Hello,
I am going to online college for creative writing. Is there an easy way to get disciplined in the art, so I can begin my college course? I figured since it is creative writing, this forum applied.
First off, enjoy your writing. If you want to do something well, enjoying it is really the best reason to keep doing it until you get good. If you get bored of it or it feels hard, maybe give it a break and come back to it. If you enjoy writing, that will give you the inspiration to write things you care about and it will show in the quality of your writing.
Second, keep a notebook or a journal and write regularly, say, at least once a day. Maybe set yourself a number of pages to do a day (or just one page) or a certain amount of time for writing (say ten minutes, an hour, whatever). It can be any topic and it doesn't have to be much- but just practice and make it a habit. It doesn't have to be good, but if you practice at it you will start to get better at it and learn what kind of stories you like telling and how you want to tell them. Having a notebook is really useful if inspiration strikes (and it often comes and goes when
it pleases, rather than at will).
Third, in terms of vocabulary, use words you are comfortable using and would use in conversation with friends. It is a better reflection of who you are as a writer and will "feel" more authentic. Using big words or obscure ones may be ok once in a while to add a little variety, but you want to understand what you are writing and be understood. Writing is about communication so it is critical to communicate effectively. It's easier to do it with words you are used to.
Fourth, it is probably worth reading other writers, ideally people you respect or enjoy reading. It can be something fun but you can learn a lot from other writers by reading their books and figuring out their style. I'm not advocating out-right word-for-word plagiarism here, but don't be afraid to borrow ideas from multiple sources
if you think it will work for what you are trying to do. It can help the creative process and maybe you take one idea from another writer and adapt or change it in to something new and more suited for the purpose you had in mind.
A handful of writers may be classed as "geniuses" who happen to be the right person in the right place at the right time who come up with genuinely "original" output (e.g. Shakespeare being the obvious choice), but for the rest of us mere mortals labouring over our words, we shouldn't be afraid to accept our work may resemble those already written and to consider if other authors made mistakes or we could improve on them or try something different. The main thing is to produce the best work you can and to push your limits and explore what you can do. Never stop exploring or experimenting and be prepared to challenge yourself so you can grow. Making it fun means you more willing to invest the time in it to get better at the craft.
As a final note, personally, I came to the conclusion that I write
better on paper than on a laptop. There is something about the interaction between the brain and the pen which means you think more about your writing. Typing is quicker and more convenient, which is fine in the right setting, but for those reasons it makes me think less about what I'm writing. I find that makes it less creative. Maybe it will work fine for you but it is something to consider.
