So you've decided to start writing. You've got your pencil, paper, and plenty of erasers
ready and waiting. Or maybe you have your favorite word processing program up and
that flashing cursor is staring you in the face, blinking away. Either way you've
accomplished the first step on the path to becoming a writer: you're ready to try.
So what do you want to write about? The possibilities are almost endless, and story
after story has probably come to you and then flitted away almost as fast.
Do you see brave dragons rescuing blushing knights from fearsome damsels, or the
next great Star Wars epic horror thriller?
Maybe you've already got your story, but you've hit that proverbial wall called Writer's
Block (which doesn't exist, by the way), and you need an umph to get back on the wagon.
Or maybe you just want some ideas on how to spice up your ideas with new twists and
turns.
If any of the above applies to you, read on. In part one of this three part article, I'll go into
exercises for improving your writing.
But for now, on to the exercises!
Improving Your Writing
There isn't a one step catch-all for great writing, unless you happen to have your own
personal Muse behind you 24/7. Writing a good piece takes a lot of work between
planning, writing, editing, and rewriting. Many stories and poems will undergo that
process half a dozen times before the final product emerges.
Ever wondered why it takes authors months or even years to finish off a single book?
This process would be why! I've seen many beginning authors produce a short story for
workshops and get discouraged or even angry when other writers don't think it's the
best thing since War and Peace. In those cases it's easy to see that they failed to grasp
the revise-rewrite paradigm.
For any author, their writing can always improve, and with improved technical and
stylistic skills your stories will improve too. What follows is a few exercises you can do
in your down time between projects, or when you need a break from whatever story has
you stumped, to improve your technical skills and style.
Exercise 1: Grammar, grammar, grammar
Kids today are not being taught good grammar and their writing shows it. Your goal in
this exercise is to prevent yourself from writing poorly by practicing the basics of good
grammar. For this, you're going to produce the following types of sentences in the
orders presented for each paragraph. The trick is, you need to create a short story in the
small amount of space given. If you don't know what a certain type of sentence looks
like, google it or pick up your favorite grammar guide.
Paragraph 1: simple, simple, compound, simple, compound, simple.
Paragraph 2: simple, compound, simple, compound, simple, complex.
Paragraph 3: compound, simple, compound, complex, simple, compound-complex.
Exercise 2: Developing Your Own Style
When I say "style" I mean, very simply, the way you write. How your sentences flow
together, your words alliterate to one another, and the way your stories flow. Style is the
tone of voice your writing takes when it becomes a complete piece, and the way the
reader hears the words in their minds. Style can be a major make-or-break for all
writers and it's important to develop yours to the fullest.
In this exercise I'm going to have you form a cohesive paragraph by playing on the
words and ideas used in individual sentences. I'll give you the first sentence for a few
paragraphs and you'll continue them logically. Feel free to write as long as you want, but
try to keep each paragraph to 5-8 sentences.
The trick to this exercise is cohesion. Every sentence should follow upon the one before
it. This can be achieved by repeating the same idea that ends the first sentence in the
first part of the second sentence, then linking the second and third sentences in the
same way. An idea can be emphasized the same way, where the word that ends a
sentence repeats as the first or second word of the next sentence.
Sentence 1: That's when I saw Tiffany, jewels glittering, from across the room.
Sentence 2: Hunting dragons is hard enough without having to worry about vicious
goblins too.
Sentence 3: I heard a sound from the sky like the clouds themselves had just detonated.
You can use this exercise another way too. Instead of just writing paragraphs based on
those sentences, write an entire story. Use those sentences to start each paragraph
and link them into a whole. This will help you get the brain stirring as well for idea
creation. There's nothing like a little non sequitor to amp up the creative flow. You'll get
major points if you can add in this sentence to your story as well and have it make
sense:
Bonus: And all I ever learned from the experience is this: never sell your sister just to
pay for your ferret cage.
Until next time!
ready and waiting. Or maybe you have your favorite word processing program up and
that flashing cursor is staring you in the face, blinking away. Either way you've
accomplished the first step on the path to becoming a writer: you're ready to try.
So what do you want to write about? The possibilities are almost endless, and story
after story has probably come to you and then flitted away almost as fast.
Do you see brave dragons rescuing blushing knights from fearsome damsels, or the
next great Star Wars epic horror thriller?
Maybe you've already got your story, but you've hit that proverbial wall called Writer's
Block (which doesn't exist, by the way), and you need an umph to get back on the wagon.
Or maybe you just want some ideas on how to spice up your ideas with new twists and
turns.
If any of the above applies to you, read on. In part one of this three part article, I'll go into
exercises for improving your writing.
But for now, on to the exercises!
Improving Your Writing
There isn't a one step catch-all for great writing, unless you happen to have your own
personal Muse behind you 24/7. Writing a good piece takes a lot of work between
planning, writing, editing, and rewriting. Many stories and poems will undergo that
process half a dozen times before the final product emerges.
Ever wondered why it takes authors months or even years to finish off a single book?
This process would be why! I've seen many beginning authors produce a short story for
workshops and get discouraged or even angry when other writers don't think it's the
best thing since War and Peace. In those cases it's easy to see that they failed to grasp
the revise-rewrite paradigm.
For any author, their writing can always improve, and with improved technical and
stylistic skills your stories will improve too. What follows is a few exercises you can do
in your down time between projects, or when you need a break from whatever story has
you stumped, to improve your technical skills and style.
Exercise 1: Grammar, grammar, grammar
Kids today are not being taught good grammar and their writing shows it. Your goal in
this exercise is to prevent yourself from writing poorly by practicing the basics of good
grammar. For this, you're going to produce the following types of sentences in the
orders presented for each paragraph. The trick is, you need to create a short story in the
small amount of space given. If you don't know what a certain type of sentence looks
like, google it or pick up your favorite grammar guide.
Paragraph 1: simple, simple, compound, simple, compound, simple.
Paragraph 2: simple, compound, simple, compound, simple, complex.
Paragraph 3: compound, simple, compound, complex, simple, compound-complex.
Exercise 2: Developing Your Own Style
When I say "style" I mean, very simply, the way you write. How your sentences flow
together, your words alliterate to one another, and the way your stories flow. Style is the
tone of voice your writing takes when it becomes a complete piece, and the way the
reader hears the words in their minds. Style can be a major make-or-break for all
writers and it's important to develop yours to the fullest.
In this exercise I'm going to have you form a cohesive paragraph by playing on the
words and ideas used in individual sentences. I'll give you the first sentence for a few
paragraphs and you'll continue them logically. Feel free to write as long as you want, but
try to keep each paragraph to 5-8 sentences.
The trick to this exercise is cohesion. Every sentence should follow upon the one before
it. This can be achieved by repeating the same idea that ends the first sentence in the
first part of the second sentence, then linking the second and third sentences in the
same way. An idea can be emphasized the same way, where the word that ends a
sentence repeats as the first or second word of the next sentence.
Sentence 1: That's when I saw Tiffany, jewels glittering, from across the room.
Sentence 2: Hunting dragons is hard enough without having to worry about vicious
goblins too.
Sentence 3: I heard a sound from the sky like the clouds themselves had just detonated.
You can use this exercise another way too. Instead of just writing paragraphs based on
those sentences, write an entire story. Use those sentences to start each paragraph
and link them into a whole. This will help you get the brain stirring as well for idea
creation. There's nothing like a little non sequitor to amp up the creative flow. You'll get
major points if you can add in this sentence to your story as well and have it make
sense:
Bonus: And all I ever learned from the experience is this: never sell your sister just to
pay for your ferret cage.
Until next time!
Lessons in Writing Improvement
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