In a previous post, I indicated that one of the best ways to develop a writing practice was to read volumes that worked as workbooks, teaching readers how to write and how to gradually learn the craft of producing good prose. This post is a summary of the second part of my Twitter thread on writing practices, wherein I offer 12 pieces of advice to help current and writers-to-be hone their craft.
Now, on to the list…
4) Routine helps develop a writing practice (even if you write only one day a week, make it part of your system)https://t.co/55mjMCBr5v
— Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) September 6, 2020
7) Adapt other’s writing strategies, recommendation and practices as you develop your own. Learn from what others are doing. https://t.co/a9YAX1qFLP
8) Small writing goals help build confidence AND a writing practice https://t.co/vbHefr5nAK
— Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) September 6, 2020
10) Reading IS writing. You can’t develop a writing practice without developing a READING practice first. https://t.co/lQSxjOEV5G
11) Being structured MAY help you strengthen your writing practice. https://t.co/zszfikTn6V
— Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) September 6, 2020
And the last tip on the list, but by no means the least important.
12) You may feel like you spend more time “on the runway” or “doing grunt work” than “actually writing”. Time investments in each of these categories (grunt work, runway and writing) is important to develop a writing practice. https://t.co/IU6ajEi8Ls
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— Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) September 6, 2020
We all know how important reading is for me (so much so that I launch Reading Challenges and have a full page filled with links to blog posts I’ve written on Reading Strategies). At the same time, I am always pushing for scholars and other writers to recognise that we ought to value the runway time we invest, and do the grunt work too.
Hopefully these 12 tips will help those of you interested in starting or perfecting your writing practice.