No matter what market you write for–secular, Christian, whatever–I’m convinced you want to make a difference in the world. I know I do. I want my words to enlighten, lift up, and present readers with a unique artistic experience. I want to use words to build a bridge from me to you. That’s why it’s so important to practice the craft of writing.
Writing Tip for Today: Why do you want to write? To communicate a certain message? To lift readers’ spirits? To make others laugh? Cry? Not many of us would say, “To make a million bucks,” although it would be nice. We say we want to be the next J.K. Rowling or other bestselling author but most of us would settle for getting published and making a difference to our readers’ world. The single most important way to make this difference is to commit to improving your writing skills. The better you can communicate, the easier it will be for your reader to grasp what you’re trying to say. As Annie Dillard would advise: Whenever you write, shoot your whole wad, spend it all, don’t hold anything back.
Try This! Answer the “why write?” question for yourself. List at least 5 ways you hope to make a difference through your writing.
I so agree. I don’t always put in as much effort as I should to improve, but little by littel my brain is being enlightened through the process of editing, reading blogs like this and reading other novelists. I hope Im adding more new brain cells than are dying each day! Writing and learning to write are such good brain food!