5 Tricks That Will Make You a Better Writer

Halloween is almost upon us, but I don't remember the last time one of my grandchildren was asked to do a trick at someone's door over getting a free treat.

With writing, however, tricks remain one of the greatest treats of creating your best work.

Allow me to share 5:

1. Getting out. Like the ghouls and boys at Halloween, you must venture out to get that well-craved treat. You can't expect to stay home (unless you're the parent) and receive your favorite chocolates. The same is true with the better writers who go out - not just to work or to the grocery store - but on a planned visit. Taking a walk is good, so is visiting the park, taking in a movie or dinner alone, or purposely planning a weekend at a favorite hotel or destination to write your heart out.

Our annual Halloween party. From left to right: Bekah as Nancy Drew, Chris as Neighborhood Watch guy, Me as Carmen Sandiego, Doug as Sherlock Holmes, Jacob as Scooby Do.
WE LOVE OUR GRANDKIDS!  

2. Writing when you don't feel like it. Writing, for me, is like breathing. Some days, all I can do is write in my journal, but I write every day. When it hurts the most is the best time to write. I have found when I write when I hurt I heal that much faster.

3. Reading what other writers have written. I know, I know, you've heard this for years, but it remains true. I still talk to writers who love to write but they never read. There is something life-changing about reading what someone else has written and paying attention to how and what they have written about, especially if the book is in the same genre as the one you are writing or wish to write. We can learn a lot about characters, setting, dialogue, and plot by reading someone else's work.

4. Editing! Editing, at least for me, is a dreaded task until I think about the end result. Always, always, the end result is a better representation of what I have written. Always! How many drafts does it take to get to the end of your [book]? The world may never know, but you should.

"How many licks does it take to get to the end of a Tootsie Pop?"

 Photo by Nagesh Badu on Unsplash

5. Taking in feedback. This is hard! I still struggle with this one! Especially after I've worked hard to make the work my best and there are still issues! Sometimes the feedback is someone's opinion. You hear it once and no one else makes the same comment. I take a look at these and often let them go. Then there are the times you hear the same comment over and over. That's when you really take a look! That's when changes for me are often made.

Becoming a better writer doesn't happen in a moment as you know. But a howling night, maybe five or ten years down the road, you'll look at your earlier work and really see something! The best treat of all...

Improvement.

Ice and Editing

Last night I was scraping ice off of my driveway.

But let's back track a bit.

Earlier that day I had an errand to do. I got in the car and slowly went down the driveway. I knew there was ice, but  how bad could it really be? (For those of you who don't know, my driveway is more like a sloping hill leading into traffic. Yes, I'm also on a main road).

And so I began the journey. Suddenly, the car, which was going about 1 mile an hour, began slipping. I couldn't stop it, and by the time I reached the end of the driveway my car was facing the other way. I was also glad I was able to maneuver the car into a snow embankment on one side of my driveway.

I was pretty scared but grateful that I was safe.

Photo by: kvanhorn, courtesy of Flickr

After the errand, I returned, but I knew better than to try and make it up the hill to park. So I parked below. In order to salt the driveway, I used the other snowy side of the driveway to throw out the salt. And then I waited for a bit so that I could scrape.

It took about an hour and a half to get most of the ice off. I think I could have actually put on ice skates and they would have worked, too; at least behind the house, not on the driveway.

At any rate, as much as I hate editing I know it must be done. Some of the tricks I use; some salt ideas if you'd like to call them, include:

• Let it sit with salt. Putting the book aside for at least two weeks before I go back to it for the first edit. If I can manage to wait even longer, so much the better. The less I know what sentence is going to come next, the better. I need a fresh pair of eyes when it comes to editing. Salt works on a driveway, but it works better if you let it sit awhile.  
• Get some help. I am a pretty good editor, but not always the best with my own work. Always, always get others to go over your work. They will see things you never will simply because they are a different person without the emotional stake that you have in the project. A sidewalk is always an easier project when you get assistance.
• Take it slow. After your first edit, clean it up, make adjustments, but don't call it done. After the salt melts there is still some scraping involved. Don't overwork yourself. If you need breaks while getting the rest of the ice off, let it sit even longer. There will usually be spots that need a deeper scraping anyway.

Editing is really a writer's best friend and if done with salt, help and some time, your manuscript will be just where you want it.