Writing tips you need right now!

Everyone feels that they can write a book, but when you actually get down to writing it, the entire process is nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. In order to cushion your ride, here are some writing tips that you will surely benefit from.

Be a good reader

To be able to write well, you first need to know what exactly is called good writing. In order to know that, read all types of books. Try different genres also, from love stories to horror, from period drama to the dystopian future, read them all. Once find the genre you're comfortable with, stick to reading only those books. Soon you'll realise what style of writing works for that genre.

Make sure you have a story to tell Now, this may seem obvious on the onset, but it is not so obvious in real life. Writers, first timers, tend to let the words flow out of their pens (or keyboards) avoid doing that. Always write with a purpose. Make your writing worth the reader's time. Have a plotline that progresses as the chapters are added. Have characters with solid back stories so that their actions are justified. Make them grow with your words.

Have a schedule and stick to it You've already started writing. But, it's been three days since the last word you typed on that laptop. Your reason is that you don't know what will happen next in the plot. I agree that it’s a valid reason. But that still doesn't mean you can't write at all! Make a schedule. Write 500 words EVERYDAY. But the valid reason you say? Well, if you can't move ahead with the plotline, how about we move back? Work on the back story of one of the characters, even the secondary characters have to have one. They can't be 2D cardboard cutouts in front of your fleshed out protagonist.

Don't censor your work Always write whatever comes to your mind. Let your thoughts flow. The editing can come after that. If you're worried all the time about your sentence construction or proper punctuation, then you won't be able to retain the train of thought and then the essence might be lost. Also, if you're writing about a real life incident, don't think that your words might hurt someone or that people will think of you poorly. Stay true to yourself. Empty your head of such thoughts, and write. Then you can make all the changes you deem necessary.

Read conversations out loud

If you have a dialogue or monologue, then it is always better to read them aloud after completion. We all have a tendency to think in a different way than we speak. Awkward sentence construction or gaps in dialogues can be overcome by reading them out loud.

But most importantly, stay calm and stay positive. You may have a long road ahead of you, but you've also come this far. Know that all great writers were once unpublished, if they can make it, so can you.

Let your words speak for you.

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