Exercises That Can Make Your Writing Go From ‘Meh’ To ‘Aah’!

Usain Bolt doesn’t just run. Michael Phelps doesn’t just swim. And nor Messi just play football.

They do a lot of other things to keep themselves in shape that collectively equips them to perform the ultimate act, the sport.

Similarly, for a writer, writing is the ultimate act. But in order to perfect the same, many attributes need to be right. There are many facets of writing that writers must practice so that they master the art.

Writing exercises are training routines for writers that strengthen their writing muscles.

Types of exercises: -Headline building;

-Formatting;

-Concise writing;

-Idea generating;

-Writing habit;

-Writing with precision;

-Editing;

-Readership building.

What is the best way to approach this?

Well, it is all self-paced. You are the one who is going to decide, pick, and act on it.

15 minutes is what you will need in a day to do it. Hence, it is extremely easy to squeeze some of them into your schedule.

As you do these exercises, you will imbibe them in your writing pattern. Do not be surprised if they graduate from being an exercise to becoming a writing practice. And that is precisely the aim.

#1. The Nitpicking Exercise

Sounds fun, right? We all love some fault-finding time, especially of others!

Well, that’s what we will do in this exercise, just that usually it doesn’t do us any good, but here it will.

Take a story (or part of it). Of another writer, preferably a contemporary/parallel writer. Copy it somewhere. And start making notes/changes you feel would make the story better. It can be anything: the grammar, the formatting, the structure/flow of the story. clarity of the thoughts, basically anything.

You may ask, how is this different from editing your own story? It is. When we write something, we feel it is okay. We are emotionally invested in that most of the time. But it is easier to do it on someone else’s work. Hence, the exercise.

The next step is to rectify the changes that you have noted down. And finally compare the two.

Slowly, with time, this practice will strengthen your editing skills which is a critical element of good writing.

#2. The Daily Bread Crumbs

This one is a keeper exercise. I do it to date.

This is a daily exercise. Become a squirrel and stuff good things in your cheek pouch. It can be — a great headline, a good one-liner, a catchy phrase, a coined word.

I say bread crumbs because ideas come picking on them. A good thought/line has the potential to generate powerful ideas. I have first-hand experience. Many of my well-performing stories have originated from one single line. That’s the power. Hence, it only makes sense to have some in your kitty.

Bank on them and use them.

#3. Honey I Shrunk The Thing

Hey, stop thinking naught!!

Take any of your old stories. Say it is 1000 words. The exercise is to reduce it to 75% of its size. 750 words. Without losing its essence or omitting contents.

It is not about writing more. It is about adding more value to the words.

Not fluff. Dense. Intense. If you can say more in fewer words, half the battle is won. The problem with writing in many words is that it can confuse and easily put off your reader.

Remember that today’s impatient readers want information only one way, effective and fast. You must also work on delivering, in the same way, to keep up with them.

Hence, brevity with clarity is the call of the day.

#4. Open The Flood Gates

A flash flood of words.

For 15 minutes write mindlessly, no sense, no filter, no rhyme, no rhythm, no pause.

Ever seen a flash flood? Have you noticed how it washes away all that comes in its way? It has just one thing in mind, to flow uninterrupted.

Many times our own insecurities block us, self-doubt, fear of failure, deadlines, and fear of judgment are a few. They block our channel of flow. Mindless writing is a cleansing process to unblock these hindrances. Famous writers like Natalie Goldberg swear by its effectiveness.

You can adopt the same practice.

This exercise is a wonderful way to get the writing juices flowing; it is a proven technique for idea generation too. This routine also enhances the drafting process of a story and handling writer’s block.

So, give it a go.

Final thoughts:

“Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, or a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.”- Jane Yolen

New or seasoned, all writers need some exercise to stay in shape.