Need a summer hobby? Why writing is the thing to do!

Writing is a hobby that is both challenging and rewarding. It’s perfect for the student on a budget (let’s be real - that’s all of us!) who may not be able to go out a lot or who lives miles away from all of their friends. So, here are five reasons why you should give writing a try this summer!

1. Writing is free! The tools you need to write you already have at your disposal. A laptop, tablet, or phone with any sort of word processor or equivalent app is fine. I know someone who writes lengthy fiction purely on Apple Notes! Pretty notebooks and pens are nice if you want to write by hand but they are non-essentials.

2. Writing is limitless. There are so many formats: poetry, short stories, novels, essays, articles, scripts, etc. You can work on fiction or non-fiction projects and you can write about any genre, theme, or topic you desire.

3. Writing can serve as escapism or wish fulfilment. Want to change your gender, age, or race? Want to imagine how life would be like if you were dating your crush? Want to live out a fantasy life as a dragon-slayer? Maybe you just want to ignore your home life for a few hours? Go for it! The only limit is the extent of your own imagination.

4. Writing teaches you how to write effectively and persuasively. You will pick up on techniques, styles, and methods that enhance your ability to write well. This is something most people spend weeks agonising over in English lessons. You will likely Google things you’re unsure of, ‘e.g. is it affect or effect?’ or where to use an apostrophe and then retain this knowledge. It won’t feel like learning because it’s ‘for fun’ but in fact you are learning skills that will serve you well in your A Levels, Scottish Highers, and degree study.

5. Writing teaches you how to plan and research. There is this saying among writers that goes “write what you know”. This doesn’t mean you should only write what you already know. It means that if you want to include something in your writing that you don’t understand then read into it. This is a vital skill to have if you wish to get a first at university. It’ll feel like less of a chore if you learn how to do it now.


Oops, that was already five! But here is a bonus one:

Bonus. July is Camp NaNoWriMo!The perfect time to start a new writing project is when there are lots of people around to do it with you. You don’t need to share your work; you only share your progress! If anyone is interested in establishing a writing group this summer to support one another then we could start by making a TSR cabin on Camp NaNoWriMo. Or even just talking in this thread here.

I would loveeee to start writing but have zero experience whatsoever, apart from English language and literature GCSE. I wouldn’t even know where to start, it’s not like a sport where the more you do it the better you become, I feel like writing is one of those things that you can or can’t do

Actually, it's exactly like that! Everyone is capable of writing. No one starts out being able to write well. It's a skill that is honed through practice and if you don't do it for a while you can become 'rusty' at it - just like if you stop playing sports for a while.

The easiest place to start is simply from an idea you want to explore or play with. Almost everything I write starts from a single scene and then I develop it from there by asking myself questions and considering different outcomes. I go with the one that results in the biggest challenge for the characters to overcome and then work through resolving it.

Love writing, will hopefully get round to some poetry today but also have a play on the go at the moment.

Loving this

Love writing