Some methods that I use to improve my writing.

Since I never went to college, it’s important for me to keep learning, and although I don’t always actively try to learn something everyday, I have ways that help to ensure that I do.

As a writer, it’s also important for me to keep up with what’s happening in the world, as well as advances in science and its theories. It’s also equally important to learn history, as sometimes it has the answer that was staring at us in the face the whole time. I also feel that it’s important to learn about the paranormal and supernatural, whether or not you believe in it.

At the same time, I don’t get a lot of time each day to just sit and try to learn something worth learning. Most times, it takes some inspiration to want to research something for a writing project. Sometimes, though, doing the research initiates the inspiration for an entire story.

However, getting the inspiration to do the research in the first place is often nowhere to be found. For me, this is where the things I list below come in handy. In most cases, they’re quick and easy ways to obtain some information that can lead to an adventure of knowledge.
Word Games

Starting off simply, word games are a great way to increase your vocabulary and puzzle games in general are proven to, not only improve your intelligence, but also help to maintain that intelligence as you get older.

I literally don’t play any other games on my phone than the two listed below. Whenever I’m bored and I have my phone, I will most often be found playing one of these two games, both of which are available on Android and iOS:

Wordmaster by Zeugma Games — An anagram based word game that gives you two minutes to make every word from six letters.

7 Little Words by Blue Ox Family Games, Inc. — Sort of like if crosswords and Jumble had a baby.

There are so many word games out there, but these two have become my favorite thus far, and both are free with ads. Any puzzle game is good, but I specify word games as they are the most helpful to writers.
YouTube and Other Video Sites

Doing research is often monotonous, and can sometimes be frustrating if you’re having a hard time finding the information that will most definitively answer your question. This is why I find informational videos on YouTube and other sites like, Rumble, to be a fun and easy way to start. Most of the people doing this are passionate about their particular subject, and have already whittled the information down into an intractable summary.

This gives you nice and neat points of interest in which to further investigate, and can often allow you to avoid information that ultimately will be useless to you in the end. There is so much information to be had, and any one brain can only retain and regurgitate so much of it.

Below is a list of YouTubers that I follow and watch regularly:

Herbal Jedi — A very spiritual man with vast knowledge of plant species that can be found in your backyard.

Tasting History with Max Miller — Max has a passion for tasting history. Not only does he recreate dishes from the past, but also delves into the dish’s history.

RobWords — A man who delves into the English language, covering things like eggcorns and etymology.

The Slow Mo Guys — Two guys with awesome high speed cameras that have a lot of fun understanding things by slowing them way down.

No Lab Coat Required — A young man with a passion for learning the truth about almost anything.

SmarterEveryday — A man with a passion for understanding physics and engineering, and also builds cool things like a 1000 mph baseball cannon.

Ze Frank — A man with an incredible sense of humor that makes funny, but informational, videos about animals.

Bedtime Stories — A man and an artist that retell paranormal stories.

Anton Petrov — A young man with a passion for understanding science and does well to keep up with science news.

ITM TRADING, INC. — A woman with a passion for understanding economics.

There are several more that I could list, but I find that I watch these the most. My wife and I don’t really watch normal TV anymore, but even the mainstream news can be watched for free on YouTube.

I would suggest making another account so that your suggested videos will be exclusive to channels like these, and this will help you to find others that do the same.
TV Shows

When we do watch TV, we rarely watch entertainment. We would rather watch something in which we might learn something. Below is a list of our favorites:

The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch — A group of scientists determined to learn about the paranormal activities of this ranch and the surrounding areas.

Beyond Skinwalker Ranch — Skinwalker Ranch is not the only place with incredible paranormal phenomena, and so they’ve hired another team to help investigate other places with similar occurrences.

The Curse of Oak Island — Not just fun to watch to see if they find treasure, but there is a lot to be learned here as they uncover the history of this mysterious island and its supposed link to the Knights Templar.

Expedition Unknown — A man trying his best to emulate Indiana Jones, helping to uncover mysteries from around the world.

Alone — A survival competition where several individuals try to survive harsh environments for long periods of time.

Again, there are so many good ones that I could list here, but just changing the channel to History, Discovery, Animal Planet, etc. will help to fuel not only your inspiration for writing, but also your research.

Don’t leave out entertainment. I am constantly being inspired by things like Star Trek, Shadow & Bone, and The Mandalorian. You can actually watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds on YouTube right now on the Paramount Plus channel.
Music

You most likely didn’t expect to see music on this list, however, I found some that helps me when I write.

As a guitarist and former band member, I’m pretty picky about my music, and I don’t mean about the genre. I want to hear talented musicians that use real instruments, and I used to always scoff at electronic and synthesized music. That was until I saw this video by Teminite and learned that EDM and other types are not all just made on the computer. I so want that keyboard.

I mention this type of music because I have no emotions tied to it other than joy, and I specifically listen to instrumental EDM so that there are no vocals for me to want to sing. This kind of music also makes me move in my seat so that I’m not being so static while I write.

A while back, I put together a big playlist of mostly royalty-free, new-age, instrumental EDM, including the aforementioned song. But, by all means, use the music that’s best for you.

Thank you so much for reading. Please consider leaving some feedback. Have a wonderful day….[[|:-)