My Plan to Become a Better Writer
Up until a few weeks ago, I was well on my way to becoming a good writer.
I was passionate about developing my ability to articulate and communicate my thoughts in written form. I was excited to start building a community that enjoyed those thoughts and valued my content. Most of all, I was happy to find a new way to inspire some creativity and a channel to output that creativity.
I’ve always been an average writer — not bad, not great. But recently I’ve come to really enjoy the writing process and have found a deep appreciation for literature as a whole.
Through journaling and posting a few occasional posts here on Medium, I was finally starting to gain some momentum with my writing. The quality of my writing was improving noticeably and I found myself eager to find any spare time throughout the day that I could use to pick up a pen or type out a few lines.
I was able to get to that remarkable place where I felt as if all of my thoughts and emotions were flowing effortlessly from my mind. Writing became almost therapeutic for me as I frequently found myself entering a state of flow while articulating my ideas. I had a full list of topics to write about and I felt a strong sense of accomplishment with each post, article, and journal entry I completed.
Then, for some reason, everything stopped. It was like I hit a brick wall.
I would open up my laptop to write a few sentences, but somehow I was no longer happy with the words on the screen. My sentence structure was wrong, my vocabulary was too basic, I couldn’t properly convey my messages in the way that I wanted to.
Writing all of a sudden became a chore, and something I no longer looked forward to. It came to the point where I would force myself to sit down and write but the outcome remained the same. I would get frustrated and then give up.
While the solution is more complex, the reason for this struggle is simple. I started to dread writing because I began over-analyzing everything. I began comparing myself to much better writers, I started heavily criticizing my work, and I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself.
Fortunately, I’m not alone. I’ve discovered that this is a common phase that almost all writers go through, particularly when they’re in the beginning stages of their writing journey.
Like any new skill, there’s a learning curve that can be applied. Early on, you’re new passion is fun and exciting. You’re exploring a new world and you have a certain blind confidence that keeps you blissfully unaware of what awaits you down the road once you begin to build upon and perfect your skill.
At some point, however, that confidence wears off as you discover that there’s a lot more to mastering your craft. This is the point where you get discouraged and it’s also the point where many people quit.
For me, in my writing journey, this is where I find myself right now.
The only way to get to mastery is to continue dragging yourself through the rut that you find yourself in.
In recent weeks, it’s been a challenge for me to find the desire to write. I’ve found myself several times questioning if I should even pursue writing, or if I even enjoy it anymore. But, since I’m not a fan of quitting, I’ve instead decided to go the opposite direction by instead writing more — a lot more.
While searching for an answer on how to become better at this craft, I discovered many writers that recommend having a strong routine in place. The general conclusion that I’ve come to find is that, when in your early stages of being a writer, quantity of writing determines quality of writing.
Like most art forms, the more you practice, the better you become. And while producing quality content is and always will be most important, producing a high volume of content is the best way to build your creative muscles.
That’s why I’m committing to a 30-day challenge of writing one new post each day.
In order to be great at something, you have to be willing to put in the work and devote the necessary time. That’s why for the next 30 days I will be dedicated to prioritizing and improving my writing.
Many writers have tried this challenge. Some have found that it has served as the launchpad that has enabled them to develop consistent writing practices that have led them to becoming exceptional writers. Others have claimed that this type of commitment has proven to be too demanding and challenging to maintain, ultimately having adverse effects when it comes to the quality of their writing.
Either way, I’m up for the challenge and curious to see what the results will be.
Requiring myself to publish an article everyday will keep me from over-thinking, over-editing, over-analyzing all the little details that have paralyzed me as a new writer. I believe that the best way for me to grow and improve as a writer is to write consistently. And that’s where this 30 day challenge comes in.
As the old saying goes: The best way to become a good writer is to write everyday. Here’s to starting a consistent routine in hopes of becoming a better writer.
This is Day 1.
