How To Improve your Writing while Cramming for a Test

I've spent the last two weeks lying on my bed; trying to decide whether I should study, or whether I should write something.

This is a constant problem for aspiring writers who are still in school. While you may be devoted to your art, there are always other responsibilities that bombard you. Homework, babysitting, your after-school job... There just aren't enough hours in a day!

To illustrate...

Last week, my Lit teacher made us all enter a writing contest. Okay, cool. I'll just scribble something down, send it in, and not really expect anything. Easy peasy. But then APPARENTLY, our teacher wanted to look at what we were submitting, and then grade it. Which basically meant that the piece had to be good. We had three class periods to work on it. Most people would think that this is enough time! Three hours and forty-five minutes? Pssh, you're probably thinking you could get your piece written in half that time!

Well...I thought that, too. AND I WAS WRONG! I spent about forty five minutes reading the rules and other entries, to get an idea what I should write about. Then I needed an idea, and needed to preplan. The next class, I had a first draft. No way in heck you're going to hand in a FIRST DRAFT! So I needed AT LEAST two other people to edit it for me. Which just takes up time, because they're trying to write their story, while editing yours and other people's, and when they finally give you your draft back, they ask you to edit theirs, so you can't type up a second draft, and spend half an hour editing their story. But just when you hand it back to them, MORE people ask you if you will edit their drafts, and what are you going to say? So you edit, manage to get out a weak second draft, ask someone to edit it for you, until you realise that that person isn't really good at editing, so you need to print off another copy, and hand it to someone else (who asks you to edit their draft in turn). So this went on for the next two classes, and in the end, I only had three drafts, not including the final copy.

I think I might have improved as a writer, since there was a lot of pressure to write under. But the point of that story up there (besides venting) was to point out that there is NOT ENOUGH TIME D: D: D:

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No mater how many sad faces I put, TIME NO SLOW DOWN D:

Well, I figured out a way to get all the things you need to get done done, while improving at the craft the same time! ^_^

I don't know how to Hyperlink (don't judge >.>), so here's a link to this awesome website: http://www.ladieswhocritique.com/

OH WAIT! NEVER MIND! I found the linky button on the menu thingy ^o^ Ladies Who Critique TA-DA!! My very first hyperlink. This moment should be remembered. Forever. In books...magazines... Yeah, yeah, I know you get the point already, but seriously! This is a MAJOR acomplishment for me! :o

Do not be discouraged by the title if you are male. Even though the title says Ladies who Critique, there are also some guy members...

To be honest, I actually have no idea why the title is somewhat exclusive. I mean, EVERYBODY who's a writer, deserves to have their piece critiqued if they want it to be critiqued, in my opinion. Regardless of their gender. Or maybe the creator of the website just thought, "Ugh! Peoplewhocritique.com sounds too lame! Umm...IMMA go with Ladies Who Critique instead :)" Well, whatevs.

Anywho, if you are a writer who wants to improve, what better way than to get feedback on your writing? :D And not just the type of feedback that goes something like, "oooh! It's so good! You spelled 'hello' wrong, though. Other than that, amazing!" You may feel good about this, and I love those types of comments! But if you're serious about your craft, you need to be open to ways you can become epic. On LWC, you basically write in forums and stuff, and then you find a partner whom of which you are able to trade manuscripts with :)

For the record, you need to be sixteen in order to join, but I never really listen to those kinds of guidelines :P I think the only reason the creator wants you to be sixteen is so the website doesn't become overrun with little kids. Hey, I'm not saying little kids can't write. In fact, they are very much capable of writing. But if there are too many kids running around (virtually, of course), the website will lose it's professionalism, and reliability, I think. (by the way, if you are under sixteen, I'm not saying you are a little kid. I mean eight year olds and nine year olds... no offense if you're eight or nine...)

I joined the site simply because I am serious about publication. Plus, I think I can write. I can't write well, but I think I'm good enough...Maybe. Ish. :P

When I first joined LWC, I thought everyone was going to be...well, adulty. You know, talk about what other adults talk about. Be super formal about everything. But about the second day of my snooping around the site, some of the people there started using emoticons! And I was like WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT? Hooooooooow? O_O And they started making jokes, too!

>.< I kind of feel really immature right now. For thinking that adults have their own secret code, and everything. >.<

SO YESH! I STRONGLY RECOMMEND GOING TO THAT WEBSITE IF YOU ARE SERIOUS ABOUT PUBLICATION XD I also tweeted about it. And Facebooked about it. And left a comment about it. Because it really is an amazing site :) Plus, there is another reason. But I shall not reveal it... *evilly snickers*

So that's how I would recommend improving at writing. Instead of buying yet ANOTHER book on how to write better, send out your piece and get someone to critique it for you :) Tell you what you're doing good, tell you what you can improve on, and other epic amazingness :D

As for how to cram for a test?

Well, I had a Science test on Monday, but I didn't really cram for that. I crammed last year, though (for a history test), and it worked!! XD Just make sure you start cramming AT LEAST four hours before the test the next day, and also make sure it's not a UNIT test. otherwise, your brain would just shut down X_x If you're gonna cram for a unit test, I suggest the LATEST you start studying is two nights before the test. I normally study about four to five days before the test, and I do pretty good. Though that might just be because I review my notes every night. Reviewing every night really cuts down on the amount of time you need to cram for a test, so I would recommend doing that, too :)

I repeat a lot of words in that paragraph... <.<

LES QUESTIONS POUR LES READERS XD

Oh, gosh. My French is terrible X_x Well. Anyway-

• Do you wish there were more hours in a day?
• Do you have any other ideas how one can improve at writing?
• Might you possibly check out LWC? :D
• Have you ever crammed before? >.>
• When do you start studying?

XD

Other comments and/or questions very much appreciated! ^_^ THANK YOU!!!! X) X) X)