Non-Writing Things To Do That Can Make You A Better Writer

Non-Writing Things to do That Can Make You a Better Writer

People talk so much about the different things you can do in your writing to help make you better. You can just write a ton, you can fill out plot charts and character profiles, read a thesaurus, skip editing altogether until you’re 100% done etc. But what about things you can do that aren’t even writing related that’ll make your writing better?

Here are a few things you can do in your free time that’ll give your writing an edge and add something more than just writing doesn’t.

1. Study Psychology

I didn’t go to college. I’m almost 22 and living a great life without having technically “furthered” my education. But one thing I decided to study and learn about on my own was psychology and it has helped my writing IMMENSELY. When you learn about how the brain works and why certain types of people behave a certain way, it can completely change the level at which you develop your characters. If you know just how a tragic event can alter someone’s psyche, you’ll be able to write them in a more realistic manner and it will make much more sense to the reader.

2. Read

People often ask me when I tell them I’m a writer, “where did you learn to write” since they all know I didn’t go to college. I just say, “By reading,” and this is 100% true. When you get lost in a book and are really enjoying it, ask yourself why. Why is this book so captivating? What does this author do to grab my attention? When you are reading new material by many different authors, you’ll naturally and sometimes even subconsciously learn what to write in order to make your own book better. 

So read a lot. Read often. And read different authors and genres because even if you’re not writing a horror book or a romantic book, you may have those elements within your story.

3. Meet a Lot of People

I know this can be really hard for writers in general because we have a habit to be introverts who enjoy nothing more than sitting in the comfort of our own homes and away from strangers. To be honest, I would rather talk to my characters than to real people, but that won’t help me be a better writer.

However, if you go out and talk to new people and hear their stories and experiences, it can really help provide you with inspiration for your own characters, and you’ll also hear about experiences that you’ll never have the opportunity to live - which can develop your characters, your plot, and more. 

This will also give you material on writing new personalities for characters. Since we have a habit of writing what we know (because it’s more realistic this way), if you meet someone with a super interesting and unique personality, using them as inspiration can help you create a character you never would’ve been able to before.

4. Experience New Things

“Write what you know” is a popular phrase when it comes to writing advice and it’s true. But if you’re someone that doesn’t really do anything or go anywhere, what you know is going to be super limited - and so will your writing. 

In order to branch out and make your writing more diverse, you’ve got to go out and experience new things! Go to that party, take that road trip with friends, hell, go get arrested! All of the crazy, dangerous, and even normal things that you experience will all come through in your writing and having more experiences will give you more things to realistically write about or work into a novel.

5. Learn About Different Cultures

The most incredible thing (in my opinion) about human beings is that we’re so diverse. There are so many cultures and religions that we don’t even know about and all of them can help you with your writing.

Why? Because you learn to be empathetic. One of the best qualities any writer can have is empathy. When you know how someone else feels or can put yourself directly in their shoes, that will be loud and clear in what you write since you literally have to do this for whatever your characters are going through.

The trouble is, many of us are so sheltered in our own cultures and beliefs that it’s hard to truly be empathetic and branch out emotionally. Learning about different cultures and the way others live their lives can give you a wealth of knowledge that can help make your writing unique, beautiful, and much better.

6. Travel

Now, this isn’t always an option for a lot of us because traveling is so fucking expensive! I live in the U.S. and let me tell you, there aren’t very many different forms of culture and cuisine. I have to drive at least 8-10 hours just to get somewhat of a different form of food. Which means that my knowledge of different people, places, and foods is pretty limited, which is why I plan on traveling a lot.

Traveling not only helps put you right in the middle of a new culture, but it’ll also give you more material to write about. Instead of just googling a picture of a certain area and describing it from that, you will have been there and can depict it much more realistically; the smells, the humidity levels, the sounds, the awe of the sights, the temperature of the breezes, etc.

You can find tons of advice on how to make your writing better that just involves opening a word document and just writing, or editing, etc. But with these things, you’re really making yourself a more well-rounded person, and THAT, in my opinion, is what will make you a better writer.

If you think you’ve hit rock bottom, just remember that my bank once froze my accounts because I bought a healthy ready meal at my local supermarket and they classed it an ‘uncharacteristic purchase’

you dont even know

hidekane pls! maybe a cute au with these two lovelies~ ?? TY

Aaah, I wish I had the time to flesh this story out properly, but it’s an AU I’ve been thinking about for a while now! :D Thank you for asking for HideKane ~ I’m always a sucker for these two dorks. (>.

Summer and winter don’t mix. At least, not in Kaneki’s mind they don’t. His predecessor, Arima, told him this before he left everything to Kaneki and turned into dust. Summer and winter can never meet. This is why spring and fall exist. To separate the two forever.But, because of one too many reasons, here he is, sitting atop the school roof with Spring, Summer, and Fall and having some kind of peaceful lunch hour.Spring is a kind-hearted and soft girl named Yoriko. She reminds Kaneki a lot of the cherry blossoms that fill the air whenever it’s her time to perform the ritual. Fall is a sharp-tongued girl, a little rough around the edges, named Touka. Summer, on the other hand, is a force entirely on his own. His smile is brilliant and his golden brown hair catching the light made him look like the sun itself. He has a natural warmth that comes with his unbridled mirth and energy. Typical of a Summer.“Er,” Kaneki says, interrupting whatever the other three were talking about (probably the upcoming school trip), “I still don’t understand why we’re hanging out like this. Isn’t this against the tradition?” He’s looking at Touka, Fall, his partner. The one who’s supposed to keep him from being within a ten kilometre radius of Summer.Touka jerks her thumb at Yoriko. “Don’t look at me. It was her idea. I just go along with whatever she wants.”“Oh, Touka,” Yoriko pouts. “You told me you agreed with me!”“Well. It’s true that the tradition is a bunch of dusty farts.”“Dusty old farts seconded,” Summer pipes up.Kaneki frowns as the conversation is entirely derailed. In the end, the other three assure him that tradition can go chuck itself in the garbage. He isn’t wholly convinced. Not even a little bit.Summer scares him. The heat terrifies him.

Months pass and somehow he and Hide—Summer—walk home together every so often. He thinks Hide has a scant sense of humour. Hide thinks Kaneki makes a lot of funny faces whenever they’re together. They laugh together now. They lend each other school supplies and books. They while the weekends away at each other’s houses. But still, Kaneki is afraid. So they never touch. Not a single brush of skin against skin.Hide’s inclination toward horseplay makes this difficult, but Kaneki does his best and finally, Summer gets the message.It makes Kaneki rather lonely.

Spring and Fall are joined at the hip. Kaneki can say the same about himself and Hide. Whenever he and Hide make plans to go home together, he can see Yoriko and Touka watching them intently. He wonders if this is something their predecessors told them to do. How do they not see the risks of what they’re doing? How does Hide not see them? How does Kaneki not see them? Despite his fears, he still sticks to Hide like glue. He’s made Hide his emotional support, his weapon to combat loneliness. He needs Hide. But he can’t.Winter can’t need summer. They exist independently of each other. Not like this… Not like this.

Then one day, two years later, on graduation day, Summer vanishes. Hide is gone, without a trace. Touka and Yoriko seem to know something, but they say nothing. Kaneki feels broken, betrayed. He doesn’t know what to do. The pain reaches inside of him, in places he never even knew existed. For two years afterward, winters are harsh and unforgiving, because Kaneki can’t forgive himself for falling in love with the one person he can’t fall in love with.

“You’ve given up looking?” Touka asks, sliding him a cup of black coffee. She and Yoriko have built a café together. They’re happy and though it’s been so long since Hide disappeared, Kaneki feels kind of okay now. “I found out about his predecessor.” Kaneki takes a sip of his coffee. “Why didn’t you tell me he’d run away?”“He told us not to,” she replies solemnly. “We swore we wouldn’t tell you the truth. Not by ourselves. He never said anything about stopping you from looking for the answer yourself.” She smiles sadly. “I can’t believe he thought you wouldn’t love him back.”“He can be dense like that.” Kaneki can’t ignore the ache in his chest. Hide had seen him one day in middle school performing the ritual. That was when he had decided to run away from his predecessor and meet Kaneki himself. But going against tradition meant making enemies. He asked Yoriko to help him. She did.Now here they are in the middle of this mess.“You didn’t answer me,” Touka says suddenly. “You’ve given up? Or haven’t you?”Kaneki lowers the cup. “Yes and no. It’s… hard to explain. Somehow, I just feel like he’s telling me to trust him. That he’ll come back to us.”Touka smiles. “Yeah. Sounds like something he’d tell you to do.”

Another year passes. Kaneki sits in front of his laptop, typing away. He leans back and pinches the bridge of his nose. He sighs. Glancing at the clock, he sees that it’s almost time to perform his ritual. He gets on his feet to gather everything he needs, but just as he does so, the doorbell rings.He wonders who it might be at this time of night. He’s worried it’s some sort of criminal, even a prisoner on the run. But he shakes his head. It’s suspicious, but he needn’t panic. He goes to the door. Opens it a little.“Kaneki…”“Hide?”Summer looks tired. His face is gaunt and he moves with unmistakable lethargy. But the moment he sees Kaneki, some of his brilliance returns and he beams.“Kaneki,” he says again. “I’m home.”

Send me a prompt + a pairing!

Ishida Sui's New Year Livestream

I recorded most of Ishida's Twitch stream. (I didn't think about recording during the first 10-20 minutes, so sorry about that) The video was muted once…

The stream was recorded for people who have missed it.

i wonder what MY smell is????? when people wear my clothes or sleep in my bed…..what does it smell like?! WHAT IS MY SCENT