Improve your writing

I, for starter, am doing everything I will talk about below. That I am succeeding? Well, that may be a different story. I have no training in writing, nor have I taken any classes other than ENC1101 (Composition I) in college about six years ago and it has all since then been forgotten.
When I began writing my book it was incredibly hard. Sure one thinks "It's only writing! How hard could it be?" Well, very hard, let me tell you!
You may have an idea in your head and you will start writing it, but it doesn't come through the way you expected it and you are not happy with it. You will probably re-write it a good amount of times before you are mildly satisfied and can move on.
Other times you will stare at the page or blank word document and will wonder where the heck to start. What are you trying to bring across? It has happened to me where NOTHING I write pleases me. But I did read from one of the Authors I like to not think about it too much, and just... write. Whatever comes to your head just type it, even if it looks something like this: "Don't want to get up and cook, Poop what to do? Kids stop fighting let’s all be nice I need to clean." Yup, it's a mixture of my thoughts and no grammar correction, JUST WRITE. Once you start implementing this, it will slowly but surely become easier to let go and let it flow out of your mind. When I began writing I was so concerned on my spelling and my grammar. Was that comma in the right place (most of the times it wasn't). Now, I am not a pro at all of this, but I am just passing down some of the tips that have helped me writing the 65,389 words I already have for my book.

Let me just write a list of things that have helped me, how is that? Ok, here we go:

1. WRITE EVERY SINGLE DAY! (I cannot stress this enough. Even if it is a shopping list, what you have done during the day, what caught your eye if you were out and about? Anything, it will help to make it easier later on)

2. Don't go crazy over grammar and spelling. Once you are all done with what you wanted to write, THEN go back and edit and re check everything.

3. Read, and read widely. You have to read as much as you possibly can in your genre as well as those you may not like so much. It will open your mind to new ideas and different styles of writing.

4. B.I.C - If you haven't seen my first post ever, it means Butt In Chair. Sit down and write, it is the only way to get it done. Minimize your distractions (trust me I haven’t mastered this one yet. Its summer break and I have my kids with me 24/7, so i attempt to write during the day at times and other times, i stay until 4am trying to get it done)

5. Find a comfortable spot where you can write. I sometimes seat in the couch and my butt goes numb in less than an hour, my back hurts... yes, comfortable spot a must! Right now I am happily typing from bed.. ahhhhh!

6. Keep pen and paper next to your bed. A lot of times you will wake up with an idea or a dream that was nothing short of amazing and tell yourself you will write it in the morning. Well don't. You will most likely not remember it or won't remember those all important details about it. So keep that pen and paper handy and just scribble it down. I am not saying write a whole page, but just what it was, how it made you feel, any details of the setting you may remember, etc.

Well guys, I sure hope this is helpful! Please add to the list if you have other tips :) You are always welcome to leave comments!

Have a wonderful day!

XOXO