Writing is a glamour profession, right? The endless parties, the traveling and the fancy cars all writers have access to allow us to write fantastic pieces that inspire and delight.
What, you thought writers make up everything?
Okay, I’m lying. Most writers don’t go to parties, don’t travel constantly and don’t race around in fancy cars–we save that for our employers. What they do is they read and they research, and then use what they discover to make their writing better.
But where to start?
Just Like any good writer will tell you, start as close to the end as possible. Don’t waste your time with some “how to write a blog post” book, but rather learn from the people already out there doing it.
Copyblogger – How the Art of Screenwriting Can Make You a Better Web Writer
Screenwriters know that their words exist for one of two reasons only: to reveal character or to move the story forward. People don’t care much for lengthy exposition, nor do most of us want to read about the minute details of a handgun (unless you’re Tom Clancy).
By eliminating boring or unnecessary words, writers keep the readers’ attention and make the writing process less laborious.
Jeff Goins – The Cure for Frustrated Writer’s Syndrome
Here Goins discusses roadblocks most writers will face after they make the leap from amateur wordsmith to professional typing slave. Most of us start with the idea that great writing will trump all else, but soon fall into a spiral of frustration as we realize that a great product is crap if no one knows about it.
If the goal of a writer is to be published and paid for their work, there’s a lot more to it than writing a story worth reading. Blogging, a newsletter, webinars and other marketing efforts will do wonders for your personal exposure and if it goes wrong, at least you’ll have plenty of funny horror stories to share.
Chuck Wendig – 25 Ways To Become A Better Writer
Wendig may be the world’s best, professional rambler. While many established writers shun lists as cop-out blog posts, Wendig has affixed himself to the style. And it works, mostly because there are so many working parts to make good writing happen that it would almost be impossible to write a narrative on each point.
But I digress. Good writers get better by learning from their own and others’ mistakes. Need a pick me up? Read a list by Wendig, pick a few points to work on right away and go back to your keyboard.
Anyone else have tips or sites they enjoy when writing gets tough?