The vast majority of writers, whether new or experienced, will want to become better and better. I know I do. I can look back not only a year, but six months or even one month and see the improvements I’ve made in that time. It’s not simply a case of writing more and more to gain experience (although that helps) but a complete holistic approach to the way you see life.
We all have our own vices and virtues when it comes to writing, but as this is a subject which has long fascinated me I’ve taken the time to distil it down to ten small, relatively easy things you can change in your life in order to make you a better writer.
1. See things from other points of view.
I love to play the devil’s advocate and take a deliberately contrarian standpoint on issues. Of course, killing small children is absolutely abhorrent and wrong — we can all identify with that — but just for a moment, try slipping into the mind of someone who thinks it’s no biggie. It’s hard, it’s disturbing and it’s unpleasant, but it’ll give you an enormous insight into a different mind.
Maybe his justification is that he believes some people are born inherently evil and must be stopped, or maybe she lost an infant child of her own many years back and sees this act as ‘evening out the balance’. Yes, totally unjustifiable and wrong however you look at it, but it’s still someone’s viewpoint. Only by seeing and accepting viewpoints different from your own will you improve as a writer. Until then, your books and characters will all be two-dimensional reflections of yourself.
2. Stop talking and start listening.
There’s a huge amount to be learnt about people and life every day. Next time you’re out for a meal, in a pub or just at work, take the time to stop talking and thinking about yourself and instead listen to other people.
This can help in a number of ways, not least seeing how different people operate and learning about their lives, but even down to the patterns of speech and dialogue which you can use in your work in the future. Realistic and authentic dialogue is very difficult to master, but listening carefully to real people can reap huge benefits.
3. Get out of your comfort zone.
I’m not suggesting that if you’re a crime writer you should suddenly start publishing romance, or vice versa. Getting down and writing in different styles and genres can really open your eyes to aspects of writing which could help your own work. The structure of stories and the way in which different types of writing are pieced together can give a unique insight for a writer. That goes for reading books from different genres, too.
4. Read books and watch TV with a different eye.
We’re often very passive when we watch TV or read books. Don’t simply sit and watch TV dramas or films for enjoyment — bear in mind that these were written and devised by a writer just like you. Use what you know to see how the work’s been pieced together and created, inspiring you to create better work yourself.
Much like I suspect a builder looks at people’s houses in a different way when he comes round to visit, you should be doing the same with books, films and television shows.
5. Get involved in acting.
This has been one of the biggest boosts to my writing, if not the biggest boost. Acting gives you an unrivalled insight into characters’ motivations, feelings and speech patterns in a way to which nothing else can even come close. There are local amateur theatre companies in almost every town or village — often more than one — so there’s no excuse.
If you’re really not keen on getting up on stage, an alternative is to read/act out your work in the privacy of your own home. Ideally, record it and listen/watch back, as then you’ll be able to see if your dialogue really works and actually sounds like someone talking. More often than not, we write dialogue as writing instead of speaking. On the page it might look fine, but read it out and it’ll often sound stilted and planned, and that can be the difference between an average book and a great one.
6. Get active.
There are many enormous links between exercise and brain function/creativity, with exercise helping to release dopamine and other ‘feel good’ hormones which can improve brain function and help boost your creativity. The scientific basis aside, exercise can help release destructive energy which might well be clouding your brain. The clarity of mind following a good exercise session is testament to this.
One of my favourite tips is to combine numbers 6 and 4 by plonking my exercise bike in front of the TV and catching up on the shows I’ve missed whilst getting fit at the same time.
7. Open your mind.
The smallest little things can open your mind in ways which you could never have imagined. Just try some small changes to your daily routine, such as driving a different route to work, listening to a different radio station in the car, having tea instead of coffee, wearing a different style of clothes, doing something spontaneous. It all helps to keep the mind and imagination fresh.
Your brain needs to be kept active and stimulated, and getting stuck in boring routines in one of the biggest wastes of the human mind. You’ve got the most powerful tool in the world sat inside your skull and it needs exercising like a muscle.
8. Write every day.
Regardless of what it is, write creatively every day. Whether it’s work on a novel or play, a blog post or even a private diary entry, write something. It doesn’t need to be something that’s ever published or ever looked at again, but doing it every day will make it a natural part of you.
Scientists often state the 40-day rule, in which a person needs to do an action daily for 40 consecutive days before it becomes a hard-wired habit. Make sure you spend at least some time writing creatively every day for the next 40 days and you’ll have taken a huge step towards your writing nirvana.
9. Break down those barriers.
Much like point 1, you need to break down the pre-conditioned social barriers you’ve become accustomed to during your life. Question everything. What if…? Strip every concept back to its bare bones. Does society really need money? Do people really need to wear clothes? I’m not suggesting anyone becomes a naked hippy, but at least ponder these sorts of questions from a philosophical standpoint. Every time you reason something, ask why.
For example, we wear clothes so we don’t feel uncomfortable walking around naked. But why should we feel uncomfortable? Aren’t clothes more abnormal than a natural human body? This isn’t a personal thing — I’m not a naturist any more than I am a fashion god, but simply questioning these social norms and ‘facts’ of life can open the mind enormously. Question everything.
10. Engage with other writers.
This is so incredibly valuable. Surrounding yourself with other writers and being able to discuss the finer points of story structure, character arcs and narrative with people who understand it in the same way as you do is incredibly rewarding. Being able to share and learn from each other is one of the best things about being a writer.
I absolutely love meeting other writers and chatting about our mutual craft, and can testify to its many benefits. If you’d like to chat, I’m on Twitter at @adamcroft and you can email me through my blog.
