Writing can be hard work.
There is this myth about a poor writer unshaven and with hair akimbo.
Hidden in his attic hovel, he slugs back whisky and types away on an old portable typewriter until his fingers are bloody.
Only to finally fall asleep on the keyboard with tears of frustration streaming down his face.
Yeah, it can be hard -- but it doesn't have to be! Writing can also be a joy -- a flowing of the exact words you wish.
A stream of nouns and verbs rushing onto the paper.
Your mind and your fingers perfectly in tune.
All it takes is a practice and a few good habits.
It will never truly be easy to write well.
But it can seem to be.
Not just to an outsider but to you too.
In this article I'm going to share seven good tips for making it seem easy.
1.
Always write to a plan! I never say this once and once only.
But let me be clear about this.
The biggest trick to making writing easy is to break it into stages...
and the first stage is to plan your writing.
Write a detailed outline before you write anything...
no matter how big or small! 2.
Don't write it! One of the biggest mistakes new writers make is to get all formal.
But formal writing is stilted, tiresome, long winded and a pain to write.
Relax.
Don't write.
Talk.
That's right, just imagine you are sitting across from a good friend.
Maybe at your kitchen table or in a bar.
Wherever you are most comfortable.
Now tell him or her.
That's right just talk to them.
Now put that conversation down on paper.
Not only will your writing improve but it'll be easier to write! 3.
One thing at a time and in its time! We all do it from time to time.
Mash our process together.
But that's a big mistake.
The brain doesn't like doing that.
In fact, it's so much work that it has to stop and shift gears.
Do all your creativity in one piece.
Do all your wordsmithing in another.
Do all your editing in a third.
Keep each piece separate.
Outline, write, edit...
in that order.
4.
Make a routine of it! Writing can't be easy if you never write.
And we all have a tendency to avoid writing.
So create a routine.
A pattern.
A habit -- at the end of which is you sitting at your computer writing.
5.
A place for everything and everything in its place! Having a place for writing...
quiet, private and amenable to writing...
is a key part of creating a routine of writing.
One place where you automatically begin to write.
6.
Take a break! One of the reasons we think of writing as hard is that we try to do too much of it at once.
Working in front of a computer screen all day is hard work.
Give yourself a break.
The best habit to form is to work for forty-five minutes and then rest for fifteen.
Do something else.
Get up.
Walk.
Look out the window.
Rest your mind, your eyes, and your body.
7.
Practice, practice, practice.
There's no secret to the last tip.
Writing gets easier the more you do it.
So practice.
Write small pieces.
Write large pieces.
Write for yourself.
But keep doing it over and over.
Practice makes perfect.
And repetition makes perfect a habit!