Writing TipsA Poem by Blue from me Writing Tips Someone just messaged me if I can offer her some writing tips to improve her craft. People like her truly amaze me. They are willing to be taught, to be better. I believe wisdom belongs to those who are humble enough to accept that they still have lots to learn. I was flattered to have been asked because I am no expert in this field. I'm just a struggling writer who's passionately in love with language, literature, learning, love, and life. I don't have noteworthy awards to boast. I don't have the exact formula for writing success. I am not even the right person to be asked! But I know few things that might be of great help. I have accumulated these writing tips consciously and unconsciously with the aid of my habitual reading and writing. For more reliable tips, I recommend books and other sources written especially for writers. Enough babbling. Let's start? Tip # 1: Read a lot! Read classic literature. Read contemporary literature. Read poems, songs, novels, plays, and articles. Read about romance, sci-fi, thriller, and fantasy. Read magazines, newspapers, billboards, menus, and receipts. The exposure to a myriad of various styles and techniques will equip you with sufficient vocabulary and knowledge that you need in writing. It will also increase your awareness of your preferred style and you might consider imitating it for now. As your commitment to writing deepens, you will eventually discover your own style, your own 'voice'.
Also, as you progress on the ladder of literary maturity, your preferences will gravitate toward quality works. And the more you surround yourself with quality works, your writing will be influenced to some extent.
Tip # 2: Write a lot! Make it a habit to jot down flashes of thoughts as they occur. It doesn't matter whether you have a cozy notebook at hand or just a used table napkin (I sometimes write on my flesh as a last resort). Devote yourself to constant utility of paper and pen. Write when you have a chance. Write when you don't know how to start. Write when you don't know what to write about. Don't wait for the perfect time. It never comes. Sometimes you just have to prod your muse out of her idleness.
Tip # 3: Keep calm and just write. Never let your fears prevent you from writing. Writers, novice or expert, are often paralyzed by the prospect of dealing with their monsters. These monsters feed you with unhealthy and oftentimes false statements such as "You are merely wasting your time", "Any first-grader can write better than you", or "That's nonsense. You call yourself a writer?" . They take enormous pleasure in bombarding you with negatives. They delight in frightened minds, trembling hands, hesitant strokes... Don't give them that satisfaction. Instead, just write. They will scurry away upon seeing the courage of your effort.
Tip # 4: Let the child out. Play with words, play with rhymes, play with inversions, play with styles. Unless you are writing for an academic assignment, write whatever you want. No holding back. Just like how children play for the sole purpose of entertaining themselves, write for your own pleasure. That way, the words will flow naturally. And you'll have fun, too!
Tip # 5: Practice and practice. Acknowledge the present state of your craft. If it's so boring and elementary, don't berate yourself. Instead, learn how to improve your skill. If you think you are already a good writer and that there is nothing more to learn, don't congratulate yourself too much. Discover the gift of lifelong learning and you'll springboard to sucesses beyond your imagination. Remember the common knowledge: the more you practice, the better you become.
Tip # 6: Choose strong nouns and verbs. All excellent writers know the danger of adjectives and adverbs and they avoid them as much as possible. They threaten the quality of work especially if used tactlessly and excessively. More often, overused or misused modifiers simply distract the readers.
Tip # 7: Brevity is beauty. Master the art of economy without sacrificing quality. One of the greatest mistakes writers commit is telling too much. They torture their readers by the unnecessary details and unjustified length. Ideas run in pointless circles. Please, please! Your readers have other better things to do with their precious time. Save them from boredom and regrets.
Tip # 8: Master grammar. This is common sense. A writing that promises good content but with glaring grammatical errors and disappointing punctuations is a huge literary offense. Minor and almost unnoticeable mistakes are forgivable but seriously...unless you want to insult your English teachers for their ineffectiveness, please have the decency to write with flawless grammar. Your readers will thank you for it.
Tip # 9: Write with your heart. The best writings are conceived from this vital organ. Don't be pretentious and try to impress your readers with your linguistic intelligence. Even a poem with the simplest choice of words can have a dramatic impact compared to a show-off smart-sounding one. Make no mistake, I admire writers who maximize the potentials of their vocabulary bank but know that this doesn't guarantee quality. Have passion in what you do.
Tip # 10: Keep learning. Attend seminars. Read books. Watch news. Be mindful of the world around you. Love life. Take interest in the minute details of the universe. Stars were exhausted subjects of poetry. Do not limit yourself. Write about your venerable carpet. Write about your cursed pimples. Write about me! (Haha!) When these tips helped you achieve your literary 'enlightenment' and you beat Shakespeare off his fame, I would appreciate your tattooed autograph on my forehead. Keep writing! :) © 2014 BlueAuthor's Note
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Added on February 13, 2014Last Updated on February 16, 2014 Tags: writing, writing tips Author
BlueCity of Love, Pearl of the Orient SeasAboutHi, there! I don't know who I really am but let's start with my name. I am Arzel Joy, otherwise known as Blue here in WC. I have more pressing matters at hand so I have reduced my time spent on th.. more..Writing
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