeping it more open, you can improvise and adjust when you come across things that need to be changed, whether plot holes or just a small mistake.

Third: loosely map out the ENTIRE story on paper (it helps to have it either printed or handwritten instead of just on the computer. That way, changes can easily be made). Trust me, there is something about holding the outline in your hand and being able to make notes that helps. I don't know why, but it helps me.

Fourth: once you have the outline printed and kept to be vague, as in not too much detail per chapter, then go through it. Make changes as needed and add more detail (still keep it loose though).

That is mostly the tips I follow when outlining. But I do have some other, more critical tips (as in format) that I use when writing it as well. These tips were given to me by a wonderful writing teacher who really helped me to grow in my love of writing and I wouldn't be the writer I am today without her.

Here is the format I generally use for writing an outline: (keep in mind that this is loose and would be changed somewhat depending on the story you write)

__________________________________________

Title

Author

Chapter One

First line of story (generally keep to short spurts. Don't give a lot of information and make it easy to read)

Keep it to just an overview

Not detailed

Small bits of information to keep you on track

Chapter Two

Make sure to keep chapters separate

Sometimes use abbreviations such as @ or slang to keep it short as well

Have double spacing between lines to allow for correction or edits

_________________________________________

So there you have it! That is generally the format I use, and the one I have found to be the most useful. Currently, I am using this format in my outline for the novel I am writing :)

Here is another flower picture for you, just because ;)

"The more work you put in on your outline and getting the skeleton of your story right, the easier the process is later." 

Drew Goddard