Thank you for checking out the mini fiction writing workshop — a series of small, actionable tips for fiction writers. Each workshop starts with a question. In this case, the question is whether there is a shortcut to good writing.
Okay, on to the topic of the day!
Is there a shortcut to good writing?
The short answer is no.
IMHO (in my humble opinion), no one except perhaps a genius like… oh, Shakespeare (who may have been multiple writers) can hope to bypass the grind of getting good at this craft. It would be like trying to be a prize-winning body builder without spending time in the gym. Or a world class chef who didn’t spend time in the kitchen.
That said, there are some things we can do to get better faster.
Read
Reading is kind of like the kindling under the fire of great writing. It’s a little mysterious how it happens, but trust me that it does. If you are a writer who reads a lot, it’s going to fuel better writing. I think writers who read a lot of work by others simply have more depth to their work.
Here’s what’s interesting. The stuff you read doesn’t have to be the the best writing out there, and it doesn’t even have to be your preferred genre. (Although reading great writing and doing a lot of reading in your preferred genre is very much advised!)
But the very fact of reading fiction is an absolute necessity.
Try this. Start a writing project. Just sketch out your characters and some interaction between them. Maybe you don’t know yet what the central conflict of the story is, or how to really make it interesting. That’s okay.
Now, take a break from it and read for a while. If you’re like a lot of writers, something uncanny can happen in this process. You find your mind drifting off to your own project. Or you might find some subconscious part of your brain working on solving whatever problem you need to solve in your own writing.
I think it’s a little bit like watching someone else do something you absolutely love to do, whatever that may be. Maybe it’s sailing, or gourmet cooking, or horseback riding. There’s some magical thing that happens in your mind that puts you there, in that experience.
The same thing can happen while you are reading someone else’s work. Somehow the barriers between you and the craft tend to melt away.
Write
Writing regularly is key. The surest way to halt your progress as a writer is to not write. (Ahem: I say this from experience.) And on the flipside, one of the surest ways to get better is to do it.
That’s not surprising. We all know it’s true, but it is still worth saying. You can’t get great at playing tennis without playing. (A lot!) It’s the same with the piano, painting portraits, making pottery and running marathons. There are no shortcuts. You have to do it. You have to train. A lot.
Take classes or join workshops
There are many resources for writers, including several that are affiliated with the Steem blockchain. (If you are looking for one, let me know. I have several you can check out.
The importance of classes and workshops is about exposure to ideas and critique. Rubbing elbows with other writers, hearing about techniques from seasoned instructors, and getting feedback on your writing can all support you in your goals as a writer and move your skills and knowledge forward.
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this mini writing workshop.
The writing workshop collection
You can browse my collection of writing workshop posts in the links below.
Mini workshop series
Short posts on specific writing topics:
- Mini writing workshop: Can you get paid to write?
- Mini writing workshop: Is there anything wrong with using italics for emphasis?
- Mini writing workshop: What is the best way to write dialog?
- Mini writing workshop: What should we know about your character?
- Mini writing workshop: Who are you writing for?
- Mini writing workshop: What does “show, don’t tell” mean?
- Mini writing workshop: Can you write if you don’t have time? (Finding where you can fit writing into your life)
- Mini writing workshop: What should you write about? (Ideas for finding inspiration for your stories)
- Mini writing workshop: How do you start a story? (How to determine the starting point)
- Mini writing workshop: What is magical realism? (Exploring the magical realism genre)
- Mini writing workshop: Should you write in present tense or past tense?
- Mini writing workshop: Must your character do that? (About writing tics and character pet peeves)
- Mini writing workshop: What’s it all about? (About story lines)
- Mini writing workshop: Must we fight? (About conflict in fiction writing)
- Mini writing workshop: What’s the point? (About making things happen)
- Mini writing workshop: What prompted that? (About writing from prompts)
- Mini writing workshop: Who said that? (Tips for writing dialog)
Mini workshops within 50-word prompt posts
Brief workshops, typically 3-5 paragraphs, at the top of 50-word short story challenge posts:
- Mini writing workshop on “tense”
- Mini writing workshop on the editing process (with a walkthrough example)
- Mini writing workshop on taking time to write
- Mini writing workshop on the power of editing
- Mini writing workshop on critique
- Mini writing workshop on fixing punctuation errors
- Mini writing workshop on mainstream publishing (with a resource for 50-word story authors)
- Mini writing workshop on voice and language (as compared to the importance of plot)
- Mini writing workshop about becoming a great writer
- Mini writing workshop on contests and challenges
- Mini writing workshop on what makes a story a story
- Mini writing workshop on demystifying story writing
- Mini writing workshop on 50-word short story writing process
- Mini writing workshop on the steps for writing 50-word stories
- Mini writing workshop on micro-fiction and writing succinctly
- Mini writing workshop on the “why” of writing
- Mini writing workshop on the challenge of micro-fiction
In-depth workshop posts
The original writing workshop series:
- Writing workshop: The beginning
- Writing workshop: Exploring voice in writing
- Writing workshop: Say what you want to say
- Writing workshop: Getting organized and actually writing
- Writing workshop: Tips for writing anywhere, anytime
- Writing workshop: Should you write historical fiction?
- Writing workshop: Prompts, contests and challenges – oh my!
- Writing workshop: Pushing through insecurity and writing anyway
- Writing workshop: Perspective and POV in fiction writing
- Writing workshop: Second person point of view in fiction
- Writing workshop: How to write your character’s background
- Writing workshop: What to do with all these voices in my head?
- Writing workshop: Write your story from a logline
- Writing workshop: Three tips for improving your fiction
- Writing workshop: How to accept criticism on your fiction writing
Note: The image is sourced from Pixabay.
About Jayna Locke
Jayna Locke is a Minnesota writer who has had a lifelong love of fiction. Her short stories have appeared in a range of literary journals, including Great Lakes Review, Portage Magazine, and Bright Flash Literary Review, as well as several anthologies. Her collection of short stories, Somewhere in Minnesota, is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kirk House Publishers. She is reachable through her contact form at bit.ly/ContactJayna or on X at www.x.com/@jaynatweets.