One step at a time

Progress

  In order to get better at writing or at anything you need to work for it. I mean you could just write a poem, then not write for years, and after eight years of doing nothing with literature, you write again and weep why there's no progress. But obviously there isn't really progress if you don't do anything about it, the skills don't magically just develope themselves. Sims 2 or 3 is a great example here.   Developing skills takes time, but there is many ways you can develop your skills. For example in writing. You can write of course poems, stories, books and songs. There are dozens of exersises for writers and I'm sure there is at least one that works for you. You can take notes, observe, desing, think, plan and stuff like that. Or you can read.
   Reading is a good way of passing time and learn writing, you can learn new ways of expressing thinsg, learn new traits in characters, and many different types of things. You can see a glimpse of how the writer looks at the world.
  And still you learn a lot through listening. Listening can mean many things. Eavesdropping other peoples conversations you can get ideas. Listening friends you can learn new ways to develope your writing.

  Taking breaks? what's good in those? You could spend that time writing and developing your writing skills? Why should you go out on a date with your boyfriend or go shopping with your friend? Well there are few reasons for that.
1)writing too much can make you tired and giving a rest to your mind from it can help to get ideas and you can let your story "brew" in your brains while you relax.
2)Observing others can make you learn about peoples traits, and get more developed characters.
3)It's healthy. You have social life and it makes often people happy and you can go out and breath fresh air. Sitting in a same position for hours isn't healthy.
And 4) My favorite reason. How can you write about a teenage life if you haven't lived a signle day of it? How can you write descriptive texts about nature if you haven't even once stopped to watch it. Experienses are important part of life and with experienses in life you can write more realistic story than if you hadn't.

So my final tip: If you are writing about elves or other magical beings you can't really live their daily life but you can search around  for enviroment they could be living in. If the place where the main events of the story happens is a beach, then I suggest you visit few beaches and look pictures of them, compare them, write notes, and stuff like that.

And also read. I mysef have am going to read:
  Bill Graham: Angels, God's Secret agents (because my novel has a lot of angels in it)
  Francesco Alberoni: Innamoramento e amore (I read these books in my native language, but yeah this on is about falling in love which is a common theme in my novel/stories)
  Darren Shan: lake of souls (beacuse it's a good book, good books should be reread)
  Donald E. Westlake: Nobody's perfect (because the author is good)
  Donald E. Westlake: the hot rock (because the author is still good)
  Michael White: Equinox (because there is about summoning Lucifer, and Lucifer is in my story)

so that's my booklist for now. I'll read them and probably will write about them. But tille then
so long
-Nemesismerri