Jannali’s Top Ten
Tips for Writing
I have found the following tips useful during my writing
practice. Some of them come from advice
I have been given or read, others are from my own experience, and some are a
mixture of both.
1. Contemplate
your work
Writing shouldn’t
just happen when you sit down with a pen or at the keyboard to write. Try to think about your story, plot,
characterisation, and so on whenever you have some down time. This may be when waiting for the bus or
washing the dishes, any period when you can let your mind wander. That way, when you next sit down to write,
you’ll already have new material and ideas up your sleeve to work with. It also maximises the efficiency of the time
you dedicate to writing, which for many is not as much as we would like.
2. Never
leave home without pens and paper
I believe no
writer should ever be without the tools of their trade, and a pen and a paper
won’t take up too much room in a pocket or bag.
The next time inspiration strikes, you can quickly jot down notes. Sometime on the occasion when I have found
myself without writing equipment, I have later forgotten the idea, or parts of
it, which can be very frustrating.
Furthermore this links in with tip no. 1 – if you are mulling over
scenes or ideas away from your desk, you may need to record new ideas.
.
.
These people have great ideas, particularly
the man, whose lap dog may or may not be
named Idea.
the man, whose lap dog may or may not be
named Idea.
3. Challenge
yourself
It may feel safe
if you are a short story writer to write short stories and nothing else, but it
is important to challenge yourself. Try
writing poems and longer stories, non-fiction, anything that will help you flex
your creative muscles. I find that doing
something different every now and then stops my work from becoming stale.
4. Get
feedback
Source feedback on your work – join a
writers’ group or find a few friends who are writers or avid readers. When you spend hours on your masterpiece
sometimes you are too close to the work to be able to see mistakes. Using a fresh set of eyes can help you
overcome grammar and spelling errors, plot holes, inconsistencies and so on.
If you are writing
for publication, it may be wise to get the opinion of a ‘lay reader’ – someone
who is not emotionally invested in the work like you are. Be cautious though, as people who are willing
to read your work or sections from it will not necessarily be people who are
good at providing constructive criticism.
5. Enter
Competitions
Regularly enter
competitions, awards, programs and prizes with your writing. If you are interested in becoming a
professional author, you will need to build up your literary CV and entering
competitions is one of the best ways of doing this. Be prepared to enter a lot – I try to enter
at least four or five competitions a year, and from these I will usually have
one or two successes. If you are a poet
or short story writer you should be entering more than this. Search the internet, or your local writers
centre should have information on upcoming events.
6. Know
your genre
Read widely in
your genre. This will help you to
understand not only the nuances in conventions and subgenres, but also help to
steer you away from clichéd writing. It
may also give you ideas for ways to be innovative or subvert the existing genre
expectations. You can get a feel for
what is currently in the market and, should you get published, what authors you
will be up against or, as another way of looking at it, what readership might
be similarly interested in your book.
7. Read
widely across genres
Read across
several genres, not just the one you are interested in or write in. I use to only read fantasy novels but was
forced to read more widely for university.
This showed me the value of reading in other areas. By experiencing other forms and genres you
can learn and improve your own writing.
I no longer turn my nose up at certain types of fiction, for I can now
see the value in different areas and appreciate them for what they are. It may also give you ideas for your own
writing approach, accepted conventions across genres, and how different
literary forms have evolved over the years.
8. There
is no right or wrong way to do things
If you are reading
guide books or getting advice on how to write, keep in mind that there is no
right or wrong way to do things. There
are many different approaches to take in writing and publication, some will
work for you and others won’t. Obviously
if there is a particular set of guidelines for a competition or submission for
publication, then you will need to follow these. However, without people taking their own
approach and taking risks, many of the important texts we know and love today
wouldn’t exist.
9. Develop
a thick skin
You are probably
going to be rejected. One of the things
you need to accept as a writer, particularly if you want to be a professional,
is that not everyone is going to like your work. Whether entering a short story in a
competition or submitting a manuscript for publication, you will probably get
rejected. This is a part of the
business, and it is important not to get too emotionally caught up with any one
submission. Don’t give up, instead
understand that you will need to develop a thick skin, and that perseverance is
essential for success as a writer.
10. Take
advice with a grain of salt
This links in with
tip no. 4 – getting feedback and tip no. 9 – developing a thick skin. While it is a great idea to get feedback, it
is important to be analytical about the feedback you get. Writing is a subjective area, and there are many
reasons that you may be rejected or criticised.
You don’t have to take on board every suggestion you are given. Conversely, it is unwise to reject all
negative or critical feedback.
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