Writing can be hard work, especially if you’re a beginner, so I thought I would share some of the tips that I have picked up from various places over the years in my attempts to hone my skill.
So here goes:

Write As Though Nobody Will Ever Read Your Work
If you write as though nobody will ever read your work, then you’re sure to be a lot more open and honest with whatever it is you’re writing about, and you’ll no doubt feel less awkward about describing deeply emotional and personal subjects.

Try To Write A First Draft In One Sitting
Getting a first draft down in one sitting can seem a daunting task, but it can be done.  Even if you need to miss out large chunks of plot, just aim for the end.  At least you’ll have your basic story completed and a guide to reference when you come to write your second draft.

First Drafts Are Supposed To Be Rubbish
Everybody writes a crappy first draft. The point of the first draft is to get everything – the whole story (or as near enough to it) out on the page.  Second and third drafts are for making things perfect.  Of course, you can write as many drafts as you need to create your art.

Write Every Day
Writing every day helps you to form a writing habit.  This is useful because the more you write, the better the writer you will become.  It will also help you to get into a routine so that you can be more productive.

Create Deadlines
Creating a deadline for yourself is another way to ensure productivity.  You should start small, setting a certain amount of words or even pages to be completed by a set time.  This gives you something manageable to work towards, and you can always set larger goals as you become used to working within deadlines.

Write The Ending First
The ending, at least for some, is always the hardest part of the story to write. Getting it out of the way first can help you to see what needs to happen in the rest of the story in order to get to the end point.  It’s always better to know where you’re going and to have something to work towards.

Write The First Draft Without Editing
Try not to edit your work until you have completed your first draft.  This will speed up your writing and help you to accomplish more.  It can be hard to stick to because if something just doesn’t sound right, you might be tempted to play around with it until it does, which takes up valuable time.

Thank you for spending your valuable time here with me, I appreciate it. Look out for more tips in ‘More Writing Tips‘ or find the rest of my Writing Tips series here.

Until next time,

George

© 2017 GLT