Hi everyone, It’s been a  while since I’ve written a Writing Tips post so, having a little bit of time to myself, I thought I’d post another six tips to help give you nudge in the right direction.

Keep a World Bible
A world bible is a file, folder or notebook wherein one keeps all information relevant to their story world. It can be a great help for any fiction writer, though it would be especially so for those whose stories take place in a science fiction or fantasy setting, where the writer must create everything about the world in which their characters live.

Hissing
When you are writing dialogue, a handy tip to keep in mind is that your characters should only ‘hiss’ words with an ‘S’ sound. For example, the sentence ‘Talk to me!’ he hissed doesn’t work very well, whereas ‘Say something!’ he hissed works better.

Watch book Reviews
An excellent way to gauge what readers appreciate in a book is to watch book vlogger videos on Youtube (or read book review blogs). More often than not, reviewers will be brutally honest, and they won’t hesitate to say what they did and did not like about a book.

Finish your book First
Try not to think too much about finding an agent or a publisher for your book until you have a completed manuscript. If an agent or publisher likes your query letter, then more often than not they’ll ask to see your first three chapters -but if you haven’t written them, you can’t send them. If you have your first three chapters completed but nothing much else, then if an agent or publisher likes what you’ve written, they’ll ask to see the completed book, and that’s no good if you haven’t finished it.

Cull the Adverbs
Adverbs have their place in writing; however, they often weaken sentences. For instance, the phrases ‘she ran quickly’ or ‘she crept quietly’ could be made stronger, e.g. ‘she sprinted’ and ‘she crept’. Think about the adverbs you’re using and whether or not you really need them; with a little bit of extra work you might be able to find a stronger verb to use instead, which will help to tighten your writing.

Don’t Skimp on Conflict
Stories need conflict; it’s what gives them life and helps to move the plot along. Without conflict, your characters would have nothing to overcome. When it seems as though your characters have had all of the hurt and drama they can take, throw a little bit extra into the mix of things. It can be especially helpful if you find that the middle of your story is lagging a bit.

As always, thanks for spending time with my words, I really do appreciate it!

Until next time,

George

© 2018 GLT

Categories: Writing Tips

Tags: adverbs, book, Characters, conflict, dialogue, tips, world bible, Writer, writing, Writing Tips