Hi everyone, I hope you’re all well. Seeing as it’s been a minute since I posted a Writing Tips post, I’ve decided to share one today. So here are another six tips to help you feel inspired and productive.
Vary Your Sentence Length
Sentence Length can have an enormous effect on your story. Longer sentences can slow the pace of the action, while shorter sentences can quicken the pace and help to increase tension.
Sentence Length can have an enormous effect on your story. Longer sentences can slow the pace of the action, while shorter sentences can quicken the pace and help to increase tension.
Don’t Panic
Beginning a new project can be exciting and the flow and joining together of new ideas can be exhilarating. However sometimes when we come to the meat of the story and we’re entrenched in the work it can be overwhelming. It can be easy to lose our nerve and panic at the enormity of the workload. But this is a normal feeling and most writers experience it. The trick is to take a little break – a day or two – to remind yourself why you started the project in the first place.
Beginning a new project can be exciting and the flow and joining together of new ideas can be exhilarating. However sometimes when we come to the meat of the story and we’re entrenched in the work it can be overwhelming. It can be easy to lose our nerve and panic at the enormity of the workload. But this is a normal feeling and most writers experience it. The trick is to take a little break – a day or two – to remind yourself why you started the project in the first place.
Don’t Box Yourself In
As a writer, you shouldn’t feel As though you are boxed in – or restricted to working in one genre. The fun of writing is in creating something interesting and exciting. Many stories have been written that cross between multiple genres. It’s your story – it’s entirely up to you how it’s told.
As a writer, you shouldn’t feel As though you are boxed in – or restricted to working in one genre. The fun of writing is in creating something interesting and exciting. Many stories have been written that cross between multiple genres. It’s your story – it’s entirely up to you how it’s told.
Defining Moments
When you’re creating a new character, it can be helpful to know what their defining moments are. What are their happiest and saddest memories? What do they consider to be the most important moments of their lives? Knowing what your characters have had to overcome in their pasts and how they handled tough situations can help you to figure out how they will behave within the events of your story.
When you’re creating a new character, it can be helpful to know what their defining moments are. What are their happiest and saddest memories? What do they consider to be the most important moments of their lives? Knowing what your characters have had to overcome in their pasts and how they handled tough situations can help you to figure out how they will behave within the events of your story.
Flashbacks
While flashbacks – and flashforwards for that matter – have their place in fiction, it’s best to try and save them until the reader has had a chance to start caring about your characters. Using them too early may be off-putting since you need to stop the present action of the story to go back and give relevant information. If the reader doesn’t yet care why a character has behaved a certain way in the present, they may get bored and put your story down.
While flashbacks – and flashforwards for that matter – have their place in fiction, it’s best to try and save them until the reader has had a chance to start caring about your characters. Using them too early may be off-putting since you need to stop the present action of the story to go back and give relevant information. If the reader doesn’t yet care why a character has behaved a certain way in the present, they may get bored and put your story down.
Too many ‘-ing’ Words
There is nothing inherently wrong with using lots of words that end in ‘-ing’, though too many – especially within a single paragraph – can make your writing appear a little ‘busy’ or cluttered. Take this short passage of dialogue for example:
There is nothing inherently wrong with using lots of words that end in ‘-ing’, though too many – especially within a single paragraph – can make your writing appear a little ‘busy’ or cluttered. Take this short passage of dialogue for example:
‘I’m off out,’ he said putting on his jacket.
‘Where are you going,’ she asked turning away from the TV and glancing at him.
‘Just out,’ he replied opening the front door.
Here’s the same passage without the ‘-ing’ words.
‘I’m off out,’ he said and put on his jacket.
‘Where you headed?’ She glanced at him then returned her attention to the TV.
‘Just out.’ He slammed the door behind him.
As always, thanks for reading, I really appreciate it and I hope you found some of these tips useful.
Until next time,
George
© 2019 GLT
Categories: Writing Tips
GEORGE L THOMAS 
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