“You only learn to be a better writer by actually writing.”
– Doris Lessing
Becoming a better writer is a never-ending pursuit. The best writers are always seeking ways to grow.
Writing can be hard, but as you continue writing, you will begin to find your voice and develop a facility with language.
If you feel like you’re in a rut or you’re having trouble seeing the next step in your writer’s journey, this article is for you! I’ll go through some methods to help shake things up and improve your writing process. Lastly, I’ll give you a Story Weapon that may take your work to the next level.
When asking how to become a better writer, answer by establishing a consistent, low-pressure routine that prioritizes showing up over being brilliant. Growth comes from persistent practice, experimenting with new forms through “side quests,” and allowing yourself the rest needed to refill your creative tank.
Build a routine
Let’s start with one basic rule. As Doris Lessing says, the first thing is to simply write. There are years where just writing, no matter the form or subject, will improve your craft and your imagination. And after some time, when you’re familiar with the principles of writing, you can begin to push the boundaries of your ability. That’s what we’ll discuss here.
The television show Seinfeld remains one of the best-written sitcoms of all time. Even jokes count as writing, and Jerry Seinfeld would argue that a poem is just a joke without a punchline. When talking about what makes someone a comedian, Seinfeld said that anyone can be funny. The hard part is to be funny at 7 p.m. on a Tuesday in front of strangers in a restaurant. That’s a feat! Becoming a better writer means writing consistently, even when inspiration isn’t texting you back.
The best way to become more consistent is to build a routine that you enjoy, even when the writing isn’t going well.
The muse is a bit like a cat. When it sees you busy with something, it can’t help sidling over. Too much attention to your muse, however, and it’ll flee. Your routine is that activity. Not only will it make writing easier, it’ll make your life more relaxing as well.
Instead of waiting for inspiration to strike, build the muscle of writing with an established setting. Your routine could be brewing some tea, playing instrumental music on iTunes or Spotify, taking a walk, and then finally setting yourself down to a desk.
This is especially helpful on days where there’s no good writing to be found. Take the time to read the work of other writers or research a topic around your story. Showing up to your writer’s desk even on the bad days will keep the guilt at bay and allow you to nourish your curiosity.
“A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.”
– Thomas Mann
By keeping the work at your writer’s desk low-pressure but mandatory, you strengthen the muscle of patience and keep joy in the picture.
Go on side quests
As you work on big projects or noodle around while figuring out what to tackle next, side quests are your best friend. Literary side quests, of course.
This might mean experimenting with a form unfamiliar to you, just to see what it feels like. If you write novels, try to write poetry or spend some time on a play. If you write plays, you could try writing a song or a riddle. Write a biography about one of the characters in your book or a story in another part of your imaginary world.
Allowing your subconscious to play is a great delight and necessary for the main quest to proceed. You’d be surprised how freely you write when it “doesn’t matter,” when no one else will see it. Give yourself permission to write poorly as this approach will lead to unexpected flashes of brilliance..
Side quests strengthen your craft. Writing in a shorter form if you’re used to a longer one teaches you how to simplify your ideas. On the other hand, writing long form when you’re accustomed to brevity forces you to go deeper with your ideas. It’s like cross-training for an athlete, or taking a sabbatical as an academic. This form of play will expand your skills.
Take breaks
This may seem counterintuitive, but rest is essential. The fact is, you wouldn’t be here if you were averse to hard work. But as you become inundated with language techniques and your imagination bursts with story ideas, a tolerance break might be just what you need. Sometimes we need to take a break from the page in order to refill the tank.
If you’re an active gym member, you know that you need a day or two of rest each week. Every once in a while, you might even take a full week off and come back stronger.
Remember that you’re a person first and a writer second. This can escape our notice when we start writing more seriously. The beauty you seek through the pen is endemic to your nature; it takes a lifetime of craft to be able to even partly express the depths of your being.
Your story weapon: The “perfect conditions” won’t come
Don’t wait until you feel “ready” to get started writing. That’s just resistance wearing a disguise.
The writers who improve are not the ones who wait for the right conditions, the right mood, the right inspiring push. They are the ones who show up anyway — on the Tuesday nights when nobody is watching. In the mornings when your words feel thin and unconvincing. Even on the days when every sentence falls flat.
Remember this: your subconscious is the seat of your genius. And what it needs is a body that keeps showing up and a mind that stays curious.
Your routine becomes a signal. You are telling the deeper part of yourself, the part that actually knows what the story is about, that you are serious. That you intend to be here. That you will not be chased away by a bad day or a blank page.
Here is my suggestion.
Pick a time. Same time each day if you can manage it. Brew something. Put on music or sit in silence, whichever quiets the noise. And write for twenty minutes without judgment, without agenda, without any expectation that what comes out will be any good. Write about your characters or what you are afraid of in your story. Maybe write about why you can’t write today.
Because here is what I have seen over and over again with my students: the ones who build a body of work are not always the most talented people in the room. They are the most persistent. They are the ones who decided, somewhere along the way, that showing up mattered more than being brilliant. And eventually, without quite knowing how it happened, the showing up helped them to become better writers.
Understanding the deeper tools of craft will make it easier to show up for yourself without the work taking too much out of you. Explore the path to being a better writer and join one of my next workshops: The 90-Day Novel, The 90-Day Memoir, Story Day.
