William Shakespeare needs no introduction. Widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language, Shakespeare puts his readers in a state of awe with his style, narration and use of language. Clearly, it wont be a bad idea to learn some writing lessons from the great man himself. Here are 7 lessons which we have extracted from his writings which can really help you.
- Be Brave: In his work As You Like It, Shakespeare writes, “He writes brave verses, speaks brave words, swears brave oaths, and breaks them bravely.” It is not a surprise given what Shakespeare wrote in his times. As a writer, you ought to have that boldness in you to put forward difficult – and often uncomfortable – ideas.
- Wit is everything: Whether you are writing romance or horror, whether comedy or tragedy, in every form of writing, you have to have the kind of wit that will seduce your reader. To put it rather rudely, without wit your writing is boring.
- Play with words: Don’t hesitate while playing with words. Especially in the first draft. Too many writers remain hesitant, worrying about the editing mistakes while penning down their ideas. It’s important you recognise that making mistakes is a part of creative process and should not be avoided. How else would someone invent new words, eh?
- Write. write, write: In Two Gentlemen of Verona, Shakespeare says, “Write till your ink be dry, and with your tears; Moist it again, and frame some feeling line; That may discover such integrity.” Remember, there is only one secret to writing and that is to write. You cannot become a better writer by not writing enough.
- Respect writing: Like most writers of his times, Shakespeare treated writing as a noble profession. Most of us still do. But do we treat it the same way when we get to the act? Do we give it enough thought, time and nurture that it deserves?
I wish to end this piece with a beautiful line from Much Ado About Nothing.
To be a well-favoured man is the gift of fortune; but to write and read comes by nature.
Let’s be grateful that we can and we do write. It’s a wonderful experience, isn’t it?
Kalampedia 