Plenty of writers out there are feeling blocked and struggle to begin crafting and improving their writing skills. Every author has been there and they know how it feels. This is why one of the best things published and successful authors can do is share their knowledge in a book that focuses on helping writers improve their craft. Aspiring writers need these books, even if they aren’t aware of it, in order to find their own ways and methods of writing, to improve their craft and create wonderful books that other readers will love. Below, we have listed several elements that a nonfiction book about writing should have. Remember, the goal is to help other writers improve their craft and achieve their dreams of becoming published.

1. Focus on one aspect of writing

When an aspiring writer picks up a book that will help him write more, or write better, he is ready to accept that his writing isn’t perfect, or at least, it is not the best it can be. However, it is better if the aspiring writer can focus on one aspect of writing. For example, world building, characterization, plots, dialogue writing, writing style improvements, etc. If you focus on more than aspect of writing in your book, you need to be careful not to overwhelm the reader/aspiring writer with too much information. Instead of encouraging them to pursue a career in writing, you might end up accidently disheartening them, making them believe they have too many issues to work on, and in the end, scaring them away from the act of writing itself.

2. Share your own writing story

The best way to ensure that you don’t scare a reader away from the act of writing, or from their own writing, is to share your own story. Even if you never had to struggle to write, the reader/aspiring writer will want to know how you wrote your first story, your first novel and the story of how you got published. In a way, this will give you credibility, and it will show the reader/aspiring writer that you have enough experience in the craft of writing. Then, the aspiring writer is certain that you have developed your techniques and that they have worked for you. What you should also point out is the fact that every writer needs to find their own writing methods and habits, because every writer writes in a unique manner.

3. Insert writing exercises

When you’re writing a book which will help other writers write and work on their craft, you’re appropriating the role of a teacher. It is said that the best teachers enable their pupils to glean knowledge on their own, providing stepping stones along the way. Creating writing exercises for your readers are those stepping stones. Writing exercises are the “show” instead of “tell” of books dedicated to writing improvement. Let the readers know that they should set time aside to do the exercises, and to use them whenever they feel the need to improve upon an element in their writing.

4. Be inspirational and persuasive

Avoid being preachy in a book that’s going to help other writers improve their writing skills. Remember, you don’t want to scare the aspiring writers too much, or they will give up on a dream. It’s okay to be strict, and demand discipline with your words, but the most important thing is that you’re persuasive and inspirational. You need to be persuasive in order to convince the readers that they can improve upon their craft, and in turn, they will be inspired to try out your writing exercises, to follow the steps you’ll provide and be motivated to become better.

5. Prompt the readers to write more

And in the end, the most important goal is to make writers write more, every day. That is the best way they can learn more about the art of writing. The more they write, the more they will learn. Remind writers that what they write tomorrow will be better than what they’ve written today. Instill upon them the wish for improvement, and the importance of diligent discipline, and make them remember they need to work hard at improving their craft if they want to get published one day.

Image credit: Pixabay[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://writingtipsoasis.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/photo.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Georgina Roy wants to live in a world filled with magic. As an art student, she’s moonlighting as a writer and is content to fill notebooks and sketchbooks with magical creatures and amazing new worlds. When she is not at school, or scribbling away in a notebook, you can usually find her curled up, reading a good urban fantasy novel, or writing on her laptop, trying to create her own.
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