Today, Miss Ana over at Butterflies of the Imagination is visiting us with a guest post to make your writing a little sweeter! I also had the pleasure of exchanging guest posts with her, so be sure to check out my guest post on her blog right after you read hers!

As writers, we often hear the same advice over and over again: In order to get better at writing, writers need to write and read. Then write and read some more. And why don’t you go write and read some more? I’m not going to deny the quality of this advice because writing and reading is very important to getting better at writing. However, one doesn’t often hear of this piece of advice: copy other works of writing.

By copying other works of writing, I mean literally copying out word for word passages from some of your favorite works of literature. This is different from plagiarism because the words you copy down are for your eyes alone. No one else will see this material, and it is in no way something that you should publish. This exercise is for you to help you improve your writing.

Voice is something that a lot of writers want to find because voice is the element that pulls readers into a book and doesn’t let them go, even long after they finish the book. It is a mix of the authors you read and imitate in your work, as well as your own influences and your own unique spin on the world. Reading definitely helps because it allows you to be influenced by other writers and throw their influence into your own writing style. However, an even better method of imitating through reading is copying down word for word a favorite work of yours.

To start, choose one of your favorite books, one that weaves words in ways that you want to weave your words. Then, get out a notebook, your favorite pen, and some hot chocolate, and just begin copying down a passage from the book. This can range anywhere from one chapter to the whole book if you are especially daring. Yes, it takes a while to copy out passages from a book by hand, but it is especially important to do this exercise by hand. There is something about forming letters and words with your hands and carving them slowly into the page with your pen that allows you to stop and really let those words soak into your writing style. Do this with many different authors. Let all of their influences and voices seep into your own writing style, and the next time you write, you’ll sure to see an improvement.

The key to succeeding at this exercise is to do it consistently. You must really apply yourself to this exercise and do it consistently in order to see the results, but when those results really start to show it will all be worth it. Good luck, writers! And happy copying!

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]http://i57.tinypic.com/uv6yv.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Ana is a teen book blogger who loves posting book reviews, discussions and writing tips on her blog (http://butterfliesoftheimagination.wordpress.com/). When she’s not blogging or studying like crazy she loves to run long distances and get muddy in the process. You can also find her devouring the pages of a book, furiously scribbling down stories, sewing her own clothes and coding up a storm. She also believes that one can never consume enough peppermint and chocolate. New followers and comments make her day. Hint. Hint.[/author_info] [/author]