Jumpstart Your Writing in the New Year Part I

I have nothing to share about writing that is earth-shattering. What you’ll read here you probably already know. But like it is with all important things in our lives, it doesn’t hurt to hear certain things more than once. Here goes:

Read widely
Often writers are told to be well-versed in their genre. This is excellent advice, but reading shouldn’t end there. Picking up books in genres other than your own brings freshness to your writing and strengthens what you ultimately create. This nourishes you as a reader, too.

Study craft
None of us ever arrives. Our writing will improve if we continue to read craft blogs and books and take advantage of classes, critique groups, or conferences. Here are a few books I’ve read recently, am working on now, or plan to pick up this next year:
The Art and Craft of Writing Historical Fiction — James Alexander Thom
Second Sight: An Editor’s Talks on Writing, Revising, and Publishing Books for Children and Young Adults — Cheryl Klein
Writing the Breakout Novel — Donald Mass
Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them — Francine Prose
Writing Irresistible Kidlit — Mary Kole
Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide from Story Creation to Publication — Ann Whitford Paul

Take time away from writing
Make sure you are doing things outside of writing. Now that I write full-time, it’s very easy to stay detached from the rest of the world. Make an effort to engage your surroundings, whether that means tuning in to nature as you walk the dog or making a point to get involved in a new activity.

How do you nurture your writing life?