Becoming an efficient writer

Most times people surprise me. I hear people say, I am not a writer but I want to learn the craft and excel like a professional in no time. I've met a few notable young people who believe writing and excelling is something you just wake up one morning and start to do and the next day you are on the headlines or your book is on every bookshelf or better on every book sites that ever existed in the world of technology, if you are like that, come back home darling, you are lost.
What people don't understand is that writing is the one job that writers themselves put so much effort in and yet they don't do too well. No matter how well you write, others may give you the credit but you are never satisfied with your work. Most times, published authors read their published works and are like, "I wish I wrote this", "I wish I added this here and things didn't have to take this turn.", "If I had done it like this it would be better." Meanwhile, a few other people are screaming at how powerful that author wielded his or her pen and made the best book ever,  and then there is you, that wants to learn the craft and excel like a genius.
Inasmuch as writing can be learned, I believe everyone has the talent and gift of writing inside of them. It's just something we push away...not we, most people. Now there is a few tips for upcoming writers, they'd help you build on your skills of becoming a professional, if not, they'd help you all the same.

READ AT LEAST FIVE BOOK IN A MONTH: Yes, I said at least, the minimum you should read. Five books per month, take that up as a task, study different authors and how they write, I know you did English Language and you know how to write an essay. Writing an essay, and writing a book is not one thing, they are two not too opposite sides of a coin. So pick up a book and start with that. Infact read everything you see, newspapers, magazines, journals and anything written.

STUDY YOUR ENVIROMENT AND PEOPLE'S BEHAVIOUR: Most times inspiration to write comes from here. Study the environment you find yourself, if it inspires what your story would entail, wonderful. If not, look for a town that befits what you want. People's characters and behaviour help build up characters of our imagination. Most characters authors bring to life isn't just something they created, most times, they are someone they had seen, and they gave their character the exact behaviour of this person. It helps most times.

LEARN NEW WORDS: I have a book for this, new words come in handy, most times you get cracked up and you can't make good word choice selections. This would help you do through that. Make sure to study them and know their meanings better still write them down and the meanings next to them.

PUT DOWN PHRASES AND SENTENSES: Did you hear catchy phrases and things people say that your characters would likely say? Put them down, take note of them and then as you write create scenes that could call for that statement so long as it doesn't look irrelevant or out of league with what your work talks about.

TRY TO WRITE EACH DAY: Give yourself a time frame, set aside a time to write each day. It might be a number of word count or a page or two. Whatever you decide, just keep the flow and don't kill it. Let the words and inspiration keep coming. The more you write, the more your work pulls you. Depends on how good it is.

CONGRATULATE YOURSELF: Take time to congratulate and encourage yourself when you finish that first draft or when you write a chapter. Even though your work isn't too good, you have done so much wonders by creating a world that wasn't there before and you made people move and talk. You gave feelings and turned things to your feel. See that now?

ASK PEOPLE TO READ YOUR WORK: Writers are introverts and our works is our most prizes possession, whether finished or not,  whether good or bad. But you can only know how good you are if your work is passed around. I never said pass it to everyone you SEE. Get a circle of readers, or a few people you trust, or better still a few good authors or writers like yourself (You are a writer now. Yay!)

JOIN GROUPS: There are so many writers group in Facebook that you can join. Invite yourself in conversation threads and ask question about your work. You could also meet other people who love what you do, know challenges they face and how they overcame, in case you find yourself there sometime. Most times, we get lost in Facebook and it takes most of our time, and we get busy scrolling instead of writing. I'd tell us how to overcome that in the near future, meanwhile now, it's this. So join groups.

PEN AND PAPER: This is necessary where ever you go. Inspirations can come in any form, anywhere and anytime. When you are not with your laptop, this items can help fill the vacuum. I use my phone to take pictures or type them down (Yea, technology took over).

REST: Relax, don't over work yourself. Been a writer isn't easy, I know. Most times we wake up by 3am and start doing our wonders but then, work according to your strength and your drive. Remember the coffee therapy. Go for walks to clear your head. There'd be times when you get a block. You can over come them with this tip: 

www.nedgodleads.blogspot.com/overcoming-writers-block/

 Incase you are wondering what blocks are, well it's a period when nothing seems to be coming in, no inspiration, no thoughts based on your work... Nothing. 

I hope you find this tips useful, I'd always want to hear from you, your thoughts, ideas and views. If you have suggestions for upcoming writers, you always drop your comment.
Thank you.