hey! omg thank you so much! i really appreciate it. sorry i hadn't replied before, hadn't logged in in a hot minute. i actually studied creative writing in college, but what i think helped me the most from it was the fact that it gave me a place to share my writing and discuss it with other people. if you can get involved in a writing workshop or club, or even just get together with some friends who are also creative to give each other feedback that's the best way to exercise your writing imo. if you don't have that chance irl, there's plenty of online communities on discord and such that could help with this.
This goes without saying, but consistency is also key. creativity is a muscle, so try to work it out whenever you get the chance. sth i got into the habit of doing is carrying a little notepad with me so i can jot down ideas on the go, even if it's just a phrase or a word that i like.
other general advice:
- half the work is in the editing. you will rarely spit out something perfect in one go. after you write something, let it sit without rereading for at least a week and then revisit it and i assure you you'll find things you can improve
- to practice your eye for editing, it helps a lot to find stuff that you feel isn't well written and try to work out what it is that doesn't work about it, and what you would do to improve it had you written it. basically edit in your head as you read
- don't pressure yourself into writing a masterpiece. this will just led to you getting overwhelmed. you can always edit and rewrite things, and putting something mediocre to paper is better than writing nothing because you're unsure of how it'll turn out
- maybe cliché, but read a lot, and in variety, from poetry to interviews to screenplays.
- don't try to compare yourself or imitate other people's writing. write in a way that is comfortable and true to yourself - what makes or breaks a piece of writing is the sincetiry with which it's made. it's always more valuable to write something genuine that you feel strongly about, even if it's not perfect. the skill can be developed, but authenticity has to come first.
as for resources, some stuff i can recommend off the top of my head are the essay 'capturing animals' by ted hughes', and the book 'required writing' by phillip larkin contains some pretty useful stuff.
lastly, i have this one image saved that i always use as a kind of motto for a poetry workshop that i teach; it's a sign that reads: 'it's not art unless it has the potential to be a disaster'.
Good luck, and thank you so much for this comment, it made my day!