5 Classic Practices That Good Writers Do

Losing yourself in a book is one of the greatest and best joys one can experience in life. However, the writers behind the most remarkable stories in the world don’t get that much traction. One reason for that is that their profession is not visual. Their looks do not play a factor. 

However, it is more than a talent to write well, sell millions of books, and make people happy, sad, or entertained. These are creative people from whom we can learn. As writers, they share freely the knowledge and skills they need to be effective in storytelling. 

In this article, we’ll follow five classic practices good writers do! 

Cultivate Discipline

Some people write about gambling in e-bingo Philippines, but Stephen King, the king of horror, does not. He advises people to write and show up. His work has been adapted into hit movies like The Shining, misery and Green Mile. Writing means showing up, and it is hard work that requires a lot of discipline. Although slick biopics are different, no one makes an instant success of a story. 

Some people prefer to believe that writing is about getting hit with the muse. Instead, it’s not. It’s all about trying to be better, putting in the hours, and being very good so that people will pay you to work. It keeps working until the commercial and critical success you seek is achieved. It’s a process that’s continuous. 

Two words: just write. 

Constantly Engage With Ideas

Fuel powers a car to work. What fuels people to make songs and write is creativity - this means ideas that you can take inspiration from. For some who have “running out of ideas” in their head, it can be a rather sad thing to read about, especially from a creative, because it suggests creativity is limited. Maya Angelou is one of the most beloved American writers, and she knew this was wrong. She published during her forties and kept writing for the rest of her life. 

Like Maya, we should engage with our creativity more often. Who knows, it might lead to success.

Write What You Know

Writing what we know isn’t just about the familiar settings. In essence, it means we should share the truth of the human experience, that the things we know and feel matter - and they make your writing feel authentic. However, direct experience also helps immerse our readers in the text we write.

One such advocate was Michael Crichton. He wrote various novels that have been adapted into movies, such as Jurassic Park. As a writer, he advocated for direct experience in the real world, and his own experience inspired the science fiction books he wrote and sold. 

Read More

Did you know? The best writers read. JK Rowling and Haruki Murakami certainly attest to this. The material you read can inspire your output. Read everything - from your childhood and adulthood books and even random online articles. These materials can help inform your creative choices as a writer. 

However, that doesn’t mean you have to finish everything you can. If the book bores you or makes you uncomfortable, you are within your rights not to finish it or put it down. Drop it and move on to the next good book! 

Write About What Society and Culture Hates

Sometimes, the best topics to write about are the taboo ones. Fiction helps people develop empathy and is also an exercise in creativity. However, culture tends to look down on or censor things that feel “uncomfortable,” especially when some of these topics are necessary. 

However, it is possible to write about scary things like sexual assault and trauma without veering into a portrayal that lacks nuance. It’s about the sensitivity with which you approach the topic - and nuance - that can make a big difference in how you write it. 

Wrapping Up

Good writers are not just creative, engaging, and good people—they also get the job done. The good people part is necessary because it also colors their writing, as writing and reading are ways to exercise empathy. As a writer, it becomes a duty to uphold what is right and also be creative.

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