Do any of you have tips for a writer-to-be (hopefully)?

Question

I want to be a writer but I need major advice from people with seniority/wisdom/experience/(a publishing contract...lol). Any advice would be welcome!

Answer 1

I think first and foremost a beginner needs to learn what exactly good writing is. Many new writers assume writing is only good when it's packed full of flowery descriptions and big words that most people would have to look up in a dictionary. Even well known authors such as Stephin King have admitted they were held back by such overkill efforts when they first started.

Though a heavy part of writing is in fact description, a writer should never forget that above all else they are telling a story. Every time you stop to describe something, you literally stop the story. This is why long descriptions can often detract from the quality of writing despite sounding beautiful. One way to get around this is to 1) Break down description into smaller parts that you can feed to the reader a little at a time throughout your writing instead of all at once, and 2) Put each of those descriptions into motion whenever possible.

No motion: Bob stepped out of the truck. He had a horrible looking toupee on his head and everyone knew it was fake.

Motion: As Bob stepped out of the truck he scratched the horrible looking toupee on his head, which fooled no one.

To a reader, Bob in the first example steps out of the truck and just stands there, static, doing nothing as you describe him. In the second, you're achieving the same description as Bob steps out of the truck an continues to move.

Another thing new writers often fail to do is captivate a reader with the first few sentences. Instead, they start off with scenery and set up before getting to the action.

It was a warm summer day and the flowers were in bloom in a small, country town of Iowa.....

Jack pulled the knife from the dead man's chest, realizing he had just incriminated himself for someone Else's murder...

I know which story I would start reading!

Above all else, read and write as often and as much as possible. And when you write, keep writing. Don't stop to check a thesaurus, spelling, punctuation and so forth. Keep going and come back to all of that later.

There is no great writing, only great rewriting. ~ Justice Brandeis

Answer 2

The best advice I can give you is to WRITE. I know this sounds obvious but the more you practice your craft, the better you will get. Keep a journal; write letters to your friends; write letters to the editor - just find the time to write. A good practice is to set aside a time each day, or at least make a commitment to yourself to write for a period of time each day. If you can find a place to write with minimal distractions, so much the better.

The second piece of advice I can give you is to read with a writer's eye. When you are reading, begin to notice the craft involved in the writing - the way characters are created; the way sentences are constructed; the way emotions and feelings are conveyed. Note how the writers you enjoy balance "showing" versus "telling." If you write fiction, practice that in your own writing.

It is often said to "write what you know." I would amend that to say write what you are passionate about. If you really believe in something, that passion will come out in your writing. I know - a really good writer can write about a brick wall and make it interesting. But who really wants to read about a brick wall. If you love what you are creating, others will too.

Lastly, I have found it really helpful to associate with other writers. It allows you to talk about writing and to share your creations with each other for feedback. It can be one other person or a group. It could even be someone on-line. If you are a beginning writer, look for other beginners - you can learn with and from each other.

Good luck. And keep writing!

Answer 3

You didn't say what type of writer you want to be: journalism, essayist, fiction, technical, screenplays, stageplays, teleplays. They're all different.

I'm going to presume you want to write fiction.

Essentially, you need to learn how to write a good story. Period. Gimmicks such as clever titles, the author's pseudonym, or strong first sentences aren't going to help you.

Learn how to tell a story by reading some of the tutorials on http://www.storyentertainment.com

Also, buy Story by Robert McKee. It's used as the textbook in storytelling courses at the top film schools.

BTW, creative writing courses in college teach you nothing about storytelling, unfortunately.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Start with taking college or university courses concerning creative writing