Dedicating yourself to writing can be fun and very rewarding: at first, however, it is not always easy to write clearly and appropriately. Obviously, this goal is achievable and, to get there, you have to face a path paved with drafts and revisions. The starting point is always a first draft, scribbled.
Steps
Step 1. First of all, think about the key points of the topic, and jot down some notes in your notebook (if you prefer, you can also use your pc / tablet / smartphone, etc
). This first step is essential for any text you want to write: themes, articles, short stories, or novels. It is not necessary to follow a particular brainstorming method, what matters is that you are able to express your ideas, and develop them.
Step 2. Then start writing, without giving too much importance to spelling, grammar, or anything else that can distract you
Step 3. After you have written the first draft, relax
Do something that distracts you, a walk, or any other activity, and then go back to your draft (in case you are writing a novel, take a week or a month, but keep thinking about the plot, and the characters); if you are writing an article or a school theme, take a day off, or a little more, if time is running out, limit yourself to a few hours.
Step 4. Go back to your draft and edit it
If, as a good writer, you want an opinion on what you have written, you can post your work on literary forums (maybe find a specific one on your topic), and wait for criticism and comments on your work. These will help you in writing the second draft.
Advice
- Have fun writing, play with your work.
- Try to put yourself in the shoes of the reader, to criticize the work impartially and objectively. Try writing what you would do if you were involved in the story: the story would become more realistic and interesting.
- Make sure you've done a good research on the subject. What is it about? Horror? Adventure? Sentimental novel? Other cultures?
- Whenever you think of something, make a note. It might be useful later (many writers usually carry around a small notepad and pencil, just in case).
- Avoid distractions: When you work, make sure you can focus solely on your writing.
- Use the pencil. This is handy for quickly clearing parts that don't sound right.
- Observe everything around you: study the behavior of people, try to notice the details of what you have around you: nature (if you take a walk in the woods, or the park), or the city. The details make the images of your writings more vivid.
- Don't worry, if you think about trashing your first draft, and writing another one: that's the beauty of the first draft, and besides, it's all practical.
- Don't put it off - you will begin to see your job as a burden or an obligation, rather than a hobby, or a job (the same goes for you, students, too).
- Practice your vocabulary, and keep your dictionaries handy.
Warnings
- Remember to save your work in different places - if your computer crashes, or you lose your manuscript, your work will be unrecoverable.
- Also keep the drafts, they may be useful in the future.
