How Darth vader, Hungry Bears, The Terminator, Boys like Girls/Taylor Swift, and Monk can help us be better writers

Read like you’re a hungry bear right after waking up from hibernation

            All writers have read a book, at one point or another in life.   Reading is a great way to see different writing styles and learn how to write from a different perspective.  Like a hungry bear, to be a great reader you need to be willing and want to read all the books and writings you can.  Whether its newspapers, books, or magazines, reading helps a person to develop as a reader.  I would also recommend reading lots of classical novels, because the level of reading is a lot higher, and a person’s writing will reflect the level they are able to read at.  The more a person reads, and the higher the level of reading, the better the writing. 

“The Procrastinators”

            The Terminator with Arnold Schwarzenegger is a movie about a robot who comes back in time to protect John Connor.  We want our writing to be like Arnold, we want it to have muscle so it can kick butt; In order to do that we need to save ourselves from “The Procrastinators”.  “The Procrastinators” is the habit of waiting to do it till the last minute, thereby not getting as good of a grasp on the subject.  As a writer, you need to start the writing process as soon as possible.  That way, you can save yourself from the “The Procrastinators”.  By starting the writing process early, your paper at the end will have enough muscle that it will kick anyone’s butt from here to the moon. 

Defeat the Evil Darth Vader

            When you’re writing, don’t be so critical of your work.  In other words, don’t be so much a perfectionist that you let the dark side overtake you.  In writing, you want to have some free expression. Go on a rant or two, personally I always think that they make a paper better and they help the writing process go a lot better.  Don’t ever join the dark side, stay away from there.  Have confidence in yourself, and that what you are writing is the best thing ever written.  People are naturally more critical of themselves and their writing.  Be a noble Jedi, primarily Yoda.  Be filled with the good side and know that what you are doing is right.  By defeating the Darth Vader in your mind, it will allow your writing to be more expressive and overall better. 

Two is Better than One

            In writing, it is always good to get a second pair of eyes to look at your writing.  Maybe you didn’t see something in your writing.  Sometimes we write so much that the words start to run together after awhile.  By getting a fresh pair of eyes to look at it, you as the writer can get a lot of helpful tips about how to make it better.  Another set of eyes can also be very helpful in giving a writer good praise.  This helps to make the writing go better and the writer is more confident. 

Monk and Darth Vader one and the same

            Attack your writing after the writing process like a rapped ape.  If you have ever seen the show Monk on TNT, I want you to be as meticulous and paranoid as him.  This is the part where you as the writer are critical and let the dark side take you over.  Look at your finished paper and be Darth Vader and Monk.  Look for grammar mistakes, look for good flow, and look for a development of your stated theme.  You want your paper to be its best, so turn yourself over to the dark side, and rule the world of writing with an evil eye.  Like Monk, be paranoid and rewrite until your writing is perfect in your eyes.  By doing this, you are likely to turn something in, that is you are both proud of, and have worked really hard on.