10 Tips For All Writers

Originally published here

There are many challenges that come with being a writer, and most people do not have the time to perfect their skills. If you’re interested in becoming a writer, you already know how difficult it can be. Writers confront numerous difficulties daily. This should not discourage you since there are several methods to enhance your writing abilities. Here are some suggestions for overcoming the most challenging aspects of being a writer and making it simpler for yourself as a result.

1. Write what you know. This may seem like an obvious tip, but it’s true that writers often rely on experiences they’ve had in order to put pen to paper and find the right words to say. If you write about things that you don’t know, then it may come off as forced or inauthentic, and others won’t want to read what you have written.

2. Add some music into your writing session if inspiration isn’t coming naturally for you. If you’re having difficulties expressing yourself or writing about it, consider listening to music while you work. Music will help inspire your words and get creative juices flowing so that when it’s time to put them to paper, they’ll be there for your fingers to press into the keyboard or onto the paper.

3. Write down your fears and concerns — they may become your characters in the future. Sometimes when we’re writing, we don’t know where we want our story to go or who we want it about, so we take inspiration from whatever is on our mind at the moment. By writing what’s on your mind, you may discover that it’s about something or someone you’re afraid of or concerned about, and that can be turned into a powerful character in your story.

4. Add some sensory details to paint the picture for readers. Sometimes when we try to describe something or what our characters are doing, it doesn’t always come off right because we’re not using enough sensory details to help the reader see what’s going on. Adding these details helps readers connect with what they are reading and make it as real as possible.

5. Write as if someone is reading over your shoulder and watching you type/write. This one can be challenging because it can cause the writer to feel self-conscious about what he or she is writing. But, if you can get past that and write as if someone else really is watching you, then your writing will become more cohesive and understandable for those reading it because you’re thinking about them as you write instead of yourself.

6. Add dialogue tags so readers know who’s talking. Sometimes we forget to tag a conversation with dialogue so that readers know who’s talking. Tags help the reader follow along and understand what is going on in a story. Letting your writing be bogged down by dialogue tags will take away from the rest of the words you have written because it’ll focus too much attention on just dialogue.

7. Take a break and go for a walk, do some yoga, or do something else to clear your head. Taking a break away from writing can be extremely helpful when it feels like you’re stuck in the same place with the story, and no movement or progress is being made. By taking a mental and physical break, you’ll be able to come back to your writing with a clear head and be able to move forward.

8. Change up your sentence length so it doesn’t feel monotonous. Using too many short sentences or two long sentences back-to-back can make the reader feel like they’re dragging their way through the story, and that’s not fun at all for readers. Using a variety of sentence lengths breaks up the story and keeps readers engaged — it makes them want to keep going.

9. Take some time to edit or proofread your work before you publish or share it. Sometimes writers can get caught up in the moment with writing and forget that what they’re writing may not be making sense to anyone else except them. By taking some time to edit your work, you can make sure that others will understand what is being said and that they’ll enjoy it as much as you do.

10. Try not to overanalyze every single word or sentence; just write without thinking too hard about it. When we try too hard to write, it almost always becomes forced, and that’s not good for anyone. We just need to relax, have fun with writing, and let our characters tell us what they want to happen next without thinking too hard about it. Otherwise, the story may feel stifled instead of free-flowing so let your characters speak for themselves.

Writers are constantly learning new tricks and tips to help them become better writers every single day. Practicing is the key to improving your writing, but it’s always a good idea to start with the fundamentals before moving on to more complex approaches. Here are some of my favorite ways for you to get started improving your skills as an author today — thanks for reading and let me know if I’ve left any out!