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.
- Read as much as you can (and make sure you read quality writing) and write every day — practice makes perfect.
- Acquire some resources: dictionary, thesaurus, style guide, grammar handbook, and books on writing.
- Join or start a writers’ group and get feedback on your
- Lower your expectations and allow yourself to write badly. It’s better to write crap than to write nothing at all.
- Feeling uninspired? Writer’s block is no excuse; find some writing prompts and exercises. Use them.
- Do you want to write a novel? Launch a blog? Submit your poetry? Set goals and then get busy reaching them.
- Be yourself. You have your own voice; let people hear it.
- Don’t compare everything you write to more successful writers. They started somewhere too.
- Tell your inner editor to take a vacation. Let yourself write freely and creatively. You can always edit and revise later.
- 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.
- 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).
- Know your audience. Write for them using language they understand.
- Be creative and take risks. You’ll never know unless you try.
- Revise, edit, proofread, and polish everything you write before anyone else sees it!
- 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!
I would add: enjoy the writing!
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I would too! 🙂 But, I didn’t write this piece, this was from Writer’s Digest and their guest author..noted on this post! 🙂
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Reblogged this on charles french words reading and writing and commented:
This is a wonderful post with important suggestions for writers!
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typo on item 3. 🙂 “Join or start a writers’ group and get feedback on your […]”
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Hi Just me! Well, it is a good thing I didn’t write it …looks like Writer’s Digest missed it. Please note the author’s name who wrote this article, although I can’t say I have never made a mistake and I have had lots of typos, grammatical errors, and so forth in the past. Thank you for noting this error, truly, especially if I write something and you find a typo or worse, because I do care and I would thank you and fix it! 🙂 Karen
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Ah, ok. I was lead to believe you’d written it! Cheers!
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Hi Just Me, just wondering what lead you to believe I had written it? I think that is kind of important for me to know. 🙂
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It’s no big deal. Don’t worry! 🙂
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Hi Just Me, Okay!! 🙂
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I just checked and the source made the correction, so all is good!
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Thanks for sharing the list. I subscribed to Writer’s Digest for so many years and still have many of the magazines here for reference.
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Hi Insearchofitall, I to subscribe to Writer’s Digest as well as other writing venues and I love Writer’s Digest! 🙂
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I’d subscribe again but I need to finish reading what I have first. 🙂 Marlene
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I enjoyed this post. Some good solid tips here for beginners and established writers alike.
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Hi Mathew, I am so glad you found the writing tips helpful, I know those tips have been useful to me. 🙂
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Reblogged this on The Owl Lady.
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Thank you so very much for reblogging. Those tips have been very helpful for me and I hope they will be for other writers too. 🙂
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Reblogged this on Cafe Reading.
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Hi Cafereading, Thank you so much for reblogging 15 Quick Writing Tips! Much appreciated! K. D. 🙂
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Helpful tips…will surely follow them..thanks for sharing these tips
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Your are welcome! 🙂
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Reblogged this on MorgEn Bailey – Creative Writing Guru and commented:
This does what it says on the tin. Which is your favourite? Mine’s no.4 and yes, a list wouldn’t be complete without no.15.
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Hello Morgen, I agree with you #4 to me is my #1 pick out of those #15 tips, however, they are all good. Writing badly is an exercise to give a person experience, just like riding a bicycle, ice skating or anything else. Thank you so much for your comment! Karen 🙂
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Reblogged this on Writing, events, competitions and the occasional personal musing and commented:
I like this list, although some may seem a bit too familiar. Number 10 is a cracker, it certainly serves as a reminder to me. Good advice.
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Bobby, thank you so much for reblogging the 15 Quick Writing Tips! I like most of them too! K. D.
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