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How To Avoid New Writers' Mistakes

New Writers Are Often Guilty Of Some Common Mistakes - Learn How To Avoid Them

By Reija SillanpaaPublished 3 years ago 6 min read
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How To Avoid New Writers' Mistakes
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Many people dream of earning a living from their writing. But it's an incredibly tough dream to realise.

I have always dreamt of being a writer. Many times I have made a start on working towards that goal, but it was always on the backburner. It had to be when I worked close to 60 hours per week.

But, something changes just over eighteen months ago. I was diagnosed with cancer. It changed everything and it changed me. It changed my attitude towards my dreams and I understood I couldn't keep postponing them.

But it didn't just give me clarity, it also gave me time. I couldn't work during the treatments, so suddenly I was at home with plenty of time on my hands.

It was time to flex my writing muscles and pick up the pen again.

Since I began writing again, I have learnt many things about it.

Lesson 1: Focus

In today's world there are so many options when it comes to writing. It can be confusing knowing where to start and where to focus your energies on.

Should you perhaps start a blog? Maybe writing a book or short stories floats your boat. Or should you share your work on online platforms? Faced with these options, it can be easy to want to do it all.

But don’t.

Ask yourself these questions.

Are you a fiction or non-fiction writer? Do you want to share your personal experiences? Do you want to advise people?

Decide what you want to focus on.

For advisory articles, an online platform like Vocal, might be a good place to start. For more personal experiences, like I wanted to share my cancer journey, a blog will work well. Make a choice and stick to it.

It is fine to write in different genres and publish in different places, but do that once you have more experience of writing and have built a solid writing routine.

Lesson 2: Develop Your Writing Routine

I used to be an erratic writer.

I'd get excited over a new idea and get busy on they keyboard. But this never lasted very long. Because I didn't have a writing routine, other things got in the way of my writing.

This is why you need to develop a writing routine. It is even more important if you are juggling a full-time job with your writing ambitions.

This is my routine.

Every evening before bedtime I write for about half an hour. I also use at least half an hour of every lunch break for writing. I write by hand in a notebook I always carry with me.

At home, I type up my notes before dinner. Following this routine, I can write 1,000-2,000 words per day.

I know there are people who might think using pen and paper is archaic, but it works for me. And that's what you need to remember. Your writing routine only needs to work for you.

Lesson 3: Have Realistic Expectations

Some years ago - ten to be exact - I spent my summer holiday writing a book. I was pleased to finish one for the first time in my life. However, I have not touched this book since as the writing was poor and the plot predictable.

Ever since I was at school, I was always praised for my writing. Perhaps that was why I expected my book to be an immediate masterpiece. Which it of course wasn't.

It wasn't even close to the standard of the books I loved to read and disheartened I abandoned the book and writing for a long time.

I was setting my expectations too high. Nobody writers a masterpiece on their first attempt. What was great in the eyes of my teachers, was not going to cut it with any publisher.

I now accept and expect any first draft to be rubbish. And then I work and work on it until it is polished enough to share.

Lesson 4: Use An Editing Tool

My grammar is great. It really is. It's part of my job as a teacher to spot errors with grammar, spelling and style.

But it's easy to pick up errors in your pupils' word. Much harder to spot them in your own.

That's why I always use an editing tool. There are plenty to choose from online and most of them have both free and paid versions available.

Lesson 5: Don’t Edit Until You Have Finished

I used to do it. Edit as I wrote. I'd write a paragraph or a chapter and then edit. Not a good idea. Most of them time I ended up abandoning the whole idea.

Stopping to edit and correct errors, interrupts the flow of my thoughts. This is why I prefer to write by hand first. That way an editing tool doesn't highlight the errors as I type.

If you are editing after a few paragraphs or chapters, it is easy to get stuck endlessly tweaking them.

once, before I realised that edits should be left until the whole thing is finished, spent an hour rewriting a single paragraph. In the end I reverted to the original. What a waste of previous writing time.

I also like to let my work rest before I edit them. With my books, I didn't look at book number one at all while writing book number two. With short stories and articles, I like to leave them alone for a couple of days.

Taking a break from your work helps you to come back to it with fresh eyes.

So, leave the editing until you have written the whole damn thing.

Lesson 6: Appreciate Feedback

Getting feedback is scary. And it can be unpleasant, too.

But it is vital if you want to improve as a writer.

I have a few trusted people as my alpha readers. I trust them to see the earliest version of my work (well, the second draft usually, never the first). I chose them because I know they will give me their honest feedback.

When I have tweaked my work based on their feedback, I have beta readers who I have met through writing groups.

To get feedback on your work, join some writing groups. There are plenty to choose from for example on Facebook. Ask some people to read your work and give you feedback. And be prepared to do the same for them.

You can also take part in writing competitions where the judges will give you feedback. One competition I know where you will get feedback is the NYC Midnight short story competition. It does cost to enter, but the feedback is detailed and helpful.

And when you receive feedback, make sure you act on it.

Lesson 7: Find Your Own Voice

We all have writers that we love and admire, but don't try to sound like them. Because you are not them. You have your own voice which you have to find and develop.

Trying to sound like a writer you admire doesn't work. It sounds false and weird. And your readers will not be fooled. Don't try to give them a copy of another writer, give them the authentic you.

Remember, the more you write, the more you hone your own voice and style.

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About the Creator

Reija Sillanpaa

A wise person said, "Be your own audience". Therefore, I write fiction, poetry and about matters important and interesting to me. That said, I warmly welcome you into my audience.

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