Hi Everyone! I'm working on a blog post about writing tips, and I want to add some comments from others. Please share with me what your #1 writing tip is for people who are looking to improve their talents. Thanks so much!
Find a place where there is no internet connection and where you cannot leave from that place easily to go find a place with internet connection.
I can so relate to this. But I do OK, writing stresses me and flipping over to the forum is a stress relief. The key is balance and I keep believing I will find it. So back to tips. It's very individual, what works for each person. So my key advice is look at all the advice including books and blogs on how to write and pick the ones that work for you. Don't be disappointed that they all don't fit your writing style. My personal style is to write the piece with all its faults, think on it (I also get critique help here), and do my best to verbalize the flaws. Then I bounce those flaws off my son who has turned out to be a wealth of directional advice. I take his insight, apply it and rewrite the section. I continue to edit over and over until I'm only editing a tiny fraction but in the meantime I move on to the next section/chapter. I just went back to reread some of the stuff that has gone through this process and my own work made me laugh, I loved it. I really am getting there. Yay! I should post in the Happy Thread.
Write every day. Writing crap is better than writing nothing. Write with purpose. If what you're writing has no point or has been done before, then why are you (and the eventual reader) wasting your time on it? Read crap and read classics. Analyze poor and good uses of words, plot, characters etc. Learning what not to do is nearly as important as learning what to do.
It's all about the hero's goal. They should always be working toward that thing they want so badly (and they must want it BADLY). Stasis is death.
My #1 writing tip When learning to write, whether it be short stories, novels or poetry, etc, recognize that it takes practice and time. Writing is a skill that can be learned and improved through practice and time.
I relate to this on a deep level. My advice, don't write a story unless the idea of not writing it causes you pain. Write a story you desperately want to tell.
My #1 rule: In writing there are -apart from grammar and spelling- no rules, only guidelines. Sure, there is very solid advice around but you'll find that there is some shape or form of contradiction between these writing rules. Like someone else said, its about balance.
This is not frivolous advice. Read. Read a lot. Read whatever you like to read. A lot. Read a lot. You'll develop an ear and eye for what works and what doesn't. It's the ONLY way you will. When you go to apply the mechanics of creative writing to your own work, the 'rules' and suggestions will make sense. You'll also develop an instinct for good grammar, spelling and how to spot errors. Wanting to be a writer without first being a reader, is like wanting to be a musician but never listening to music. Doesn't really work, most of the time.
I can't pick one so I'll give you the three things I always tell people who ask me for help writing-wise, and which one you think is best just use that: 1) Read everything you can get your hands on, good or bad - sometimes reading bad literature can be better than reading good. 2) Read not just the good, but the great - the classics, not classics as in Moll Flanders or Pride and Prejudice, but real classics like Homer and Virgil. If you can be bothered I'd also advise you to try and learn a second language, especally Latin as it'll open up new writers and ideas. In the case of Latin it'll open up to you writes who have remained with us for some very good reasons. 3) Most important of all actually: write. And work hard on your writing. Nobody is going to care about a piece that is clearly the result of passive, blasé effort. Nobody cares about kitsch. If you at least tried your best people will take you seriously, and then will be more disposed to help you. People respect hard work. That might sound obvious, but you'd be surprised. Edit: added tip, and apparently one I still need to follow myself, re-read what you have just wrote. You'll hopefully avoid a howler like I just had in the original version of this post. I had the sentence 'reading bad literature can be better than reading bad'. Glad I spotted it before I closed it! Wow.
Practice the art of writing as much as you can. After every project you successfully complete, you'll be surprised by how much you learn.
Read, trust me, i made this mistake with twinsanity, which is why ive left it for a while, im now flipping the coin and reading a lot, Rob Zombies new book - The Lords Of Salem, Steven Kings books, anything that has even a remote similarity to what you are trying to write, im even looking to get book versions of the Halloween series (if such things exist) try to find films, books, anything that is even remotely connected and read/watch oh and practise, Practise makes Perfect as they say
Go to a place with no internet connection? Why would you do that? The internet has a wealth of information on writing--I use it hand-in-hand everyday when I write. I mean, I completely understand your reasoning. But just have some self-control to stay off forums and Facebook for a few hours. It's worth it even just for online dictionaries and thesauri--for the speed and ease of use.
That's your advice? Go and look for advice! Totally agree with Wreybies - turn off the damned internet! Although I need it on for research... or at least that's my excuse
Agree with "read a lot" and "writing takes practice" - so I think I would add "Quit talking about it and start writing it."
Trust your gut. Shape your novel but don't force it too much in one direction - if it's not going the way you had planned, then perhaps you should review it and consider, rather than thinking the book isn't working - perhaps it's actually your PLAN that's wrong. Rather change the plan, but don't force your story into the mould if it's just not working. It all ends in pain and regret if you do.
I know I already responded, but another thing came to mind... Don't throw anything away, no matter how silly or crappy you think it may be. This is actually something I learned in my work as a translator. Just when you think something that will never serve a purpose in the future, here comes that purpose a'knockin'. My work requires meticulous attention to detail, and sitting down to recreate a form that you know you've done before, and failed to keep as a template, is a painful experience. ROI, right down the drain. You know you could have turned out the product in minutes instead of hours, had you only been a tad more thrifty.
