Tip #2: Hone Your Craft
We’ve all heard a pastor, basketball coach, or parent use “the muscle analogy” when referring to the importance of practice. The point is well taken: when it comes to any life skill, you have to work if you want to grow and develop. The same thing holds true for writing.
One of my mentors told me years ago that if I wanted to get better I needed to commit to a never ending process of “honing my craft.” That phrase stuck with me and has become the way I describe the discipline of literary “muscle-building” required to succeed in this business. Even the most naturally gifted writers need to grow and develop.
The thing that sets every writer apart from others, and one of the principle things that defines one’s writing career is style. Style is “the manner in which you express yourself.” Most writers’ style will naturally change over time but it can also be improved and refined by devoting oneself to certain disciplines.
Two of the best ways to shape your style and grow professionally are to practice and to learn. They are simple and predictable, but I promise you that they are indispensible. Committing myself to these two disciplines have profoundly shaped my inner writer.
Write. Common writing advice says that you need to write 1,000 words each day. I don’t know that there is a magical number, but I write every day except Sundays. Not everything you write is going to be a masterpiece (in fact, I usually don't even proofread my blog posts), but you must grind it out nonetheless.
Every writer will tell you that in order to write effectively, you have to write regularly. Ideas must constantly be channeled into your journal or onto your hard drive. That’s right, you need to be every...single...day. No exceptions. The more you write, the better writer you will be.
Learn. When I began writing, I knew a little bit about composition from high school and college English, but I really didn’t know what made good prose good. I could tell you which sentences moved me, but I couldn’t tell you why. I could point to books that were convincing, but I had no idea why they had won me over. So I went out and tried to learn everything I could learn about writing. I took King Solomon at his word: “There is wisdom in many counselors” (Prov 15:22). I ordered stacks (literally) of books on writing, and I made these my constant companions. Soon, I noticed that my writing was tighter, clearer, and more moving. The same will work for you. If you aren't learning, you aren't growing.
A few books on writing I might suggest:
- On Writing Well by William Zinsser
- Word Magic by Cindy Rogers and Susan M. Tierney
- Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
- Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
- The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White
- Writing with Style by John R. Trimble
- The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
Grab a few of these and immerse yourself in them. As you begin writing each day, incorporate their advice into your work. Not everything they teach will be helpful to you, but even the advice you end up dispensing will stretch you and grow you. I am still learning myself and I try out techniques from books I am reading all the time.
Every living person has something to give the rest of the world. Writers' gifts are words and ideas. If you want to command those ideas, to make them work, then you must know how to present them and argue them properly. If you want your words to tell—to invoke emotions and paint pictures—then you must know how to turn phrases and use words in fresh ways. The only way to develop into a writer that people will pay to read is to continually and effectively hone your craft.
Your thoughts?
Check out other thoughts on writing in this series.
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Leslie Clevenger Brogdon said:
I hadn't read your blog in several weeks, but am very excited to see that you are doing a series of posts on this subject. I have started two books, but get frustrated and loose my thought patterns within a short time. I am looking forward to implementing your advice!
Posted: July 5, 2010
Nathaniel Thomas McGill said:
Great blog posts Jonathan! “There is wisdom in many counselors” (Prov 15:22) is just truth. Procrastination in this area holds up talented folks all the time. If you want to write, you have to read. Books about writing are extremely helpful as long as you don't marry a formula. Different strategies work for different pieces. Another way of gaining counsel is to find a group of beginning writers who can workshop with you.(Sometimes a experienced mentor can be hard to find.) This can really help you discover your voice on the written page. This is tough to explain but, when I'm reading my own work I tend to plant a voice on the page that isn't really there. I might add importance to a sentence that isn't on the page technically. It can be hard to recognize how others might read you if you haven't had much technical study. So, let others read and report back to you. Some folks struggle with that, but that's just pride you got to kill. If you want to write, you need to understand really quickly that the point of writing is to share ideas with "readers." Those "readers" are never going to go away and they will always have something to criticize... so, it's best if you pick the ones casting the criticism from the beginning. Understanding how others interpret your work can improve your style very quickly and having a group to talk out ideas with can be priceless when you are starting out! Good luck to all, and looking forward to more of these!
Posted: July 7, 2010