Hello!

Viewing 3 posts - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #305007
    Taylor Bruntil
    Participant
      0 Pirate Gold Coins

      Hello!
      I am an avid reader and I would like to try my hand at writing. Unfortunately, I have no idea where to start. I know becoming a good writer has a lot to do with practice, so I was hoping to join an online community that could help me foster that. I am looking for any helpful suggestions and daily challenges/prompts!

      Taylor B

      #305008
      Magic Seeker
      Moderator
        0 Pirate Gold Coins

        Hello Taylor! Welcome to FM! We’ve been a bit quiet lately, but if you look around the site you’ll find challenges and Justin’s daily prompts.

        The best way to start is to write — anything. A journal, a story idea, a blog post. Writing does take practice, and the more you write, the better you’ll get.

        I hope to see your posts here in the future!

        Happy writing,
        Deb Salisbury
        The Mantua-Maker, Quality Historical Sewing Patterns and Books
        www.mantua-maker.com

        The Art of the Hoop: 1860 - 1869, Dress, Sewing, and Clothing Care Advice
        https://www.mantua-maker.com/a---1860s-fashion.html

        Dead Wizard's Loot: Wizard Whitewing #1
        http://www.djsalisburybooks.com/Dead-Wizard-s-Loot.html

        #305010
        Ashe Elton Parker
        Moderator
          38 Pirate Gold Coins

          Welcome to Forward Motion, Taylor!

          Magic Seeker has some good suggestions for where to start on the site, and she’s right about writing. It’s a good idea to establish a habit of writing. Some would say you, as a new writer, need to establish a daily habit, but really any sort of habit will work. I’ve known writers who write only on their days off from work, writers who have a daily habit, and the gamut in between. My current goal is for 500 words a day 5 days a week.

          I’d suggest you start with a small goal, say 250 words per session of writing. Or go for a page goal. Whatever you think will work for you. If you need to, change the goal however you feel is appropriate–nothing is written in stone. Don’t worry how good the words are–that’s why writing takes practice, and you can’t start that practice until you start writing. A common truism here is that you can’t fix a blank page. LOL Once you’ve set up your goal, stick to it the best you can, but don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day writing. Life can get in the way, so acknowledge that you missed a day and move on.

          I’d also suggest you experiment with things. Try pantsing (writing without an outline). Also research and try different types of outlining styles. And try doing a combination of both. Different projects may require different things.

          If you want some real-time advice, FM has a Discord chat. There’s usually someone in chat over the afternoon and through the evening US time. The App, for computer and phone, is free, and there’s also a website version you can use online on the computer. Membership is also free. Here’s a link to the FM Discord server; it’s good for five uses: https://discord.gg/ruR4R5ANre

          Hope this all helps, and again, welcome to Forward Motion!

          Ashe

          Ashe Elton Parker
          "Just love me, fear me, do as I say, and I will be your slave." ~ David Bowie as Jareth in Labyrinth
          ~*~
          Member since 1998.
          ~*~
        Viewing 3 posts - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
        • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.