15 Useful Writing Tips

Hey everyone! Still battling my writer's block (hate it!) and still just writing up lists of things, (sorta) well, enjoy! And by the way, these tips aren't necessarily in order, so just skim through them and absorb them into your mind. 

15. Don't read your writing until you are absolutely finished and at an editing status. You'll be tempted to keep editing WHILE you are writing and that's the worst thing that can ever happen.

14. Be a perfectionist. Never be satisfied with your work. I repeat, NEVER be satisfied with your work unless it's absolutely perfect and there is nothing you can do that will make it better, (actually, the possibilities of making a story better is endless, so just make it the best.)

13. Read. Very important. Read books especially on the genre you are planning on writing. Read everything and anything that will help improve you to be a better writer. In fact, keep reading this blog! Reading is just as important as writing. “If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” ― Stephen King

12. Throw away your gold. What I mean by that is, get rid of what you find most valuable in your story. Always be willing to throw away anything in your story. ANYTHING. Replace your protagonist even if you need to. Get rid of a certain trait in your antagonist, sharpen she or he up. If you aren't willing to cross out stuff, how will you be able to improve your story?

11. Don't be afraid to kill off any of your characters. This may seem a bit obvious for the antagonist, but don't be afraid to put some emotion into your readers. They could be on the verge of tears, which, in a way, is a good thing! Character deaths make an interesting addition to your writing, especially characters who are rather lovable and close to your protagonist. It might even cause relief if you kill an enemy.

10. Show, don't tell. Put some suspense in. Show things like your protagonist's hair color and eye color through actions and dialogue. Plus, it's always more interesting that way.

9. Add plot twists. After a while, the reader might get bored. That'll probably be around in the middle of the book, so before they drop the book onto the floor, add a plot twist. Something that will send chills up your reader's arms.

8. Surprise your readers. Make a character do something unexpected. Anything that will cause someone's jaw to drop.

7. Put some humor in. Not much people are going to read your writing if what you have is straight up no-smile. Add some jokes into your characters dialogue. Even if they're bad ones, just put something in to brighten things up.

6. Create "frenemies" for your protagonist. You know, someone who does this, then does that, betrays her, joins him, etc. It spices up the whole story and just makes things overall exciting. Someone your protagonist will trust, then not trust, then hates, then has complicated feelings. That sort of thing.

5. Learn to accept criticism. If you don't listen to what other people say, who's going to read your story? Criticism should be a writer's best friend. If there's a mistake, then fix it! Be glad people are actually taking their time to complain about your writing.

4. Don't create too many complicated characters. Too many characters could cause confusion and no one would be able to remember them all. Only use characters who will be useful to you and the protagonist and make sure you give every character a special touch to make them interesting.

3. Flaw your protagonist and other characters. Give them fears and phobias. Give them annoying habits. Maybe they have asthma or acne, something that will put a picture into your reader's mind.

2. Fictionalize yourself and turn yourself into a character. It could even be the protagonist. Think about it, if you base a character off yourself with perhaps a similar name and similiar traits, you will be at ease while writing about them. After all, no one knows you better than yourself.

1. Throw in some cliffhangers. Anything that will make your reader continue to read non-stop, even if it's midnight.

Well, how was it? Remember to rate, review, and follow!

- Ashlyn, Aspiring Author of Today