Today marks the first day of meteorological spring. And with sunlight streaming through my kitchen window, I'm thinking...what a great day to start writing! If the thought of that makes you feel queasy, then this blog is for you. Perhaps you need to master this skill to pass an entrance exam (11+) or to succeed at GSCE. Or maybe you're writing just for fun. Whatever your level or inclination, my aim is to share some ideas to help you on your way.
The best way to improve your writing is to actually write. Just a little bit every day will make a huge difference. To this end, I have created the following resource:
I encourage you to print it out, pick a task, buy a journal and start writing! Many of the tasks do not require you to write full stories, but are designed to focus your attention on a particular aspect of writing. Some of the tasks don't involve writing at all - watching films can be a valuable exercise in developing your creative skills, as long as you pause from time to time to reflect on how, why or where the story is going. Reading too will raise your awareness of structure, as well as language and writing techniques.
If you are not used to writing, it may feel unnatural at first. The objective, in this case, is to write something. Anything. But do try your best to use all you know to make it as good as possible. It doesn’t even need to be very long - a chunky paragraph, or longer if it starts to flow. It is also a good idea to get feedback from other people – you may have a tutor who can explain any technical errors as well as make suggestions for improvement. But any willing adult or peer can give you feedback on spelling mistakes, confusing parts or a missed opportunity to include more description.
For further inspiration, an endless source of writing prompts can be found at Journal Buddies.com
That said, I'm now going to take advantage of the glorious sunshine on this first day of meteorological spring and take my dog for a walk. I may find inspiration while I'm out! Have a great week.