I love writing and I love coming up with great ideas for stories and reading about how to write, etc. But, I sit down to write and nothing ever comes out of my head and onto the paper. I write outline after outline, but I can't put it together and when I do, it's shorter than expected and often a mess. What can I do to improve my ability to actually write anything?
Nobody decides they’re going to be a marathon runner and gets up and goes out and runs 26.2 miles. Because the first guy to do that might have gotten the job done, but he had a less than happy ending.Â
You work up to it. You train. You practice writing in small bits. Honestly, if writing one good sentence is all you do today, that’s hella more than a lot of people are doing.
Write one good sentence today. It can be about anything. Tomorrow, pick a random topic or setting you’re familiar with and write one good sentence about that. The next day, pick a topic or setting about which you know exactly nothing, do 5 minutes of research and write one good sentence about that.
Then you move to two sentences, then a paragraph. Keep at it. Write more each time. Save everything you write.Â
In addition to running, a lot of marathoners work out in other ways. For the writer, that means READING. READ, READ, READ. And now you get to read like a writer. If you missed this post we shared on reading like a writer, check it out.Â
I suggest reading at least one book and taking actual notes on each chapter. You might not ever have to do that again, but I guarantee, the way you read will change and when you read good stuff, your life and your writing will get better.Â
-- Mod Aliya
