http://writetribe.com/tips-for-writers/
Write a letter, a poem or a piece of non-fiction as if you were advising a novice writer – including writing tips you’ve learned/ writers who inspire you/ writing tips from a mentor.
These are a few writing tips that I have compiled after listening to and observing some of my prolific writer friends in the past couple of years, ever since I’ve started identifying myself as an aspiring writer. Hopefully, these will help you understand the writing process a bit more clearly as well and also inspire you to try to pen down a book or two of your own.
This is how I like to write – Writing tips from an amateur writer.
1. Write regularly– I can’t write every day; so when I say write regularly, I mean even if you write twice a week, do it regularly.
2. Plan Your Story– A published author friend made me see reason in this style of writing. He said, “It’s not enough to have the plot ready in your head, put it down on the pages of your notebook. Break each plot into chapters, chapters into scenes, and also allocate fixed number of pages to the scenes, also decide the approximate number of paragraphs the characters interacting with each other in the scenes will need. This method will leave no room for ambiguity and the story will progress smoothly.”
3. Don’t stick to a special writing Area– I can write anywhere, airports, trains, hospital waiting rooms, terrace, lawn, seaside, in the car…the moment the idea strikes; it has to be transported on paper from my head. I keep a notebook next to my bed and have woken up in the middle of the night to write some points for a story that popped into my head while almost asleep.
4. Take frequent breaks – Take a break from writing. I can’t go on writing for days, without coming up for air, so I write for a while and then when it gets monotonous, I go for a walk, read a book or cook something exotic for the family, some days I meditate by chanting OM.
5. Confide in your readers – I saved the best for the last, write as if you are confiding in a friend. Be real and authentic, there is no other way to write, in my book 🙂
Hope these tips help you in your writing process. Do leave your suggestions on writing in the comments box.
Thank You
By Sulekha Rawat
Vital tips, no doubt. Hope they help me reach somewhere… thanks for sharing.
Arvind Passey
http://www.passey.info
I agree with the tips you shared. Often I still struggle with the planning part. Once the idea is in my head, instead of planning I try to write and publish it as soon as possible.
Interesting on how you prepare to write. Totally different than my approach. Good points, though
Very true…..the last point is very important…this factor develops a trust between a writer and a reader…
Excellent tips, Sulekha. Personally, though, I prefer to write in the same place, since it gives me a sort of Zen- feeling of belonging in my space 🙂 I do jot down ideas wherever I am, but the writing process happens in one place. I think my work takes better shape there!
Vital tips..planning your story part is important..
What wonderful advice. I will be trying them out! Thank you much! ♥
Great tips, Sulekha! I particularly like the last one – confiding in the real. That is thought-provoking actually, in the sense that it may mean different things to different writers. Also different readers. Can lead to some interesting engagement/interaction of minds between the two 🙂
Nice tips, Sulekha! And hey, don’t forget Amateurs built the Ark, Professionals built the Titanic….
Never underestimate yourself.
Loved your tips! Will try to follow! Well I try to write regularly though!
Good tips, Sulekha esp liked 5. Personally, I am not a planner, more of a vague story in my head and let’s see where it goes if put down on paper kinda person, but completely agree that it would be so much less stressful to write to a plan! 🙂 In “business” writing though, plans are essential and gotta stick to them.