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Reading is probably the best way, but there are a few others that have worked for me. One way is to keep a dictionary handy. From time to time, pick a random word, learn how to pronounce it, and write it in a sentence or two. You can use a thesaurus in a similar manner. When you find words you like, add them to a journal (print or text). Refer to the ...

I rely on two tactics to achieve steady progress in writing (I'll answer twice for voting ease). The first is sort of obvious - write every day. I fell into a trap at one time where I felt that if I couldn't block off at least a few hours for writing that it was better to not bother. As a result, I would sometimes go for weeks without writing (that doesn't ...

It varies a lot - and by type of writing. I can do casual non-fiction writing fairly quickly, but more structured or formal work takes me longer (not just in the editing, but in the actual writing process). The professional writers I know point out that burning out is a bad thing (as above: 1000 words each day - or even 250 words a day - is a lot better ...

Write. Let the emotion flow. If the emotion clutters the writing, or takes it in a direction you don't want, you can fix it later, when you can look at it with a cooler view. But even if you choose not to keep the stuff written in the heat of emotion, save it somewhere. There's energy in there for you. It may be useful on another project.

Quite simply: Block off the Internet as you write. For me, that involves turning off my secondary monitor so I can't see the taskbar. For you, it might involve physically unplugging the ethernet cable from the back of your computer. I can't even begin to describe the difference this makes for me when I write.

Whenever you encounter a word you do not know, write it down (in that little notebook that you of course always keep on you, as all good writers should). When you get home, look it up. It could also be useful to write down who said/wrote it, and in what context. Then you will not only learn a new word, but you will also have a setting in which it is used, ...

The second thing that has helped me is the 10x5x2 approach (it may have another name). The theory is that you write for 10 minutes, take 2 mintues off, then repeat 5 times (filling an hour). The idea is that the schedule will make you focus, but give you time to deal with necessary distractions if necessary - often I use the two minutes to stare at the ...

An apocryphal story about Joyce A friend once found him sprawled across his desk, a figure of utter despair. "How many words have you written today?" he asked him. "Seven," the great man answered. "But that’s good for you, isn’t it?" "I suppose so," Joyce answered. "It’s just that I don’t know what order they go in." Copied from here I think ...

If you write a book (or whatever) you have to rewrite it several times. Your first draft is shit! Period! There are some jewels buried in this shit and you need a shovel to dig through to them. It is a good idea, to wait some time after you "finished" a project before revisiting it again. Then you have a clear mind and some distance. You need that to ...

Speaking from personal experience, probably the best way to improve your vocabulary is by studying a foreign language, as many languages borrow vocabulary from each other. One of the most difficult tasks when trying to find that "perfect word" is knowing where to start looking, and knowing (for example) Latin, French, or German synonyms can help when ...

1) So, don't. Keep several books going at once. What's stopping you? Maybe you need to switch gears often to keep yourself fresh. 2) Write short stories. Easier to finish in a bite. 3) Write an outline of your novel. When you get bored working on IIA3d, move to IVE12c. Jump around within the book and write scenes.

This is one of those things where there are no easy answers but there's always advice you can use as a guideline. For me, if a story isn't working, or I'm finding myself dreading working on it every time I sit down, I'll but it aside for a bit. That can be as short as a week or so (sometimes writing something else can help clear the cobwebs) but sometimes ...

You mentioned that you have felt most like writing when you were in a library surrounded by books. So go to the library to write! I know a couple of folks who do just that, and they have been extremely productive. They also are inspired by being surrounded by books, and they find that it is much easier to get a lot done without any distractions, which is ...

Let me get this straight. Your "schedule" is: Coming home Cuddling dog Write 600 words Give in Surfing for hours You want more time for reading? Cut your internet connection! I mean it. You also get more time for writing. When you sit down for writing, unplug your internet connection. Make it a big hassle for yourself plugging it in again. Like hiding ...

Pay attention to the origins of your words. English is a confirmed pack-rat language--an enthusiastic, perhaps obsessive, collector and creator of new words. Take, for example, the word "large." Unsatisfied with just the one comparative, English has a whole platoon of others in reserve: immense, vast, capacious, bulky, massive, whopping, humongous. Like ...

Well, the simple answer is yes, if your story needs it you should switch POV as often as needed. Naturally of course it's more complicated then that. The point of view is are windows into the story, we see it through those eyes and learn all that happens via it. If the story is small, where one character can see and interact with most events, it makes sense ...

In addition to the reading or using a dictionary or thesaurus, you can also look at various Words of the Day. Depending on what you are reading, these may expose you words you may otherwise not encounter. A quick Google Search for 'word of the day' showed sites like Dictionary.com, Merriam-Webster, WordThink, NY Times, The Quotations Page, and ...

Have you ever read Trainspotting? That, IMO, is an example of tons of perspective changes executed perfectly. Really though it depends on the kind of story you're trying to tell, because lots of perspective changes definitely changes the tone. A more nonlinear story favors perspective changes, for example. Also, don't assume you're going to be losing ...

There are obvious times when it should be done, for instance, when you have more than one main character. Asking, should it ever be done at all (current question title) is more subjective than answerable since published authors do it effectively on a regular basis. Taking a shot at summarizing your last paragraph into one question, "How can I lock character ...

This may be an extremely subjective answer, but i find it easiest to get a chapter or two done, rather than a word count. It means there is a complete section to get a family member to read over, and if there is spare time in my sitting, i can go through and edit it. If you don't finish the chapter, just try finishing it (and the next chapter) the next day! ...

Well, here are my own suggestions - I hope they're helpful :) Keep a timeline for every character (or small group). Keep track not only of what's going on onstage, but also what's hidden from the reader - if the hero thinks his wife is dead, but actually she's studying with Tibetan monks and engineering a playful assassination attempt for every anniversary ...

Your problem is not making time for reading. You have two other problems: You're giving up too quickly on writing. You surf too much. First, as John Smithers wisely says, disconnect your internet connection. The web will still be here when you come back, I promise. Second, you say "I'm never more inspired to write than when I read." So: pick a book ...

You have to look at it in a different way, different perspective, different mindset or different time frame. Go away and do something different, come back and look at it again. Anything you write will generally need to go through a number of revision, editing and proof reading stages to correct and sharpen the writing. Whether you apply these as actual ...

I've moved to mostly e-reading on the Kindle and Nook apps on my iPhone/iPad. My wife uses her Android, and even my son has an old iTouch he uses. All of us have learned to use the built in dictionary, so as soon as you're not sure of a word's meaning, you click it, get the definition, and learn something. The more I do this, the more I find that I can ...

Blocking out distractions is the key to doing anything productive. In the case of writing you need to put yourself in a situation where all you can do is write. There are two methods I like to employ, one digital and the other analogue. On my computer I use an application called PyRoom which places a black fullscreen interface over my entire monitor with ...

A good way to assess yourself from a new point of view is to: Read your work out loud. Your ear catches things your eye misses, both on the level of content and form. Some things your ears will notice better than your eyes: unwanted repetition of words and phrases word choice how well you've achieved a desired tone rhythm emotional range how ...

I have the same problem. What I did to handle it was to start writing down an outline or synopsis of the new story ideas as they came to me. This allowed me to get them out of my head and store them off somewhere for a while. I usually have at least two, and usually three, projects going at any given time. Once I finish one, I will go back to my story pile ...

On the extreme side, Lester Dent was able to write a whole Doc Savage novel in about two weeks, perhaps less. We're not talking great literature here, but he is generally considered to have written the best Doc Savage books (all of them were published under the name "Kenneth Robeson", and they came out monthly). They weren't all that long, so figure about ...

I find it fascinating when a story swaps between 3rd and 1st person. In 3rd person it is a mainly Objective writing. When 1st person, it becomes an extremely subjective writing. It brings along the facts, as well as letting you feel the characters emotions. In the first person chapters, you get shocked when the character does. In the third person ...

Moving to a location that your mind doesn't associate with leisure is a good method to focusing it on the task at hand. I find it impossible to work at home because it has lot of leisurely baggage hanging around it's neck. I host parties, movie nights, read, play computer games, etc, and this is what my mind, when at home, gears itself up for doing these ...