Writing Tips - General On other pages of this site, you can read many of my best writing tips. But this page is for you! Your tip can be about a grammar or spelling rule, the writing process, or how to get published. Click below to see writing tips from other visitors to this page... Spelling, Spelling, Spelling!!!!!! What to do for Writers' Block. Agony first, ecstasy second As you and your contributors have noted, reading is essential; lots of reading and extra reading in fact cannot be emphasized enough. Avoid time warp Keep notes of details and timeline separate from what you will write or need to write in your novel. Google Images for the win! Your writing - your interests One problem I often face is that I get bored half - way through. Cliches and Sterotypes We always roll our eyes at these. interesting characters Think of how you would you be if you were the character you describe. Add a bit of everything When you're writing a book you must add a small bit of everything. Backwards! enjoy it! Written.
101 of the Best Fiction Writing Tips, Part I What if someone went through the biggest and best blogs on the internet, and pulled out the very best-of-the best tips for fiction writers? That’s what I’ve attempted to do here. I can’t guarantee there aren’t some amazingly helpful writing tips that I haven’t included, but this is a good start. I’ve also tried to steer clear of really obvious tips like “show, don’t tell” or “make your characters unforgettable,” in favour of ones that are less often discussed. To learn more about the tips, click through to their original articles. Thanks to all these amazing bloggers for their valuable advice! Now, head over to: Chapter length and starting new novel I think a lot of writers do conceive of a chapter as being a single scene, and certainly if you think of the basic nature of fiction as being character in action, then you could think of a scene as a unit of action: an event by the end of which things are different from how they were at the beginning. Of course, though, you have to link the scenes together, and those links can also be a chance to show the new state of affairs after that change, before you set about changing things yet again. For me, a chapter is a set of such scenes, and from more than one narrative, which belong together and add up to a bigger unit of the shape of the novel as a whole. Sometimes I'll work my way out of a scene and into the next one with continuous narrative, but other times I'll do the equivalent of 'Cut' at the end of a scene, with a double line space, or a *** to mark a really big jump in time or space. Emma It sound like a really crap book, doesn't it. But you get the idea.
34 Writing Tips That Will Make You a Better Writer James Chartrand – Web Content Writer Tips Nice collection of tips! Some I agree with, some I don’t, but I think what is important to remember is that each one of us has unique tips and tricks to offer for better writing.Two tips: Online content writing demands concise business writing. Forget the flowery prose; web content needs more succinct language. Drop the passive language. Writing Tips for Fiction Writers From Rubbish to Publish Crazy Familes=Character Conflict Guest post by mystery author Terry Ambrose Are these my real parents? Have you ever asked yourself that question? If not, then perhaps you’re a member of a perfect family where nothing ever goes wrong or everyone is always understanding. If you do live in that wonderful world of family dynamics where nothing ever gets misconstrued, misspoken, or feelings hurt, I say “how nice for you.” But, as a writer, I find those types of family dynamics downright boring. Conflict. Right now, my mother-in-law is visiting us to escape the heat in the desert, where she lives year-round. “Mom, I saved the last cup for you.” “Oh no, dear, you take it.” “You always have another cup. “I can drink instant. “But I don’t want another cup! And so it went until my mother-in-law took that last cup of coffee. In real life, these friction points tend to be overlooked. Ah, yes, the fictional world. When I’m reading or reviewing a book, I look for those types of character dynamics. Where do you find your inspiration?
How to Create a Character by Holly Lisle All Rights Reserved No matter what sort of fiction you’re writing, you’re going to have to populate your story with characters, and a lot of them, if not all of them, you’re going to have to create from scratch. Unfortunately — or maybe fortunately — there is no Betty Crocker Instant Character-In-A-Can that you can mix with water and pop into the oven for twenty minutes. Don’t start your character off with a name or a physical description. I know this doesn’t seem logical at first glance — after all, you name a baby before you get to know him very well. There are a couple of reasons. In the same way, maybe your heart has been broken twice by redheads, or the gorgeous surfer you dated briefly who stole your credit card, did drugs in the back seat of your car and got your twin sister pregnant before dumping you and vanishing from your life forever. Do start developing your character by giving him a problem, a dramatic need, a compulsion. What does the character want?
Five Major Turning Points on the Road to Finishing a Book Travelers in foreign territory often need good maps. But book writers rarely have them. We often don't know about the major stops--what I call "turning points"--in the book-writing journey. It's hard to tell when we've arrived, when we're ready to move on, when the writing is finally enough. These five turning points are often where we get stuck and frustrated. Moving to the next level requires skills and a new approach, and for a while we might flounder, thinking our project has gone south, when it's just a matter of re-orienting ourselves to a new task, a new stage of the journey. So if you feel like you're stalling out, you may just be approaching the threshold of another turning point. These five are "make or break" moments, in my experience. That's why I'm grateful to have completed so many books myself, and helped so many others write and finish theirs. When You Reach a Turning Point Reaching a turning point is kind of like coming of age. Not an easy task. Why even bother?
Real Writers Revise: Lecture Notes, Crime Bake, November 2012 | Blog - B.A. Shapiro on November 9, 2012 in On Teaching Writing Lecture at Crime Bake, November, 2012 B.A. Shapiro Can’t do it all at once: too many moving parts. - Use only what’s useful, omit the rest - Devise your own procedures Finish the first draft à put it away for at least 2 weeks. Read it as if you were reading a novel – without taking notes, then consider... ELEMENTS: A good piece of fiction contains four elements woven into a seamless whole: DO YOU HAVE THESE? - a riveting story (plot) - an engaging protagonist (character) - an enthralling narrative (voice) - a convincing portrayal of a human predicament (theme) EXERCISE: What’s your theme, i.e. what is it that your protagonist learns in the course of the story that you want the reader to learn or consider? 1. the inciting incident 2. the goal 3. the conflicts (a, b, c...) - external - internal - interpersonal 4. the crisis 5. the climax - the sacrifice: the price of the choice - the unconscious need filled from the back story 6. the resolution or: - major story goal
10 Tips to Improve Your Fiction Writing Skills | Guest Posts Posted by Guest on November 11, 2008 · This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of distance learning universities . She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com. Writing fiction, whether short or long, can be a very trying experience indeed. So many writers of fiction have different processes for achieving their writing goals that it’s hard to sift through what works and what doesn’t. Writing is a process that requires skill, determination, adaptability, and plenty of time. Start With a Seed Some great fiction books are simply a product of asking the question, “What if…?” Let the Story Tell Itself Think of yourself as a medium, or a vehicle, for a story that wants to be told. Use Realistic Characters and Dialogue This is accomplished through many different approaches. Write What You Know This is a well-known mantra for fiction writers, yet many fail to adhere to this simple principle of fiction writing. Close the Door Keep Pushing Forward