Writing Tips

Tip 1

One thing I've noticed in my short amount of time writing is how many times a person uses their characters name in a paragraph. Example:

"Alex dived under the stand. Alex's knee scraped the wooden beam and began to itch. Alex held his breath so as not to be heard by his pursuer..."

This sounds good as you're writing it, but if you read it out loud, you'll notice the problem. We know who it is who is hiding under the stand: Alex. If we have to keep reading Alex over and over again, it gets dull and repetitive. Saying his name once is plenty. Only if you switch between characters do you need to do this very often. Use pronouns. Example:

"Alex dived under the stand. His knee scraped the wooden beam and began to itch. He held his breath so as not to be heard by his pursuer..."

Notice the difference?

An example of when to use it:

"Alex and David dived under the stand. Alex's knee scraped the wooden beam and began to itch. Alex held his breath so as not to be heard by their pursuer..."

Always use their name again when you mention them in a new paragraph:

"Alex dived under the stand. His knee scraped the wooden beam and began to itch. He held his breath so as not to be heard by his pursuer.

Alex waited under the stand for a good while before he felt sure his pursuer was gone..."

(If you disagree with any of my remarks feel free to comment about it! I'm always open to new tips.)