The Writer’s Sketch Book

Pike County Backroad, 2022 Brian Braden Photography

​ If you’ve taken a creative writing class you were likely tasked with short writing assignments, often with very narrow topics. I call these ‘writing drills’ and they’re fantastic tools to hone one’s skills. The writing drill is roughly equivalent to an artist’s sketch – not a completed work, but an exercise. 
 
I use self-imposed writing drills to improve my craft. For me, they serve several purposes: they impose discipline, challenge my writing skills, and provide a way to capture and store ideas. Here are some seven tips when using writing drills: 
 
1. If you’re not working on a major project, then start and complete a writing drill. It keeps you in front of the keyboard.  
 
2. Set deadlines. Ideally, writing drills should be completed in a week or less. ‘Complete’ means edited and ready to present to the reader. Even though it may not be a stand-alone piece, it should be grammatically clean. 
 
3. Keep it short. Set a word limit and honor it. They should range between 300 to 2000 words.  Anything less is a glorified paragraph, anything longer is a major project. 
 
4. Find time and make it happen.  If you can’t complete a 300-2000 word writing exercise in one week you’re not trying. If you want to be a writer, then write.
 
5. Select a topic. If you have an idea burning to get onto paper, fine. Run with it. However, try to avoid using your ‘cool ideas’ for writing drills. The pitfall is getting too caught up in the idea and not in the art of writing. For example, I select drill material from everyday, even mundane, observations. The challenge is to make it ‘cool’ through the writer’s craft.
 
6. Challenge yourself. If you’re good at fiction, throw in a healthy amount of non-fiction. If you’re good at narration, then branch out into dialogue. It doesn’t matter; just get out of your comfort zone. 
 
7. Study and copy the masters. Artists often copy the works of masters to learn and improve. Writers should do the same. For example, pick a subject (scene, an internal dialogue, etc.) then ask yourself how a particular author would write two pages about it. Then write those pages to mimic that author’s style. Mix it up and try new authors. 
 
Your writing drills are your sketches, so save them for later use. From this sketch book full pieces of art can be built. A 500 word drill can be the genesis for a leading character or the starting point for a free-lance article. Completing a writing drill is like making a bank deposit.
 
Writing drills are also a great way to keep your blog fresh and updated. The more widely varied your drills, the more diverse readership you’ll draw. It also provides a great sounding board on your work. However, if you use your ‘cool ideas’ as writing drills, it’s best not to post them online.
 
The writing drill is all about staying in front of the keyboard. With every drill ask yourself ‘How can I make this piece better?’ Write the hard stuff. Invite criticism. Embrace failure as a badge of honor and start all over again if necessary. 

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