How are you writing today? Interactive writing tips!

What are the best writing tips you have picked up along your journey? Have you been generous enough to share them? Pay it forward!

Please treat this as an interactive list of tips, a lot more can be added to it! Take the time to add to it in the comments box on my blog. Aspiring writers will thank you for it; and so will I!!

Here are some that I have picked up along the way from various places:

Writing Tips

• Never make the mistake of treating your audience like idiots. They are quite capable of reading descriptive narrative in short and eloquent bursts.

• Don't put off writing because you feel your plot is not outlined in gleaming detail. As Elizabeth Day says:  the key for me was to find the characters’ voices, then allow the plot to fall into place.

• Write interesting characters. Give some irrelevant information about him or her to make them more interesting. It adds to character motivation. 

• Allow your character to become introspective to give the reader some dry facts, then resume the story. It gives a realistic passage of time and feeds the plot.

• If your novel has been go, go, go from page one, give the reader and your characters time to breathe before the next big scene. Let them talk about each other or to each other before building to the climax.

•  Know the difference: Its, it's, who's, whose, were, we're, your, you're, there, their, they're, to, too, two, peeked, peaked and piqued.

• Be fastidious with your grammar.

• When writing horror and scary scenes, describe the physical aspects of fear: dry mouth, sweaty palms, pounding heart.

•  Dialogue. To portray a character as intelligent: short speech, asks questions, no swearwords, s/he doesn't repeat self.

•  Populate the story with a strong supporting cast.

• Give Your Novel A Gut-Wrenching Black Moment.

• Resist the urge to explain.

• Write as if no one will ever read it, and then edit as if everyone will read it.

• Avoid cliches. Be more original than 'splitting headache' or 'pushing the envelope'  

• Let the reader know up front what is at stake. What's the conflict, what stands to be lost. 

• Demonstrate, don’t over narrate, unless it is relevant to your novel. (I personally like this better than the usual trite 'show, don't tell') but also see point 1 on this list- your audience is not stupid.

• Use humour when you can.

• Daydream about your book, it will be a great way to add to it when you sit down to write. 

• Turn the spell check off and the auto-correct. You are a writer.

• Use the word 'said' sparingly. Write your own list of 'said' words down on a list and have it handy when writing.

• Write everyday if you can.

• Write what you know?! We've all heard that one, a little difficult to 'know' outer-space or dragons if you are a sci-fi or fantasy writer! Write what you love is a better way to go. Be enthusiastic, let your readers fall in love the same way you did. 

• Don't write for others. You can not please everyone all of the time, write your story. Writing for readers will stifle your creative potential.

• When the urge takes you - write impulsively, some great things can come of it. 

• Know the difference between harmful criticism and constructive critique. Dump a beta reader who is insulting and personally critical.

• Read Every word aloud when editing! I love this tip. It forces you to really hear the story you are trying to tell and sorts out any problems quickly. Cut any problem areas and then repeat process.

• Use a professional editor, even if you are self publishing. They know the business better than anyone and will be able to sort out your strengths and weaknesses fast. But choose carefully, check their experience and personality to ensure a good match with yourself.

• As a new friend said to me recently 'pay it forward' - help new authors network, recommend new people and sites that may be helpful to them. If you are an established author, take someone under your wing! They will thank you for it.  

• Don't be a selfish hoarder! Publish your best writing tips! There are lots of aspiring authors who will thank you! 

I will leave you with a tip from Stephen King:

“I’ve written because it fulfilled me. Maybe it paid off the mortgage on the house and got the kids through college, but those things were on the side–I did it for the buzz. I did it for the pure joy of the thing. And if you can do it for joy, you can do it forever.”

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