10 Ways to get into the zone of writing
Writing can be a very frustrating endeavour and yet it is an activity, which can produce a whole range of emotions. There are days when I have felt utterly stupid, you know the days when you can't even spell the word "˜the' and there are other days when I feel I could write a book as I am totally in the zone.
Whether it be writing an article for a blog or writing a book, the process of writing will drain the brain or set it on fire.
Here are 10 ways to get into the zone of writing and set your brain on fire every time you sit down to write.
How to get in the zone of writing
Most people are different and they have their own ways when it comes to writing. I have found 10 ways, which help me to get in the zone of writing.
- Always carry a notebook with you wherever you go in order to capture even the silliest ideas for an article, or chapter or paragraph.
- Get into the habit of writing every day. If the only time you can write is for half an hour per day in the morning then the flow will start to come to you for that half hour.
- Concentration is obviously a key factor in your ability to get into the zone. If you practice concentration then you will become better at it. Concentrating on anything everyday will help you in your writing. Use the process of writing to improve your concentration. This has the advantage of training your brain whilst developing your writing skills.
- Write in your head whenever you can. This might sound a bit strange. Before I write an article, I have been thinking about it for a few days and have started the process of writing the article in my head. The heading has already been written, the first few paragraphs have been written and the whole point of the article is clear in my head. I have even got to the stage of writing the keywords in my head and where they will go in the article.
- Getting into the zone of writing will speed up the process of writing itself. Before you become proficient you can practice speed writing just to get your brain thinking along at a fast pace. If you are thinking and typing very quickly, you are apt to concentrate that bit more, if you concentrate that it more you will speed up your writing, it's a circle thing.
- Read! To become a better writer you have to read better writing. To read better writing you may follow a particular style of writing you like and then go with that. When I say read better writing I am not being snobbish and saying you should read "˜The classics' I am saying read the type of writing you like reading, and read more of it. There is no bad writing if one other person likes the style, so don't listen to literary critics, read what you want not what you think you should.
- Practice extending your vocabulary. One word a day will extend your vocabulary by 365 words per year, over 10 years this is an extension of 3650 words. It's hard to say what the average vocabulary is but estimates vary between 10,000 "“ 30,000 words. Therefore, if you can increase this by 3650 you will have increased your overall vocabulary by 12 "“ 36%.
- Learn correct grammar.
- Listen to the way other people speak. Language is evolving all the time so don't feel the need to stick to proper use of language if it doesn't suit your style.
- Write, write and write some more. The more you write the better you become the better you become the more you write.