How to improve your writing.

Have you ever put a project on hold because your writing skills weren’t up to par yet? Do you ever set ideas aside because they seem too ambitious and you don’t feel ready to tackle them? Have you ever wondered how to improve your writing so you would be better equipped to handle more complex and advanced writing projects and ideas?

I’ve experienced all these situations at various stages in my development as a writer, and I’ve learned that I’m not alone. A lot of writers talk about ambitious projects they’ve put on hold because they aren’t yet skilled enough.

If we keep practicing the craft and getting better at it, someday we’ll be ready to dive into writing projects that are beyond our current skill level.

Choosing Your Path

A few years ago, I started writing a novel that was going to be packed with interesting characters, full of exciting twists and turns, and set in a vivid, mysterious story world. I wrote character sketches, crafted pages upon pages of world-building, wrangled reams of research, and delved into extensive narrative. I ended up writing about a quarter of a million words over two and a half years — yes, a quarter of a million words! — before realizing that something vital was missing. There was no story, no rising action that led to a climax with a satisfying conclusion. The characters were just bumbling around in this world I had created for them. Some of what I wrote was pretty good, but I was devastated when I realized how many words I had written yet how far I was from a workable draft.

I paused to assess the situation and decided that most of the material I had generated was usable. There were hints of plot here and there; it could be worked into a series. I toyed with it a little more and saw a viable story emerging, but there were too many threads, too many characters, and I simply wasn’t up to the task for no other reason than I didn’t have the storytelling chops for a story as complex as the one I’d been building.

It would have been easy to give up at that point, to say “maybe writing a novel isn’t for me.” Instead, I decided to set this project aside and try something a little simpler. Of course, the book I ended up writing turned out be more complex than I intended, but it was a lot simpler than the one I had put on the back burner.

How to Improve My Writing

I usually don’t think it’s a good idea to give up on a project. It’s too easy for us writers to get tempted away from our current project by some dazzling new idea, and it’s too easy for anyone to give up on art when things get difficult (like when we’re writing that messy middle). But we also need to know when to quit — or in my case, hit the pause button.

I still dabble on that project every now and then, and it’s coming along. Someday, perhaps in a few years, I’ll bring it back to center stage and it will get written. In the meantime, here are some things I’m doing to prepare myself for when that day comes:

• Develop stories (and other writing projects) that fit with my current skill level, and try to make each project a little more challenging than the last.
• Accept that mastering the craft of writing can take a lifetime. Gear up for the long haul.
• Recommit to improving my writing. I made this commitment years ago, and eventually got good at what I do. But there’s still room for improvement.
• Do the work. It’s called work for a reason. Yes, many parts of the writing process are fun, but I’ve got to push myself through the parts that are not.
• Continue studying storytelling through various mediums.
• Slow down. These days, many writers, especially in the self-publishing realm, are cranking out books as fast as they can. Give each book the time it needs to reach completion.
• Develop, draft, polish, and publish. Then do it again.
• Read, read, read.

How to Improve Your Writing

If you set out to improve your writing, your list will probably look different than mine. Where I really need to build my strengths is in storytelling. I have plenty of writing experience but most of it hasn’t been with writing fiction. You might need to work on fostering the habit of writing every day, or maybe you need to strengthen your grammar skills.

Each of us is on our own path. We have different methods and processes, different ideas and tastes, and different goals. Figure out how to improve your writing, and you’ll get a little better every day.