Writing tips from Texas author DiAnn Mills
Spring is in the air. The grass is green. New plant shoots are bursting through the earth with color. Birds are singing—and our writing needs renewal. Fertilizer doesn’t grow enthusiasm, words, social media platform engagement, or readers. But winter is behind us, and now is the time to grow in our writing.
The process takes hard work, and this post is dedicated to helping us renew our writing career and give us fresh insights into our treasured craft.
Where do we start?
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Review what you’ve written in the past. A writer creates from the love of their genre. What about your genre drives you to read and write the nonfiction topic or the story featuring unique characters? List those qualities and why you fell in love with them.
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Try something new. Our imagination is filled with ideas, so why not dive into a new genre: poetry, screenplay, fiction, nonfiction, essay, short story, or article?
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Read bestsellers in every genre. Highlight what appeals to you and analyze why the style and voice work. This could be a technique we can emulate, not plagiarize.
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Remember our first nudge to write? Remember the thrill, excitement, and fear, and wanting to explode with words? Take a few minutes to reminisce about those beginning emotions. Close your eyes and dwell on those enlightening moments.
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Laugh. When was the last time you laughed until your sides ached? Laughter is the best medicine for whatever plagues us. What makes you laugh? Incorporate those humorous moments into your writing.
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Walk through the current pain of not writing. Don’t ignore how badly it hurts. Face it. Deal with what you learn about yourself. Use a journal to show the progression of thought. Now write about a character or a nonfiction topic that explores pain.
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Spend time in nature. Journey through the beauty and wonder of the great outdoors. Examine the many different plants, trees, and wildflowers. We can’t duplicate the beauty, but we can be inspired to return to our expressions of art.
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Pursue moments of solitude to daydream. In our dream world, we kick down the walls of reality, credibility, or impossibility. This exercise always fills me with new ideas.
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Inquire of your writing friends if they are seeking renewed excitement for their writing. Sharing ideas is a type of group therapy that works!
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Attend a writer’s conference or take a class online to build your skills in the publishing world. Consider embracing social media, marketing and promotion, finding new readers, and giving back to other writers. Assisting others can pull us from our dormancy.
Spring is a time to grow in our writing. Admittedly, it’s hard work. But if we constantly renew our call, we will stay in the writing season. Would we have it any other way?
