Andriana BoyrikovaWriting isn’t a professional occupation, so it can’t be learned. It isn’t science, so it can’t be tamed with rules. Writing is a craft. And as such it has to be practiced every day.
Every day bodybuilders grind at the gym. Every day artists make dozens of sketches. Every day pianists practice playing the piano. Then, isn’t it logical that we – journalists, content writers, copywriters, authors – people who have chosen writing as our walk of life, should prioritize it in our daily routine?
There are no grand secrets behind mastering writing. It is very simple: if you want to be good at it, you have to practice, practice, and practice.
If you want to be good at writing, write!
As obvious as it might seem, the key to improving your writing is practicing it on a regular basis. Just like the forever-great Ray Bradbury wrote:
“The schedule: One-thousand or two-thousand words every day for the next twenty years. […] You will have to write and put away or burn a lot of material before you are comfortable in this medium.”
Following this write-every-day routine can’t guarantee you will be the next Ray Bradbury, but it will make stellar changes to your writing. Do you remember that time when it took you almost two days to write a 1,500-word article before you published it? Or that other time when you had amazing ideas racing in your head but you couldn’t put them in written because your sentences didn’t flow? Or perhaps you never had such moments?
Well, I did. Too many times. I knew I needed to change something and all those “5 tips for becoming a better writer” articles did not help me in the least. The actual light-bulb moment happened several weeks after I had finished Bradbury’s Zen in the Art of Writing. I asked myself: Why do I hardly spend any of my spare time writing? Why do I write only when I have work assignments?
Every day. 30 minutes. No distractions.
Then I came up with a new writing routine: I will write anything I feel like for 30 minutes (or 60, 90, it is up to you how much you can and want to spare) every day. I will devote that time to creative writing and, most importantly, to relishing the process.
But there is a problem, you will say: how can you spare 30 minutes of your precious time when you are so busy with work, family and kids, social life and friends, household chores, sports, hobbies, and social media? I will answer this question with a question: is writing your passion and do you see yourself doing it in the next 10 years? Or do you do it because you earn money? If it is the latter, I suggest that you stop reading this blog post.
Besides, what about all the time after work till bedtime or between your breakfast and commute that you possibly waste? All you need is 30 minutes in a distraction-free environment. As writing is a creative process, it requires a complete focus of mind, so leave your phone in another room and disconnect from WiFi and the whole world. Let it be only you and your writing.
Then pour it out: blog post for your website, chapter in your journal, short story, random thoughts, daily impressions, even work-related text. The form, genre, voice, tone, style, grammar, and word count don’t matter.
You will notice how this writing process will become so incorporated in your daily routine that you will no longer wonder how to squeeze 30 minutes of your busy day.
Results
Ever since I started writing every day for 30 minutes, I have noticed the following:
✅Improvement in organizing my thoughts;
✅Improvement in communicating my ideas;
✅Improvement in finding focus of my stories or articles;
✅Swiftness in wrapping up a work assignment.
On a final note, writing is a craft where the inspiration comes with the doing. The more you write, the more you want to write. So stop convincing yourself you are too busy or too tired to write in your spare time after a whole day of work-related writing. Grab a big mug of aromatic tea, recline in the couch, and savour that quality moment of you and your writing.
Bradbury liked to recount the story of meeting a carnival magician, Mr. Electrico. At the end of his performance Electrico reached out to the twelve-year-old Bradbury, touched the boy with his sword, and commanded, “Live forever!”. Bradbury later said, “I decided that was the greatest idea I had ever heard. I started writing every day. I never stopped.”
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Freelancing tips: As someone who has faced a myriad of challenges in the freelance writing arena, I want to share my tips and ideas with you, fellow freelance writers, and hopefully make your daily freelancing struggles one tone lighter. What are your tips that can save another freelancer’s writing life? Let me know in a comment.
Featured image: visual connections.in.
