I’ve been writing for nearly thirty years now, and I think that qualifies me to give out a little advice. Here are a few of the tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years:<\/p>\n
\n- Keep a notebook with you<\/strong> – you can only store about seven things in your short-term memory at any time, and that for only 20 or 30 seconds at a time. If you don’t write that idea down, there’s little chance you’ll remember it by the end of a busy day. I like those little pen-and-notebook combos you find in the bookstore.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Write every day<\/strong> – if you slack off, it’s harder to get back into the habit, plus, the more you exercise your craft, the easier it becomes. You don’t have to produce a prodigious amount, but you need to be working on something daily.<\/li>\n
- Read<\/strong> – study your favorite authors and see how they do it, analyze your favorite books, and just absorb the craft by reading for relaxation!<\/li>\n
- Practice<\/strong> – especially when you’re having trouble with a project, try working some exercises, rather like keeping fit even if you’re not training for an athletic event. I’ve got some good links on the Writer’s Tips page for you to try out.<\/li>\n
- Work at your most creative time<\/strong> – if you’re a morning person, try getting up an hour earlier and writing before you head off to your job; if you’re a night owl, try staying up a little later for the same reason. Do your most creative work at your most productive time, if that’s possible.<\/li>\n
- Keep track of your progress<\/strong> – check your daily and weekly page counts or word counts, make colorful charts and graphs, or just keep a running total so you can see how far you’ve come. Keeping track helps motivate you, and it also keeps you from that “this is going nowhere” thinking which strikes us all during a project.<\/li>\n
- Learn the language<\/strong> – if you need to, take a good basic English class, or invest in a copy of The Elements of Style<\/em> and learn proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.<\/li>\n
- Carve out a space<\/strong> – have a spot in your home that is just for your writing. Having an “office,” no matter how small, gears your mind up to work when you settle into that space.<\/li>\n
- Know when to let go<\/strong> – you should edit your work at least three times before submitting it to an editor or agent. If you’re self-publishing, you should hire a professional editor to fine-tune it after your third proof-read. Producing poor-quality work with lots of errors gives readers the impression that you’re a slip-shod writer who doesn’t care about quality, and they’re less likely to look for your name when they’re looking for a good read.<\/li>\n
- Remember, the first draft is supposed<\/strong> to be crap – don’t agonize over your writing. Just get it down, then you can go back to edit later. One of my writing teachers puts it another way: first, get the dirt out of the hole, then worry about shaping the well.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Start with this basic structure, and you can build a solid writing career.<\/p>\n
What are your favorite basic tips and tricks?<\/p>\n