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HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR WRITING BY BUILDING *MUSCLE
Not everyone is going to be the greatest writer in the world
But you can improve both the QUALITY and the QUANTITY of what you write
One way to do this is to start by BUILDING MUSCLE and GETTING FIT
*And by this I mean...
Not everyone is going to be the greatest writer in the world
But you can improve both the QUALITY and the QUANTITY of what you write
One way to do this is to start by BUILDING MUSCLE and GETTING FIT
*And by this I mean...
To improve, you have to
- Build the muscles you need for writing
- Develop a certain kind of "writing fitness"
I have strategies for this I've used successfully with teenagers, adults and people that don't speak English as their first language
One strategy is
FREE WRITING
- Build the muscles you need for writing
- Develop a certain kind of "writing fitness"
I have strategies for this I've used successfully with teenagers, adults and people that don't speak English as their first language
One strategy is
FREE WRITING
There are two kinds of free writing that I teach people
- UNFOCUSED FREE WRITING; and
- FOCUSED FREE WRITING
They have different purposes
One is to get you warmed up
The other is to help you generate ideas for your writing
But the rules for each are roughly the same
- UNFOCUSED FREE WRITING; and
- FOCUSED FREE WRITING
They have different purposes
One is to get you warmed up
The other is to help you generate ideas for your writing
But the rules for each are roughly the same
Let's deal with UNFOCUSED FREE WRITING first
Here are the rules:
1. Get a pen and some paper.
2. Set a timer for 10 minutes
3. Write down EVERYTHING and ANYTHING you can think of
4. Write as fast as you can for the whole 10 minutes
5. DON'T stop writing for any reason
Here are the rules:
1. Get a pen and some paper.
2. Set a timer for 10 minutes
3. Write down EVERYTHING and ANYTHING you can think of
4. Write as fast as you can for the whole 10 minutes
5. DON'T stop writing for any reason
cont...
6. DON'T edit or critique what you’re writing, even inside your own head
7. DON'T read over what you have written until the time is up
8. DON'T worry about grammar, spelling, or sentence structure
9. DON'T worry if parts - or any of it - makes sense
6. DON'T edit or critique what you’re writing, even inside your own head
7. DON'T read over what you have written until the time is up
8. DON'T worry about grammar, spelling, or sentence structure
9. DON'T worry if parts - or any of it - makes sense
cont...
10. Don't spend any time fixing mistakes. If you make a mistake - ignore it or put a line through it if you have to do something
11. If you don't know what to write, write down something like, 'I don't know what to write right now'.
TRY IT RIGHT NOW
And then read on...
10. Don't spend any time fixing mistakes. If you make a mistake - ignore it or put a line through it if you have to do something
11. If you don't know what to write, write down something like, 'I don't know what to write right now'.
TRY IT RIGHT NOW
And then read on...
REPEAT THIS EVERY DAY FOR AT LEAST 5 DAYS
It will help when you:
- Don't know what you're going to write about
- Need to warm up and build your writing "muscles"
- Need to clear your head of unwanted ideas
- Need to kickstart your thinking and writing process.
It will help when you:
- Don't know what you're going to write about
- Need to warm up and build your writing "muscles"
- Need to clear your head of unwanted ideas
- Need to kickstart your thinking and writing process.
I can hear you asking
"Can you use a pencil or do this on my computer?"
NO...!
Don't be a whiny little bitch
Just use a pen and practice writing by hand for a change
WHAT'S NEXT?
"Can you use a pencil or do this on my computer?"
NO...!
Don't be a whiny little bitch
Just use a pen and practice writing by hand for a change
WHAT'S NEXT?
Now you have a new tool in your writing tool kit
But you can get more mileage out of this if you learn a variation
FOCUSED FREE WRITING
The only difference here to what you've already been doing is that you start with a topic
I.e. One of your ideas for a long-form article
But you can get more mileage out of this if you learn a variation
FOCUSED FREE WRITING
The only difference here to what you've already been doing is that you start with a topic
I.e. One of your ideas for a long-form article
FOCUSED FREE WRITING is simple:
- Think of a very specific idea, topic or subtopic that relates to your larger writing goal
- Now write down as much as you can about that particular idea using the free writing rules I told you about earlier
- STAY ON TOPIC...!
- 10 mins only
- Think of a very specific idea, topic or subtopic that relates to your larger writing goal
- Now write down as much as you can about that particular idea using the free writing rules I told you about earlier
- STAY ON TOPIC...!
- 10 mins only
If you struggle with writing at all, then stay away from this until you build up some “muscle” and stamina
You've got to get fit
And the only way to do this is through PRACTICE and REPETITION
All of this is going to help with writer's block or if you get stuck
You've got to get fit
And the only way to do this is through PRACTICE and REPETITION
All of this is going to help with writer's block or if you get stuck
There are more tools you need in your toolbox
But if you can learn and practice free writing every day for a sustained duration you will improve both QUANTITY and QUALITY
I promise
Bonus tip
- Do a word count after each session and graph it then watch what happens over time
But if you can learn and practice free writing every day for a sustained duration you will improve both QUANTITY and QUALITY
I promise
Bonus tip
- Do a word count after each session and graph it then watch what happens over time
I’ve expanded this thread into an article here
My thanks to @SteelJanz and team
https://twitter.com/steeljanz/status/1266011379854708738?s=21 https://twitter.com/steeljanz/status/1266011379854708738
My thanks to @SteelJanz and team
https://twitter.com/steeljanz/status/1266011379854708738?s=21 https://twitter.com/steeljanz/status/1266011379854708738
