So, you’ve got your great idea, and you’re hoping to expertly craft it into the next bestseller that defines the era. Something on the scale of Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings would be preferable, right?
However, before you can even consider how best to count your millions or to inspire a generation you first need to turn these thoughts into written text. So you can be the best writer you can be, here’s a list of essential tricks and tips you need to know and should remember in everything you write.
Free-Photos / PixabayWrite from the Heart
There’s no point trying to write something because you think the idea will be a best-seller or you think it’s what people want to read. Instead, write something that’s meaningful to you, something you’re passionate about.
If you don’t, you’ll end up losing focus, and you won’t have any drive to finish what you’re writing. On the other hand, if you’re writing from your heart, every word you write will be a word that means something to you, and you’ll be able to create a compelling story.
Be Creative
If you’re struggling to make your story sound engaging, the chances are that there’s something wrong with the language that you’re using. If you’re finishing every bit of dialogue with the word ‘said’, it’s not going to grab your reader’s attention.
One of the best ways to overcome this is by creating a list of keywords that you can use as a cheat sheet. This means you can quickly refer to the sheet when you’re struggling to find the right word for inspiration. If you’re too focused on your book to create one of these lists, have an academic writing service create one of your behalf.
Free-Photos / PixabayPerfect Your Work
Whether you’re planning to send your work off to a publisher or self-publish, always make sure that you’ve proofread and edited your work to perfection. It’s nearly impossible that you’ll be able to create a compelling, engaging and flawless story on your first draft.
Re-read your content after taking a break from it to revise it with a fresh pair of eyes. You need to check the grammar, your punctuation, your spelling and your overall sentence structure. For up to date guidelines and tips on how to do this, check out Best Australian Writers.
Leave Room for the Imagination
Your readers will be creating what they think your characters look like in their heads. If halfway through your story, you then give an extremely detailed account of what the character looks like and it goes against how they believed the character looked, it’s going to throw them in reading your story.
Instead, stick to easy key features, but that’s it. For example, one character may have a scar on their face that defines. Another may enter a room and hang their coat and hat up. That’s all the information you need to give.
Carole D. Portis, the Content Manager for Top Canadian Writers, explains;
“When writing, it’s crucial to remember that your reader has a mind of their own and they’re not reading your story to be force fed information. They want their imaginations to run wild as this is far more exciting than simply having everything handed over to them.”
Include All the Senses…
…but not too much. When you’re introducing a scene, you’ll want to build a picture to set the scene but, usually, this doesn’t need to be more than a paragraph long. Hand in hand with the tip above, leave room for the imagination.
When building up a scene, focus on all five senses and describe the most important. For example, ‘the blinding whitewashed corridors of a hospital’ can set a scene of a very well-lit, bright and nearly overwhelming hallway.
On the other hand, if your character is walking through a forest, they may be able to smell the damp on the air and feel it on their skin. As you can see, you can create very powerful imagery in just a few words.
Guest Post by Jennifer Scott
