Your Growth as a Writer

You already love to write. You’ve filled several journals with your scribblings, and you have gazillions of poems and stories filed away on your computer. But you just don’t feel like you’re getting anywhere—or maybe you’re not even sure how to tell if you are. Is your writing really any good in the first place? Is it getting better? How would you know?

Personal development in any area takes time. Just like physical growth, it happens little by little, not overnight. But the nice thing is, you can start anytime. To grow physically, you have to wait for your body to kick in and get taller. But you can begin growing as a writer right after you finish reading this article. Here are some ways to get started.

Read like a writer.

Writers read differently from other people. Another reader might read all the same books you do, but he is coming with a different perspective and looking for a different result. He reads for enjoyment, perhaps noticing and admiring the writing style but not expecting to gain anything from it. He reads passively. But when you read, you are doing more than enjoying a good story. You are studying your craft. You need to read actively. Keep your mind alert, and take notes on what the author does. What makes his description of the night sky so perfect? What details does she include to let you know the main character is sad about something? How does he make you feel so tense and jittery in the scene where the character is home alone? How does she create so much sympathy in you for the character who is wronged? Find a book that you finished reading recently, and jot down some of your thoughts about the author’s techniques.

Share your writing.

You need at least one good friend, parent, sibling, or even a small group with whom you can share things you’ve written. Choose these people carefully. Find people who like to read or write themselves and who will put some thought into the writings you share with them. These should not be people who will merely say, “Good job—I thought it was great!” Find people who are willing to offer you not only compliments but constructive criticism as well. Let them know ahead of time that you want their honest opinion of your work, good or bad, and that you welcome their ideas for improvement. Give them plenty of time to read your work thoughtfully and get back to you with a response.

Listen to feedback.

Once you’ve put your story or poem on the line for the opinions of your critique group, prepare yourself! Criticism is not always easy to take, especially when you have poured your soul into that piece of writing and feel that it represents your best work. Listening to feedback may be painful at first, but in the long run it may just be the best thing that could happen to your writing! Consider each suggestion carefully. You may not agree with all of them, and you don’t have to make every change that everyone suggests. But be sure you evaluate each comment honestly and see if it’s a valid criticism. Have you really given your character a clear motive for running away? Is the long description of the character’s past truly necessary to the plot? Is it really believable that Aunt Mabel would have a sudden change of heart at the end of the story and leave your character a large inheritance? Be willing to change some things and even rewrite whole portions if necessary. The only way to benefit from criticism is to listen to it—and learn from it.

Enter contests.

You may not be a naturally competitive type, but you should still take advantage of the opportunity to pit your skills against other writers. Knowing your work will be judged against others makes you rise to the challenge to do your best. Even if your entry doesn’t win, read the winning entry carefully and try to find specific reasons that it was chosen over your own.

You can be sure that your writing ability will grow and develop as you do. You will gain wisdom and maturity as you go through life, learning important lessons from the things God allows you to experience. Wisdom and maturity don’t happen all at once. But you can start to develop them in yourself now, simply by being brave enough to observe and listen and learn—and change.

 

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