Embracing the Random: Various Writing Tips

By: Margaret Huntley

I usually pride myself on the organization of my writing. My mind typically flies all over the place, and writing is where I sort out those thoughts into coherency. But for this blog I wanted to share a sort of messy array of various writing tips. They all pertain to writing and they are all (in my opinion) very useful, though other than that they share no unifying quality to make an articulate blog post.

So please join me in embracing the random:

• Read a Diverse Set of Authors: While the publishing industry is making progress in the way of celebrating texts from a diverse set of authors, there is still a long way to go. Making a point to read texts by authors of colour, authors who are members of the LGBTQ+ community, or authors of other minority groups that you may or may not be a part of, is so beneficial. Not only does it help them succeed in a society that stacks the odds against them, but it broadens your understanding of people who are different from you. And understanding people is a great foundation for writing.
  

• Read Your Work Aloud: This is a pretty popular editing tip, and for a good reason. Reading aloud helps you catch errors in your writing that are easily glossed over while reading in your head. I want to expand on this tip by encouraging you to read your text out loud after the editing is done as well. I started reading my finished stories out loud to my boyfriend as he is a very slow reader on his own. While doing this, I realized that reading my completed stories out loud helped me solidify them as an actual story, and not just something I threw together on my keyboard.
  

• Write What You Feel: I’m actively exercising this tip while writing this blog. I don’t feel like organizing one cohesive thought, so I’m writing this miscellaneous list. But this tip goes beyond my personal blog posts. Writing what you feel can mean writing a story that conveys a particular emotion, or it can mean writing something that you just think would be fun to write. Your writing will be better when you are excited about it than if you try to force something that you’re not feeling.
  

• Ask for Help: Asking for help is not something I really like to do. Taking that first step is pretty difficult, whether it’s asking about a job, asking for someone to edit your work, or asking to run your ideas by someone. Despite the fact that each instance of asking for help makes me nervous and reluctant, I’m always grateful that I did in the end. I’m confident that the same will be true for you.

I hope you were able to get something out of my various writing tips, unified only by their mutual disunity. 

My Favourite Resources for Writers

Listen, no one is going to plant your butt in the chair and write for you, but these resources for writers can definitely help get the juices flowing. 

This list is by no means exhaustive. It does, however, reflect my personal favorites; they're where I go when I'm stuck, discouraged, or ready to hit the bottle hard at 2pm. 

The Top 5 Resources for Writers

1) Merriam-Webster.  I love words. I love what they reflect about the people using them, and I love learning about where they came from. This is why I love Merriam-Webster.com.  Not only is it an amazing online dictionary and thesaurus, but it has fun and informative games, quizzes and facts about vocabulary and language. (I subscribe to their Word of the Day, which delivers a new word to your inbox every day.)

Sure, I'm the kind of gal who would (and, OK, has) read the dictionary for fun, but MW offers more than just words. On many occasions it's rekindled my love for language and reminded me why I do what I do. 

2)  Writer's Digest. "Write Better, Get Published" - this is the tagline for Writer's Digest, and while I don't buy the implied guarantee, I do like their writing prompts - especially for my creative writing. 99.9% of the time, their prompts never make it into my published work, but it does get my head out of my own ass and offer a fresh start. 

They also have some pretty solid tips on how to make it as a freelancer. Just beware the hopeful novice writer: there are some pretty hard sells on this site - and outlandish claims. Example:

"Write a Breakout Novel in 2015"! Originally over $300, now only $49.98?! Well, cool my ink jets and colour me sold!

(If you want really good advice about getting published, read novelists Russell Smith's columns in the Globe and Mail. They give a hard, but compelling kick in the pants for any aspiring writer.)

3)  Walking Therapy. It's good to get out of your head. It's better to get out of the house or office. I find walking to get the mail, or to the shops for something for dinner or going to get my son from school will open my mind (and burn a few calories - much needed as a stress eater who works in very close proximity to a fridge).

4) Writer's Trust of Canada. From news on grants, and lectures, to intel on writer's retreats and scholarships, this is a great place to stop by, get informed and get inspired.

 5) Copy Blogger. Creative writers, put your scruples aside. We live in an age where content is King, and if you want to make it as a Writer (or even a 'writer'), at one point or another, you're probably going to have to sell yourself into a world of creative prostitution: you're doing something you technically love, but more often than not, it's loveless. 

You're just going through the motions - and this is OK. There's a pay off. Writing content for other people has made me a better writer. It's made me more diligent, more focused. It's trained me to sit down and write, write, write and edit, edit, edit until the job's done. No excuses. 

Sure, I take pride in my work (and God knows I learn a lot), but it certainly isn't something I'd write about without being hired to do so. 

I've found the emails and articles by Copy Blogger invariably beneficial as a content writer, and a as a capital 'W' writer. It forces me out of my comfort zone, and accepting the work gets me to explore topics I would never have delved into on my own. Like here. And here and here and here. 

Copy Blogger helps content writers find ways to engage their audiences across the board - and this is going to be an invaluable writing resource if you want to write for a living.

And there aren't many writers who get to make a living writing about what they want, all the time. All of us have to rent ourselves out now and then, which is not to be confused with selling out. 

You don't have to write about anything that's against your moral code, but you do have to write. Writers don't just hang out in coffee shops and bars, waxing poetic, they actually have to produce...you know...words. 

That's where these resources for writers come in. They'll help, Trust me. 

Have your own favourite resources for writers? Tell me about them in the comments below.