For many writers, the big goal is to write the next great novel. Or at least something that hundreds, maybe thousands, of readers could put into their list of favorite books of all time. It’s no an unreasonable goal but it could be tricky to obtain.
That said, there are a few ways you could better your writing in anticipation of having your book published—even if it’s self-published a few years down the line.
Practice and Strive to Better Your Writing with At Least a New Paragraph About Anything at All on a Daily Basis
Write about how your day is going so far. Write about what you love about the weekend. Write about someone that infuriates you. Just write. Practice makes you a better writer because you can go back and learn from what you’ve written. For now though, forget grammar and formats—just focus on writing something you can reflect on.
Write Down Your Dreams—Then Go Back and Flesh Them Out into Stories with Descriptive, Creative Writing
This is talking about your actual dreams. You know, the ones that bombard your brain at nighttime. They could even be nightmares. Write them down. Keep a journal or a miniature dictaphone microcassette transcriber beside your bed for when you wake up, then directly, before anything else, write down what you remember about your dreams. Some of the best books were an author’s dreams to begin with.
You can go back later, look at what you’ve written, then come up with a backstory for your dreams. It’s a good exercise in fiction writing and imagination.
Make it a Habit to Write in Drafts with Formatted Materials—Always Recheck Your Works Multiple Times to Make Improvements
Formats are huge when it comes to publishing your works anywhere, even self-publication. Hence, the reason you should research how to properly format a book in the publishing avenue of your choice, then work to make your works fit those formats with every draft.
Read More from Your Favorite Authors and Get a Feel for What Great Writing Looks Like
Do you have a favorite author? How about a favorite collection of authors in something like an anthology? Read and re-read their works, then perhaps reach out to them in a professional email to ask if they have any advice for a budding writer. Oft-times, authors are keen on giving other authors-to-be the best advice on how to get where they want to be in the writing world.