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Whether you’re a seasoned wordsmith or a literary rookie, writing is an age-old method of expressing oneself and passing the time, particularly during periods of crisis. It’s been suggested that Shakespeare himself wrote King Lear and Macbeth while quarantined during the bubonic plague epidemic of the 17th century. That being said, you don’t have to be Shakespeare to write – in fact, you don’t even have to be a “writer”.
If you don’t know where to start, we’ve come up with a few suggestions to help you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and turn your ideas into words.
Write a short story
If you love fiction but the idea of writing a fully-fledged novel intimidates you, you’re not alone. Try and think smaller! Short stories are a great way to start writing fiction because they allow you to experiment with different subjects and styles in a low-stakes manner. In other words, because short stories don’t necessarily take long to write, you can write lots of them and it won’t matter if you don’t think most of them are any good. In fact, you’re likely to improve your writing skills because you’ll get more practice writing different kinds of stories rather than spending time trying to perfect just one.
If you’re having trouble thinking of an idea, try using a writing prompt generator.
Write poetry
Writing poetry is an amazing way to express and reflect on your emotions. It can also help you become a better writer in other areas by deepening your understanding of language. If you’ve never written poetry before, you might not know how or where to begin. This beginner’s guide to poetry is a really helpful resource for those just starting out.
Remember that while some forms of poetry have rules about structure, poetry can be about anything you like! If you’re stuck for ideas, try writing about a place, person or event that feels significant to you in some way.
Write a blog
The great thing about writing a blog is that it can be about pretty much anything. There are literally millions of blogs online covering an enormous range of topics. No matter what you’re passionate about, blogging is an incredible way to delve deeper into your hobbies and interests while also learning more about yourself, improving your writing skills and connecting with others. It can also help you build your confidence as both a writer and as a person.
Some great blogging platforms include WordPress, Tumblr, Wix and Squarespace.
Write an opinion piece or personal essay
Maybe you don’t have the time or energy to start an entire blog about something but you still have thoughts or ideas that you want to express. Try writing an opinion piece and submitting it to an online news source or magazine. If you’ve never written one before, check out these tips for aspiring op-ed writers from a New York Times columnist.
If you’re not comfortable sharing your ideas with the world, you could also write a personal essay about a topic that’s important to you.
Write in a journal
If you’ve never journaled before, what better time to start than during a global pandemic? Two factors are at play here: you’ve most likely got more time on your hands than you normally would and the world around you is changing at a rapid pace. Writing in a journal is a great way to channel your thoughts and feelings and to document your everyday life. Just think of how interesting it will be to reflect on this strange period of time a couple of years down the track.
If this blog post inspired you to start writing, make sure to snap a picture, post it on Instagram and tag @perthconcerthall. We’d love to share it and keep the positive vibes going!
