100 ways to improve your writing - Gary Provost 2019
Keep a journal
Nine ways to overcome writer’s block
There is no one right way to keep a journal. But if you have some sort of notebook or diary that you return to often with your written thoughts, opinions, observations, and various bits of wit, you will have a place in which to exercise your writing muscles.
You will learn to describe succinctly and clearly the events of your daily life. You will learn to pluck from each event just the details needed to create a sense of the whole. If you keep a journal, you will grow as a writer, and you will find that sooner or later, no matter what you have to write professionally, your personal experiences will play a part.
Keep in mind, however, that a journal can be far more than just a diary. You can take notes from a conversation. You can take notes while you’re reading, or eating at a restaurant. You can even take notes while you’re watching television. I know of one woman who took notes while watching the National Cheerleading Competition on TV. She learned all the terms, and with the information she gathered, she was able to make a story about a cheerleader convincing.