Being Able to Write: Lessons from Other Writers

During K.G. Schneider’s study, she tries to improve her writing by learning from other writers, such as teachers and other students. She came up with 18 things that she has learned from others on writing:

1. Write a lot.
2. Read a lot.
3. Schedule your writing.
4. Seek the community of other writers.
5. Read your works in progress out loud.
6. When in doubt, when you don’t know how to begin, when the well is dry: open in scene.
7. For pieces longer than several pages, outlines are essential.
8. Don’t give up too early on a piece that isn’t working well. Find a way to make it work.
9. Always carry a writing notebook.
10. As you draft, be liberal with establishing new versions, but number them precisely.
11. Reduce, reuse, recycle.
12. Back up your work.
13. Be careful who you listen to.
14. Send out your best work, and send it out religiously.
15. If you do any fact-based writing, save and organize your citations.
16. Good writers are never quite satisfied with their work.
17. Be nice to librarians.
18. Claim the name, “writer.”

The number 8, Don’t give up too early on a piece that isn’t working well. is something that is important to learn. Many people may encouter this also, but for me sometimes I give up on writing in the half way because I cannot find a way to continue. Next time, I may find some more ways before giving up.

Being Able to Write: Lessons from Other Writers, New and Well-Seasoned – [Free Range Librarian]