Practice Makes PerfectWhen my daughter began to play
clarinet, most of
notes she played were painfully off key. Soon
notes were more or less correct, but
melody was lacking as she took long pauses to place her fingers. As she practiced, she was able to play a few simple tunes, with only two or three notes, from memory. Now she can play more complex arrangements, she can read music and translate
little squiggles and bars into counts and beats and twinkling notes, her fingers can find
notes by touch and she is ready to perform to a small audience of family and friends. Someday, she may be able to perform to a larger audience.
If you have ever played a musical instrument, this probably sounds very familiar.
As a writer, have you taken this same approach to honing your skill? Have you learned
fundamentals of grammar and language? Have you applied
basics to practice writings: articles, essays, short stories, journaling, writing exercise? Have you read books, paying attention to
pace of
story,
character development,
integration of plots and subplots? Have you shared your writings with trusted family and friends, soliciting feedback?
No?
To be a successful writer, you must practice and hone your craft.
Please, don’t expect your audience to suffer through your learning curve. Write just for
sake of writing. You’ll gain competence and confidence and when you decide to perform in front of an audience, of agents, publishers or readers, you’ll be ready.
Try these exercises for practice: