Strength Training for Writers

Day 2: How to prepare for NaNoWriMo one day at a time.

Athletes benefit from strength training.

No matter what sport they play, part of their routine is lifting.

Muscle mass increases when we challenge our arms and legs to lift or push more than the usual load.

Two forms of weight training are light weights and higher repetitions and heavy weights with lower repetitions.

How can a writer incorporate strength training into their practice sessions?

Here’s a simple exercise.

Take a paragraph from your favorite novel or short story — just one paragraph. (Can’t find one right away? Scroll to the bottom where I share the first paragraph of Orwell’s 1984.)

Then, rewrite the paragraph into a single sentence.

By condensing a favorite passage into a concise sentence, you force yourself only to include the raw details of the original.

Next, dissect the paragraph by first separating each sentence. Now, you can see each sentence for its worth and value.

Add in your details and description so that each sentence becomes part of a larger paragraph.