Saturday, March 21, 2020

Charting your Growth as a Writer

By: Carla Trueheart 

Looking back on our early writing projects is difficult for many of us. We might tend to feel embarrassed of our first attempts at writing, or we might cringe at word choices and vocabulary. For me, I overused adverbs and had no idea about proper punctuation, especially when writing dialogue. But honestly, we should look back at these early attempts and be pleased with ourselves on how far we’ve come as writers. If your writing differs drastically from then to now, that means you’re doing something right. And in thinking about that—how good does our future writing look? I’d like for you to take a moment to consider growth and some questions you may ask yourself to gauge your success.

How have you grown?
When you look back at your early writing, what do you notice? There might be certain habits you fell back on as a new writer, or scenes might have been overwritten or sparse. Is there something you’ve learned along the way? Was it a book or writing classes or just keeping at it that helped you grow as a writer? This is important to look at so you know how to keep growing in your craft!

What do you Know Now? 
Make a list, mentally or on the computer, of all the things you feel you’ve learned about the art of writing and storytelling. Do you feel like you know how to develop characters better now? Are you sketching out scenes and making settings jump into the minds of your readers? Did you learn about climaxes and ending a story? Was there a trial and error process with writing your first short story or novel? Taking note of what you know now as a writer will help you find your weaknesses and strengths. Figure out what’s left to learn, and fill in those holes as best you can!

What will the Future Bring?
In measuring your growth as a writer, what goals do you have right now that stemmed from your early writing years? Maybe you still haven’t published that novel and would like to do that, or maybe you’d like to incorporate poetry or literary fiction conventions into your work. Your goals could range from honing your craft to becoming a bestselling author in a year or two. It’s important to set realistic goals as you continue to chart your growth in the writing world. Keep aiming high, and never give up. 

What Resources did you use to Learn Writing?
Think back on everything you pulled from when learning about writing. Surround yourself with those early notebooks, books on writing, workshop critiques, and even rejection letters with feedback included. Looking back on what you used to master your craft will help you as you continue on to your next publishing goal. 

Do you Consider that the term “published” means you’re a Writer? Or is there a Different Definition?
What do you think about your writing? Does it please you? Do you write for others or for yourself? Do you feel like the only way to gauge your success is to list your publishing credits? For each writer, the answer is something different. Some write for money, some write for fame, some want to see their name on a book cover as proof of their hard work, some want to spread a message or share their vision, and some just write to release the demons. It’s up to you how you feel about being a writer, but remember that charting your growth as a writer often means facing the true reason you write. 

Let us know any comments you have as you chart your growth as a writer!