Countless books have been written about how to become a better writer. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, since books are written by writers. It’s only natural that writers would write books about writing.

But some ways of improving your writing can’t be taught. They can be learned, but not taught. That’s what this post is all about.

We’re going to look at 10 hobbies that will make you a better writer. The things you’ll learn from these interests can’t be taught, but they can be learned through practice. Some of them are no-brainers, but others might surprise you!

10 Hobbies That Will Make You A Better Writer

1. Traveling

There’s no better way to expand your horizons then to get out there and see the world. Going to new places, meeting new people, and trying new things opens your mind better than just about anything else can.

To be a good writer, you need to be able to put yourself in other’s shoes. You need to be able to see the world from many different perspectives – not just your own. Traveling gives you the opportunity to see how different people live and experience life in ways you can’t do from home.

Whether you’re just going to the other side of your state or traveling to the other side of the world, every trip will make you a better writer. You’ll find inspiration in the unlikeliest of places, learn things that you can’t learn otherwise, and you might even make some new friends along the way.

2. People Watching

This is, always has been, and likely always will be one of my favorite hobbies. There’s nothing better than plopping down in a populated area and watching people interact with each other. It’s fascinating. And it will definitely make you a better writer.

The more you observe and understand people, the better your writing will be. Watching people interact in different settings is a great way to make your characters more realistic. I especially like to people watch at places where emotions run high like the airport. Seeing how people react when they see a loved one for the first time in months or say goodbye to a loved one for months allows you to write with more realism.

3. Going To The Gym

Not only is the gym a great place to people watch, it’ll also improve your writing in other ways. Getting your blood pumping isn’t just good for your body – it’s good for your brain. Regular exercise keeps your mind sharp, allowing you to write longer and better.

The gym also teaches an important lesson about long-term goals. A single workout won’t do you much good. But if you go for a little while every day (or most days), over time you’ll watch your body change and your goals become a reality.

The same is true with writing. To be a successful writer, you need to sit down and write daily. How much you accomplish on any given day is not important. What is important is that you accomplish something every day. Over time, it adds up. Next thing you know, you’ve got five novels published and you’re working on your sixth.

4. Dating

This is a lot like people watching except that you’re one of the people you’re watching. Going out with different people is a great way to learn about how people act, react, and sometimes overreact. It’s also an opportunity to get to learn about different people and what makes them tick.

Obviously, if you’re married or in a long-term relationship, you probably shouldn’t be going around asking people out on dates. But if you’re single, especially if you’re a young adult, going out with different people will definitely improve your writing. And who knows? Maybe you’ll end up finding someone you really like.

5. Reading

This one goes without saying… but I’m going to say it anyway. One of the best ways to improve your writing is by doing a lot of reading. And by a lot of reading, I don’t just mean reading in your favorite genre. Reading in a bunch of different genres will broaden your perspectives a lot more than sticking to just one.

But just doing a lot of reading isn’t going to make you a better writer. Okay, it might help a little but it’s not the best way to improve. If you want to get better as a writer, start paying attention to things like story structure, character arcs, how chapters begin and end, points of view (POVs), and other elements of writing. Over time, you’ll start seeing common threads between all great stories. Learn them and then start implementing them in your own stories. For books all writers should read, check out this list: 10 Books All Writers Should Read. 

6. Doing Charity/Volunteer Work

Doing charity is one of the best ways to improve your writing. Why? Because you’re getting to witness humanity at some of its best and at some of its worst – at the exact same time. But don’t just hand out sandwiches to the homeless. Talk to them, ask them about their lives, see what makes them tick. You just might find that you have a lot more in common than you might think.

Sometimes when I’m in the city with time to spare and I’m feeling charitable, I’ll find a homeless man or woman (the unfortunate truth is that they’re mostly men, at least here in Boston) and invite him out to lunch. But there’s one catch: S/he has to tell me his/her life story. I always love hearing about how people got to be the way they are. Not only is it incredibly interesting, it’s good for my writing.

This one is a win/win. You get to help someone (or several someones) out while also hearing that fascinating tales. The more you learn about people, their situations, how they got there, and where they want to go from here is a great way to improve your writing and understanding of people in general.

7. Study Psychology & Medicine

When I was sixteen, I was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder that has been wreaking havoc on my body and brain for over two decades now. Not only was I in pain all the time, I also became extremely depressed an anxious. Now, I’m not suggesting you go out and get yourself a horrible, chronic illness. But I am suggesting you do what that illness pushed me to do – take an intense interest in medicine and psychology.

From studying these topics, I’ve learned a ton about what makes people tick (literally, like their heart and metaphorically, like their thoughts and desires). The better you understand these things, the better you can write characters that seem both realistic and larger than life – exactly the types of characters most readers love.

8. Join A Class or Self-Help Group

This is another great way to improve your writing. Getting together with like-minded individuals helps you to work on yourself while also learning about others. Now, this doesn’t necessarily be a writing-related class or group. It could be a spin class or a group for people trying to stop their compulsive paper-chewing habit. Whatever the class, it’s a great opportunity to improve your writing.

You’re sure to meet some characters in the class no matter what the subject is. Maybe you can use them as inspiration for a character you’ve been working on for an upcoming book. Or maybe you want to write about an heroin addict but have never actually (knowingly) met one. Finding a self-help group for recovering heroin addicts could be a great place to learn everything you need to know to write a convincing junkie.

Two quick tips, though: 1. Don’t call them junkies – they generally don’t like that, and 2. Make your intentions knows right off the bat. People in support groups are there to better themselves and might not take kindly to finding out you’re just there to take notes about their suffering. In my experience, most self-help groups are inviting to all as long as you’re honest from the beginning.

9. Turn Off, Tune Out, Unplug

If you’re like me, you have a mini panic attack just walking down the street and realizing that you left your cell phone back at home. We’ve all become so plugged in over the past decade that it’s hard to imagine life without our electronics. But a little break is exactly what many of us need.

I’m not saying you should chuck your $1000 Galaxy S10 in the Pacific and forget about technology altogether. But taking a little break from electronics can be good for us every once in a while. For my birthday this year, I headed down to Cape Cod, found a beautiful beach to sit on, set up my lawn chair, and broke out a brand-new book. After taking a couple of quick pictures for Facebook, I told my friends that my phone was going off for a few days, and I pushed the power button.

Those few days were just what I needed. Just unplugging for a little while here and there will work wonders for both your mind and your writing. It gives you a chance to go back to the way we were born to think – without having the answer to 99% of the worlds problems in our pockets. Try unplugging for as long as you can. Maybe only a few hours, maybe a few days. Use the time to reconnect with nature and yourself. You and your writing will be thankful that you did.

10. Do Something You’ve Never Done Before

This isn’t exactly a hobby, but a way of life. Most people have trouble doing new things. We tend to get comfort and anything unfamiliar brings us unwanted anxiety. So, what do we do? We rationalize our way out of doing anything we’ve never done before.

But new experiences are how we learn. What have you always wanted to do? It doesn’t have to be something crazy like traveling around the entire world in a ten-foot sailboat. It could be something as simple as traveling to the next state over, a state you’ve lived next to for forty years but have never visited.

I say: Do it. Make like Nike and Just Do It. You won’t regret it. You’ll learn from it and anytime your learn something new, your writing will improve. New experiences are how we grow as people and as writers. The more you push yourself out of your comfort zone, the faster your writing will improve.

Conclusion

When we think about improving our writing, we often think about reading books about writing and going to writing seminars. But the best way to improve as a writer is to get out there and do more. But don’t just mindlessly do things – pay attention. If you learn from your new hobbies and experiences, your writing will definitely get better. And if you’d like to learn about 5 secrets all accomplished writers know, you can read this: 5 Secrets All Successful Writers Know. 

These are just 10 hobbies that will make you a better writer. But I’m sure there are plenty more. What hobby of yours has made you a better writer? Horseback riding? Sailing? Model trains? Comic book collecting? What? I want to hear all about it. Please leave your answer in the comments section below. 

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