Comments on: Deliberate Practice Makes Perfect

By: Steven Chamblee

Steven Chamblee — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:00:16 +0000

This advice is “write on.” The real beauty of writing is there is no proper minimum or maximum length for a piece to be great, as each work simply stands on its own. Great stories can be written in 100 or 100,000 words. Try to finish a letter/article/essay in one hour. You’ll be surprised how this brings focus and “meat” to your writing. Also, if you are stuck on how to begin, just start writing anything. Most likely, you will find your voice in two or three paragraphs, and you are on your way. Then just edit off the bad start. Edit later; write now.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 12:18:17 +0000

I write both fiction and non-fiction, and I strongly agree with siccom above. There are a lot of great resources for writers on the web. While a lot of these are aimed at fiction writers, some also have resources for non-fiction writers. There is a lot of free, at-your-own-pace support out there. You don’t need to commit to a class to start.

For deliberate practice in non-fiction, you might want to investigate “considerate text” techniques as well as some basic story-telling techniques. A lot of non-fiction writing is very difficult to read because the authors write like they presenting research papers. They forget that even if you are writing non-fiction, you are telling a story. It just happens to be a real one. (And this is something I would like to thank the Crucial Skills authors for understanding!)

By: slccom

slccom — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 19:43:24 +0000

Rather than using a “writing instructor,” I’d recommend joining an online writing group. Do a chapter of your book, look for their feedback. I’ve been a professional University writing instructor, and most of them are only able to “teach” how to write for a University audience. You want to write for real people, so join a group of real writers who have real readers, not academics.

By: Greg

Greg — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 14:31:11 +0000

Still, find a way to get professional instruction. Maybe a community college that offers online classes? Few friends have the skills, interest or (like you) the time available.

By: Deborah

Deborah — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:34:37 +0000

And read, read, read. Practice is indeed crucial, but without a good example to follow, you’re working in the dark.