For those who struggle putting their ideas down on paper, don’t worry; you are not alone. Many of us struggle with formulating our ideas and putting them into an entertaining and thought provoking manner. I have used a few different writing exercises that have helped me. One that I enjoy is copy writing.
Maybe you have heard of it, or maybe you haven’t. It is exactly as it sounds – you copy another writer! However, this is just for exercise purposes only and NOT for inclusion into your masterpiece. You do not want to be accused of plagiarism, nor do I want to imply that plagiarism is something that I endorse. It is not. This is just to help polish your own writing skills so that you can become a better writer yourself.
First, find an author that you admire and a book that you personally enjoy. It will make it easier. Then, open it to a scene and begin coping it word for word into a journal. (I use a journal instead of the computer because to me there is something intimate about writing down each letter of the words which in turn helps to give meaning behind their use.) That is it! It is that simple.
Practice the exercise about 15 minutes a day. The more you do it, the easier it becomes for you to see and understand the original author’s thought process and use of word choice. In doing so, it will help to improve your own style and word use in your writings.
Happy Writing,
Kristopher
