Lots of authors will give a list of âdos and donâtsâ, but Iâve always found the tips to be more helpful than the rules. These are just a few things Iâve picked up in the 17 years Iâve been writing that may help new and old writers alike:Â
1. When you finish up your writing for the day, leave yourself on a sentence that you can easily continue.Â
After finishing a scene or a paragraph, try writing the first sentence of the next one so that when you pick up your writing again, itâs much easier to get back into your flow.Â
2. The structure of your sentences can do wonders for your pacing.Â
For example, youâre character has just gotten fatally stabbed. Their world is slowing. So are their thoughts. Shock hits. They think of their loved ones. See the villain who took that away from them. All they can do is stare at the blood tricking through their fingers as their life slips by, bit by bit. Breaking up sentences and experimenting with the pacing like this hones in on the character and their experience, and helps the reader to understand them a little more.Â
On the other side of things, longer sentences can also create suspense. A writer can build up the tension by leaving the shocking piece of information until the end of the sentence. Let the reader hang on to every word, dangle it temptingly, swinging it just out of reach until, much like the ending of a song, they reach the crescendo and can bask in that shocking moment. When using long sentences, make sure that the sentences arenât too complex or you risk losing the readers attention.Â
There are so many different ways you can evoke emotion and build different levels of tension simply using the right structure and pacing. Find what works best for your writing and your writing style.Â
3. Listen to the way your writing sounds.Â
Read your writing aloud and listen to how each sentence flows into the next. Youâd be surprised how different it can sound in your head and out loud. This is where the pacing from the last tip also comes into play a little more as you can hear how each sentence flows into the next and what works for your piece.Â
4. Let your writing be rough.Â
Donât worry about anything you might miss out when drafting. I tend to do a second draft which I do before an edit. In the second draft, I add the emotion of the scene and the smaller details. Iâve found that this helps keep my writing flowing since Iâm not worrying about anything other than getting the story written.
5. A great writing exercise to do is to take a book that you enjoy reading, pick a scene, read through it, and rewrite it in your own style.Â
Maybe in your version the background character plays more of a part, or perhaps some of the scenery looks a little different? Perhaps the heroes become the villains and the villains become the heroes? Change as much or as little as you like. Itâs all up to you, but do it your way.Â
6. Develop the world youâre writing about.Â
Your characters belong to a world. But itâs not just your characters that tell the story. The world around them plays a big part too. It was there before them and will be there after them, and can contribute a lot to your story. Take time to think about the cultures and traditions your fictional world holds. What does the layout of the land look like? What kind of history does it have? Is there anyone from that history that your characters look up to? What beliefs do people have? What kind of people live there? Iâve asked myself these questions a lot when writing, and often found little bits of information I can add to my stories. Itâs a great way to get to know not only your characters, but the world that shaped them and made them who they are.Â
It is important that your readers understand the story youâre trying to tell. I have been guilty in the past of trying to use clever words, thinking that this made my writing better, but in the end, the whole point of telling a story is just that: telling a story. Iâve read so many books before that were imaginative and brilliant in their own ways, but more than once I was reaching for the dictionary and it halted my experience of the book because the writer choose to be clever, not clear. By all means, keep to the terminology of the genre youâre writing in (Science Fiction and Fantasy are both good examples of genres that use different terms to add to the overall atmosphere), but nobody expects an author to write like an academic⌠unless, of course, theyâre writing an academic book.Â
8. Give yourself time to develop your voice.Â
All writers have a voice, including you, and it is the most important tool we have. Some choose to write sprawling sentences full of world-building wonder, and some write short and sharp. Take some time to develop your voice and find out what works best for you.Â
9. Comparing yourself to other writers can be a good idea and a bad one.
Take inspiration from other writers and experiment with techniques they use, but try not to go much further than that. Every writer at some point compares themselves with another writer and has that sinking thought: âthis is an incredible piece of writing and everything I write it worthlessâ. Remember that your writing is yours, nobody else writes like you, and that is a wonderful thing.
10. Contrary to popular belief, you donât have to write every day.Â
I have spent a lot of time trying to write every day, and sometimes itâs just not possible. In then end, all I do is burn myself out. Write when you have time and when you want to write. Creativity can be coaxed, but it canât be forced.Â
These are just a few tips that Iâve picked up and developed over the years, so feel free to use some of them (or all of them) if you feel they may help you.Â
Happy writing, one and all!
