If
you don’t use your muscles, they atrophy. The same goes for your writing. You
should always be writing – anything. And You should always be “reaching” for
more because that is how you will keep improving.
Reach
by leaving your comfort zone. If you always write romance, try some science
fiction, or vice-versa. There are many genres and sub-genres such as
historical, fantasy, mystery, thriller, paranormal, romance, humor, shape-shifters,
and more. Mix things up, even if you aren’t writing a new style for publication
– although you might
surprise yourself, and your readers, by coming up with something really, really
good.
If you normally write novels, try writing short stories,
poetry, flash fiction, haiku, YA, novellas, etc. Do something different and
reinvent your writing self. Even if you don’t plan on submitting a product in a
new genre, exercise your writing brain by experimenting with new styles in your
“down time”. You should always be writing. Writing of anything is never wasted
effort.
Although many new writers are told to write what they like to
read, at some point a writer has to expand on that and move on. The best way to
begin opening your writing expertise to more than your “usual” is to read books
that you wouldn’t normally have chosen. Open up your world and your imagination
with something new, something different. Throw out the words “Oh I don’t read
that” and pick up a book – go into a local library or bookstore and walk to a
section where you don’t recognize any of the authors or titles, now choose a
book. Challenge yourself.
Practice stretching. Make it a point everyday to work on one
NEW genre/format writing project. Make a list of genres and tackle one every
day. Make a list of story formats – short story(1000 to 7500 words), flash
fiction (1000 words), micro-fiction (140-characters), and six word stories. Try
conventional poetry and haiku (three lines, 17 syllables as five-seven-five).
Experiment with point of view, era (contemporary or historical), place, and dialect.
Keep mixing it up. Set at least one hour daily just for “exercise” although you
may find you want to keep going.
Writing Exercise:
Complete the following story with no more than one paragraph using the
following WHAT Ifs (one at a time): Mary and Martin went for a picnic. As soon
as they… 1) there was a very loud
noise; 2) there was a weapon; 3) there was a futuristic mode of transportation;
4) there was currency; 5) there was severe weather.
Writing Prompt:
Write the alphabet in list form, next to each letter write both the
shortest and the longest word you can think of starting with that letter.
