Tips for Beginning Writers

Nothing is set in stone: When you are writing a story you are not only creating a story but also your own world. Even if it is set in the real world there are no set rules to writing a story. In the world of fantasy and horror this amount of freedom can be fully explored. Who said what ghosts etc can or can’t do? Use your imagination and create something new, not rely on what already exists.

Let some one else read it: What is the point in writing a story if you are not going to let other people read it? Letting others view your work can be extremely helpful. They can give you ideas, feedback and let you know what to work on in the future. But remember, don’t let other people influence your story too much, it’s still your story the characters could fly to the moon on jet propelled hamsters if you wanted them too. If they want to control your work tell them to go write their own.

Think like your characters: When writing for a particular character attempt to think like them. What are they going through at that very moment? How are they feeling? How would you feel if the same things that had happened to them happened to you? I use this a lot when I am writing, especially when something is written in the first person.

Don’t repeat yourself: Don’t have your characters doing the same things over and over. It is tedious and boring. Even if your characters have to redo something or return to somewhere they have been or done before and you can’t leave it out because it is a part of the story line, then rephrase it differently, give it from a different point of view or describe it less. Not in the exact same way that you did pages before.

If at first you don’t suceed: Being an author takes a lot of work an dedication. You may have to rewrite the same story over and over again until you feel that it is absolutely perfect. Writing is one of those things that only gets better with practice and working out for your self what works for you and what makes a better story. Reading more always helps, not only books within your own chosen genre but anything else that you can get your hands on. Seeing how other authors have worded their stories may help you with you own. Also it is extremely rare to get a “yes” from a publisher on your first try, it doesn’t mean that you are a bad writer just that you need to practice that little bit more.