What Changed My Writing – For The Better

When I started writing again after a number of years hiatus, I was unsure what I had to say let alone how much I could get done. Years ago, when I started writing there was no computer explosion and all the software. When I first finished the original version of my book there was more computerized tools but not much and the internet was certainly not so big and filled with so many resources. I needed to find out what I could do and find out what I had to say.

What did I do? I joined a writing email list to observe what people were doing about getting words written. I followed without a commitment and used a journal for a month to see how many words I could write. I believe I wrote over thirty thousand which was an eye-opener. Now it wasn’t anything specific but it gave me an idea of what I could do strictly using a computer. So journaling gave me a benchmark for what I could do.

But I still didn’t fully commit to writing like I needed.

When I finally did commit and started building my author platform my writing productivity began to change again. Why? Short answer: blogging. With blogging I needed to regularly create content. The problem wasn’t how many words I needed to write but ideas.

After a shaky start with ideas, I began to string together ideas. Then I was able to start churning out blog posts more regularly.

But how has this affected my fiction writing? As I began to generate ideas for blogging I was also jogging my creativity. As a result, I began to come up with ideas for short stories, novel and non-fiction books. What a big plus!

With blogging there was an added bonus. I got that much faster at developing and writing content. The less complex posts I can finish in about an hour. More complex blogs really don’t take that long to write instead it’s the research and other ideas that take up time.

Here are a few tips from what I’ve learned:

1. Write regularly – this is a tip that is frequently used but often has little elaboration. In my opinion, write often whether it is for publication or not.

2. Use a journal – it grows your confidence about expression in a low pressure format and it also contributes to idea generation.

3. Try blogging more regularly if you don’t already – it hones your creativity and productivity so you become more proficient as a writer.

4. Make a commitment to your writing – if you are reluctant to push yourself to increase your content productivity you aren’t likely to publish much.

I don’t know where I’ll end up with my writing. However, I have made strides that I never imagined I would even six months ago.

If you blog, has it helped your writing? What commitments could you make to improve your writing? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my contact page for that information. See the News page for announcements and remember to sign-up to receive news and posts by email. I’ve added a new sign-up tab on my FaceBook page to simplify the process. New followers can download The Black Bag via free coupon today! Also, the cover of my book, The Bow of Destiny, was revealed yesterday so take a look.

Clip art licensed from Microsoft Office.