15 Things Writers Can Do to Improve Their Craft

 by, Alycia W. Morales

The rough draft of a manuscript is just that: rough. Every writer can improve their craft, thereby improving their manuscript. The question is, "How?"

“The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.”
— Terry Pratchett

I've rounded up writing advice from some of the pros, providing you with 15 things you can do to improve your craft. Let's get to it!

 

15 Things Writers Can Do to Improve Their Craft:

1. READ

“If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”
— Stephen King

Consider reading as a way to learn how to write. The more you read, the more you'll realize what to do and what not to do, styles you prefer, how to use words in a way that grab the reader, make them want to cry, or make them want to shout aloud in agreement. Reading opens a world of lessons in writing for the writer who is astute enough to pick up on them.

I tend to agree with Mr. King here. If you don't have time to read, you don't have time to write.

2. PRACTICE

“Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.”
— Jane Yolen

Some days, you may not have time to write 2,000 words. That doesn't mean that you don't write. You can go back and edit. You can, as Jane suggests, write a letter in your character's POV, create a list of titles for blog posts or in an attempt to find the perfect title for your current book, do a character sketch for the character who is most resilient to your attempts at getting them to talk, or make a journal entry in your own journal about your writing journey.

Like anything else, you have to practice to make it better. Pianists don't become prodigies without practice.

3. CHOOSE A MIGHTY THEME

“To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme.”
— Herman Melville

If your theme isn't strong enough, your book won't be either.

You can't win a debate without a strong position and the proper supporting arguments for or against whatever issue you're debating. The same goes for storytelling. You need to know where you and your characters stand on an issue in order to present your case in a way that will interest your readers in listening to what you have to say. You want them to hear the point you're making, so make it a mighty point.

4. MAKE IT CLEAR

“The main thing I try to do is write as clearly as I can. I rewrite a good deal to make it clear.”
— E.B. White

As any author where the real writing happens, and they'll tell you it's in the rewrite. Take the opportunity when rewriting to make your writing clear. 

I work with a lot of first-time authors, and one of the greatest challenges they face is clearing up any confusion within their stories or nonfiction works. Muddled writing needs to be cleaned up so that readers aren't confused by rabbit trails, too much backstory or the wrong backstory or the backstory in the wrong place, head hopping, secondary characters taking the spotlight, unexplained statements, and so much more.

5. GET RID OF EXCESS WORDS

“So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.” ― Dr. Seuss

 

Don't use more words than are necessary. Cut the fluff. And the junk. And the scientific explanations. The purple prose. The adverbs. The pet words. Cut it all.

6. USE THE RIGHT WORDS

“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”
— Mark Twain

Stephen King says that if you have to look up a word in the thesaurus, it's the wrong word. Keep it real. You don't have to use big words that a reader will need to look up in a dictionary to understand. Most people read at an eighth grade level. KISS. Keep it simple, stupid. 

But be attentive enough to make it beautiful, too. Like Mark Twain says, the difference is between the lightning bug and the lightning.

7. SHOW. DON'T TELL.

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”
― Anton Chekhov

This is one of my all-time favorite writing quotes. It's a clear illustration of the difference between showing and telling. Showing involves the five senses clearly demonstrating something within the story. Showing takes the reader to a deeper level, involving them in the story itself rather than keeping them at an arm's length.

No one wants to be told a story. They want to be intimately involved in the experience of the story.

8. BE TRANSPARENT

“Write what disturbs you, what you fear, what you have not been willing to speak about.
Be willing to be split open.”
— Natalie Goldberg

People want to know that they are not alone in thoughts, feelings, and experiences. People want real and raw. They want to know that the depth of pain they suffer and the height of joy that they thrive on are not only theirs, but others' as well.

Readers don't want most of your story. They want all of your story. They want truth, no matter how bad it hurts. They will know if you are lying to them or if you are only allowing them to see the surface of what you are sharing. This turns them off immediately, and they won't finish reading. So give it all. Give it raw. And watch how many relate to you, also verifying that you are not alone.

9. TAKE TIME FOR LIFE AND LIVING

“How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.”
— Henry David Thoreau

Isolation is the nature of a writer's career. We sit in front of our laptops or typewriters or notebooks all day, putting words on the page. How many times do you really look up and talk to someone? Uninterrupted hours so we can remain in our groove are useful, right?

But when we stay in that place too long, our writing becomes stale. Why? Because in order to write life, you have to live it. And sitting in front of a page by yourself all day every day is not living. It's the trait of a workaholic.

Be sure to make time in your schedule for living. For relating. For being present in the moments. Your family and friends will appreciate knowing they matter to you too.

10. DIVE DEEP INTO YOUR EMOTIONS

“No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.” —Robert Frost 

This is similar to being transparent but not the same.

For years I struggled to dig deeper than surface-level emotions in my writing. I hated hearing, "Kill your babies." I had a difficult time hurting my protagonists, putting them in harm's way, and increasing the stakes for them. But this is how great writers keep us on the edge of our seats. Surprise. Tears. Strife. Pain. Joy. Love. Desire.

When these elements are present, we want to keep reading so we can discover how the characters overcome. In order to do so, we must go deeper into emotions. Otherwise, our characters fall flat and bring the plot with them.

11. GIVE IT ALL. NOW.

“Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book;
give it, give it all, give it now.”
— Annie Dillard

I am so bad at this. I always cling to the good stuff, holding onto it for what? A rainy day? I am learning to put it all out there, giving my all, today.

Giving your all is also similar to transparency, in the sense that you reader will be able to tell that you're holding something back. The question is, why are you holding it back?

Readers will come if you give them your all. I promise you, there is more where your all came from. And the more you give, the more you will be given to give again. Keep giving your all. You will sow what you reap. 

12. BE UNDERSTANDING, NONJUDGMENTAL

“As a writer, you should not judge, you should understand.”
― Ernest Hemingway

No one wants to be preached at when they're reading a story or a nonfiction book. So get off your soapbox. 

Instead, focus on revealing that you understand what someone is going through. Don't tell them how to fix themselves. Show them how you were fixed of the same issue. Compassion and empathy are helpful in doing so.

13. CHANGE THE WORLD

“If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.”
— Martin Luther 

 Come on, writer! Let's be world changers! 

What books have you read that have changed you and your world? Plenty, I'm sure. How do I know? I've experienced the same.

My world was changed by Judy Blume's Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great. In a time in my life when I was being bullied by guys and girls alike, I found solace in the lives of Peter and Sheila. I learned that I was a loyal friend, and those people who couldn't see the value in me and my friendship weren't worthy of my time, energy, or efforts.

Our words are able to change lives. I could have listened to the bullies and allowed the poison of their words to penetrate my heart and bring me down. Instead, thanks to the encouragement I found in books and my relationship with God, I was impervious to their negativity. Instead, I stood tall and kept walking.

How can your words change someone's life? They won't, unless you put them out there. So pick up your pen and write!

14. MAKE IT SOUND LIKE YOU

“Your writing voice is the deepest possible reflection of who you are. The job of your voice is not to seduce or flatter or make well-shaped sentences. In your voice, your readers should be able to hear the contents of your mind, your heart, your soul.”
— Meg Rosoff

It's taken me nearly twelve years to find my writing voice. Don't panic! It may not take you as long as it has taken me. Everyone's journey is different.

As Meg says, your voice is the deepest possible reflection of who you are.  For years, I've struggled to get past my brain and into my heart when it comes to my writing. It wasn't until we lost our son in January of 2021 that things began to get very clear for me. I don't know why I struggled for so long, but I do know God's timing is perfect. And from the deepest parts of my pain, my voice has emerged.

Make your writing sound like the deepest possible reflection of who you are. Let the readers hear your voice when they read your written words.

15. WAIT

“There are some books that refuse to be written. They stand their ground year after year and will not be persuaded. It isn’t because the book is not there and worth being written — it is only because the right form of the story does not present itself. There is only one right form for a story and,
if you fail to find that form, the story will not tell itself.”
— Mark Twain

The time may not be write for a particular book or other form of writing. Sometimes, we have to give our characters and concepts a little more time to wander around our minds before we let them out onto the page. And that's okay. One day, the time will come.

I've had ideas for books that have been in my head and heart for half a decade. It's only recently that the words and plots and characters have started to come into focus and beg to be written. And it's only recently that I would have been able to do them justice.

Sometimes it's not our books that need time; it's us.

So, writer, which of these 15 things can you do to improve your writing craft? What will you apply to your first draft in order to strengthen it? We'd love to hear from you in the comments below!

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Writer, do you need help with improving your rough draft? Here are 15 tips for you! via @AlyciaMorales

 

Alycia Morales is a freelance editor and storyteller whose work has been featured in multiple magazines, compilation books, and through clients who’ve won multiple awards in a variety of national contests. She a sought-after ghostwriter with years of experience across a slew of categories.

Alycia served as the Conference Assistant for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference for twelve years.

A southern mama who understands the complexities of faith, loss, blended families, foster and adoptive relationships, and story, Alycia is passionate about walking beside women in their journeys.

She is currently working on two of her own novels, a YA and a romantic suspense.

When not writing, editing, or reading, Alycia enjoys spending time with her husband and their mostly-grown children taking hikes in the Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains. She also loves creating various crafts and watching crime shows, This Is Us, and Twilight.

You can find her online at alyciawmorales.com. She hangs out on Instagram at @AlyWMorales and @StoryInspirations.3.