Evolving As An Author
June 11, 2023 • By Jason Elhilow
DescriptionSome quick tips and tricks on how to continuously evolve your writing and grow as an author.
MessageYour mileage may vary. This is just general help, not a fix for everything.
ImageWRTN
IntroductionPlateauing is likely my biggest fear as a writer, and for good reason. For far too long have I been stuck in my ways, making the same product over and over again with the same result. But this is something I can avoid, this can be a non-issue, which has been my mission over the past few years. So here are some tips to avoid this detriment, and how to evolve as an author.
VarietyOne of the best ways to evolve is by diversifying what you write. In the past few years, I've mainly written one type of piece: essays. Now, I won't act like I am not good at them; I definitely have a talent in that space. Though after some time, I was getting bored, which sucked, as I loved writing a lot. WRTN gave me a new opportunity, though, along with a Journalism class, to try new stuff, something I am beyond grateful for. Today, I can write articles, reviews, essays, research papers, poems, stories, and even entire Goddamn books, all thanks to perseverance and my love of writing. So if things are getting a bit stale, if you feel like you are plateauing, then take advantage of it and do something different. I mean, I went from some of the most factual writing to creating one of the silliest tales of my life, all in the span of a couple of months (and years of understanding the English language). Writing is a space of unlimited possibilities, of unlimited varieties, and if it's something you love doing, then know that there are always more doors to open. It may be hard at first, but it will save you from a creative slump. Ultimately, don't feel fixed by what you have done; when it comes to art, the only person limiting you is you.
StudyingLike all art, inspiration is a critical experience of creativity. The biggest piece of advice any writer could give you to improve your authorship is to read more. No matter the genre, no matter the book or tale, no matter the medium, the more you read, the more you will be exposed to the English language, which can only be a benefit. Study the words, study the dialogue, study the transitions; whether for news or essays or stories, being able to incorporate those fantastic lessons would no doubt overhaul the quality. It may also act as inspiration, something desperately needed in this age of AI and chatbot content. One of the few things humans have over our machines is our ability to spark ideas from what others do, without copying or plagiarizing. It is an innate ability of mankind, of our species, so know and use that. This is why studying is so important; this is why reading improves your writing, as you are exposed to more and more influences that, over time, should supply you with the ability to write whatever you want, whenever you want, about anything you want. And that, to say the least, can save you from writing boredom.
CombinationsNow this trick is more specific to essay writing, but one thing I have learned over time is to combine everything I know about storytelling with how I write my papers. Confused about how? Well, to break it down, the two types of writing have major parallels in their structures: both have intros and conclusions, both have three major "acts," and most importantly, both can give the reader an ultimate lesson. When writing an essay, see it as a narrative, as a story you are trying to tell. Give context over time, unravel the mystery, prove why your piece exists, just like a storyteller would do. Make your works just as entertaining, just as informative, as your favorite novel. Writing is a craft, no matter the type, so don't force yourself into a formula or limitations. Even in essays, you have characters (especially if it's for a book), you have a literal storyline to follow, a world to develop so your reader comprehends your point. It's all there, and as you go on, the essay should feel better and better, just like a good narrative. If you do it right, if you can see how to weave together the worlds of truth and tale to validate the point of your paper, then you have evolved as a writer.
ConclusionHaving variety, studying all types of work, and combining styles to make the best product possible is something invaluable to your progress. Stagnation is all too common, especially for young writers who have yet bared the burden of burnout. The biggest thing to know, to understand, is that writing is not a box. No matter what anyone tells you, there is no "right way to write." Are their structures? Yes. Are there rules in English? Sure. But nothing, and I mean nothing, should stop you from being an artist and evolving as such. There is no one way to grow, but many, and if you want to avoid that very issue, remember this very article. Trust me, you won't regret it.
VarietyOne of the best ways to evolve is by diversifying what you write. In the past few years, I've mainly written one type of piece: essays. Now, I won't act like I am not good at them; I definitely have a talent in that space. Though after some time, I was getting bored, which sucked, as I loved writing a lot. WRTN gave me a new opportunity, though, along with a Journalism class, to try new stuff, something I am beyond grateful for. Today, I can write articles, reviews, essays, research papers, poems, stories, and even entire Goddamn books, all thanks to perseverance and my love of writing. So if things are getting a bit stale, if you feel like you are plateauing, then take advantage of it and do something different. I mean, I went from some of the most factual writing to creating one of the silliest tales of my life, all in the span of a couple of months (and years of understanding the English language). Writing is a space of unlimited possibilities, of unlimited varieties, and if it's something you love doing, then know that there are always more doors to open. It may be hard at first, but it will save you from a creative slump. Ultimately, don't feel fixed by what you have done; when it comes to art, the only person limiting you is you.
StudyingLike all art, inspiration is a critical experience of creativity. The biggest piece of advice any writer could give you to improve your authorship is to read more. No matter the genre, no matter the book or tale, no matter the medium, the more you read, the more you will be exposed to the English language, which can only be a benefit. Study the words, study the dialogue, study the transitions; whether for news or essays or stories, being able to incorporate those fantastic lessons would no doubt overhaul the quality. It may also act as inspiration, something desperately needed in this age of AI and chatbot content. One of the few things humans have over our machines is our ability to spark ideas from what others do, without copying or plagiarizing. It is an innate ability of mankind, of our species, so know and use that. This is why studying is so important; this is why reading improves your writing, as you are exposed to more and more influences that, over time, should supply you with the ability to write whatever you want, whenever you want, about anything you want. And that, to say the least, can save you from writing boredom.
CombinationsNow this trick is more specific to essay writing, but one thing I have learned over time is to combine everything I know about storytelling with how I write my papers. Confused about how? Well, to break it down, the two types of writing have major parallels in their structures: both have intros and conclusions, both have three major "acts," and most importantly, both can give the reader an ultimate lesson. When writing an essay, see it as a narrative, as a story you are trying to tell. Give context over time, unravel the mystery, prove why your piece exists, just like a storyteller would do. Make your works just as entertaining, just as informative, as your favorite novel. Writing is a craft, no matter the type, so don't force yourself into a formula or limitations. Even in essays, you have characters (especially if it's for a book), you have a literal storyline to follow, a world to develop so your reader comprehends your point. It's all there, and as you go on, the essay should feel better and better, just like a good narrative. If you do it right, if you can see how to weave together the worlds of truth and tale to validate the point of your paper, then you have evolved as a writer.
ConclusionHaving variety, studying all types of work, and combining styles to make the best product possible is something invaluable to your progress. Stagnation is all too common, especially for young writers who have yet bared the burden of burnout. The biggest thing to know, to understand, is that writing is not a box. No matter what anyone tells you, there is no "right way to write." Are their structures? Yes. Are there rules in English? Sure. But nothing, and I mean nothing, should stop you from being an artist and evolving as such. There is no one way to grow, but many, and if you want to avoid that very issue, remember this very article. Trust me, you won't regret it.