Once Upon a Time….

Posted by Melissa Donovan on January 26, 2017 on Writing Forward.com  

This list includes a mix of writing tips and some of the tips Melissa thinks are essential.  However, I believe that these are mostly for the beginner writer and can be used as a reminder for the more experienced writer.

 

1. Read as much as you can (and make sure you read quality writing) and write every day — practice makes perfect.
2. Acquire some resources: dictionary, thesaurus, style guide, grammar handbook, and books on writing.
3. Join or start a writers’ group and get feedback on your
4. Lower your expectations and allow yourself to write badly. It’s better to write crap than to write nothing at all.
5. Feeling uninspired? Writer’s block is no excuse; find some writing prompts and exercises. Use them.
6. Do you want to write a novel? Launch a blog? Submit your poetry? Set goals and then get busy reaching them.
7. Be yourself. You have your own voice; let people hear it.
8. Don’t compare everything you write to more successful writers. They started somewhere too.
9. Tell your inner editor to take a vacation. Let yourself write freely and creatively. You can always edit and revise later.
10. Get organized. All those notes, journals, and all that research! Binders, notebooks, and computer files. Put things in order so you can find what you need when you need it.
11. Pay attention to your language: word choice and sentence structure is the difference between an award-winning novel and a book that sits on a shelf collecting dust (poetry exercises are great for this).
12. Know your audience. Write for them using language they understand.
13. Be creative and take risks. You’ll never know unless you try.
14. Revise, edit, proofread, and polish everything you write before anyone else sees it!
15. Show, don’t tell (you knew that was coming).

Do you have any writing tips to add to this list? If so, then leave a comment. And keep writing!