Being a writer requires a strong foundation in many things. It’s more than banging out a few lines and hitting post. Like any profession, there are basics every writer needs to master. Grammar is your foundation, but there’s so much more.
Story doesn’t rely on how to use a semicolon or the definition of a dangling participial phrase. It needs understanding and ideas that come from a broader education and perspective.
Through the years, I’ve formed opinions on what matters in my writing. Here is my totally random top 40 tips for becoming a stronger writer:
Read voraciously—This is essential. There’s no way around it. Writers must be readers. They have to be in love with the written word. If you’re not, why bother being a writer? It’s too hard if it’s not a passion.
Keep a notebook of ideas—Don’t think you will remember them. You won’t. No matter how brilliant you think they are. Ideas are fleeting.
Grammar—You have to know the rules before you can break them, and there will be times you’ll want to break them. Why? Because you should write for clarity and flow, not to follow arbitrary rules. Study the craft. Grab one of many well-written tomes dedicated to writing better and then learn to trust your instincts and your ear. But don’t be too strict with it. Let the words flow. Let the sentences create their own rhythm.
Get out of your head—Don’t try to plot a book in your head. It’s nearly impossible. There are stories of rare writers who wake with an entire story in place that they merely transcribe, but I tend to think those stories are like unicorn sightings. You want to believe, but the chances of proving it are unlikely at best. Write your ideas down. Play with your plot before you put it on the page, even if it’s a rudimentary attempt.
Have a plan—Know where your characters and story are going so you stay on track. Even if you are “pantsing” it, you should have a general direction so your characters don’t get lost along the way. If you insist on “pantsing” it, then sit down and start writing. The point is to begin. You can’t edit a blank page.
Start with log lines—Break your synopsis down to a single sentence, then tackle your summary and then write the novel. Your story will be better for it.
Write without excuses—Writing isn’t easy. It takes time in the chair pounding out the words. The point is to get your story on paper or screen. Commit to the act, not the outcome. Stop looking for ways out of writing.
Writer’s block just means you don’t know enough to write what you are trying to write—Whenever you feel blocked, go back to your outline or hit the research again. You mind is telling you something is missing. Or go take a walk so your subconscious mind can work on the problem.
Allow yourself to write badly—No one writes beautifully from the start and all writers need editing. Several rounds of editing. It really never ends. But in the beginning, you need to get the story out so you can start pushing it around on the page to make it better.
Experiment—Not sure what POV to use? Write a scene using different POVs to see what works best. Play with your characters. Write scenes you know you won’t use to get a sense for how your character reacts to different scenarios. It’s worth the time and effort.
Acknowledge your doubts, then keep writing—Fear is a powerful thing. Don’t let it win. Embrace your obstacles and keep on writing. There’s no other way through it. There will be times when you’ll be convinced you’re the worst writer on the planet. You’re not. Keep writing. That’s just fear whispering in your ear. Don’t give it the power to make you stop.
Turn off the Internet—Unplug the television while you’re at it. I even turn off music. I am not one of those writers who has a soundtrack for every project. Words have their own rhythm and music can change it. Silence is a good thing.
Be logical—Even a fantasy world has rules. Know the rules for your story and the laws for your universe, and make sure they’re logical and consistent.
Start with the best stuff—Don’t bury the fun stuff. Lead with it. Start in the middle and bury the backstory instead.
Serve your story—At some point you will write great scenes that don’t serve the story. They have to go, no matter how much you love them. Every scene should move the story forward. If they don’t, they need to go.
Know your audience—They are readers, and readers know things. They’re astute and editors in their own right, reviewing and critiquing as they go. Do it right and they will love you. Do it wrong and pay the price. Talk down to them? Expect your book to be thrown across the room.
Less is more—Description should set the scene, not lock it in. Let the reader use her imagination to fill in the blanks. When you do describe something, use specifics. It is not a bird, it’s a cardinal. It’s not a car, it’s a 1964 Shelby Cobra. But don’t drown your reader in details. There’s nothing more tedious than pages of description with no action or story movement. Use details like a coloring book. You provide the shape of the scene with its various elements and then step back to let your reader fill in the rest. This has the added benefit of engaging your reader in the setting.
Hold backstory until the middle or end—Or better yet, eliminate it and add in context through the present action. If you need to add backstory, do it as seamlessly and quickly as possible.
Use all of your senses—This one is the toughest for me because I only have four senses. I was born without the sense of smell, so you’ll never read a description of a scent written by me. But I do try to include sounds, sights, tastes and touch whenever I can to create a fully dimensional scene.
Create character arcs or throughlines—Each character should have a purpose that guides them. Ideally, that purpose will include change and development. A character arc is a description of that journey from beginning to end. A throughline is the same thing for the story. It is the intent that drives the plot forward.
Make sure each character is his or her own person—Don’t make them all the same. Each person in your cast should be different, which means different dress, mannerisms, speech, actions, etc. The more individual they are, the more they will stand out.
Method writing—Just as method actors use their experiences to add depth to a character, you should mine your past for emotions and situations that could add substance to your story.
Make your character the most interesting person at the party—Make them the center of attention, whether they want to be or not. Then get them on to the next thing. No lingering. No wasting time. Keep them moving so your reader’s eye won’t leave them.
Avoid stereotypes and tropes—They are tired and will bore your reader. There’s a reason @YAhero is so popular. People recognize over-used plot points and characterizations and like to poke fun at them. Try to be different.
Embrace structure—It’s not a bad thing. A good structure will hold your plot up and keep it from sagging in the middle.
Research—Even if your story is fantasy with no real-world elements, you still need to get facts right. It’s unlikely there’s nothing in your book that needs research. Don’t guess at things. One mistake can break the magic of your book, pulling your reader out of the story. At Disney, they call this “breaking the magic” and it was a fireable offense when I worked there.
Passive voice—Active is better, except when it’s not. Sometimes passive voice has a place. Use it sparingly and for the right reason. When in doubt, rewrite the sentence for more action.
Adverbs—If you need an adverb, it’s because your verb is too weak to carry the emotion. Change the verb and eliminate the adverb whenever possible, and it’s almost always possible. When it’s not, be sure there’s a good reason for using it. Sometimes there is. There are no absolutes.
Adjectives—These are a sign of weak nouns, although not as egregious an error as adverbs, in my opinion. Try to use a better noun, but baring that, choose the most descriptive adjective you can. Make it work for you, not against you.
Nuisance words—Weasel words are everywhere and they suck the life out of sentences. Remove them.
Filter words—Write in deeper POV without the filter words (see, feel, hear, look, think, touch, wonder, watch, seem, can, sound, etc.). Eliminate filter words where you can unless they are critical to the sentence. Sometimes the distance is warranted, especially when adding another layer to the character. Use them consciously though.
Tie up loose ends—Don’t leave your reader hanging. There’s nothing worse than having something brought up in the beginning of a story and never finding out why it was there. If you have things like that in your writing, eliminate them or finish them.
Edit everything before sending—Even emails. True writing happens in the rewriting phase. It’s when a rough draft gets polished of its edges and obstacles. It’s also when professionalism comes into play. Edit everything. Sure, mistakes will make it through, but less of them.
Critiques are helpful, not judgement—Welcome feedback on your writing. You don’t have to agree with the critique, but it always helps to hear how others perceive your work. Consider what’s been said and then make a decision about what to do. The more feedback, the better you’ll be able to determine if there’s a problem.
Be ruthless—Delete anything that does not move your story forward, even if it’s your favorite scene or line of dialogue or even a cool side character. Write with emotion, but edit impassively.
Never toss anything deleted from your work—Keep a folder for edited bits. They may work somewhere else. Or you may change your mind and want to add them back in. Now, obviously, I’m only referring to lines, paragraphs and scenes. Go ahead and toss those adverbs in the trash!
Ask for beta readers—And then listen to them. As Neil Gaiman says, “Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.”
When editing is complete, proofread—Proofing is a skill like any other. Learn how to spot errors and correct them before turning over a piece.
Practice as much as you can—Do writing exercises, write short stories, blogs, novels. The point is to keep the words flowing. The more you write, the better and faster you will get.
Stay focused until done—Use your journal to capture the next big story, but stick with your current project until it’s done. It’s too easy to get distracted and end up with nothing finished. Don’t buy into that impulse. Stay focused and dedicated to one project at a time, unless it’s client work and then prioritize and stick to your schedule.