Writing Tips Worth More Than A Four Year Degree

Education past high school is ridiculously expensive and even with the scholarships I earned due to high test scores and being a first-generation college graduate - I am still paying for the classes I took almost 10 years ago. 

Now it's your turn but for the low cost of just a few minutes of your time. 

Take your seats. Class is in session.

Read Almost As Much As You Write 

One of my creative writing teachers loved to assign us books to read individually based on the genre we wanted to write. 

So that he would never assign a book to read in the same genre.

There is much to be learned about writing hidden in the pages of each genre. Horror novelist still needs to build connections in their characters the same as in a romance novel. 

We had weekly book reports due as he held the belief that there was always time for reading and there was always something to be learned from all books. 

If you've ever heard the phrase that writing can't be taught.. it was most likely from someone who forgot about the most important teacher of writing that there is - books.

Make The Time To Write 

If my college days taught me anything about writing it's that there is no time to wait around for the plot bunny to come along and sprinkle you a trail to your book idea. 

Our assignments were due and they were due when they were due. There were no extensions or make-ups. 

If you were given a prompt on Monday you needed to make the time to write so it was on the teacher's desk by Wednesday. 

Life will always try to get in the way of your writing, but it's up to you to push back and make writing a priority as if a stern teacher were sitting on the other side of his desk when you try to tell him that you just couldn't think of anything to write or find the time to do it. 

Embrace Feedback 

If there was one thing I hated about my creative writing courses at my first school it was their obsession with feedback circles. 

The writer -  whose work was printed out and handed to each student in the class -  sat in the middle of a circle and after the work was read the circle went around with each person giving the writer feedback. 

It was embarrassing, but helpful to make our stories stronger than we could have on our own. 

The world is not out there to hurt you. Sure some unconstructive feedback is no help to anybody, but feedback given that is well-meant should be listened to as well as taken with a grain of salt. 

Just because someone wants you to change your main character's name to something that looks as if you had smashed your face onto the keyboard doesn't mean you have to listen to them. 

Do Not Give Up 

When I moved from completing my degree in person to completing it online, there were many days I wanted to quit. 

It had even gotten to the point when I had written to my professor to tell him I was going to be dropping his writing classes since I could not handle all of my work coming back with red lines, marks, and at one time entire slashes of ink covered the page. 

He arranged a discussion meeting with me and he told me without holding back, that if I quit now, then I was giving up on being an author for good. 

He told me that making it as a writer and an author out in real work was going to be 100 times harder than what I was facing in class. While he was marking up my paper and tearing it to shreds, I had the opportunity that writers out in the real world weren't getting - the chance to learn from my mistakes and try again. 

If he had been the agent or editor to receive my work at its first stage he would have thrown it in the bin and would not have thought about it again for as long as he lived. 

He wanted me to keep trying, to keep learning, and every time he knocked me down he wanted me to stand back up and swing harder. 

There are going to be days when you want to quit.

There are going to be days when you think that you will never write again.

Don't let a few bad days influence the rest of the ones you have. 

I made it through that class and that professor and I still email regularly about projects I've worked on or when I need a kick in the pants to get back to my work and to stop threatening to throw my desktop out my fourth-floor bedroom window. 

Do not give up, keep writing, keep reading, and listen to those who want to help you. 

Now class is dismissed.

Go get to writing. 

B.K. xo xo

Want to write with me live? I'm now on Twitch! Come join me in some writing sprints most days at 10:00 pm EST

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