The idea of writing every single day seems to be the recipe for most successful writers. After all, consistent practice is indispensable when it comes to improving writing skills. The key here is to create a ritual that allows you to stay motivated and to sustain your writing practice.
As I move on to a new month, I also remember all the things that brought some sunshine to my days such as my brilliant students, my cats, family/friends who were there for me when I needed them, and of course, the interesting books and posts that I got to read in the past two months.
Gautier adored cats so much that he penned a book entitled ‘Ménagerie intime’ (1869) where he meditated on the cats he’d owned –excuse me, that owned him– through his life.
Meditating on why you are writing in the first place takes you one step closer to your goal of writing better. Shifting your perspective from I have to to I want to because… can help you to write with a purpose, to find your voice as a writer, and to focus better.
To Longfellow, Fall means change, wisdom, an end and a beginning. A contradiction. Fall, he suggests, is a poignant reminder of our mortality.
As part of this series, every month I’ll be compiling and posting about the techniques and strategies that I incorporate into my teaching and that I myself use as a writer. Of course, we need to acknowledge the fact that better here is an ambiguous adjective; what does it mean to be a better writer?
