If they’re doing it right, writers never stop picking up tips, learning hard-earned lessons, and toasting the triumphs that sustain them during even the worst writer’s block funks.
“We are unfashioned creatures, but half made up…” ― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
There are a million little things that go into writing, and even more insights you gather along the (hard) way: some good, some sucky, and some downright painful. Now that I’ve entered my thirtieth year on this planet, I’d like to take a second to share the handiest tips I’ve collected as a reader, a writer, an editor, and everything else I’ve been able to call myself so far.
30. Writing is hard.
It makes you literally want to bang your head against the wall, throw stuff at innocent bystanders, scream until you’re blue in the face, or just curl up in a ball with a bottle of liquor and a tub of chocolate ice cream. But it’s also exhilarating, challenging and rewarding. So, despite all of the stress and mental turmoil that the story you just can’t get out of your head wreaks upon you, remember to have fun with it. Don’t forget why you’re writing the damn thing in the first place.
29. Document everything.
Take copious notes might be tedious, but it’ll help you stay organized. Outlines, character descriptions, ideas for the sequel, even backstory tidbits you never get to use: if you thought it, jot it down. It’s all relevant, and you’ll thank yourself for it when you’re in the midst of editing or rewriting and can’t remember that great idea or interesting anecdote your mind conjured up in the shower six months back.
28. Clichés exist for a reason, but that doesn’t mean you have to be one.
In fact, try and avoid them unless they serve a specific purpose in your narrative. If for some reason you can’t write your story without including one, make sure you work with a great editor who can help make sure that it doesn’t fall flat on the page.
27. You can’t rush a good story.
Remember that kid in The Princess Bride? In the movie, he keeps interrupting his grandpa, trying to get him to get to the good stuff―the swordplay―and skip the kissing parts. Most of us writers have our own “kissing parts” that make us want to skip ahead in our own stories, but remember that no mystery is just about whodunit. No fantasy novel is just about the adventure. No romance is just about the kissing. The list goes on, but the point is that a comprehensive narrative doesn’t gloss over details just because they aren’t the most interesting ones. If they move the plot forward, you’ve got to find a way to work them in without sounding like the economics teacher in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
26. Toughen up.
Nut up. Put your big girl panties on. Pull your balls out of your back pocket. Anyone else notice a theme here? Anyway, whatever you want to call it, do it. You can’t please everyone, and you’ll kill yourself trying. So when you get negative feedback, take it in stride. Accept the criticism with a grain of salt, and know that at the end of the day, one person’s crappy review does not reflect the entire reading population’s honest opinion.
25. You are not (insert your literary hero’s name here).
And if you never become him or her, that’s okay, too. In fact, it might be for the best.
24. Get out of your comfort zone every so often.
Even if your idea of adventurous writing seems tame compared to other people’s adventures, it’s important to put yourself out there from time to time. If you don’t, you run the risk of burning out or getting stuck in a creative rut, and both will affect the quality of your work no matter how talented you truly are. So, push the envelope, even if your experiment doesn’t make it into anyone else’s hands. Never written a sex scene? Dim the lights, pour a glass of wine, and pick a safe word. Is historical fiction uncharted territory for you? Crack open a history book and see what era speaks to you.
23. Let your characters grow with you.
If, like me, it’s taken you awhile to write your WIP(s), then you’re probably not in the same headspace as you were when you first started. So, who’s to say your fictional characters are? Don’t shy away from developing them further than you thought you would or even changing up their personalities before you’re ready to hand it all over to an editor for final polishing.
22. It’s okay to take a break.
Breaks are good (see #27). They help us clear our heads, avoid getting too frustrated to focus on the work, and ensure that our best lines don’t get overused because we’re too flustered to think of something better. Just don’t make it a permanent hiatus.
21. Editors are not all created equal.
Sadly, some editors will not treat your work with the same care and attention as others. But just because you get your manuscript back with tons of red ink, doesn’t mean you got the cruel one of the bunch. As long as every note and every revision is constructive, all that critique means is that you got a thorough editor. And that, my dear writer, is worth more than all the compliments in the world. Do your research before you submit, and remember to keep an open mind.
20. Stuck? Phone a friend.
They’re especially handy when it comes to identifying pesky plot holes you don’t catch on your own because you’re way too close to the story to see them. Sometimes, you need someone you can trust to be honest, but who isn’t mired down in the industry to give you an idea of how your narrative might be perceived by the public one day.
19. Embrace your unique writing style and voice…but know when to ditch it.
Every writer has a certain tone and style that they’re more comfortable with and excel in. That shouldn’t keep you from trying out something new (see #24) if the mood strikes. The best part is, you can always revert back to your happy place whenever you want.
18. Show more than you tell.
Don’t get caught up in explaining every little thing that’s going on in your story. Illustrate it for your readers; paint a picture with your words rather than laying it all out like an agenda. When you show more than you tell, you create an immersive experience that will have your audience clamoring for more.
17. Stay active.
Take a page out of George Orwell’s book (see what I did there?) and avoid the passive voice when you can use the active one instead. In doing so, you’ll keep your readers in the story, front and center.
16. Everything in moderation.
There’s nothing wrong with using a few fancy words here and there. There’s also nothing wrong with keeping it simple for the sake of your story (and your readers, who might not want to have to keep a dictionary on deck just to get through Chapter 7). Learn where that line is and make like a tightrope walker.
15. Eliminate distractions―unless they help you focus.
I was never that student who could study or write a paper in the library. Writing fiction works in the exact same way for me. I need something in the background to help me focus: music, a TV show I’ve watched before, a movie I’ve seen a billion times already, the white noise of a coffee shop or bar, etc. Otherwise, I develop bat ears and suddenly every drop of a pin is more distracting than a construction crew. Not everyone can write this way, though. If total silence works for you, find yourself a quiet corner and write away. If not, crank up the tunes or find something you can watch but not watch while you weave your words.
14. Beware the time warp.
One of the things I find myself correcting most often for other writers is a wandering sense of time. No, I don’t mean a literal time warp; I’m referring to the tense used in a narrative. Some of us have this tendency to accidentally fall out of one tense and into another; past to present or vice versa seems to be the most popular snafu. So, while you self-edit, make sure you aren’t skipping from one tense to the next unless it makes sense: from the present to a flashback, past tense to a dream sequence, etc.
13. Kill your darlings―kill ’em dead.
You brought them into this world, but sometimes you have to take them out for the greater good of your story. Once you pull that trigger (or cut them from your current WIP and save them for something new later), you’ll find your plot becomes cleaner, your characters are more focused, and your readers will be more invested.
12. Who’s telling the story?
Don’t lose sight of your narrator’s point of view. For instance, if you’re focusing on a first person perspective, you’re bound by what that character knows at a given point in the story. You can’t suddenly make him or her more knowledgeable about something without an explanation, or else you’ll deviate from both the point of view and your character’s backstory and natural development. The same can be said for a third person limited point of view. Just because you’re not stuck speaking in terms of “I” doesn’t mean there aren’t limits to what a character can and can’t know.
11. Hit the books.
Do your research, no matter what genre you’re writing for. Your audience will notice if you don’t effectively set the scene for your story, which means having a deeper understanding of the world you’re going to create or mimic.
10. Set deadlines.
But, if you don’t meet them, try not to beat yourself up too badly. Unless a publisher, a client, or your boss set the deadline in question, consider it fluid. Writing is a marathon, not a sprint, and deadlines can help you set a reasonable pace. If, however, all they end up doing is stressing you out and making your writing suffer, then it’s time to rethink your strategy.
9. The thesaurus is your friend.
Per #16, it’s totally acceptable to expand your WIP’s vocabulary to spice things up. And if you follow Chicago Manual of Style guidelines (like most of us who are involved in the publishing industry already), then you are also familiar with Merriam-Webster‘s wealth of information. Use it for definitions or to track down some new words to replace the old, tired ones.
8. Avoid he said/she said.
Dialogue tags aren’t required. Try identifying speakers with actions and physical tells: a toss of the head, a quirk of the brow. Maybe someone is cleaning a room while he speaks and pauses to scrub at a particularly stubborn smudge. Or, frame the conversation so that, every so often, you don’t need to support someone’s speech with anything at all. Short stretches of rapid conversation are totally acceptable, and in some cases, more fitting. Consider the way the actors on Buffy the Vampire Slayer portray this brief chat between Spike and Buffy (episode 5 of season 5, if anyone cares to know):
“What are you doing here?”
“Look―”
“Five words or less.”
“Out. For. A. Walk…bitch.”
While watching the scene would mean you don’t need any written indications of what either character is doing during this exchange, it wouldn’t be that hard to make a clear distinction of who is meant to say what without a single dialogue tag:
“What are you doing here?”
“Look―”
“Five words or less.”
Spike scowled and counted out each of his words on his fingers so Buffy couldn’t find yet another reason to punch him in the nose. “Out. For. A. Walk.” He paused, realized he was one word short of his limit, and smirked as he extended his thumb and little finger. “Bitch.”
Not my best work, but I think you get the point.
7. Your first draft is almost always awful.
Like nonsensical-inside-out-acid-dream bad. But there’s good news. Between self-editing, phoning in friends, and consulting an outline for plot revisions, there are countless ways to work with what you’ve got and build it better the second (or third, or fourth, or…) time around.
6. “…the road to hell is paved with adverbs…” ― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
On a related note, Mark Twain is credited with saying, “Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very;’ your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.” Whichever quote you prefer, the message is the same. Not every verb needs to be described or embellished. Some speak for themselves just fine, and make more of an impact when they stand alone.
5. Don’t be picky about what you read.
Whether you’re looking for inspiration or an escape, reading is good for the brain and the soul. Sometimes you just need a break from your own words (see #22), and reading something you didn’t write is a great way to recharge your brain.
4. Know your audience.
Context is everything, and it all depends on your audience. When you know who you’re writing for, you can frame everything based on how it will be received. You wouldn’t use slang in a term paper, just like you wouldn’t use nothing but proper English if you were writing a fictional young adult novel.
3. Give method writing a try.
Just like method acting, method writing is an immersive process. Dialogue and action sequences are particularly great avenues for this technique. If you’re stuck on a conversation your characters need to have, grab a friend (or develop multiple personalities and do this by yourself) and work it out aloud. If you can’t quite block out an action sequence in your head, stand up and block it out in real time. Your finished manuscript will benefit from the extra authenticity, and you get a break from staring at the screen.
2. Set aside daily writing time.
You may not always get around to it—real life often comes knocking, and it’s one intrusive bitch—but make the effort to pencil in daily writing time anyway. Some writers fire on all cylinders in the morning, some at night; whichever camp you fall in, try and escape into your words for an hour or two each day.
1. There are no rules.
Well, except when it comes to grammar and syntax in exposition, or whatever rules you put in place when you’re building your story’s world, or if you write nonfiction, or…
Okay, so there are some rules. You get the idea.
K. Watkins 