What’s a tip or tactic that has helped you recently with writing?

[Kathleen]

What’s a tip or tactic (small or large) that has helped you recently with your writing?

For me it’s short stories,

Recently I’ve been writing at least one short story a month, and it’s really help me with so many things in my writing.

It’s helped me think up creative story ideas more easily, because I have to think of new ones all the time to write another short story.

It’s taught me to cut out everything unnecessary in my stories, because during editing I have to cut out so many sentences and words to meet the word count. It really makes me question the importance of every sentence I write.

And it’s helped me make a fully complete story with a beginning, middle, end, theme, and if I’m lucky a plot twist. And since it’s short, I can write many more quicker so I can get better at it faster.

So what is something that has recently helped you out with your writing?

[Linyang Zhang]

@kathleenramm Ah, short stories are really effective! I have a lot started but I don’t know how short or long they’re gonna be just yet…

Recently, I guess has been more of scheduling things and getting my priorities straight. For the past year I’ve just been falling behind on my writing schedule of 5 pgs a day and ending up having to cram everything at like 15 pgs a day before the deadline, which was not fun. So over the past week I thought, “Since I have different levels of busy on different days, why don’t I sort it like that?” So now I have it sort by chapters and some days of the week I write more, some days I write half. I actually can write more per week now.

And yeah. That’s something pretty small, but has relieved my stress a bit. Now to work on which works should be prioritized…

Lately, it's been on my brain
Would you mind letting me know
If hours don't turn into days

[Jodi Maile]

@kathleenramm Oh that’s so cool! I’m doing short stories too! I just recently decided to do one short story a month, and I got my sister to join me as a sort of “one short story a month” challenge. We hold each other accountable by reading each other’s finished stories at the end of each month, too. The one short story a month thing has been super helpful because I can write with more freedom, since I often get bogged down by committing myself to a novel-length project that I don’t currently have the stamina to keep up with.

@devastate-lasting I love that idea of balancing the amount you write with the amount of other things you have to do during the week. That’s something I’ve been struggling with, but it definitely works when I hit the balance just right.

I guess another thing I’ve been doing that’s been helpful to me has been writing MUCH shorter amounts every day, or as consistently as possible. If I can get just 1-4 paragraphs written in a day, I’m super happy and can keep coming back and building on those paragraphs every day.

[Kathleen]

@devastate-lasting

That’s really smart! Because some weeks are so much different than others, so there’s no point to being disappointed that you didn’t write a much as some other week, especially if there is just so much going on.

@jodi-maile

I know right! I love that you don’t have to be fully committed to the long process of writing a full length novel, so that you just pick up an idea and write! It makes writing so much easier and fun.

How many short stories have you written so far?

I really like that tip! Like, some days I’m like “as long as I just write a single sentence that is still progress!” And a little bit of progress each day helps me stay motivated and not get bored of the story.

[Jodi Maile]

@kathleenramm

I’ve only written one short story so far, since I started last month, but I was really proud of it and I want to keep going! And yes–even a sentence can be counted as progress! Given my random and busy schedule, allowing myself to feel happy about writing smaller amounts has been really necessary and helpful. 🙂

[Elfwing]

@kathleenramm

I have been trying to juggle schoolwork, writing, and packing up, because my family is moving across the country in a week lol. What I have been doing, since I have a VERY short attention span, (I’m homeschooled, btw) is do a couple of lessons/quizzes/tests, then write at least one paragraph, but no more than five, before I tackle the next assignments/tasks/housework

Not only does this give me a nice short break, but it’s a change of pace. If I’m really struggling I flop down on my bed, turn on my heated blanket, and listen to the LoTR audiobook for a bit. XD or I watch a good movie in the evening, delicately balancing watching the movie, doing a school assignment, getting inspiration, and madly typing on my laptop while my parents and sister look at me with confusion as to why I wanted to watch the movie in the first place XD

I have trouble keeping accountable with school, not writing, to be honest.

Also, I have two friends who have WIPs they shared with me, so I’m sort of their ‘main reader/editor/occasional-helper-in-brainstorming’, and I do some editing with/for them, which I actually find relaxing.  Reading their work gives me ideas of my own.

I listen to music off and on all day, so I wouldn’t count it for helping me with writing, but it does help with coming up with ideas since I listen to movie soundtracks most of the time and the emotion in them is provoking for my mind to think of ideas.

I'm 'a homeschooler' because cookie-making writing artistic animal-whisperer isn't a job title

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