Think of creative writing as a sport. To get better at it, you have to practice. Just like a basketball player has to practice their dribbling skills and free throws to become better at ball control, a creative writer has to consistently practice their creative thinking and writing skills to become a better creative writer.
Write On has compiled a list of five daily practices you can put in place to exercise and improve your creative writing muscle.
1) Set aside time to journal every day: Whether you spend 15 minutes or an hour on journaling–dedicating even a small portion of your day to focused writing will work your creative thinking muscle and set you on a path to becoming a better creative writer. Find a writing prompt online that you like, sit down, and write away.
2) Set aside time to read every day: Setting aside 15 minutes to an hour to read every day will help you improve your reading comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar skills.
3) Engage in activities that inspire you: Inspiration is an essential part of the creative writing process. We all get inspired in different ways. Find what activities inspire you, and set aside time during the day to participate in them!
4) Write even when you’re not inspired: Although it’s important to stay inspired, you can’t rely on inspiration to write. Inspiration strikes at unexpected times; you never know when the lightning bolt of inspiration will hit you. If you write only when you’re inspired, you’ll find yourself in an irregular writing schedule. Commit to writing every day for a short amount of time, even if you’re not feeling the most inspired; what you come up with might surprise you!
5) Create a daily routine, and stick to it: This routine is different for everyone; maybe you prefer to read in the mornings and journal later in the day during the afternoons–find a daily routine that works for you and stay committed to it every day.
Becoming a better writer takes dedication, discipline, and practice. We hope these tips help you develop productive writing habits for success on your creative writing journey.