Hi there and welcome to September’s Writerly Witterings. It’s that wonderful time of year which, to me, always feels like a new year of sorts – well it’s the academic new year, back to school and back to doing something new.
So, if you’re feeling like you’d like to pick up on that back to school feeling for your writing self, read on…
What writer doesn’t like stationery? That’s the first thing you could do for yourself. Treat yourself to a gorgeous notebook with a design you love, and a special pen for your writing. I’ll never forget that excitement of the new pencil case every year when I was growing up.
Free Mini Writing Course
And if you need some help recreating that schooldays feeling, check out my free twelve-day mini writing course, ‘The 12 Days of Schooldays Writing.’ Every day, for 12 days, I will post a schooldays-related writing prompt as well as an action you can take for yourself as a writer. Click below for Day One
We only ever get better...
One of my most used sayings is that we only ever get better as writers. But we have to practice. We have to live as writers by not only getting out into the world to keep our 'creative well' filled, but we also must practice. Daily, if possible. Improvement is only possible through that commitment to improving our individual craft.
And that can be achieved through learning. There’s so many craft and writing profession books out there, so much free expertise for the taking – you could start by checking out my other blog posts for writers and the free writing videos I’ve posted.
And then there’s the improvement you can invest in for yourself, workshops, festivals, face to face courses, online courses – there’s so much help for any writer at any stage. And September is the perfect month to reach out and grab it.
Wherever you are on our writing path, you will always have further to go. There’s always someone in front of you and someone behind you.
Keep that in mind – who can you reach back towards and help along? And similarly, who can you call forwards to and ask them to reach back and help you. The writing profession is one of the most giving I have ever known.
So your first job, (after buying yourself a new notebook and pen!) is to create a new learning goal or two for yourself this September.
As the evenings draw in, the days cool and the finish line of 2021 comes nearer into sight, what are YOU going to do to improve yourself as a writer? Who will you learn from, and how?
I’d love to hear your thoughts and responses in the comments box so feel free to post them in.
And in the meantime, as has become customary in my monthly blog posts, I’ll now offer you several questions to inspire, motivate and support you, as you make your decisions around how your writing year will end for you.
- When are you at your most creative? For me it’s in the morning which is when I try to plan my creative time. For others, it’s in the evening. If you’re choosing a new writing class or group to join, consider when you’re at your best as a writer.
- What element of your writing would you like to improve the most? It could be dialogue, creating atmosphere, crafting a plot, or something else. Treat yourself to a writing craft book which explores the aspect you’d like to work on.
- Reading is one of the best educators. If you’re a poet, buy yourself a poetry collection to enjoy. If you like writing short stories, treat yourself to a short story collection and if you enjoy writing crime, read a crime novel. The tricks of the trade used by other writers will naturally assimilate within you.
- October is the time of year where literary festivals often take place. See what’s happening near you. Lots of things are online now which means more accessibility and cheaper prices. Many of the festivals offer writing workshops, perfect for learning from someone else and advancing your own craft.
- Carve out your regular writing time for the rest of the year. Put it in your diary or on your calendar, affording it the same importance as you would for any other appointment. Perhaps you can give yourself an hour a day, or a morning a week. If you’re struggling to make the time and you’re Yorkshire based, drop me a line for more information about the monthly Space to Write days I’m offering over the next few months.
- What writing goal can you set yourself to achieve by the end of 2021. Sharing it will make you more accountable so feel free to post it into the comments section at the end.
If you can follow some or all of the ideas above, I promise you’ll soon be feeling that wonderful September rejuvenation and you’ll be raring to make things happen for your writing self.
It might be that you’d like to brush up on your skills as a writer, either as a beginner or as a refresher. If so, check out my new Introduction to Creative Writing Course, which separates the required elements for writing and offers teaching, activities and writing prompts to support each one.
The course is 10 weeks, a perfect length of time to take you to the end of the year and you’ll get a free gift, pictured below when you join. (UK only.) Click here for more info.
As you may know, my ethos as a creative writing teacher is to inspire, motivate and support. If there is anything you’d like me to cover in these blog posts or in my YouTube videos, do let me know and I’ll schedule it in.
Enjoy the rest of your writing month and I’ll see you next time. I release a new blog post on the 8th of every month.
Bye for now and happy writing.
With very best wishes,
Maria
PS: This blog post is also available as a YouTube video.
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