I'm about to give you an amazing treasure. Read this carefully, because it's a lot of work you don't have to go through because I already did. Below are a few responses I got from authors I emailed, asking for advice on how to write better. I would highly recommend all of these authors!
Lucy Tempest
As someone still starting out you should seek out beta readers and critique partners to read and review your work, who will be dedicated to helping you with your story and offer their perspective as readers and lovers of literature. I'm linking two Facebook groups and a website https://www.facebook.com/groups/1782619931753141/ , and https://critiquematch.com/ , and https://www.facebook.com/groups/1662819743977604/ . You should be able to find one or two partners you will click with there.
As for writing advice, there two very important things to keep in mind:
1) The first draft is always a mess
2) Persistence is key
Don't expect much from your first draft, or even your first complete book. The goal is to just get the story out of your head and onto the page and editing will come later. Every writer has discarded manuscripts and ideas and scrapped drafts that they used as practice, but we keep on writing. I have around discarded twenty books and had a dozen incomplete stories from the ages of 9-19 until I wrote Thief of Cahraman. Even then, the first and second drafts of that book were very different from the version you read, I changed almost everything but central plot and the characters' names.
Oh, don't worry we all have writing troubles, creative burnout and abandoned manuscripts come with the territory. I was discussing plotting novels with another author recently and how we each struggle with our writing schedules, developing ideas and hitting roadblocks -- and she has over 20 books published. Writer's block typically comes with burnout, or when I have stretched my focus too thin.
I had some serious writer's block with Princess of Midnight. Despite having a very long and detailed outline, I didn't know how to start the book for ages. I ended up skipping the first chapter and going back to write it last. I do the same if I get stuck in the middle of the story, I skip scenes or chapters, write what comes next and go back later to fill them in.
But whenever it gets too severe, I take a break from writing and typically go read or watch something very different from my current genre, like the classics or cosmic horror, to sort of reset my mind so when I come back to my story it feels fresh and I miss the setting/genre.
Chris Grabenstein
Read and write every day. Whether it's 20 minutes or 2 hours, make sure to write every day. It helps you to build the discipline that you need. Read the type of writing that you would like to write. If you really like mysteries, then read a lot of mysteries. If you like historical fiction, then read a lot of historical fiction. But read other genres too. You may be the first to combine genres and create a new kind.
As far as structure, make sure your story has a beginning a middle and an end. That may sound simple but that is the key to a strong story. EVERYTHING IN THE STORY should and must be there for a reason. As the playwright Anton Chekov once said, if there is a rifle on the set in the first act, someone better fire it before the third act is through.
Writing stories is a lot like writing a joke. Everything in a joke leads up to the punchline. Everything in a story builds to your ending. Read famous short stories like the CASK OF AMONTILLADO by Edgar Allan Poe or the RANSOM OF RED CHIEF by O. Henry. Also, if you can, watch old TWILIGHT ZONE episodes. Everything in those stories builds to a payoff at the end. If you can master that, you will have mastered the art of storytelling.
Lisa McMann
Writing and getting published is a very difficult process and one that can take many years (including many years of working on your writing). Most authors spend years and years working on their writing before they are able to have their book published and sent out into the world. Here is a link where author Alyson Noel talks a lot about the process and what it takes to get published: https://alysonnoel.com/faq.php and here's another great article that goes more in depth about the process: https://www.janefriedman.com/start-here-how-to-get-your-book-published/
Annie Barrows
If you are writing a novel for kids, my advice is to know how it's going to end when you begin it. This is because books for kids shouldn't be super-long.
Brandon Mull
My main tip is to pay attention to how your favorite authors build their scenes and practice writing your own scenes.
Amazing, right? Comment who's your favorite author here! (I really hope the links work. I've never actually done any links in a story here on Wattpad. If they don't, type them in. I guarantee they will help!
And, you're welcome!!! Lol.
- Total_KOTLC_Fan
YOU ARE READING
Writing Notes
RandomThis is a collection of the things I learn at my writing classes. It will be some of my notes, some tips, some short stories I wrote, and other things. Enjoy!
