27 Nov 11 Fun Ways for Writers to Hone Their Craft

Are you a writer, or would you like to be?  You’re not alone — in fact, there are so many would-be writers around that there are now tons of events, magazines, courses, and writing groups out there.  Here are a few things you can do as a writer to hone your craft or just to have some fun.

• NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month occurs every November.  The goal is to write a 50,000-word novel in a month — or at least the first 50,000 words of one.  Many people make it their goal to go over this word count and finish a much longer novel in November, while others keep going and finish their novel after November is over.  Others just write a short novel for the fun of it, and don’t worry about whether 50k is long enough or not.  We’re almost done with the month now, but you can still sign up — or just put a reminder on your 2012 calendar and participate next year!
• Take a writing course - Do you feel like your writing skills need to be honed?  A writing course may be just the way to do it.  Your local community college most likely offers writing courses, or if you don’t have enough time to go to class, you can check out one of the many online writing courses available.  Writing classes are a great way to improve your technique and get some feedback on your work!
• Join a writers group - A writing group is a great alternative to a writing course.  Most writing groups meet once a week or once a month to share their work and offer critiques.  Just remember, though, that most of the writers in these groups are amateurs themselves, so don’t take their critiques too seriously — if you are looking for some major help, a writing course is probably more along the lines of what you need.
• Subscribe to a writers magazine - A magazine is a great way to focus on your writing and give you ideas for how to improve it, tips on submissions, and so on.  Unless you subscribe to a magazine that specializes in a specific type of writing, however, be aware that the magazine is likely to have articles on a variety of types of writing: non-fiction, fiction, short stories vs. novels, articles, features, and so on.

What other events, publications, or other things aimed at writers do you enjoy?