P is for PRACTICE

Hey! Follow me this month as I work through the alphabet of great writing tips, from creating ACTION to getting into the ZONE. Then, go here to see who else is taking part in the 2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge.

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It’s no secret I love to run — I’m on the school track and field team, and I’d love to be a professional athlete someday. But running fast or for long periods of time takes PRACTICE. 

I train for track and field almost every day. In the winter, I hit the treadmill, and as soon as the snow is gone and the ground has thawed, I start outdoor training by running around my Grandpa’s canola field. Without practice, I could never get better.

The same goes for writing.

I love to write almost as much as I love running. But if I want to write better, I need to practice. And that means putting pen to paper (or typing on a keyboard) — as often as possible.

Some authors say you should write every day, even if it’s just in your Journal (link to J post). I admit, I don’t write every day, but I DO try and practice writing a couple of times a week, even if it means trying new forms of writing. Once I even tried writing a song!

Gotta jet!

— Chase Superman Duffy

P.S. – P is also for PLOT, one of the most important parts of storytelling. The plot is what happens in the story. Whether you OUTLINE (link to outline post) or just write the story as it happens, the plot explains how all of the events in the story go together.