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Recommended Reading
Good writing does not come from divine inspiration: it is in fact a lot of hard work. Like many other artistic skills – playing a musical instrument, painting – it requires practice to improve your creative writing. There are many ways to do this; some of my suggestions are listed below:
- Always carry around a notebook so that wherever you are you can jot down ideas for your next story.
- Keep a blog, diary or journal. Write about your own life so that you learn how to write about other people.
- Observe what is happening around you. The next time you’re on a bus or train look at the person opposite you. What are they wearing? Are they married? What’s their job? Create a whole life for them, down to what their favourite colour is. By the end of the journey you’ll have a character that you can work with, and even write a short story about.
- Practise everyday. Set aside time for writing, even if it is only fifteen minutes a day – this will allow you to further hone your craft.
There are many resources out there that I can suggest for budding writers. The first two things you need, and these are essential, are a good dictionary and thesaurus. There is an exercise I use with my GCSE English students – they have to think of as many words as possible to replace the adjective ‘nice’ – try it now. If you are a good writer you will vary your vocabulary and a good dictionary and thesaurus will help you on your way.
Finally, I would like to recommend some books and magazines that are invaluable to me as a writer:
The Pocket Writer’s Handbook by Martin Manser and Stephen Curtis - This book has sections on grammar, word usage, punctuation and spelling. I keep it next to my dictionary and thesaurus – and probably refer to it just as much.
The Five-Minute Writer by Margaret Geraghty - This book is packed with exercises to inspire your writing, perfect if you’ve got writer’s block or want a regular way to practice your writing skills.
Mslexia (www.mslexia.co.uk) - Mslexia is a website and a magazine especially aimed towards women who write. What is really fantastic about the magazine is that it provides a lot of practical tips on technique with famous writers often contributing articles. In the classifieds are lists of competitions, magazines and websites that are looking for poetry or short story submissions.
And when you’ve reached the “I’ve written my first novel stage” you might want to refer to the:
Writer’s and Artist’s Yearbook - Every August the latest version of this book is published. The advice provided in this book is fantastic! It also has lists of agents and publishers – perfect for those who’ve just written their first novel.
