Tips… tips… tips! Who loves tips? I do. You do? Then we’re cool. (Feeling the rhymes huh? *smirk*)
Err… this isn’t about monetary tips, (although that would be great, lol).
Thing is, the art of writing is not easy. But then nothing in life is. So, join me as we peruse these tips that will help us improve our writing together.
N.B: The following tips are not originally mine. Credit goes to a book I read in the school library.
Discovered them in my jotter, and decided to share it here.
- To develop yourself as a writer, you need to read widely.
- You should have writing models, find out what their writing styles are, and learn from them.
- Develop a capacity for constructive self-criticism.
- If you want others to read your work, you have to see the world you live in with a fresh perspective as you write.
- Increase your chances of getting published through: magazines,newspapers, contests, radio, books, readings, seminars, workshops, etc.
- Know what you are doing and why.
- Get a writer or mentor who is ahead of you to occasionally review your work and give constructive criticisms and encouragement.
- Show your readers, don’t tell them. (They probably already know about what it is you’re writing, so show them in a different way.)
- Learn to register the kind of details people fail to observe.
- Develop yourself not to be vague or artificial. Avoid abstractions, although poems with abstractions exist. Just under more experienced pens.
- When writing poetry, let there be a part for the reader to complete from their own imagination.
- Join a poetry club or society.
- Learn to voice your poem in quiet place.
- Be patient with yourself. Whatever comes to you in form of inspiration, write them down even if it’s in bits and pieces. You can always go back to edit and re-edit.
“writing a poem is like having a long distance telephone calls with someone on a bad line.”
–George Barker
The conversation is bound to come “half-half”, so you’ll have to put it together later-like a puzzle-for you to finally get the full picture.
Okay, now…
Meme credit: Pinterest
Are the stares kind of creepy? Imagine them sharing at you like this every time you’re not writing when you’re supposed to… You’ve been ‘tipped’, go make good use of them.
Ciao.
