WattyWarriors Fan Magazine 6.0

Writing Tips | Read!

Thunder with Writing Tips!

This might sound like the most simple tip yet, but you'll also find it to be one of the most effective. If you use a productive method of reading, you'll start seeing patterns among books and more technical aspects that will help your own writing. You'll really start recognizing what makes great books great. 

Normally, when someone reads, they just read the words and follow the story. Simple. But if you follow these steps, your writing will thank you. 

1 : : W O R D   C H O I C E : : 1

Every word an author writes has purpose. If you're thinking in your head 'lol not me', then please pay extra attention. Authors fill pages with thousands of words for one sole purpose- to convey a message. And how do they do it? They hold the reader's attention. 

Think about it, you wouldn't read a book if it were boring, would you? Every single word has to hold your attention, leave you seeking more. 

You might want your favorite book for this. Go ahead and reread it. Take note of how the author uses words to grab your attention and keep you glued to the page. Look for similes, metaphors, and other literary devices. In fact, it would be helpful if I wrote a segment on them. Would you guys be interested? *puts on to-do list*

2 :: S E N T E N C E   F L O W :: 2

You don't want to read a stiff book. Stiff books are not exciting. Words do not flow. See what I mean?

Grab your favorite book again and pick out a random chapter, it really doesn't matter which. Now go through it and study how the author varies sentence structure, and how they use different words to begin sentences. Not only does this convey their point more efficiently, it's much more pleasant to read. Observe how they alternate between describing and dialogue, and how often those two are interwoven. 

3 :: T O N E :: 3

This is quite similar to word choice. Here, we're looking at how the author chooses to convey specifically the scene and feel of a book. What makes an abandoned house scary? What makes a forest so peaceful? 

Depending on how you choose to describe your setting you can make the audience feel the atmosphere, whether that be scary, tense, relaxed, etc. 

Keep this in mind as you read books. Look for how the author uses particular words to get a mood across. Take a look at the example:

The house's floorboards were coated in a thick layer of dust, and it could be assumed that no foot had tread upon them in ages. Cobwebs shimmered in the corners of empty rooms. In the sun's light they were but whisps but in the moon's glow, they turned into slender skeletons. And if one listened close enough, they could hear the faint yet distinct sound of creaking floors. Yet there was never anyone there; the house held nothing but the forgotten memories of its owners.

What gives the house an ominous feel without outright saying it? Take a look at the powerful words. 

  The house's floorboards were coated in a thick layer of dust, and it could be assumed that no foot had tread upon them in ages. Cobwebs shimmered in the corners of empty rooms. In the sun's light they were wisps but in the moon's glow, they turned into slender skeletons. And if one listened close enough, they could hear the faint yet distinct sound of creaking floors. Yet there was never anyone home; the house held nothing but the forgotten memories of its owners.  

Alone, these underlined words don't do much but when put together, it can make for an eerie mood. As you see it in books, you'll begin to use it in your writing. 

So when you look at all the aspects of a story closely, and really take in what you're reading, you'll find that you almost unknowingly absorb information about what makes a story worth getting into. This is a very useful skill, not only when you're writing your own stories, but also for learning reading comprehension and grammar in general.

We hope you'll take our advice and check out your nearest library sometime soon. :)