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There is a popular myth among people about writers and writing. It is the belief that writing comes easy and natural to writers. You may even have had that assumption when you first started writing yourself. However, while it is true that writers like other creatives have moments of inspiration, a lot of what is created happens through hard work and discipline.

As a result of lack of inspiration, writers often find themselves in a rut, especially if working on some serious topics that are out of their comfort zone. There is the temptation to get down to business. That often means that creativity and imagination are at risk of being thrown out of the window.

Yet creativity and imagination are just the ingredients you need to connect emotionally with your audience, touching them in ways they do not expect, as you, as a writer, go the extra mile in stretching your writing abilities by putting your own spin and unique take on an issue using both imagination and creativity.

Now, let’s get down to business. Below are tips you could use in enhancing your writing.

1. Expand your reading palette

For most writers, their love for words comes from their passion for reading. It is by reading that you learn about the world around you; reading takes you out of your own experience and into another person’s experience. As a writer, if you want to get better at writing, the one thing you can do and should do is to read more. The more you read, the more you learn how to write. Expanding your reading palette means that you develop your writing capability. The result is that over time you can begin to write different genres and go beyond your comfort zone. Every writer has the style or type that comes naturally to them, but reading a diversity of books opens up your mind to the possibility of trying out different styles and genres.

1. Practice writing from different perspectives

When trying to be creative and imaginative, just thinking about things from a different perspective could be the answer. It can be the change you need to add more life to the article or story you are writing. First, writing from a different perspective requires that you are well-read on the subject you are writing about. Then using your imagination, you can tell, narrate, or describe from different perspectives. When you write from different angles, you enrich your story and give your readers more to think about and relate with as they get to be part of the story. Besides, writing from different perspectives stretches both the writer and the reader’s imagination, as it gives the writer the room to tell a more productive and more nuanced story.

1. Be specific and detailed when creating settings, examples, and scenarios

Sometimes, as writers, we focus on the central element of the story or the characters. But if you are searching for ways to spice up your writing in the creativity department, then look no further than where you set your story, the examples as well as the scenarios you use in telling the story by being specific and detailed. You can create a rich and diverse world for your characters or have the story painted in more powerful ways that have more of an impact than just getting straight to the point. Detailed settings and scenarios allow you to add more texture and colour to your storytelling.

Conclusion

No matter what style of writing you are working on, thinking creatively and using your imagination will enable you to take your work to a different level. So why not give it a try the next time you find yourself stuck as you write that paper that seems to be going nowhere.

Vikram Patel says, “Being mentally fit improves our overall wellbeing and prevents other illnesses.” And since deficiency in the mental status will have a severe negative impact on anyone, making it a priority can remarkably improve our quality of life.

Really, the importance of our psychological wellbeing cannot be stressed enough; neither is it out of place to assert that other areas of our being depend hugely on this to function optimally.

But sadly, especially within our demography, this singular aspect of our lives receives zero or no attention. There are various ways to maintain positive mental health and live a fulfilling and enjoyable life.

As a writer, there are few things to pay attention to:

1. Refrain from negative thoughts: No matter how overused this may sound, you are your thoughts. You act out what you brood over, which, if negative, can torment you mercilessly. So, it’s essential to pay attention and change them.
2. Shun toxic relationships: If it’s not improving you, it’s not worth it. If they are not helping you get better, they deserve no space in your life. Moreover, why give your time to irrelevancies at the detriment of your mental health. You deserve better!
3. Tend to your errors with love: How do you react to your mistakes? What do you say to yourself? “Oh! I’m such a failure,” or “I never do anything right.” Truth be told, we cannot completely erase our chances of tripping but we can control how we react to them.

Your first draft was nothing close to your expectation. Okay? The beautiful piece you invested all of your energy to develop received smothering criticisms. Okay? Well that’s not enough reason to crucify yourself.

Quit the cursing and self-belittling as they don’t solve anything. Instead, take a deep breath. Relax. Appreciate your efforts. Reward yourself for taking those courageous little steps. In reciprocity, your mental health would be bountifully rewarded.

4. Take care of yourself: This cannot be stressed enough. It is vital, no matter where you fall on the mental health spectrum. Self-care is a necessity! 90% of the time, our job as writers requires that we sit for a good portion of the day.

To minimize the toll that this can take, get up and stretch at intervals. Go for a walk if you can. When you do this, you’re improving blood circulation, which also helps to stimulate brain function. And when you return, you’d be a lot more productive. In addition, scrutinize your nutritional consumption thoroughly. Watch what you eat. Rest well.

And I cannot forget to add exercise as there are significant mental benefits hidden therein.

5. Unwind: Sometimes, we get so caught up in the daily demands of life that we forget to truly live. Once in a while, step out of your comfort zone and give yourself a break. Your body and overall health will thank you for it.

It is up to you to start making healthy choices. Not choices that are only healthy for your body but also your mind. Your mental health is a priority. Take care of it and stay fit.

Do you have other tips capable of helping us stay mentally fit as writers?

We look forward to hearing from you.

Review writing is one of the most relevant modern-day writing skills. More so, it is used in selling books and analyzing their content. What sells a book are the reviews written on it, although the role of the words of mouth cannot be overemphasized too.

A book review is a critical appraisal of a book, article, play, film, etc. It is a form of literary criticism in which a book is analyzed based on content, style and merit.

There are two kinds of book review:

Prepublication and

Post-publication review.

Whereas prepublication review is written for libraries and bookshops that are going to purchase the book in bulk, the post-publication review is written for people who are potential readers of the book being reviewed.

Approaches to Review Writing

There are two approaches to writing a book review: descriptive and critical review.

Descriptive review gives the essential information about a book. This is done with description and exposition, by stating the perceived aims and purposes of the author, and by quoting striking passages, dialogues, etc., from the book.

Critical review describes and evaluates the book in terms of accepted literary and historical standards, and supports this evaluation with evidence from the book.

A book review is expected to answer two questions:

• What is the book about?
• How good is the book?

Understanding what a nonfiction book is all about and how good it is, for instance, is relatively a straightforward process. The reviewer only needs to determine if the author was able to express his thoughts and ideas clearly in a way that the reader can understand.

Determining how good a fiction piece is, on the other hand, requires that the reviewer understands the five elements of fiction: character, setting, plot, theme and style and how effectively the author used these elements.

Becoming a good reviewer rests on only one factor – experience. Experience is developed through consistent writing, in-depth understanding of book content and the ability to explain the same.

The American inventor, Thomas Edison, is probably well known for his invention of the first commercially viable light bulb. Another common knowledge about him is that it took him about a thousand failed patent experiments to invent the light bulb successfully. This is as basic as most people know about the inventor.

Growing up as a child, Thomas had quite several challenges that made him stay away from school. He was home-schooled by his mother and subsequently self-educated himself by reading extensively on various and wide range of disciplines. In a couple of years to come, the ideas that gave birth to his invention would come from his reading and studies.

A lot of people nowadays want to become the best thing that has happened to writing after James Joyce but are unwilling to bear the sacrifice it requires. Being a reader is as equally important as identifying as a writer. To become a good writer, you have to read well and read always. Virginia Woolf had a massive library at her disposal while growing up as a child. It should not come as a surprise then that she turned out to be one of the best writers of the 20^th century.

No writer ever turned out great without been an avid reader, and most of these writers are products of what they read. One of Nigeria’s finest poets, Christopher Okigbo, had read the French poet, Stéphane Mallarmé, so much that Okigbo’s poetry took the obscurantist form of Mallarmé’s. Read and read until writing becomes an effortless means of expression for you, but before then, here are some essential tips you need to know on how to become a great reader.

Not every reader will become a writer

This is a truth that a lot of aspiring writers do not want to hear – we all cannot become writers and not all writings are fully formed as quickly as you might expect. Whenever you read, therefore, you should do so with intent to grow your wealth of knowledge and expand your mind. It might take a longer time than you imagine to become the writer you want to be, but do not stop reading. Millard Kaufman was 90 years old when he published his first novel,  Bowl of Cherries.

Read the right stuff

Be intentional and strategic about your reading because what and who you read will pile up into a reservoir of knowledge, and they will influence what you will write, eventually. Desist from reading everything that comes your way. While this might be a bit difficult to adhere to, you should look out for authors you aspire to become and whose works you admire. Read them religiously. The aim is not to become like them, but to be influenced by them. Create a reading timetable for yourself; read around selected topics, themes, periods and authors. This strategic reading habit will help you carve a voice of your own when and if you begin to write.

Develop yourself

Language is more than a medium of communication; it is a signifier of culture, a mirror of thoughts and life. Most 17^th century writers were able to speak at least two languages, from Latin to Greek, French and English. Their works were rich because their thought processes were formed from different linguistic roots. Every language is a corpus of the historical and cultural nuances of its speakers. Whatever language you speak, read and might decide to write with, master it very well. Understand the nitty-gritty of the language. In the books that you read, make sure you pay attention to how the authors make use of grammar, syntax and figurative expressions.

As a reader and writer, understanding two or more languages gives you access to alternative universes of thoughts. You would never be restricted by the limitations of thought and expression. If you find it difficult to form a thought or an idea in one language, you can easily seek refuge in another.

Read without ceasing

We cannot overemphasize the importance of reading. Keep reading to increase your wealth of knowledge and flourish your universe of imagination. When the time is right for you to write, there will be an unlimited reservoir of knowledge at your disposal. No one grows out of reading, so keep at it because there is no end to reading.