Over the last 20 years I have taught writing to people from the age of 12 on up, and one thing that novice writers have in common is a true desire to become better writers.  One of the things I appreciate so much about new writers is their drive to improve their abilities.  We can all learn a little more and become better writers if we are willing to follow the formula.  

​

The formula for improving one’s writing is surprisingly simple.  First, read every day.  Next, write every day.  Finally, open yourself to change.  That may come across as an oversimplification of a revered profession, but for anyone who wants to be a better writer, these are the steps. 
​
“Just write every day of your life. Read intensely. Then see what happens. Most of my friends who are put on that diet have very pleasant careers.” Ray Bradbury

“Be ruthless about protecting writing days, i.e., do not cave in to endless requests to have “essential” and “long overdue” meetings on those days. The funny thing is that, although writing has been my actual job for several years now, I still seem to have to fight for time in which to do it.” J.K. Rowling

“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.” Stephen King
Yes, the process to improving our writing is simple.  We need to spend time reading, we need to write, and we need to be open to change.  This list brings up some common questions.

Should writers read specific books?

Should writers read books in their genre?

Should writers read books about the writing practice?

Pondering what decisions to make can feel overwhelming, because novice writers have a strong drive to become professional writers.  Writing is their passion, their dream, and their chosen path.  It can feel like one wrong step and the dream will be destroyed, but happily, that is not the case.  As new writers move through the steps by increasing their reading and writing times and open themselves up to change, they activate their own sense of self-reflection, which allows them to hone their practices into a more efficient and personalized experience. 

​

Read the books that you enjoy.  If you devour young adult literature, even though you are in your 40s, then read every young adult book you can get your hands on.  Read them, read them a second time, analyze them, and read them out loud.  This will give you not only immense pleasure by reading the books you love, but it will allow you dedicated time to study the specific aspects of your craft.
​
You cannot know a genre if you are not interested or willing to allow it to take over your reading life.  So, if you have the idea that you will write science fiction because it sells well, but you are not terribly interested in reading science fiction novels, then get rid of that idea.  Writing is as much about lifestyle as it is about producing a completed story.  Read what you love. 

Yes, definitely.  But do not let that limit your reading.  If you write historical fiction novels set in Medieval Europe, it is perfectly acceptable to read modern Scandinavian thrillers too.  There is no expectation that writers need to limit themselves to one genre or to a short list of writers.  If it appeals to you, read it.  Oftentimes, I find that when an unusual book calls me to read it, I have something important that I need to learn from that book. 
​
Over the years, I have met a handful of people who cannot read in their writing genre while they are writing a larger project (like a screenplay or novel).  I have only heard of a handful of people who say that reading in their writing genre alters their writing style and voice.  To correct that situation, they read outside of their writing genre until the project is finished.  Voila, problem solved.  Most writers do not run into that issue, but if you find yourself in an unexpected situation, then be open to change by altering your normal routine to create a better fit for your writing.  

Absolutely.  Every writer should be reading about how to write, and there is a hefty list of books available on the subject.  If you have a mindset of being open to change, then you realize that everyone has something to learn, and none of us were born perfect writers.  Many writers do not realize the array of books available on how to write, but these books can be a game-changer for many novice writers.
​
Eudora Welty, Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Anne Lamott, William Zinsser, Natalie Goldberg, Annie Dillard, and Julie Cameron all published books about the writing process.  These books offer tips and tricks on improving one’s writing habits, reflections on the writing process, and stories of what inspired people to pursue writing—as both a hobby and a career. 

So, when you look over your writing practice, where can you make an adjustment for a small improvement?  Perhaps if you are not reading at all, you can add in 15 minutes a day of dedicated reading time?  Or if you are limiting your reading to magazine articles, you can change your focus to books.  If you want to write better, you have to put in the work to make that happen, but reading, writing, and being open to change is natural for most writers.  Sometimes, we just need a little nudge to get ourselves on track. 


​

​Have you noticed that everything comes back into style again?  Those platform shoes you sworn no one would ever want to wear made a comeback.  So did polo shirts, motorcycle jackets, and cropped jeans.  Not only do clothes make a comeback, but activities do too.  Hula hooping becomes exciting again every few years.  Cruising is being embraced as a way to bring communities together, when it used to be outlawed as a public nuisance.  If you have not noticed, knitting, wool spinning, gardening, making model planes, and keeping chickens are all back in style.  
​

​When people think about what parts of their lives to write about, sometimes they think there is nothing exciting enough to captivate a reader.  Sure, maybe you can write about a few good vacations, offer some advice about saving money, and make a suggestion to find true love, but do people really want to read about your life?  To some people, it seems like the popular memoirs are about people who had miserable lives and experienced pain and loss.  What about the everyday life well lived? 
​

​Your potential memoir readers are all around you.  Your niece who just finished college is desperate for good advice on how to start her career.  Your son who just had a third baby is uncertain how to keep his marriage strong while managing the complexities of parenting.  The people at your local knitting/motorcycling/kayaking/volunteering club want to more about your interesting past. 
​
The people around you are all potential readers for your memoir, and they want to know about you.  You may not realize it, but people are interested in your thoughts, opinions, experiences, and observations.  The unique experiences that make you a fascinating individual are what people want to read.  The essence of the memoir genre is connection between the reader and writer; the reader wants to know more about the writer as a person. 

​The answer to this question is really another question—how do you spend your time?  We tend to spend our time engaged in the activities that interest and fulfill us the most.  The moments when we get lost in a project and hours go whizzing by are the ones to write about first. 
​
Do you tinker on your car and find that an afternoon has flown by?  Does the thought of developing your own software program send you down a rabbit hole where no one will hear from you for days?  How about gardening?  Do you find that you skipped lunch and dinner while working in the garden?  Or is constructing an intriguing sonnet the activity that pulls you in for hours?  

Whatever your activities of choice are, write about them.  This is one of the best places for a writer to begin the memoir-writing process—write about what you love, what pulls you in, and what captivates your attention.  Any passion that engrosses you will inevitably engage your reader as well.  Write what you know, and write what you love to do. 

The way you choose to spend your time, whether it is traveling, woodworking, or ice skating, is a great starting topic for your memoir.  What you have been doing for years or even decades can become fascinating reading for your audience.  

​Be careful about looking at your life as old-fashioned, dull, or uneventful.  Keep in mind that what is old is new again, because young people are always looking backwards for good advice before they move forward.  So, the years you spent knitting blankets for babies in need will make for an incredible memoir piece.  Your audience wants to know what made you want to knit in the first place, how you learned the process, what tools you prefer to use, and what suggestions you have for new knitters, as well as why you engaged with knitting and continued doing it for years, and what goals you accomplished by knitting.  
​

​Start writing about your activities by answering questions about them.  What about this activity was interesting to you before you started?  How did you get started?  Did you have any goals or intentions when you began?  Did you have dreams of turning your activity into a career? 
​
Once you started into your activity, what kept you going?  Were there experts in the field who inspired you to excel?  What successes did you have along the way?  What about the activity appeals most to you?  Why do you spend time at this activity?  What does it give you in return for the time you spend on it? 

Have you mentored any novices in this activity?  If so, did you find that teaching it was as rewarding as doing the activity itself?  Have you shared your knowledge in a book, lecture, or workshop with others?  What are your current goals with this activity and what are you learning about it now? 

Writing about ourselves can feel a little awkward at first.  You may sometimes feel like your activities might not be interesting or may even be old fashioned, and because of that, they may turn off a reader.  But keep in mind that everything old is new again, and everything that used to be popular comes back into style.  Young people and readers genuinely are interested in what you are doing, because the central idea of memoir is that it is about making the connection between reader and writer.  Memoir is about understanding a person—the writer.  Readers want to understand what you are all about—whether those readers are your close family and friends or whether they are a million reader audience of people you have never met. 

​