Has your writing grown?

 2015 the year of doing really big scary things, it was also a big year of growth for my writing.
Not only did I write more, but I also spent a large amount of time editing. Nothing makes you a better writer than editing. When you are editing, your are viewing your work as a reader enjoying the work, but also with a critical eye toward the details. This may include spelling of names, consistency with wounds or scars, and may even nit pick down to punctuation and word usage.


I have learned that I tend to use a few words a little too often. The top contenders are: "managed to", "glanced/looked", and "towards". Now each word or phrase is not "bad" in and of itself, but when they are used too frequently they can become a problem. There are better, and stronger, descriptors for the movements of the characters.


One great example is using the work "walked". There are so many different words that are much more descriptive than just walked. Instead try glided, sauntered, sulked, strode, paced, strutted, ambled, shuffled, or shambled. Each of these are far more descriptive, and vividly paint a picture in the readers mind of how the character is moving. By switching out to a different word, your writing gets stronger. (Now in some cases using "walking" is completely acceptable, FYI)


Another piece of advice that I received this year when I had the first ten pages of two stories critiqued professionally was: On each page be sure to use at least three descriptions of the five senses. This means put in details about the smells, sounds, tastes, touches, and visual surroundings that your characters are in. Using this many senses envelops your reader in the world that your character inhabits, but doesn't get too overwhelming with descriptions. Again, on some pages and scenes it is necessary to have more or even fewer, but this is just an average to shoot for when revising.


When writing, I typically don't worry overmuch about these things. But because I am aware of them as I am writing, I have less to correct in revisions. Even the revision process has gotten better as I know what to look for in myself. Another great practice to shape up your writing, is to critique another's work. Get a writing buddy or two. By analyzing another piece of work, you often can find weaknesses better in your own.


And above all, remember to have patience with yourself and your writing. No great novel was written, or edited, in a day. It takes consistent work and effort to produce a polished piece of work.