Undoubtedly, becoming a good writer takes practice, a sort of daily training that will help your writing flow without hesitation. As with all forms of art, practice is everything. Music is the most striking example of this. A well-known pianist said that if you don’t play for just one day, only you will notice it, if you don't play for two days, the critics will notice it, but if you don't play three days, everyone will notice it. The same goes for writing.
If you want to be recognised as a true writer, you need to write every day. Practice does much more than help you improve your style, it takes on a far deeper role; it helps you get to know yourself.
Life is so complicated, so full of commitments, which makes it extremely difficult to stick to a commitment of practising your skill every single day. When life takes over, and gets in the way of your writing, you miss out on a big opportunity to make your skill razor-sharp. Many writers even end up making themselves ill for this very reason.
Bradbury was known for saying that letting just one day go by without writing made him feel ill at ease with the rest of the world; if two days went by, he would begin to tremor, and after three days, he would begin to show signs of madness. Writing can be a sort of life affirming tonic, which is a very good reason to keep up your daily practice.
Practice alone is not enough; your commitment to your writing must be driven by a great passion for it.
Passion is what makes a work of art last forever. Great artists like Shakespeare and Dickens dedicated their lives to art, and drew much joy from it. They are also a great example of where art meets life. Without their fiery passion, they would not have been able to create the masterpieces that they did. Passion is the spark that can transform an experience into a work of art, and turn it into a manifestation of the meaning of human existence.
The key components of passion and practice are what makes the difference between a great writer and a mediocre one. They are the catalysts that will help you create works of eternal beauty.
Bradbury tells us to “look for the little loves,” and to “find and shape the little bitternesses. Savour them in your mouth, try them on your typewriter.” All aspiring writers begin by imitating their heroes, but when imitation gets in the way of you expressing your own style, you must stop, because your love and admiration will become your prison, and the literary idols that inspired you will end up suffocating your unique voice.
Learn techniques from your literary heroes, then when you realise that you have found your own, precious voice, use your own words to express it. Bradbury tells us that his own career began when he discovered the power of word association. He began to find his voice in the very personal associations of words that related to his own experiences, in his memories, and in his fears.
