Friday’s Findings: Starting a Writing Session

Use This Simple Technique to Get in the Mood for Your Writing Session

A few years ago, I wrote about different ways to practice writing exercises. These exercises are designed to help improve my narrative style and writing craft, and they’re distinct from actually writing the story or scene I’m currently working on. Instead, these are practices I incorporate into my writing life outside of my work-in-progress (WIP).

But lately, I’ve been using one of these techniques as a way to get myself in the mood for writing—specifically, to tackle that scene I’m trying to finish. The technique is called writing exemplars.

What Are Writing Exemplars?

Writing exemplars involve taking a paragraph from a favorite novel or story and copying it out word for word. I’ll select a scene or a few paragraphs and reproduce them either by hand or by typing. There’s scientific evidence suggesting that handwriting helps imprint an author’s style in your subconscious more deeply than typing, and I believe this is true from my own experience.

This practice is also known as copy work, and it’s been used by writers for centuries to absorb the rhythms, techniques, and voices of master authors.

My Current Practice

Most of the time, I spend about five minutes typing out a scene from one of my favorite authors. Since I’m currently working on a science fiction novella, I’ve been using scenes from Alastair Reynolds’ novel Chasm City. By the time I’ve typed out a few paragraphs from Reynolds’ work, I’m mentally prepared and energized for my own writing session.

This technique is especially helpful when I’m not in the mood for writing—it effectively primes the pump and gets my creative mind engaged with language and storytelling.

Try It Yourself

The next time you’re about to sit down for a writing session, try copying the work of one of your favorite authors, whether by hand or by typing. Pay attention to their sentence structure, word choice, and rhythm. Notice how they handle dialogue, description, or transitions.

Either way you choose to do it, the benefits will help make you a better writer—and get you ready to tackle your own work with renewed focus and inspiration.

Here’s my blog entry about other ways to practice writing.

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Friday’s Findings

• Where Does Your Novel’s Conflict Come From?
• What’s Happened to Modern Storytelling? (+ 6 Ways Storytelling Can Find Its Soul Again)
• Self-Publishing Steps You Might Not Know About
• Plotter Vs. Pantser
• Unlock The Freedom To Cheat Deep POV

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Photo by Andrea Piacquadio