Easy Writing Tips For Beginners.
How many days have you spent staring at a blank page or word document, waiting for inspiration to hit you? Probably a lot.
But let me tell you a secret: inspiration doesn’t hit you out of nowhere. You don’t become an extraordinary writer overnight. You become one with practice.
However, that does not mean you have to wait for an eternity for finally writing something you like. There are things other than the practice that help you become a skillful writer.
For example: Preparation. I’ve seen beginners jump into writing a novel or an enormous project with no clue about how they should do it. They have unrealistic expectations and impractical methods. This results in them being unsatisfied with their work and quitting.
But you don’t need to worry. You’re here. I’ve compiled five easy writing tips to get you started and make you feel confident. So, keep scrolling and stop worrying.
Tip 1: Find your time.
- Soon you’ll find that you write better and faster at a certain time. That’s the time when you’re creativity get’s flowing.
- It might not make much sense right now. But it’s true.
- For me, it’s at night, when I’m sleepy but not that sleepy.
- So, all you need to do is keep experimenting with the time and place you write. Soon, you’ll find the perfect creative atmosphere for yourself.
- Trust me, the time you write makes a world of difference.
Tip 2: Show, don't tell: What the heck is it?
- If you’ve searched for writing tips, you probably have come across numerable advice to ‘show, don’t tell.’
- But you probably only have a vague idea about how to use it.
- Here are some pins/articles that made me understand the concept:
Tip 3: Take advantage of the internet.
- A great tip to constantly improve you’re writing is to research.
- And with resources like Google, Pinterest, and Youtube, it is easier than ever.
- When writing fighting scenes or injuries, research them and find tips for actual martial artists and doctors.
- Reading or watching videos about psychological phenomena, such as the Dunning-Kruger effect, placebo effect, or the Pavlov method, can inspire you.
- Use Myers Brigg to give your character motivation.
- Understand mental health, social issues, and cultures before you write about them.
- Most importantly, read a lot of novels and books. They help you criticize and improve your skills.
Tip 4: Build Tension. Have a clear goal.
- Here’s a harsh truth: If you don’t have a clear idea about your story, the reader will hate it. I’ve read many stories where it seems the author has just mixed up a variety of tropes, cliched characters, and scenes. Stories like these are one of my biggest pet peeves.
- A story should have tension. It should have something the reader wants to know.
- Keep the reader interested in the story with its plot and not its tropes.
- There should be a problem the main character cannot walk away from. You need a unique setting, distinct characters, and conflict.
- There should be what-ifs. The reader should be curious about how the story is about to end. And how the character deals with a problem.
- Always ask yourself, “What does the reader expect to happen?” and then do the opposite.
- If you use tropes and cliches, add your twist. Make them unique.
- For example, a common fantasy cliche is a ‘prophecy’ or a ‘chosen one. You could shake this up by making a prophecy about the villain.
- Another example is, instead of having a monarchy in you’re dystopian world, you could have a democracy or a republic.
- Most importantly, before you start writing your novel or story, ask yourself, “If my book got published, what would be its blurb?” and “Would I pick up a book with this written on the blurb? Would this blurb stand out?”
Tip 5: Write. Rewrite. Edit.
- Essay and novel writers always write a first and second draft, then edit them. Some even have more than two drafts.
- Remember, the first draft is written only for you to know the story and the characters. Don’t be scared of judgment.
- Then rewrite it in the second draft. This time, keep the reader in mind. Ask you’re friends and fellow readers for opinions. Correct your mistake. Unlike the first draft, this time, aim for perfection.
- Caution: Remember the difference between editing and rewriting. Start the second draft on a completely blank page. Use what you like and remember from the first draft to create something new and better.
- Finally, edit it. Make corrections, and improve grammar. Discard the unnecessary scenes and descriptions.
- During the second draft and editing, kill your darlings. Even if you love something you wrote, don’t add it if it is unnecessary.
Bonus Tip
Use Pinterest. Ever since I started my writing journey two years ago, I’ve accumulated a Pinterest board consisting of 1260 pins. The board is full of writing tips and divided into fourteen sections:-
- TIPS – advice from authors and readers, mistakes to avoid.
- World-building.
- Characters.
- Names.
- Visual Inspiration.
- How-tos?
- Plot.
- Dialogues and prompts.
- Vocabulary and wording.
- Fighting scenes.
- Knowledge and research.
- Words and expressions.
- Magic system and powers.
- Fictional animals.
It’s a great idea to use Pinterest and create a book guide of you’re own.
Or you can subscribe to my blog and follow my Pinterest to get notified when I share my board.
