How To Inspire Yourself To Write

Because sometimes we all need to be inspired before writing.

Exercise.

Dance. Play baseball. Shoot some hoops. Whatever you like. Move your body, and maybe your mind will too.

Write.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is write, even when you’re slumping. If nothing else, start another project. Try to write when you aren’t inspired or motivated. Who knows what might happen.

Read.

If you don’t feel like reading, watch a movie or TV show. Perhaps other stories will inspire you to tell your own.

Game.

Play. Have fun. Video games are great. You have a new world to discover. You get to see a storyline unfold. You can study dialogue between different characters.

Blog.

Bloggers are some of the most inspiring people you’ll ever meet. Enough said.

Rest.

At times, you just need a break. That’s okay. Eat. Sleep. Take care of your body. Return to your story when you’re ready.

Explore.

Go outside. Take a walk. Travel somewhere you’ve never been before. That could get the creative juices flowing again.

Happy writing!

Sometimes You Just Have To Start Writing

Don’t worry about getting things right the first time you write. You can always edit later, but you need to write first.

It’s okay if you don’t know how your story is going to end. It’s okay if you have multiple endings. Make sure you get to the end. Finish what you start. You can’t publish a book if you give up halfway through.

You’re still allowed to take a break, a hiatus, a vacation. Take as much time as you need to recharge your batteries.

What works for someone else might not work for you. Find what does. Lose what doesn’t.

Keep your head up. All your hard work will pay off one day. Nothing great happens overnight anyway. Make the most of your time.

Raise the bar higher. Do what you think is impossible.

When you fall down, stand up again. Brush the dirt away. Shake the rust off. Start again, even and especially when you think you can’t.

Take a chance on yourself. Make it work out. Want something badly enough. Be willing to go after it.

Enjoy today because you never know what tomorrow will bring.

You’re better than you think. Give yourself the credit you deserve. Put in more time and effort. You’ll be rewarded.

It doesn’t get easier. But you get better, smarter, stronger.

Sometimes you just have to start writing. So give yourself permission to begin.

On Writing Academic Essays

Writing essays for academia is challenging to say the least.

I will never claim to know everything there is to know about anything. But I think confidence is key when it comes to academic work.

I often find myself faced with the problem of not knowing what my professor wants. At times, it’s tough to reconcile what they want with what I want.

The academic essay is a genre in and of itself. I’ve written my fair share of them. I have my own unique ways of tackling them. But let’s get back to basics.

To be completely honest, I write before I research. At minimum, I brainstorm before I go hunting for sources.

I feel like researching without a plan can be a wild goose chase. That and I don’t want to get sucked down a random rabbit hole.

I think my biggest issue is not being specific enough. Vague is my middle name after all.

Instead of making broad claims, I should give an example or provide evidence.

Word choice is instrumental as well. Certain words don’t convey as much meaning as others.

Sometimes my topic sentences suck. I ought to revisit them after I finish writing the paragraph. It’s important to revise.

Introductions are tricky. I try to review them once I finish writing the paper to make the beginning better.

A lot of people recommend writing the intro last, which makes sense. How are you going to introduce what your essay is about if you don’t even know what you’re thinking until you type everything out?

I tend to write a quasi-introduction to help me get started though.

Another tip that might work is to delete the first few sentences or even the whole introductory paragraph when necessary. In doing so, the hope is you get to the point right away rather than beating around the bush.

I enjoy writing conclusions the most. Of course, I avoid introducing new ideas, but I attempt to say something my introduction doesn’t say. If the paper calls for it, I may ask a question or offer a solution.

I get too carried away with the mechanical aspects of writing that I often overlook my ideas. That’s my Achilles heel.

How To Tell A Good Story

Here’s my advice on how to tell a good story.

Create dynamic characters.

They shouldn’t be perfect because everyone is flawed in some way.

Make everyone want something.

As simple as wanting a glass of water or as complicated as saving the world.

Have stakes.

Every action has a reaction.

Don’t sugarcoat.

Tell the story in all it’s ugliness.

Never underestimate the intelligence of your readers.

Enough said.

Aim for clarity.

Confusion is bad communication.

Get creative.

Put your own twist on tried-and-true tropes.

Finish.

A complete story will always win against an incomplete one any day.

Give your readers some closure.

You don’t have to answer every question, but you still have to tie up a few loose ends.

Keep writing.

You won’t write good stories until you write a lot of bad ones.

I’m Not A Good Novel Writer

I don’t have the patience. I used to once upon a time. But now I can’t seem to write a novel from start to finish.

It’s OK. Maybe I’m not meant to be a novelist. I’m still a writer. For now, I’ll stick to shorter stories and projects.

I’d still like to push and challenge myself. I want to create, so I will.

I’m currently working on a bunch of different things. Hopefully, one pans out.

When I look back at old manuscripts, I realize I’ve come along way. But there’s still a lot further for me to go.

Writing a novel is hard. I have so much respect for those who do.

When I first started, I had no idea what I was getting into. But I’m glad I picked up a pen and filled page after page.

Time would fall away. I could’ve stayed in that moment forever. I didn’t care about money or fame. The voices in my head didn’t stop me from writing. Neither did all the voices of society.

Remember what it was like to write when you were a kid. Think about all the fun you had.

Doubt is crippling. It can stop you from chasing and living your dreams. Don’t let it. You’re better than you think.

What are you scared of? What do you have to lose? Think of everything you stand to gain.

Advice On Finishing A First Draft

Am I the best person to give advice on finishing a first draft? No. Will that stop me from preaching what I don’t practice? Nope.

Take a break.

For my first novel, I took a long hiatus but eventually got around to finishing it.

Just make sure you actually return to your unfinished manuscript at some point.

Edit or proofread.

Sometimes, I’d rather edit than write. My mood bosses me around.

Again, you can fall into the trap of only editing your half-finished manuscript rather than writing the ending to it. Hopefully, making edits will get so painful that you choose the lesser of two evils.

Talk to someone.

We all need a friend who will listen to our problems.

You don’t even have to talk about writing. Perhaps all you need is a little bit of encouragement.

I wish you the best of luck in finishing your first drafts. It’s not an easy feat, but the feeling is like none other.

If you have any advice, feel free to tell me. I need all the help I can get.

The Ultimate Guide To Writing A Novel

Whether it’s your first time or your tenth, here are some things to keep in mind as you write that novel.

This isn’t an ultimate guide by any means. Just some bad advice from an aspiring writer.

• Take it word by word. Don’t worry about the 10,000th word or the 100,000th word. Think about the next one.
• Edit later. Writing is hard enough as it is. Stop making the creative process harder for yourself. Besides, you can always fix your mistakes later.
• Use good tools. If you prefer pen and paper, pick something that writes well. If you prefer typing, choose the word processor you like best. You don’t have to break the bank, but your tool needs to do its job.
• Write the scene you want. Feel free to jump around from the beginning to the ending to the middle.
• Enjoy yourself. Play your favourite songs. Have a drink nearby. Grab a snack or ten.
• Live a little. Actually, live a lot. Go outside. Experience the world so you’re able to tell rich stories. You can’t shut yourself inside all day and night.
• Have good posture. Your future self will thank you.
• Keep your mind open. Don’t shoot down your ideas right away. Sometimes the craziest idea turns out better than you could ever imagine.
• Challenge yourself. You’re capable of accomplishing far more than you give yourself credit for.

Advice On Starting A First Draft

Outline

Sketch a timeline of events that will happen. Brainstorm scenes using sticky notes and move them accordingly. Create character sketches beforehand, so you have a better understanding of key players in your novel.

Research

Reading articles, essays, or books might inspire you to write your own. Besides, Google is your best friend.

Write

At some point, that first draft needs to be written. Unfortunately, it won’t write itself. So pick up a pen or open your word processor of choice. Grab an idea and run with it.

Relax

Take a deep breath. You don’t have to get it right the first time. Try to silence your inner editor for now. You can always make a draft better, but you can’t if it doesn’t exist yet.