Get Writing Non-Fiction: 9 Ideas for Purposeful Daily Practice for Beginners

You're a new writer. Perhaps you've been reading books on the subject or talking to other writers. You've almost certainly been advised to get into the habit of writing every day. This is good advice, because in order to develop discipline and hone skill regular writing is important. But for complete beginners this may prove a rather arduous activity. If you're struggling, read on.

How do you keep up the motivation and momentum?

Unless there's a purpose to your writing, other than that of following the directive to practise daily, a routine may be hard to maintain. And then there's also the matter of what to write. It's unlikely that churning out words for the sake of it will become an enjoyable habit, so why not approach your writing ritual by giving yourself an incentive? For example, you could write to be published right from the start. I'm not suggesting that you will be paid at this early stage (then again, you might), but you can write opinions, comments or articles, in print or online, for an audience.

So if you've just starting out and need some practise, or you're looking for a way to keep the momentum going while you gain experience and generate ideas for paid work, why not give one of more of the following ideas a try? And what better way to motivate yourself than to feel that your words will be read by others?

9 ways to purposeful writing:

1. Keep a journal. The very personal contents of your journal may not be intended for public consumption, but there are other benefits to journaling. For example, writing down your feelings may help you to work through difficult emotional times. And, who knows, your efforts may prove useful in the future if you ever consider writing your life story.

2. Write a reader's letter to your favourite magazine. This combines good writing practice with the possibility of seeing your name on the printed page - and imagine how pleased you'll feel if you achieved that? An added bonus here is that, if you think that magazines present a possible outlet for paid work in the future, you can combine getting into print with some market research.

3. Post a comment on an online news article. Most daily and weekly newspapers in the UK also have an online presence, and for most of them it's still free to access a selection of their current news and opinion pieces. TV news programmes also have online sites. If there's a topical news item that gets you fired up, why not join in the online discussion in the story's comments area (found below the story)? This is an easy win because you usually see your comment online immediately after submission (or after a short delay if the site has a moderator). But be prepared for dissent!

4. Post on a consumer review site. Here, like posting on an online news site, your comments will be published quickly. Writing a review of a product or service is a great way to provide something that's useful to others too.

5. Post articles in an e-zine or online magazine. This is an excellent way to showcase your writing. Search on Google for lists of e-zine directories.

6. Start a blog. Blogging gives you the opportunity to journal online or post articles on subjects that interest you and, if you're lucky, others. If you work hard on crafting a good blog and attracting appreciative visitors, you'll also build an audience for your work. You can blog for free or pay for web space and run blog software on it.

7. Offer your work as a guest post on someone else's blog. Look around for an appropriate blog that accepts guest posts, then read the site's submission guidelines or study other posts on the site to get a feel for the required style and format. Write a suitable post and offer it to the blog owner(s) for possible inclusion. Acceptance isn't guaranteed of course, but if your post is accepted you'll usually get the chance to advertise other articles, or your blog or website to a wider audience.

8. Get your own website. You can create very small websites for free, but if you want more control over your website's design and how it works, you'll need to buy web space (hosting) and a domain name from a web hosting service. Blog software can be run on web space, combining the advantages of blogging with having your own website. Alternatively you can employ a web designer to help you set up your site.

A benefit of having your own website is that you can earn money as an affiliate for other sites, products and services. In effect you advertise products and services and receive payment when a reader clicks on the advert and goes on to buy. As your writing career matures, you will be able to use your site to sell your own books, e-books or expertise. Many professional writers have websites these days.

9. Join a writers' forum online. These forums not only put you in touch with other writers but they also provide support and advice, and in some forums a free or inexpensive critiquing service is offered. This is an excellent way to get quality feedback on your work from experienced writers.

So, if you want to make your writing practice more rewarding, why not try one or more of the suggestions above. Best of luck!

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