How to be a good writer pt. 1

Understanding Yourself and Your Writing

Every writer is different and you’ll find that certain aspects of your day or moods can have a significant impact on your ability to write and your productivity. … understand your own  motivation, capability and capacity…

One of the first things that you should consider is whether you truly understand yourself as a writer. The tips in this section should provide some food for thought that will help you understand your own motivation, capability and capacity to write.

Understand when the right time for you to write is. 

One of the first things you should establish is when is the right time of the day or week to write, for you. This will be peculiar to you as everyone is different and will experience different periods of activity and concentration levels at different times of the day. 

Many people find that they are more productive, more imaginative or even just more motivated at certain times of the day or week. Examine what goes on in your day and be aware of when these times might be

for you. It could be early morning, or it could be late at night but whenever might be your time, you will need to harness your preference and make use of these most productive moments. 

This is particularly important for creative writers, but might be less so for article writers or technical writers, for example. For freelance writers, this forms a vital part of your own understanding of your earning potential, efficiency and working discipline. 

Understand your own capacity and output.


Understand your own capacity to write and you will be able to better control your own output. Remember, for many people, output and quality may be dependent upon each other. Increasing the amount you write over a short period can sometimes come at the expense of the quality of your writing.
Understanding at what point your quality starts to suffer will help you decide when is the best time to stop
writing or just to take a break. After all, you don’t want to get to a point where you’re sick of writing.
… you don’t want to get to a point where you’re sick of writing.

Understand the environment you write best in. 


For many people, the place or the environment in which they write is crucial. The working environment you are in may significantly affect the  amount, and quality, of your writing. Ensure that the environment you choose allows you to concentrate and minimises distractions. If you are heavily distracted, or are in a place
that’s not conducive to your writing style, you might find writing more difficult and much less enjoyable.
The environment that suits what you’re trying to do may change depending upon the type of writing you’re doing. For example you may need somewhere quiet and inspiring for creative writing, whereas article writing or freelancing can be more suited to an office-type environment with space to lay out reference material and less conducive to relaxation.
Make sure you set yourself up somewhere you will be comfortable, with as few distractions as possible. Don’t get too comfortable though; you still want to write, not sleep!

continue on pt 2