Are you a student of writing?

Many people get the idea that they are going to have a go at being a writer. They get out some pens and paper, or fire up the computer and set to work. The vast majority do not get much further than that. Most people do not take the time to become a student of the craft of writing, they do not make the effort to learn how to do it.

Are you an aspiring writer? If so, you need to do your apprenticeship, learning as you go. There is no short cut method. It takes effort and time. I will ignore the Chosen Few who are so gifted and are naturals; they do not need help in developing their skills. Most of us do. If I want to play a classical piece of music on a pianoI just cannot sit down at the key board and play; I must spend many hours, days and even years learning and practising before I will be half-way good at it. So it is with writing.

Here are some ways you can learn about the craft of writing:

1. Read books about writing.
2. Subscribe to magazines about writing.
3. Join a writers’ group.
4. Join a writers’ Centre.
5. Attend conventions and conferences.
6. Attend seminars and workshops for writers.
7. Search for suitable article on the internet.

This list is just a start. Your learning process should be a life-long.

Over the years I have read many magazines and books about writing. This morning I added two more to my library. I am looking forward to reading them. I’ll share snippets from them on this blog as I read them. The books I bought are:

• “Eats, shoots and leaves” by Lynne Truss. This has quickly become a classic in helping people grapple with punctuation.
• “A novel in a year” by Louise Doughty. I read a great review of this book on the weekend just gone and was delighted to find it in my local bookshop. (The curse of a malady called “impulse buying.”) It could also be very useful in helping me write a novel as a part of my Masters of Arts course which I start this week.

Good writing – and studying.