What are some good tips for aspiring writers?

Answer 1

Start by deciding who your main characters are. Learn as much about them as you can (there are tons of character worksheets out there, if you google for them). Give them names and backgrounds. Make them well-rounded.

Then I would work on an outline of your story. I don't tend to have very detailed outlines when I begin (I have a one or two page plot synopsis, though), but for many writers they benefit immensely from doing a thorough outline first. It really depends on how your brain works, but give it a shot and see if it helps!

I would recommend reading as many books as possible in genres that you like to write, plus books about the craft of writing. When you are reading fiction books, pay attention to how the authors structure their work.

Here are some of my favorites about writing (your local library should have most of them):
1) "Writing Down The Bones" by Natalie Goldberg
2) "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott
3) "On Writing Well" by William Zinsser
4) "How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy" by Orson Scott Card
5) "On Writing" by Stephen King
6) "No Plot? No Problem!" by Chris Baty
7) "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves" by Lynne Truss
8) "The Elements of Style" by Strunk and White

Also, take a look at a few websites where authors gather. Some of them have very helpful articles and forums. Holly Lisle has a fantastic website that has articles on both the business and writing aspects of the life, and I would highly recommend her section on world building:
http://hollylisle.com/fm/

Forward Motion is a wonderful, helpful community:
http://www.fmwriters.com/

Absolute Write is one of my favorite author communities, with a vast pool of resources and helpful people:
http://www.absolutewrite.com

Write every single day. Set a target for yourself. For instance, my goal right now is to write 1,000 words a day. I get this done before I go on the internet, read, watch TV, or goof around. To begin, maybe set an easier goal for yourself-- try 250 words each day. Write in a journal as well, if you feel so inclined!

When you get ideas, find a way to record them as well. I have a spiral notebook that I keep just for that purpose. This way, when I want to begin a new project I can read through my notes and find just the right idea!

Also, never forget how important it is to edit and rewrite! When you finish a short story or novel, I suggest setting it aside for a month. Don't look at it or think about it (if you can help it). Work on another project. Once that time has passed, go back and read what you wrote. Try to be objective-- are there parts that need to be expanded? Cut out? Rewritten? How is the grammar and spelling? Editing could (and should) take more time than the original draft!

Don't worry about publishing just yet, but when you do make sure to get your hands on a copy of the book "Writer's Market" for valuable resources.

Answer 2

From Jerry Pournelle:

The question I get most often, both in mail and when I speak, is, "How do I get your job?" Usually it's done a bit more politely, but sometimes it's asked just that way. It's generally phrased differently by computer audiences than by science fiction audiences, but both really want to know the same thing: how do you become an author?

I always give the same answer: it's easy to be an author, whether of fiction or nonfiction, and it's a pleasant profession. Fiction authors go about making speeches and signing books. Computer authors go to computer shows and then come home to open boxes of new equipment and software, and play with the new stuff until they tire of it. It's nice work if you can get it.

The problem is that no one pays you to be an author.

To be an author, you must first be a writer; and while it's easy to be an author, being a writer is hard work. Surprisingly, it may be only hard work; that is, while some people certainly have more talent for writing than others, everyone has some. The good news is that nearly anyone who wants to badly enough can make some kind of living at writing. The bad news is that wanting to badly enough means being willing to devote the time and work necessary to learn the trade.

The secret of becoming a writer is that you have to write. You have to write a lot. You also have to finish what you write, even though no one wants it yet. If you don't learn to finish your work, no one will ever want to see it. The biggest mistake new writers make is carrying around copies of unfinished work to inflict on their friends.

I am sure it has been done with less, but you should be prepared to write and throw away a million words of finished material. By finished, I mean completed, done, ready to submit, and written as well as you know how at the time you wrote it. You may be ashamed of it later, but that's another story.

Answer 3

Keep working at what you love. If you have an idea, write it down. If it's not good try again. If the idea's good but the plot needs work, just rework what you've come up with. Gather ideas from books, movies, video games (if you play 'em) or TV shows. Don't let people discourage you from doing what you love. Give it your all and keep your determination. This is the advice I not only give but live by as an aspiring writer myself.

Answer 4

- Don't write to please other people. Write what you like to write about it. It's your story.
- Keep a notebook or journal of names you like or things you hear people say. It may seem useless, but my Writer's Notebook really comes in handy when I want to write. I just open it and look at all the titles I thought up weeks ago. Otherwise, I would've forgotten them.
- Never give up on an idea. If it doesn't seem "right" at the time, just write it down somewhere and come back to it. Maybe an idea you had when you were seven will come back to you when you're seventeen, and you'll be able to fix it up a little and make it better.

Hope I helped you out!

Answer 5

"Nothing I write is ever any good..."
I think it was Hemingway who said it, but don't quote me on that.

It seems to be nearly unanimous between the great writers of all time that, they didn't see their work as all that great before it started gaining critical acclaim. It doesn't necessarily mean that it's not "Good" just that it can always be infinately better.

And the second thing is write a lot, and always from your soul.

Answer 6

Write every day. Set aside a time, maybe before bed and write. A published writer once told me that she sat down for 30 minutes every night to write, if she had nothing she would reread her prior writing and edit it and would usually get ideas and had time for revisions!

Answer 7

Don't rush yourself. Go at your own pace. Take breaks often.

And write.

Don't worry about who was made famous off their books and whatnot.

That's just a buzz killer. Focus on your goals and ambitions:

Are you in this for the money, or are you in this for the love of writing?

Answer 8

keep a notebook in your pocket, that way when you get an idea you make make notes for expandimg on later.

Answer 9

believe in you. even if you have stopped writing.