One of my prayers when it comes to writing – a prayer that has not changed – is for growth. That I will never grow stagnant or complacent. That each book will be an improvement. That I will continue to learn about the craft of writing.
As I move along on this writing journey, I’ve thought a lot about this concept. Growth. And I came up with three tips to help me along, to stay on track. I thought I might share them here:
Look for an upward trend.
We need to “see the forest through the trees”. I have to do this all the time when I assess my students. Sure. They may waver a few points up or down. But is their overall pattern moving up? Sometimes, growth comes in spurts. Like the summer I spent devouring craft books. Having not read any prior, I grew like a fertilized weed. But other times, we might come across a plateau. We need to see past those moments and look at the overall picture. Reflect. Think about this time last year. Are you growing as a writer? If not, what can you do about it?
For maximum growth, be intentional.
I wrote my first novel six years ago. A year or so later, I wrote my second novel. Naturally, my second novel was better than my first. I’d grown. But it wasn’t until I spent a summer reading every craft book known to man, paying for professional critiques, and reading industry blogs that my growth skyrocketed. It’s no coincidence that my third novel, the one I wrote that summer, is the one that got me an agent and a contract.
Sure, growth might happen naturally. Without thinking. Simply by writing and reading books. But the best kind of growth happens when we are intentional. When we set growth goals. When we reflect on where we were last week, last month, last year, in the beginning. When we reflect on where we want to be next week, next month, next year, in the end.
How we grow changes as we grow.
At first, with every craft book I read my brain whirred with new information. I experienced phenomenal growth. But somewhere along the line, those books stopped having the same effect. It’s not that I never read them anymore or that I don’t learn something when I do. It just means they don’t produce the same amount of growth they once did. If I want to maintain my upward trend, I have to look elsewhere.
Right now, I’m taking an online class with Margie Lawson, learning stuff I’ve never even heard of before. I’m also reading We are Not Alone: A Writers Guide to Social Media by Kristen Lamb, and although the book isn’t about the craft of writing, it’s helping me grow as an effective author. My brain is whirring all over again – both from the class and the book. I’m sure more brain-whirring will commence when I get content edits from my in-house editor.
The point is, if we find ourselves standing on a plateau, maybe our old ways of growing aren’t as effective anymore. Maybe we need to try something new.
So what are some ways writers can grow?
– craft books
– reading informative blogs
– taking online classes
– attending a writer’s conference
– attending writer’s workshops
– paying for a professional critique or edit
– entering contests
– joining a critique group
– reading and studying high-quality fiction
– putting what we learn into practice as we write more books
Let’s Talk: Do you reflect on your growth? Are you intentional about it? Are you seeing an upward trend? What’s helped you grow the most? If it’s a craft book, which one? What next steps do you have to take to stretch yourself further?
