Create a Writing Space
Having a designated spot where you do your writing will encourage you to go there and write. It will also send a message to others in your life that you are serious about writing
Set Yourself a Goal
Goals are necessary. Without a goal to strive toward, you’ll feel like you’re foundering at sea. Goals, even tiny step ones, are a way of realizing achievement. Do you dream of seeing your column in the local newspaper? How will you make it happen? Will it take a phone call to the publisher? Is there a novel you hunger to write? Ask yourself how you’ll accomplish this goal. Will it take thirty minutes a day? Five pages a week?
De-Clutter Your Life
Getting serious about writing means making time to write a priority goal. What in your life eats up time but doesn’t contribute to your writing? Be ruthless. Eliminate that activity, be it TV watching or internet surfing.
Cultivate a Reading Habit
Consider reading as a teaching tool. For a writer, reading is no longer an indulgence. It is an important mans of learning your craft. As you read, be aware of how the author uses dialog and imparts traits that make the characters real to you. What does the setting contribute to the story? Read in the genre you write but also dip into other genres to enlarge your pool of inspiration.
Work at Improving Your Craft
If your grammar is rusty, learn the correct usage. Is your work littered with adjectives and adverbs? Keep a dictionary handy; seek out the particular word you need to replace all those "helpers." Become a critical reader of your work. Seek always the perfect way to say what you want the reader to hear.
