Years ago, if you practised the skills needed for your job, you were ‘learning your craft’. Nowadays, it has a fancy new title, and most professionals are all too aware of ‘continued professional development’, or CPD!
The idea is that you continually build and improve your toolbox of skills you need to do your job. You’re continually on top of new ideas or codes of practice within your industry.
There’s no reason why you shouldn’t consider writing as your career. It might not be your primary, bread-winning career, but it’s a career nonetheless.
To get the most out of it, you really need to make sure you’re continually learning, always pitching yourself to the right places, and aware of anything that might have an impact, both positive and negative, on your work!
So how can you apply the principles of CPD to your writing?
1. Never Underestimate the Power of Books
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of titles about creative writing. Personally, I like those published by Writer’s Digest (a magazine I also recommend you subscribe to).
Why not invest in one or two, or borrow them from your local library? Select a particular title and treat it as a mini creative writing course. If the author sets exercises, then work through them.
You might want to try a ‘general’ text on creative writing to refresh your skills, or you might choose a book specifically about an area on which you feel you need to work.
The books are there to help you, so let them!
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2. Free Information from Blogs
If you’re not the bookish type (though why on earth would you be a writer if you weren’t?) then you can find thousands upon thousands of blogs about creative writing.
I have a whole backlog of posts on writing right here!
Read the posts that interest you, but don’t forget to comment – very often, the best information comes out through discussions in the comment threads.
Contributing your own experience can be a good way to hone what you know, but also learn something new! After all, CPD is all about sharing what you’re learning as well as how you might use it.
It might also be worth your while to follow the blog authors on Twitter. Ask them your questions! Authors are only too happy to help.
3. Find Conferences or Events
If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere that has a writer’s group, or a venue that hosts events or conferences for writers, then try to go along. Conferences have always been a good way to keep up with your CPD.
It could be a good way to network, but it could also put you in touch with professionals who can help you along your writing path.
Beyond that, the workshops you might attend could help you improve all sorts of areas of your writing, and are an invaluable source of dynamic information that may be easier for you to absorb if you’re not the type to learn through dry, ‘academic’ book learning.
If you’re in Newcastle, I’m part of the monthly Writers in the Evening meetup.
4. Network
A good way to start networking is to get involved in the wonderful world of blogs. But never underestimate the power of Facebook or Twitter.
I’ve met some absolutely fantastic writers through social media who have become firm friends of mine. I wouldn’t have had some of the opportunities that I’ve had without a social media presence.
CPD in the workplace often entails networking with colleagues to share knowledge and best practice, so why not do the same with other writers? We’re all in the same boat!
Some excellent Twitter hashtag conversations are #MyWANA, run by the very awesome Kristen Lamb, and #storycrafter. Just tag your CPD question with the right hashtag and get involved! #storycrafter even works as an hour-long hashtag conversation so you can join in a discussion with plenty of other writers.
5. Regularly Reflect
This is hugely important. A lot of books recommend this but it bears repeating – keep a writing journal and regularly reflect on your writing.
You can talk about how far you’ve come, what you feel you need to improve, stories you’ve been proud of, plot points you’re having difficulty with – anything you want.
By focusing on these areas, and actively reflecting on them, you force the brain to process the information and actually make sense of it. Don’t just shove it away at the back of your mind with all of that other useless nonsense you can’t help but store away.
Then, on those days when you feel like you’re wasting your time with writing, you can read your journal and see how far you’ve progressed!
It’s up to you whether you write in a physical notebook, or use something like Evernote. Either way, just keep track of your progress.
Over to you! How many of these things do you do without thinking about it?
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