How to Build Your Writing Skills
Reading is the first step to writing better because it exposes you to diverse writing styles, vocabulary, and storytelling techniques that you can incorporate into your own work. By enhancing your comprehension and critical thinking abilities, reading helps you craft more coherent and compelling narratives.
Where can I find things to read?
Local libraries often have extremely wide and varied selections of books: ranging from poetry to non-fiction, sometimes it may be hard to find something interesting to read without feeling overwhelmed by the options, however, you can always ask librarians for help, they are more than willing to! Also, you can always search online for books that you think might be interesting or genres to find more books, often google carries PDF versions of books that can be accessed for free, especially for people interested in classics. Another good way to read is to go through online magazines and newspapers, they have incredible articles to read from a variety of genres.
Where can I access reading and writing help?
Often, if you search whatever book you are reading online, you can find a plethora of reading guides, which can allow you to look at a variety of different ways to interpret text and comprehend what you are reading. Writing help is everywhere!! With this workshop, I hope to guide you through motivational and fun ways to learn to become a better writer without the intimidation school/academic writing has. However, if you are looking to further improve your writing, some free online resources include:
I feel unmotivated to write, what should I do?
It is hard to motivate yourself to write, often we get so distracted with school work and other extracurriculars that we forget about doing things that bring us joy. Writing inspiration can come from anywhere. I would encourage you to think outside the box, there’s a story in everything. Also, sometimes setting big goals for ourselves about how much we want to write in a day, etc. overwhelms us and discourages us to want to write. Often, it is about the small steps we take toward a larger goal. For example, if we tell ourselves we ONLY need to write a page or a line or two a day, we want to write it and often do, just because it sounds so small that we do not feel overwhelmed. Over time, small goals add up, leading to larger and more vivid goals being accomplished.
There are so many things to write about, where should I start?
Due to the number of options, there are in the realm of writing, from article and essay writing to short fictional pieces, the options can seem endless. I would encourage all writers to try a little bit of everything, from there, you can refine your skills and your interests to what you are most interested in!
How do I figure out what I want to write?
Through the workshops, we have worked with multiple types of writing, from poetry to new writing. With all of these choices, there arises the question of how to know what to focus on. This is a tough question many young writers struggle with, including myself, however, the best way to figure it out is to try it all out; learn about news writing, poetry, and short story writing, and take every opportunity you can to try it all out and to dive into anything that may interest you. Through some of the resources provided, you can also come to understand what interests you the most. Remember, you can do it all!
Where can I write news articles?
Unlike poetry and short story writing, news writing is often given as a task to do or a story to report on. Middle Schools and High Schools often offer student-led newspapers which you can work with and report on stories around campus, etc. School newspapers are an awesome way to discover your potential within the news-writing realm. However, you can also always write news articles on your own by just writing on topics that pique your interest. There are also several initiatives online that scout high school news reporters as well as publish them, which are listed below:
Who can I talk to about wanting to write and learning how to become a better writer?
Teachers will always be your best bet! At school, you can ask your favorite Language Arts/English teacher, and they will more than likely want to help you throughout your writing journey. Some student-led magazines and journals would love YOUR help, you can find them by searching online for student-led magazines, but you can also look at some of the student-run magazines listed below for extra help!
https://www.instagram.com/reveriemag_?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
https://www.instagram.com/vellichor_lit?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZD
Where do I go to learn more about AP style as used in News Writing?
To learn more about the exact guidelines followed by AP style as well as any other inquiries you may have about news writing, I have linked a few resources below that may help. One of the most helpful grammar and news writing resources is the Owl at Purdue, a site made by students at Purdue University that helps students develop their writing skills. Further resources are listed below:
(edited by TN).
Where can I come up with things to write about?
There are infinite things to write about, everywhere you look, everywhere you breathe, there’s something or someone new who may spark your writing curiosity. The best way to come up with things to write about is to remain curious! Look at everything through multiple lenses and stay open-minded, and ideas and inspiration will come to you with ease!
How do I decide what words I use and the structure I use for poetry writing?
Deciding on poetic structure and words is all up to you! Always pay attention to what words sound best with each other and what makes the most sense to you as the writer. Do not try to think too hard as you write, rather go with the flow and with your feelings about whatever you are writing, you will always give your best work when you stay true to what you want! When it comes to structure, decide as you write, and make it based on what you are writing about. Structure your poetry according to the meter as well as what the poem may be about.
How do I find my writing style?
Finding your writing style, whether that be in short story writing or news writing, is a difficult thing to do, but the best way to figure it out is by attempting all kinds of writing. By trying out different styles, genres, or structures, you can figure out what you like best and what you enjoy writing the most, and what you may not like. Another good way to figure out your writing style is simply by reading things of a variety of genres, structures, and styles.
