Yesterday I was looking over some of my writing from the last couple years and as I read it, I shuddered and asked myself, “Did I really write this?” Guys, it was bad. Not just the “oh it could be better” bad, but the “this isn't even in the right tense and barely makes sense” bad writing.
Thankfully, I'm a much better writer today. I improved so much in such a short period of time and I wanted to share with you how it happened.
My Writing Story
About a year and a half ago I started writing seriously. Someone challenged me to write a book in four months and it was a life-changing experience. A few months after that, I was asked to help write something else for the CEO of the company I was working for at the time. It started as a few emails, then a few blog posts, and then an introduction letter to a book. A few months later, I found myself writing a book for him.
It was the perfect merge of talents. He was an incredible, gifted speaker with a ton of life experience and knowledge. But he was also the kind of guy who couldn't focus on one thing for longer than ten minutes.
And there I was, knowing how to write a book and looking for a job. So we met once a week and he told me amazing stories and life-changing concepts and my job was to share them with the world.
And I did.
How I Became a Better Writer
Fast forward to today, I've quit my job as a baker and I'm ghost-writing my third book. Ghostwriting has completely changed my career as a writer and I'm so much better because of it.
Here are three things I did as a ghostwriter in the last year that made me a better writer:
Practice
I write so much. Every day.
Having clients and deadlines forces you to write constantly. Writing when you don't feel like it is one of the most important lessons writers have to learn. Ghostwriting has forced me to do that.
After weeks and months of this consistent writing, you start to find the right words. You find a flow. And you find your voice through all this practice. You even start to figure out the crazy English rules. In the last year, even I've learned to keep tenses (mostly) straight, outline chapters, and put commas in the right place. (If I can learn this, you can.)
The greatest thing is, all this writing has really made me a better writer. Go figure, the “practice” method we teach here at The Write Practice really works!
Work Harder
Writing books is some of the hardest work I have ever done. It's exhausting, stressful, and sometimes feels like torture. But I've also learned that in order to really make it as a writer, you need to work the hardest. There are 136,500 other writers in the U.S. (Really. I looked it up.)
Ghostwriting has given me accountability and structure that I often don't have on my own. It's easy to put off your own projects, but when you sign a contract with a client, it's a lot harder.
Learning how to work hard through ghostwriting has helped me focus and write better when I do work on my own projects.
Feedback
I have received SO much feedback. Really. An incredible and sometimes painful amount of feedback.
As the writer, I get feedback from everyone. Clients, editors, beta readers, publishers, and anyone else involved in the process. The interesting thing about getting feedback from this many people is the unique perspective each person has.
From editors, I'll get comments on my wordiness, my incorrect comma usage, and how repetitive I can be. From clients, I get different ideas on how they want their story crafted and told to the reader. Publishers give great feedback on who the book will market to and how to write better towards that group. Each piece of feedback is so essential to the process of writing a great book, and to me becoming an even greater writer.
You Can Do It Too
Ghostwriting has changed my life. I wake up so excited that I get to spend my days telling meaningful stories of others while becoming a better writer (and I get paid to do it too.)
And although I somewhat fell into this business, I wouldn't be as successful as I am today without the help and guidance of Joe (the founder of The Write Practice). He taught me everything about finding clients, writing books, business aspects, and everything in between.
Because we've seen how ghostwriting can really help you practice and grow your writing skills, Joe's launching an awesome course on how to become a ghostwriter. I really think you'll love it.
If you want to learn how to write for others, write professionally, or start your career as a full-time writer, check it out.
Have you ever thought about writing for other people? Do you think it could help your writing? Let us know in the comments below.
PRACTICE
Take fifteen minutes and write down everything that's stopping you from potentially pursuing your dream to write full time. Write down your fears, your doubts, and the questions you have about the whole process. We want to hear your thoughts!
Post your comment in the section below and we'll be answering questions and encouraging you in whatever way we can! Be sure to leave some knowledge and kind words for your fellow writers.
And you did great, Kellie! As one who worked with you on the project, it’s been great to see you grow as a writer. It all began with commitment to write every day and to seek feedback.
Thanks Seth! It was such an awesome experience. 🙂
I’m super excited about the writing process, especially now that I’ve discovered the perfect niche for me. Middle grade fiction!
But I’m turning 18 this year, so I feel like a child writing for children. Every day I just sit in my room and churn out words, so I can feel myself getting closer and closer to those 10 000 hours. But I don’t know if I could get a job as a full-time writer anytime soon because I’m too young. I haven’t even gotten a university degree yet! Who’d take me seriously? And I’m not even doing a literary degree: I’m thinking of something in healthcare, or otherwise law.
Good writers dont have to come with age. Who says you cant write fantastic middle grade fiction for anybody who likes the genre?
Look at Harry Potter: started as a children’s book, but is a giant success with every age!
I would suggest indeed to get a degree first, in something you really like (besides writing). Build up your writing skills, and when you cant sleep in the night, write your bestseller!
Thank you for the encouragement: I have a poster of JK Rowling on my bedroom wall! You’re right: I can’t let my age hold me back. (And of course, I’ll get a degree: my parents would kill me if I didn’t!)
Never say never, Rosie! Writing well has little to do with age, and everything to do with maturity, talent, and skill. And if I were going to not take someone seriously, it would be because of rudeness, immaturity, and laziness – not just because someone is young. So if people don’t take you seriously because of your age, that is their problem, and they need to grow up! : ) The difference between you and many other people is that you are doing your best and not giving up – so keep writing!
Thanks for the encouragement: you’re right. All we can ever do is keep writing, and never give up. 🙂 Being young can’t stop me.
My writing obsession is enormous, overwhelming. It’s eating me alive. I spend hours in a single sentence reading it over and over again then changing stuff, cutting stuff off, adding new stuff, turning it all back to the original draft, and restarting the process. I think it’s mental and don’t know what to do, maybe some pro (psych?) intervention in my mind can handle it. All because I’m not a native speaker, it blows my confidence. Thanks for listen to my tears. I love you.
Hi Caue,
Wow, if writing is eating you alive, we wont be reading much of you!
Too bad, since you seem this alien language pretty well. Did you practice the 14 prompts? I just started, I will post my 3rd prompt in a minute.
Anyway, prompt 2 is about focusing. Try to write with your eyes closed, or with pen and paper. Much harder to change, cut and add stuff. You just have to keep going. It helped me a lot.
I am also not a native speaker, so I feel you.
But pls just continue, dont let your confidence be blown away. Go sit upwind, so it propels right into your face again!
Oh thanks, Lenke. I am just finishing a short story, and I think you will enjoy it. You seem the kind of guy who likes fantasy/SF. I will send you a link when it is ready.
Hi Caue’,
I wish I could give you some terrific advice about the trouble you’re having but unfortunately I also suffer from the same problem at times. I sometimes find myself spending hours on a single sentence and rearranging words within it to make it sound just right, and I only end up getting frustrated in the end. I also believe that my writing obsession is mental because I was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder at a very young age. I have also been diagnosed with ADHD so I tend to believe that this is also part of my problem as well. I see a psychiatrist and a counselor, and I also take medication for these disorders. However, just to be clear I am in no way trying to say that your writing obsession stems from a mental disorder or that what has helped me in the past will also help you. I just wanted to share my story with you and let you know that I have also struggled with the same writing obsession. I also wanted to encourage you not to give up on your writing because everyone has gets hung up now and then. I have found that setting a short time limit to write has helped me with my writing difficulties. I set a time limit and begin writing and during that allotted time I refuse to let myself go back and reread or rearrange my writing. I just keep in mind that after the time runs out I can go back and fix any mistakes I’ve made. I hope this method can also help you in your struggles and I encourage you to keep on writing!
Hey, Ashley. Thanks for replaying. Your story is pretty amazing. I think I will use it as a prompt 😉 Thanks again for the sweet words!
Kellie, Here are more recent BLS writer author stats in the US (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes273043.htm). You might note that there is nearly a 100,000 difference between the number of writers and authors you found – 135,600 -in your 2014 BLS stats and the number I found – 43,380 in the 2015 BLS stats. Both were read correctly. This gives you an idea of the quality of BLS employment stats – unless you think that nearly two thirds of 2014 authors gave up by 2015. Personally, I think both numbers are seriously low and depend on how you define writer and author.
The number I like to keep real with is that in 2013 more than 2,200,000 books were published world wide (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Books_published_per_country_per_year). Depending on which stats you read there are between 500,000 and a million books published each year in the US. This is why it is so difficult to make career out of writing – that doesn’t involve one or more other full time jobs as well.
IMO sites like this should deal a little more with the reality of competition in a successful writing career and how to improve ones odds of success with a little more practical info than than just tips on good writing technique. What separates writers from successful writers – is a well written material – plus a successful marketing plan and good implementation.
Wow! Thanks so much for sharing that!! That’s so crazy how much it changed. I agree that it’s really hard to define writer. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and that helpful info!!
That was absolutely terrific. ☺ Have you ever written the life as a baker?
LaCresha! That’s such a great idea!! I miss my days baking cakes. I should write about it! I think you just gave me an idea for my next blog! 🙂
That is awesome! Glad I could help!
I am just following the 14 prompts, exercising away, and I feel I am becoming better already. Left alone all the feedback you can get from here, it really helps!
Pls allow me to post my 3rd prompt and give me all you’ve got to say about it!
Joan is looking forward to the evening with her writer friends. She had a bad day, seeing black cats and people walking under ladders everywhere, while it is Friday the 13th. She doesn’t believe in superstition, but she has a nasty feeling that she can’t explain.
Meeting Joe and the rest of the bunch will get her over it. They have been meeting for a couple of months now, criticizing each other’s work, learning and improving from it. While she drives up the entrance of Mrs White’s small castle, Joan notices that Kurt has not arrived yet. Which is a bit weird, since he is very strict about time and always arrives ahead of her. But even very timely people can have an issue once in a while which causes them to be late somewhere.
Shutting down the roaring of her Maserati, she parks it next to Mrs White’s battered but spotless clean Rolls Royce. As usual she goes behind and enters the worn down house from the old servant’s entrance. Crossing the threshold she shudders. The wicked-weird feeling she had all day returns a hundred times stronger. She hesitates for a second, then steels herself and convinces herself not to behave like a silly girl. Determined to shake of this feeling she almost runs up the stairs to the library, where hot tea and homemade cookies should be waiting.
Joan storms into the room, heading straight for her favorite chair, next to the big old fireplace. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. But the feeling perseveres. And did Mrs White bring in an extra piece of furniture? She seemed to have notice something unfamiliar in the corner of her eyes when entering the room.
Slowly she opens her eyes and looks around her, taking in the familiar furniture which normally puts her in the right mood for discussing. Then she hears from a distance a shrieking sound. Her vision tunnels as she can focus on only one thing: the unfamiliar piece that she noticed is the once beautiful body of her beloved Joe, now bloody spread all over the floor on the other side of the fireplace.
Joan keeps hearing the squealing sound from far away, although it now seems to come at intervals, like the being producing it is having trouble to breath.
Mrs White enters the room, preceded by a couple of police men. They quickly glance around and usher Mrs White and Joan into the bedroom next door, ordering them to stay there.
The screaming sound is louder now. Joan presses her hands on her ears to make it go away. She doesn’t notice Mrs White closing in and slapping her in her face. For a moment she looks blankly at Mrs White, a burning sensation in her cheek.
“Stop yelling!” Mrs White shouts.
Only then Joan realizes she was the one howling like a wolf. She sees again the image of Joe lying spread-eagled on the floor, and the pain in her heart is unbearable.
She collapses on the bed and starts sobbing.
Lenke, thanks for sharing this! It’s a great story! A few things to think about. Often, writing in past tense makes for a stronger story. (Joe wrote about this recently: https://thewritepractice.com/past-tense-vs-present-tense/)
See which tense you think might fit yours best!
Also try to make sure you’re showing more and not telling. Here’s some info on that (https://thewritepractice.com/show-dont-tell/) Like your sentence, “The screaming sound is louder now.” You could show that rather than tell it.
Let me know what you think of these tips! Your storytelling is great! Can’t wait to see you get even better!! 🙂
Great, love the tips. Would like to read more on it, but both links show me that the page doesnt exist 🙁
Yeah, the show dont tell is hard on me. How would you refrase the screaming sentence? Maybe its because I m not native english that its harder to get it.
But will keep on improving, thx again!
Thanks for posting, Kellie. My biggest fear in pursuing writing full-time is uncertainty. There’s no guarantee that a book will be successful. And out of the many doubts I have, the most glaring is writing said book. I feel like I don’t have an idea that’s worthy of writing a book. Being a short story writer, it’s easier to craft stories. Writing a novel is a different can of worms altogether. And I doubt my abilities as a writer. I feel like I could write every day, and not feel like I’ve improved. But that is what critique partners and beta readers are for.
George, yes. It’s terrifying. It happens to us here all the time. We never know if people will like what we’re saying or if a book will be successful. And it’s always terrifying.
The more we’ve fought this we’ve found that the most successful books are about solving problems. Give people the answers to the questions they’re asking. (Even in a short story.)
What I would speak to is that doubt that you could write every day and not get better. That is impossible my friend. It really is. There is no way that after writing day after day that the words won’t flow together better. Practice will help you, and feedback of course will help you even more.
One of the main things that is stopping me from writing, is that I can rearly find the time to, between school and trying to keep talking to family. I only have a few hours to just do something for my self. Its hard for me to keep to a schedule. Then when I do have my free time, I tend to roam the internet, check and re-check my emails. I can nearly find the time to read. One of my main doubt is being judged, but not becuase it will hurt my feelings. But because I feel like people won’t be honest, and ethier try their hardest to lie and tell me how great I am, or lie and tell me they hate it. I just don’t know where to start or how to. I don’t know what to write. I don’t know how to make the time to write. Any advice would be great.
Jennifer, you’re very fortunate to have a few hours a day to yourself. You know, we have to work with the time and tools we have. How you spend that time is a choice you have to make. Unless you’re looking for specific information related to the craft of writing, don’t waste your time roaming the internet or checking and re-checking your emails. Don’t kid yourself. Everybody gets judged. Who cares. If you want to be a published writer, you have to find the time to continually improve your writing skills. It takes time and effort to do that. If you want to be a published writer, you have to toughen up. Not everyone is going to like your work and you have to let that go. You also have to figure out how to find the time to write. You can do it. I know you can.
Jennifer, I totally understand where you’re coming from. For the time piece, that’s just really hard. There’s no easy solution. Until I became a full-time writer I struggled constantly with the same thing. If becoming a full-time writer is your end-goal, I suggest pushing through because your hard work really will pay off.
If that’s not your end goal, I still recommend pushing through. 🙂 I have a chrome extension called StayFocusd and it blocks my facebook and buzzfeed after 10 minutes so that I stay on task 🙂 Check that out!
With the dead of potentially being judged with your writing, my advice is to really just share your writing regardless. I won’t lie to you and tell you that it won’t happen, because it might. But the reward for getting the good/constructive feedback that you will get will always outweigh the risk of feeling judged.
(Maybe consider joining Becoming Writer! That community is full of great, helpful feedback!)
So in short, keep going and share your writing! You can do it. I’m excited to see you grow into an even better writer!
I’ve always enjoyed writing, but I’ve never really made an effort to be a better one. I studied neuroscience in college, and can only recall taking a single writing-focused class. I’m currently working as a technician in a genetic cancer diagnostics lab, where I do a lot of messing around with potentially infectious blood samples (yay!). I don’t often have the opportunity to write so much as a paragraph-long email, let alone anything creative. I’ve very recently sworn off the video games that have consumed a good portion of my life to this point, and decided that I’m going to write when I have free time, due in part to Nick Offerman’s book “Paddle Your Own Canoe.” I didn’t really expect Ron Swanson to lead me to make any significant life choices, but there you have it.
I constantly worry about how to improve. I worry that no one will enjoy my writing and I’ll end up doing something I don’t take any pleasure from for the rest of my life. I’m completely ignorant about how one without any connections to the industry goes about generating feedback, where to submit pieces, and what to use for inspiration. I know so little about the whole that I feel unable to divide the idea into manageable pieces. I’m not even sure I which questions to ask.
I have a vague suspicion that, as a writer so newly hatched that I’ve got bits of shell stuck to me, I should be asking about the best ways to practice writing. Perhaps I should even ask about any methods to determine exactly what subject one wants to write about?
writing was one of my short dreams, I have alaways enjoy to write but when i come to do that I face the fact that I am very bed and get bored from writing . I am trip Organzer in travel agency and my job or oane of my jobs is to write feedback and programs for tourists and my bos. I try harder to be better but I bdon’t know waht to do next to go aover this case , I am really disppointed and I feel this may make me lose the job for ever because I had recieved many warning for my boss about that.
Please help
I have no one to give me feedback. My main problem is that I am lacking the key stages of a story – I am in the early days, yes. Can anyone advise me – or recommend any books or anything? I have such amazing ideas but I cannot develop them. I wish I could explain in a better way.
I have found myself in the same situation many times. I have found making list for each story helps. If need be, use several notebooks, always keep paper and pen handy or any form to get your ideas jotted down. I call it inspired thinking because what may seem like a random thought of a story may work well with previous work.
There are templates available that can aid in the writing process our create your own. Start with general things such as a characters description, age, or where the story takes place. I try not to name my characters right away, I allow them to come alive and see their personality, their background, and many other factors can contribute to the naming of characters.
I hope this will help you a bit and wish you good luck!l
Thanks Kellie Ann, this is really helpful. I find I become most inspired when I am all tucked up in bed, just about to nod off to sleep. So I whip out my notes app on my phone and get it all down. As regards the story and how plot points work and when to introduce obstacles and characters etc. can you recommend any resources? I probably do need structure I can follow, at least while I am beginning. It’s difficult to explain. 🙁
Thank you Kellie. I’m writing finally…
I am a freshman in high school. I carry notebooks around with me in case I get ideas for a poem or for this book I started with a friend. My mother discourages me from becoming a writer as “it’s not a stable job” and “that’s not all you are going to do right”. I looked up colleges already with writing programs that would work for me and I work on writing whenever I can so that I can get better. I follow the write practice on Facebook and they send me emails. I also follow Jenna morissi on YouTube and watch her videos on writing. I’m working towards being a writer because that is what I want to do with my life. But I don’t think I’m very good at it. I don’t have many people that will read my work and my mother discourages me from doing it in the first place. Any thoughts or tips to help me?
Emily, my high school freshman years are long past but I can
still remember when I started writing a book that I never finished. It was a
western (blame it on Louis L’Amour) and I never shared it with anyone, or unfortunately,
kept it. I knew when I was young that I was supposed to be a writer. I am
guessing you feel that way or are beginning to feel that way. I encourage you
not to repeat the errors of so many. Don’t stop writing or dreaming about being
a writer. A lot of us don’t think we’re any good. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t
write. The only way to find out if we’re any good and to get better is to let
other people read it and keep writing. Try searching for a writer’s group in
your area. They are everywhere and most have a ‘reading’ night that is open to
anyone to read anything they have written. Read ‘Bird by Bird’ by Anne Lamott
and any other books you can find on writing. Sneak a creative writing class
into your life (there are several free classes online). Most importantly, keep
writing.
Writing full time has been a dream and a subconscious nag of
mine for decades. I quieted the pestering subconscious by getting a journalism degree
and working in newspapers for a few years. I soon left the newsroom to teach
environmental education. I left writing, but it never left me.
Recently I told my wife that the only thing that I ever wanted to be was a writer. The problem is that I have always doubted that I could write anything of any substance
longer than a newspaper or magazine article. I have old newspaper and magazine
clips to support and prop up that notion. I recently was given the time and
opportunity to return to writing and give it one honest chance. I even have 16
pages of a non-fiction book started that I will continue to work on. I am
plagued and harassed by the idea that I don’t have anything to say or that I
don’t have any imagination for a work of fiction. Yet, the notion that I should
be a writer pesters my subconscious every day. So, I sit in front of a
computer, stare out at the world, follow a writing prompt, and, most days, stop
right there. I don’t think it’s “writers block.” While I think writers block is
real I also think it is a useful excuse for me. I’m at a place in my life that
I need to sit down and write something, anything, and see where it goes from
there. I need to work at writing twice as hard as I worked in my environmental
career. And, for my personality, I need someone besides my subconscious to
loudly remind me (yell at me seems to strong for this forum) every day that I
should be writing. Any volunteers?