This year, I've been a part of many online classes, not only as a mentor but also as a student too. Yeah, I feel urged to expand my skills through following those classes. 

One of the online classes I took months ago is a writing class from Tempo Institute. I followed three classes and registered when Tempo gave me a discount due to celebrating Indonesia Independence Day. My classes there are writing for amateur, how to write a book, and how to make traveling writing. Two of them have just finished. And I got A score like the photos I shared below:

I do like quote from Steve Jobs. He said "stay hungry". So when my friend asked me why I followed online writing class from Tempo Institute because I am a writer who has published many books, I answer surely, "Why not?" I want to get other insights that can help me better in my profession as a professional writer. And I am so lucky because the mentors in Tempo Institute are those who have many experiences and have been a writer for more than decades.

I will share some points that I got about how to write effectively from Tempo Institute. It's not a summary lesson. I just write a little from my point of view.

How to write better and effectively?

1. Find an idea. There are so many ways to get idea. 

2. Find the point of view to make us focus. We can get it by asking questions. It helps us so much.

3. Do research or observation before starting writing. If It's possible, we can also do interviewing.

4. Then, It's time to make an outline

How to make a good outline? Here are the tips:

- Identify topic

- Make main points

- Arrange them

- Make subpoints 

- Recheck

5. Start writing

There is just one main idea in every paragraph, no more. To make it easy, we can put main idea in the first sentence.

6. When we're finished, don't forget to edit our writing to make sure we did it well. We can also ask our friend or professional editor to check our writing. We can also add photos to support our writing.

7. Lastly, publish our writing on many medias you want to, such as on personal blog, website, ebook, etc.

Especially for a book writer:

Writing a book is like a marathon, not a sprint. It's not just about having technical skills in writing but also high discipline and hard working. Haruki Murakami, a famous Japanese author, always wakes up so early in the morning. Then, he goes jogging 10kms before writing. JK Rowling, always refuses party invitation and chooses to finish her writing.

Following online class from Tempo Institute helps me a lot to finish my new project. I got many new insights and got stories from popular writers about their experiences. I hope I can finish my book about pandemic in Japan and publish it soon. Aamiin.