[Podcast #319] How to Grow Writing Skills as an Adult

Brave Writer Podcast

Have you ever wished you could grow as a writer—not just help your kids write, but find your own voice on the page?

In this Brave Writer podcast episode, we explore practical, gentle ways to build an adult writing life from scratch. We talk about:

  • tiny daily practices,
  • “write or do nothing” sessions,
  • using poems and memories as prompts,
  • and reading as the best antidote to writer’s block.

We also share favorite craft books, quirky revision tricks, and how community can transform your confidence.

Join us as we map out five concrete steps to start (or restart) your writing practice this year.

Show Notes

The turn of the year has a way of stirring up creative longings. Somewhere between decluttering closets and planning next semester’s homeschool, many of us quietly add another resolution to the list: write more. Not just recordkeeping or lesson planning, but genuine, soul-stirring writing of our own.

We’ve met so many parents who want that. They’re helping kids draft essays and stories, while their own ideas sit in the back of a closet like an unfinished quilt. The good news? You don’t need a cabin in the woods or a six-week retreat to grow as a writer. You need a few simple practices, done consistently, with kindness.

Reading as Fuel, Not a Distraction

The first place we turn, always, is reading. When we immerse ourselves in a genre—a memoir, a mystery, a lively essay collection—we’re not just being entertained. We’re tuning our ears to the rhythms of that kind of writing. It’s normal to sound a bit like the authors we’re reading, especially at the beginning. Their cadences become training wheels as we wobble into our own voice.

Rather than fearing “copying,” we can think of reading the way we approach recipes. We start with someone else’s version, learn what works, and gradually add our own seasonings. Over time, the dish tastes unmistakably like us.

A Tiny, Sacred Window

The second piece is time—but not as much as you might think. We love the idea of a 10-minute daily window. Choose a moment that’s reasonably protected—right after your morning tea, during a child’s quiet time, or in the car before you walk into a practice.

For those ten minutes, the only rule is: write or do nothing. You can stare at the wall or write, “I don’t know what to write, I’m stuck,” fifty times. You just can’t scroll or fold laundry. Strangely, the mind doesn’t tolerate “nothing” for long; eventually, words begin to spill.

Prompts from Ordinary Life

When the page feels extra blank, prompts help. A poem can offer a doorway: copy a phrase that tugs at you and write from it. A memory can, too—school lunches, cars you rode in as a child, the first house you lived in as a couple. Make a quick list, pick one, and jot everything you remember, focusing on concrete details: the smell of the cafeteria fish fillet, the sting of cold metal on your hands, the way someone’s cigarette dangled over a mixing bowl.

This is what some writers call “carnal writing”—language that lands in the body. You don’t need a plot. You just need presence.

Let Your Ears Be the Editor

When you’re ready to revisit what you’ve written, read it aloud. Not to judge yourself, but to listen. Where do you get bored? Where do you stumble? Those spots are invitations to trim, rearrange, or choose a punchier word.

We like to keep a “magpie notebook” of favorite phrases and word pairings we spot in other people’s writing. When our own sentences feel tired, flipping through that little hoard of language often nudges us toward fresher choices.

Write Together

Finally, remember that writing doesn’t have to be solitary. Pair up with a friend, join an online circle, or host a simple freewriting group with tea and a timer. Share what you’re comfortable sharing. Celebrate each small attempt.

Our kids deserve to see us as learners too—as people who pick up a pen, fumble, laugh, and keep going. In tending our own writing lives, we’re not only nurturing ourselves; we’re modeling the very bravery we hope to see in them.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA

Brave Writer Podcast

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