10 Tips for Becoming a Better Writer

1)  Do not follow trends when deciding what to write about. Write about what flows through your spirit, something that moves you, something that you are passionate about, and most importantly, something you would want to read.

2)  When you begin your outline/first draft, don’t worry about getting it right as much as getting it written. Allow the words to just come forth and don’t stifle them with concerns about whether you should use a comma or semicolon.

3)  Don’t make excuses about not having time to write. If you don’t have time to write, then nobody has time to read what you are trying to put out there. Just write when you can.

4)  Don’t just hire an editor, work with and learn from your editor. Make note of the constant mistakes they are correcting, and if you don’t know why they are changing certain things, ask.

5)  Discipline yourself to write every day; even if it’s just a paragraph or a page. Keep your story and your characters in your spirit. If you take a break from them, you’ll have to get to know them and their story all over again. You’ll be so busy running back to the drawing board in order to reacquaint yourself, that your story may lose its momentum. Try to write every day, but no one says you have to write all day.

6)  As you write, keep notes in a notebook about your story. Each character should have their own page describing them and listing certain things about them. Keeping notes will also help you to maintain a timeline . . . over what period of time the story is taking place. More importantly, keeping notes prevents contradictions throughout the story when you have something you can go back and reference.

7) Take a break from writing when you are at a high-point in your story, that way you’ll be just as eager to get back to writing as your reader will be to read it. That excitement to write will show in your work.

8) Go beyond showing and not simply telling by adding the five senses into a story. What do the characters see? What emotions are triggered when they see certain things? How does something feel when they touch it? How does something smell (a person, old room, attic, kitchen, etc.)? What does something taste like? If the character could taste a smell, allow the reader to imagine what the smell would taste like. What sounds do the characters hear and what do those sounds evoke? Readers definitely want to hear the characters speak with rich dialogue. What is the character’s tone when talking? And remember, sometimes characters may say one thing while thinking another, so allow the readers to be privy to that as well. You can even go beyond the five senses and allow your characters to use body language and facial expressions. Talk about bringing your characters to life!

9)  Don’t try to be Dr. Frasier Crane from the sitcom, Frasier, when writing. Nobody wants to stop reading to have to go pick up a dictionary to figure out what the heck you are talking about. And nobody wants to feel stupid trying to read your work. Use everyday words and conversations. Use real words that the real people who are in your audience will use and understand.

10) As a rule of thumb, authors tend to write what they know. Have some fun and write something you don’t know by engaging in some research that might include a vacation.

Whether you are writing a book or have written a book, it’s never too early or too late to learn the business of writing and publishing, as this is an ever-changing industry. So join over 200 hundred authors September 20-22 in Las Vegas, Nevada for the “Act Like an Author, Think Like a Business” 2018 Conference. Register now: https://www.pathtopublishing.com/conference

For writing and publishing tips delivered straight to your in-box, be sure to sign up for the Path To Publishing free newsletter: https://eepurl.com/csO7xb