Today’s blogging prompt was to offer some words of advice. So, I’m making up a list of random words of advice about writing. I hope that you enjoy my advice and, if so inclined, you might want to follow one or two of these suggestions.
- Write about what you know. Your stories will be much more interesting to read if you do this. There will be a depth to your writing because your stories will be based on lived experiences.
- If you include more than two persons in a dialogue, please identify who is speaking. Otherwise your poor reader will indulge in much head scratching and will abandon your story to run out and buy the newest (and probably most expensive) brand of dandruff shampoo.
- If you write in dialect, make sure to keep it consistent throughout your story. Also, keep in mind that, if the dialect is too difficult to read, people might stop reading.
- If you struggle with writers block, here is something that could help you. It’s called a timed writing. Give yourself a few words as a prompt, such as, “After I mislaid my keys, I…” or “The cat’s nocturnal yowling startled me into wakefulness and…” or anything you like. This is just a start. Then, write for ten or fifteen minutes, nonstop. Do not stop writing for any reason whatsoever. Make sure that you are comfortable before starting. Get your beverage ready. Visit the bathroom, if you need to go. Make sure that your clothes and your seat are comfortable. And, when you’re writing, do not edit what you write. Make no judgments whatsoever. It doesn’t have to make sense. A timed writing is like stretching before running. It will loosen you up for the task that you have to accomplish.
- If you really want to write something wild and outrageous, that’s all right as long as you have the skills to pull it off. You have to make whatever you write believeable. That is to say, readers have to be able to cast aside their ideas of reality to belief what you’ve written. It’s called suspension of disbelief.
- Last piece of advice. If you want to be a writer, you need to write every day. Any format is good. You could write letters or blog posts or poems or even comments on a blog post. And not only must you write a lot, you must read so that you can explore writing styles. What do you find moving from a piece of writing? What doesn’t work for you? Reading and writing on a daily basis will help you form your own unique writing style.
Good starting advice.
So many people say "one day I'll write a book." And when you ask them what they're writing now they'll say "why, nothing. I don't have time. But writing a book can't be that hard."
Good advice especially the timing writing, I like that idea.
I always use the first rule.