Advice On Stress-Free Writing

by hanamigo

posted on 07/03/2009

Writing, no matter what it is, can cause a person a lot of stress. Instead of taking on the more passive role of reading, we are forced to take charge and be active by using our brains to create something new. While there are a lot of different approaches to writing, very few methods focus on what's actually best for the writer. Here are some ways that are sure to help you the next time you need to write something.

Sloppy First Draft
The first draft is the place where you have the most creative freedom. Be as sloppy as you want. You may find that in this first stage of writing, you can just put all of your ideas on the page without having to worry about following any kind of rules.

You can make all the mistakes you want, and you can say what you want without restriction. Just make sure that when you get started on the second draft or when you're editing your writing that you clean it up and make it appropriate for whoever you're submitting to.

Don't Undermine Yourself
You can't make very much progress if you're always editing what you write. It's okay to read back over what you wrote, but don't do this if you're going to constantly make changes. You'll just end up doing a lot of rewriting without making any real progress.

Don't worry about what you've wrote; don't worry about being repetitive, just write. Try to limit the number of times that you read over your work. Only read what you've written if you're stuck and don't know what direction to take. Don't get obsessed with perfection, either.

Write a Little at a Time
Writing tends to make people take on too much at once or make people save things for the last minute. If you aren't used to writing this way or if writing this way hasn't been much help to you, you should plan out your writing with a schedule.

Make sure that you've given yourself enough time for the first draft, second draft, a rewrite, and a period for you to leave the work alone. You should have ample time to come back to the writing a few days later and see how it reads when you're not so closely involved with it.

Save Openings for Last
People put too much emphasis on the opening paragraph. It's actually a little overrated. Sure, it does set the tone for the overall feel of the writing, but how can you summarize the feel of the work if it hasn't been written yet? Leave the opening paragraph for last. You can even write the opening when you're halfway through the work, after you already have a good feel of the direction your writing is taking.

Writing can take a lot out of a person, but it doesn't have to be like that. Writing is supposed to be relaxing and therapeutic. Write in a way that's best for you.

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