3 Tips for Writing

This morning I was reading a bunch of writing tips on Pinterest and Facebook. At twice a week I'll be remarkably active on one or both of those social media sites, so there aren't many new things to come across.

Today I found one.

The tips on it seemed a bit off though.
1) Stop reading.
2) Throw out your TV.
3) Edit as you go, it saves time in the end.

None of them rang true for me. It made me think about all of those tips I've been reading and realize how contradictory one article can be from another.

So I decided to put together my own short list of tips.

1) Figure out your writing style. The reason there are so many different tips is because everyone has a different writing style. Goodness, my own writing techniques differ depending on my mood.

Are you a morning writer? Night writer? Whenever you have time writer?

Do you need to wait for the muses to hit or does a strict schedule help you?

Do you prefer to have large writing goals a week that you aim for as much as you can or do you like small goals so if you hit them and surpass them you feel productive?

Do you even have specific writing goals?

Personally, I write when I can. It generally happens later in the day. My muses hide out until I've been attempting to write for around half an hour (sometimes more).

2.) Find out what inspires you. Different things inspire different people in different ways. If reading is what inspires you, read. If watching your favorite shows inspires you, watch them. If going for long walks in the freezing cold while drinking a smoothie inspires you, don't catch a cold or anything but do it. Does attempting to find ways to contact aliens help inspire you? Then go ahead and try contacting them (but if you do make contact, please be careful).

It doesn't matter what inspires you, just figure out what it is and do it. Inspiration can come from anywhere and anything. And inspiration helps stories become what they are.

Story ideas come from inspiration.

For me reading is helpful, as is watching TV (Hello, Merlin and Charmed and Stranger Things and Game of Thrones and the Bachelor and Dancing with the Stars). At work, inspiration hits more often when I'm talking with customers or coworkers.

3.) Write. This is probably the most important, easiest sounding of the rules. But to be honest, it can be the most difficult. There is no way you can be a writer (or author) if you don't write. It's the key ingredient.

So do whatever you have to do.

Even if it's just a sentence a day. Or it doesn't follow with anything you're working on. Just write. Keep building those writing muscles.

In the past, I've tried editing as I go. For me, that didn't work. I never made it beyond 10000 words and hated every single word I wrote. It took me really pushing myself out of my comfort zone to stop doing that, but it's been for the best. Projects are moving along.

So, if you're like me and read a lot of different articles about how to write, them main thing to remember is if it helps you, yay. If it doesn't, oh well. Just move on to the next tips.

What is your writing style/technique? What inspires you? And how do you make sure you keep writing? Feel free to tell me in the comments!

Until next time,
Shelby