I'm really trying to improve my writing ability. Can I approach writing training in a similar way to running? If I commit to writing for 30 minutes per day and then slowly build up from there, could it actually yield any significant improvement?
I'm really trying to improve my writing ability. Can I approach writing training in a similar way to running? If I commit to writing for 30 minutes per day and then slowly build up from there, could it actually yield any significant improvement?
Yeppers it's a great way to approach it. I often wish to get back into creating art and going about it by a daily thing would be best for me. It wouldn't matter how great the art is but to be able to be dedicated enough to do it even when unmotivated in the moment, will reap benefits in the end. Your writing 30 min of the day would be a good base. Once you have that down you could a for a goal and reach towards it. A proper one could be to join an in person writers group once a month and discuss you're writing and share it and also read and critique other's work. People who write novels aim for one page per day, front and back. So go start!
thanks for the reply! Imo people over think the process of creating art. People who already have a predisposition toward creativity just need to hone their craft like they would any other skill. Though setting time aside for practice can be challenging for many creatives as most of us are quite spacey people.
My degrees are in writing. I would HIGHLY suggest, in addition to the commitment to daily writing, daily READING. Think of reading like warming-up for the workout of writing.
But, check out some interviews with the Vietnam author Tim O'Brien (The Things They Carried). He often talks about his daily writing process that includes writing every morning (and lifting weights). If I remember correctly, he also talks about how much of what he writes is crap too.
It is rumored that J.D. Salinger had a very detailed filing system for all of his writing: notes, drafts, editing needed, final manuscripts, etc. I think having a similar system would be beneficial as well.
Good luck!
Read Stephen Kings book about writing. He lays it all out there. You could also write stuff for your local newspaper like The Patch contributors.
BUMP
I have found that not only my writing but also my fluidity in conversation and being able to go from one idea to the other has improved- surprisingly ability to listen has improved after commuting to spending as much time in a book as I do on my phone.
The more you write, the better you'll get. It also helps to have an objective 3rd party edit of your writings. You'll learn a lot from constructive feedback that you would never learn by just writing more.
As a non-fiction book writer, let me share what works for me.
I determine the topic.
I outline key points to cover in that chapter.
I research the topic, making a note of key points I want to add to the book.
I fill in the outline a bit more, rearranging the key points and/chapters to ensure a flow.
Throughout this process, I might write down a few paragraphs here and there when I get an idea that I might forget.
Once I get a pretty good idea of what I'm going to include in each chapter, I dictate the entire chapter using Dragon Naturally Speaking. I don't stop to edit. I don't stop if I make a mistake. I just keep talking until I run out of things to say.
This creates a narrative almost as if I was taking to the reader on the other side of a table, but it's also a bit rambling. Then, I review what I've dictated and make basic edits.
If just sit down and type, you will get great ideas... but forget them before you get to that point in your story to type it out. Dictation lets you get your ideas down as you think of them. You can always edit later.
fisky wrote:
The more you write, the better you'll get. It also helps to have an objective 3rd party edit of your writings. You'll learn a lot from constructive feedback that you would never learn by just writing more.
As a non-fiction book writer, let me share what works for me.
I determine the topic.
I outline key points to cover in that chapter.
I research the topic, making a note of key points I want to add to the book.
I fill in the outline a bit more, rearranging the key points and/chapters to ensure a flow.
Throughout this process, I might write down a few paragraphs here and there when I get an idea that I might forget.
Once I get a pretty good idea of what I'm going to include in each chapter, I dictate the entire chapter using Dragon Naturally Speaking. I don't stop to edit. I don't stop if I make a mistake. I just keep talking until I run out of things to say.
This creates a narrative almost as if I was taking to the reader on the other side of a table, but it's also a bit rambling. Then, I review what I've dictated and make basic edits.
If just sit down and type, you will get great ideas... but forget them before you get to that point in your story to type it out. Dictation lets you get your ideas down as you think of them. You can always edit later.
Does Dragon Naturally Speaking actually work? I tried using the google version & it sucked! It was such a pain in the butt that I only tried it once & went back to simply typing.
I agree with the idea that training is required in writing too. I also know that writing a letter to yourself may be a good tactic for motivation. Especially, if you have a writer's block or can't make yourself overcome procrastination (in my case, it's when I plan to write at least 1000 words per day and then go to the kitchen and cook something tasty).
Kirsten Donaghey's article can be helpful too.
Writing Like a Runner with Kirsten Donaghey:
https://www.kirstendonaghey.com/2019/05/16/writing-like-a-runner/
Training to Become a Better Writer - Pimion
I know this is a 3-year-old post, but I have Dragon Naturally Speaking 13 home and it works great... but with some caveats.
You need a decent microphone for best results. I have the Blue Snowball and the Samson Go. Both are great.
You need to read the training speech and then let it learn your common words by scanning your letters, etc.
As I said in my earlier post, you can't stop in the middle of dictation and correct errors. That stops the creative process. If it gets something wrong, just say that sentence again and move on. You can delete the error later.
The earlier versions weren't as good and could be frustrating.
I don't use it to dictate posts like this one, but it has that capability.
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