Writing Doesn’t Have To Be Difficult

Whether you’re writing a novel, a school paper, or an email to your boss, there’s no time like the present to begin making that task a little easier. 

This post covers some of the basic tactics I’ve used over the years as both a writer and an editor to produce good work quickly, and it even includes some tips from famous writers of days past. Read on:

Key Takeaways
1. Writing can be made more manageable and enjoyable.
2. Overcoming writing difficulties is achievable.
3. Embrace challenges as part of the writing journey.
4. Break down writing tasks into smaller steps.
5. Seek inspiration from other writers’ experiences.

Read Continually

Reading is one of the best ways to improve your writing. It allows you to see what works and what doesn’t, which can help you avoid common errors. Reading also exposes you to new words, styles, and subject matter that can inspire new ideas for your work.

There are two important rules for reading: (1) Read continually; and (2) Read consistently over time. The first rule means that it’s not enough to read just once every few months you need to look at it as a habit rather than an event or activity. 

The second rule means that reading should be ongoing throughout the year, not just during summer break or weekends when you have more free time on your hands

If you’re looking to enhance your writing skills and become a more effective communicator, explore our article on 10 Things That Will Make You a Better Writer. Discover actionable tips and strategies that can elevate your writing to the next level.

Take Care With Your Opening Line

The first line is the most important part of your story. It’s what makes readers want to keep reading, so it must be strong and compelling.

Here’s how you can write a good opening line:

Keep it simple. Don’t try to be too clever with your words, because that can distract from the meaning of what you’re trying to say. Instead, just tell us about the characters or setting in a straightforward way this will help us get invested in the story right away!

Make it stand out by using an interesting image or metaphor (for example, “The house on Carpenter Street was taller than any other building in town”; or “She was like no one else he’d ever met.”)

Talk To An Editor Before You Draft

It’s important to talk to an editor before you draft, submit, publish and even publish a book or blog. Editors are there to help you get the most out of your writing. They know what readers want and how best to communicate with them. 

Editors can be particularly helpful if you’re writing for an audience that’s unfamiliar with your work or background for example if you’ve never been published before in a particular publication or literary journal but are hoping they’ll take your piece on board.

By talking through what type of piece would best suit their publication/publication type (e.g., magazine article vs short story).

Editors can make sure that the subject matter aligns with what they’re looking for while also considering any specific requirements they may have (such as length). 

It also helps them get a feel for whether or not the style used is appropriate too – after all, different styles have their place!

Writing is an art that can always be refined. Dive into our post about Time-Tested Ways to Become a Better Writer to uncover proven techniques and practices that have helped countless writers hone their craft over the years.

Start As Close To The Action As Possible

Most writing advice focuses on how to tell a story, and there is no denying that this is important. However, it’s also worth thinking about how you start telling your story to make sure that you’re starting with the right scene or character or quote, or truth. What do I mean by “the right”? 

Well, if you want to write something like: “It was a dark and stormy night,” then go ahead! But if you wanted to write something like: “A woman walked into her bedroom and turned on the light switch,” then start there instead. 

Start with an image or action something concrete and let us readers do our interpretation from there.

The end goal here should be for readers (or listeners) of whatever medium to take away from reading/listening what kind of feeling they have just experienced thanks to having read/listened through this specific work by this specific author at this very moment in time when life gets crazy busy.

But still manages somehow to keep up with all those deadlines even though everyone else seems like they’ve got theirs covered except maybe not really.

Because come on guys we all know how hard it really is when someone says “do me a favor” without actually saying so; 

Plus sometimes those little favors seem simple enough until they’re actually done then suddenly everything becomes complicated only now there are two things left undone because some people aren’t careful enough while others just don’t care either way too late now.

Because everything has been ruined forever never mind forget all other problems ever had before they pale into insignificance compared with these current ones which are worse than anything anyone could ever imagine even though most likely

Outline Your Piece And Stick To It Ruthlessly

Outlining is the best way to start your writing. It can be a little daunting at first, but it will help you focus on your story and keep track of all the ideas that want to come out of your head.

Outlining also helps you see the big picture. It gives you a chance to think about what order things should happen in, how long each part should be, and how much information is enough for someone reading it.

Finally, an outline will help you identify any gaps in your story so that when you write those bits they’ll make sense!

Research Properly, But Don’t Get Bogged Down In Facts

Research is essential, and you need to know what you’re talking about. But don’t get bogged down in details that aren’t relevant to your story: if it’s not an important part of the plot or character development, leave it out! 

You can always check back with your research later if something comes up that isn’t clear (or even better than that, ask someone else).

Don’t be afraid to ask for help from professionals who know more about literary analysis than you do – they’ll be happy to answer any questions that arise from your research and provide feedback on what works well and what doesn’t work so well in the piece of writing itself. 

A good editor will be able to spot inconsistencies or errors in timeline or description before publication; this means fewer typos making their way into print!

Struggling to find your writing flow? Check out our compilation of 11 Tips to Help You Write More Easily for practical advice on boosting your writing productivity and making the process smoother and more enjoyable.

Make Every Word Count

Your time is valuable and you might be tempted to use a bunch of filler words that don’t add anything. Filler words are those little extras like “like,” “um,” or “uh.”

One thing to avoid is repeating the same word too often. For example, if you say something like, “The dog was brown and fluffy.” Just saying “white” would be better since there’s no need for two descriptions of color in the same sentence.

Passive voice can also waste your readers’ time by making sentences longer than necessary. Instead of saying, “Tom was promoted after working here for over 20 years,” try starting with what Tom did: “Tom was promoted after serving as head chef for over 20 years.”

Don’t Be Afraid Of The Delete Key

You are going to make a lot of mistakes. It’s okay. Writing is not about perfection, it’s about making the best you can with what you’ve got and then moving on when it’s time for something better.

The delete key is your friend; use it liberally and frequently. Your story doesn’t need every single word you’ve written to work, so don’t feel bad about cutting anything out that doesn’t serve the piece well enough.

For example, I once wrote an entire page-long scene from the point of view of a character who didn’t appear again until well into my novel (whoops). In another case, I wrote seven pages about someone who only spoke three sentences throughout the whole book (double whoops). 

Both scenes were ultimately cut out because they weren’t necessary for advancing my plot or characterization or theme they detracted from those things! 

And while I was sad at first to see these characters go (because they were fun), deleting them made me feel happier with my overall story as a whole because now I knew exactly where each piece fit about everything else and could move forward confidently without any lingering doubts over whether or not it should be there at all

Use A Notebook For All Your Research Notes, Scribbles, And Ideas

You can do a lot of your writing on the go, but the best way to capture ideas and notes is in a notebook. For example, if you’re out taking pictures or wandering around with your camera. 

A notebook is also useful for jotting down ideas and thoughts as they come to you. If you have an idea while doing laundry or walking down the street, write it down!

The act of writing by hand helps you focus it slows down your thoughts and forces them into words. It allows for a natural flow of creativity that often gets lost when typing on a computer keyboard or using voice recognition software like Siri or Cortana.

Keep A Record Of All The Work You Do

One of the most important things you can do to help your writing is to keep a record of everything you do.

This is called keeping a journal, and it’s the single most useful thing I’ve ever learned to help me get through the day-to-day grind of writing.

I use mine as a way to track my progress, but also as a place where I can go back and see how far I’ve come. 

If you’re having trouble moving forward with your current project, try taking a look at what you wrote last week or last month. You’ll be surprised by how much better off you are now than when you started!

Overcoming writer’s block is a challenge many face. If you’re looking for effective ways to conquer it, don’t miss our insights on How to Let Go of Writer’s Block Once and For All. Discover strategies that can help you break through creative barriers.

Write About What You Know And Love, And Express Your Voice

A great place to start is writing about what you know and love because it will be easier for you to write about those things. If you write about something that you don’t know much about, then it will be harder for readers to relate to the topic.

When I say “write about what you know and love” I mean writing on topics that interest or intrigue you. You can also explore topics related to your professional life or interests, but try not to stray too far from what is familiar and comfortable territory.

Read Everything Aloud, Especially When You’re Editing Or Proofreading

We all know that reading aloud is one of the best ways to catch mistakes in our writing. When we read silently, we often skip over errors—but when you read your work aloud, even small mistakes become obvious.

The other benefits of reading aloud are less obvious and more interesting: it helps you hear the rhythm of your sentences, the tone of a paragraph, and even how well it flows as a whole. 

This will help you identify awkward phrasing or stilted dialogue before it goes into print (or gets sent out on social media).

Honor Deadlines

If you’re working on a project, it’s important to meet your deadlines. If you don’t, then your work won’t be useful, and it could be perceived as being poorly made. To avoid this situation, try the following tips:

Manage Your Time Well. It’s good to be realistic with yourself about how long certain tasks take don’t underestimate their difficulty! You can also use a timer or stopwatch app to help keep track of how much time has passed during each activity throughout the day.

Be Consistent With Your Productivity Levels Across The Board. Making sure that what needs doing gets done is key: from making sure that bills are paid on time (or at least scheduled), taking out trash regularly if needed by law/renter agreements, etc., 

Cleaning up after meals so food doesn’t go bad before using/eating it later… all of these things fall under being consistent with one’s productivity level across different areas in life.

Because they’re all just another part of living responsibly without spending too much money unnecessarily (which would cause financial stress).

Transforming your writing passion into a thriving career is possible. Explore our piece on How I Wrote My Way Into a Six-Figure Copywriting Business to learn how one writer achieved impressive success in the world of copywriting and how you can do the same.

Conclusion

The key thing to remember is that writing doesn’t have to be difficult it can be a lot of fun! The tips we’ve covered in this article are easy to apply and will make your writing process much smoother. 

So, the next time you find yourself dreading your piece because you’re worried about getting writer’s block or not being able to meet your deadline, just remember that with practice and preparation, writing can be a lot easier than you think!

Further Reading

Is Writing Hard? Short Description: Explore the challenges and rewards of writing in this insightful article that delves into the common question of whether writing is truly difficult.

Writing Doesn’t Have to Be That Hard Short Description: Discover practical tips and advice on making the writing process more manageable and enjoyable, highlighting that writing doesn’t have to be an arduous task.

Find It Difficult to Write? Congratulations, You’re a Writer Short Description: Embrace your struggles with writing as a sign of being a writer and gain insights into embracing the creative journey.

And here’s the “FAQs” section:

FAQs

What are some common challenges writers face?

Writing, like any creative endeavor, comes with its own set of challenges. Some common difficulties include battling writer’s block, maintaining consistent motivation, and refining one’s voice and style.

How can I make writing a less daunting task?

To make writing more approachable, consider breaking down your writing into smaller, manageable tasks, setting achievable goals, and embracing the idea that writing is a process that evolves over time.

How can I overcome writer’s block?

Writer’s block can be overcome by trying different writing exercises, changing your environment, setting a timer to write without judgment, and focusing on writing prompts or topics that spark your interest.

Are there strategies to improve my writing skills?

Absolutely. Regular practice, reading widely, seeking feedback from peers or mentors, and studying the works of accomplished writers can all contribute to improving your writing skills.

What should I do if I find writing difficult, but still want to pursue it?

If writing feels challenging, take solace in the fact that even successful writers face difficulties. Use these challenges as opportunities for growth, learn from your experiences, and seek support from writing communities and resources.