Trying to create an inspiring opening to our article or story is one of the hardest, though most important, tasks we have to fulfill. What will help us focus and write introductions with amazing sentence structure and appealing copy? Start writing from the middle.
Spending time outdoors, among the birds and flowers and sunshine, heal us physically and mentally. We become more creative and productive because we step out of our own world and into a larger perspective.
As writers, it is important to be voracious readers. Reading a variety of genres — fiction, nonfiction, articles, essays, poetry — helps us shape our voice, skill and view of the world.
Suffer from blank page syndrome? Reading helps us refocus, provides writing prompts from where we least expect them, and energizes us to plow ahead with our writing.
Weeding our gardens is an ongoing chore, much like editing our work. We want our writing to be beautiful too, which forces us to kill our darlings in our stories.
Figuring out what to read, what conferences and workshops to attend, or what path to take to improve our writing can be daunting and expensive. What should we consider with social media, education, and finding our author’s voice?
