Hope your day is going well. Less traditional ask but I wanted to inquire how you improved your writing or how you even keep up with it when (or if) you experience writers block?
Honestly, from last year to now, I think consistency has been my main source of improvement, and I really think it comes down to repeatedly looking at one body of work.
When I was writing fanfiction, I would write everything in one sitting without thinking. I really just wrote whatever came to mind and posted it soon after lol. Which ended up being how I did my first draft.
Line editing kicks my ass! Really, it makes you think about things you don't want to think about: repeated words, sentence flow, sentence length, character voice. It is not for the weak… or at least not for someone who loves to write without thinking about all those things.
Keeping up with it is a lot easier when I'm really excited about a project and have self-imposed deadlines, like my developmental edit or self-publishing timeline. Some days, I do not want to write at all! Even when I don't want to, I try to aim for 200 words or at least line-edit a few paragraphs. My wife and I can get pretty busy on days they have off... (I'm 15 days behind my line-edits.)
As far as writer's block goes, daydreaming has always been the thing that encourages me to write. Making up AMVs in my head is something I've always done, and since I can't animate, it works better if I take the time to write instead. I also write down every thought I have in my notes app. Literally every cool line I think I can add, every character detail. And within each phase of the drafting process, I find a way to incorporate it. Knowing when to cut things, though? That's rough.
Also, reading will make your writing so much better! Good books, bad books, both help you understand what you like when it comes to storytelling and writing techniques. I'm most motivated when I read a book I think is awful. That's how TSWA was born, anyway… my hater-self.
Personally, I know my prose isn't the prettiest, but I try to add some nice sentences here and there to improve it. But if my style isn't beautiful, then it's really not that big of a deal.
I think everyone has different goals. As long as you're doing what makes you happy, I'd say that's great!
snowghoul
pixelskylines
dailybridgerton