Category: Mechanics of Good Writing
Writing Tips From Authors and Editors – Write Fiction Right!
These fiction writing tips from authors and editors range from “put your characters in therapy” to “embrace procrastination.” I rounded up the best tips for writing fiction from a range of successful writers, including journalism professors, novelists, and screenplay writers. Before the tips, a quip from Anais Nin: “I believe one writes because one has to create a world [...]
How to Write an Ending to Your Article, Essay, or Book Chapter
Knowing how to write an ending to your magazine article, academic essay, or book chapter is almost as important as writing a lead that hooks your readers. In fact, your ending is one of the most important parts of your writing! That, and all the stuff in the middle, of course. Before the tips, a quip from [...]
How to Make Your Writing Edgy and Quirky – Enchant Your Readers
Why do you need these tips on how to make your writing edgy and quirky? Because you want to enchant your readers, of course! Writing with flair will bring your manuscript, sample chapters, or articles to life. Several editors and publishers have asked me to insert more edginess and quirkiness into my writing, to keep readers hooked [...]
How to Write a Great Lead and Hook Readers – 6 Writing Tips
Successful writers need to grab readers by the throat and keep them hooked! These writing tips describe the best ways to write a great lead or introduction. There are dozens of ways to hook readers with the first sentence…but only a few that work every single time… Before the tips, a quip: “It’s important to try to write when [...]
How to Tell if Your Writing is Improving
How can you tell if your writing is improving? Sometimes you’re so enmeshed in your writing, you can’t tell if you’ve improved, gotten worse, or are treading water! So, here’s a list of qualities of excellent writing, to help you measure your progress. Before the tips, a quip: “Advice to young writers?” says Doris Lessing. “Always the [...]
6 Ways to Make Your Writing Better
How do you make your writing better? These tips range from “make every word count” to “reveal yourself in your writing.” Before the tips, a quip: “Of course, everyone who submits a book thinks it’s good and deserving of publication, critical accolades, and brisk sales,” writes Pat Walsh in 78 Reasons Why Your Book May Never [...]
How to Find the Right Writing Mentor
Improving your writing skills and discipline is much easier when you find mentors with whom you resonate. That can be a matter of luck – which is totally influenced by your efforts. First, a quip: “The harder you work, the luckier you get” (unknown) Finding writing mentors can be hard work…but it’ll help you get [...]
3 Tips for Writing Better and Faster
Want to write better and faster? One tip of writers is to get and stay organized. Here are three more detailed ways to write better and faster, from David Fryxell. Before the tips, here’s a quip for writers: “For many writers – professional writers – writing faster is simply a matter of survival,” says Fryxell in Write Faster, [...]
Overcome Writing Rejections and Failures – Tips From J.K. Rowling
All writers — no matter how successful — need to learn how to overcome writing failures and rejections. These tips for writers are based on J.K. Rowling’s Commencement Speech at Harvard, which was about failing in life, and succeeding as a writer. Rowling called this part of her speech “The Fringe Benefits of Failure.” “An exceptionally short-lived [...]
10 Solutions to the Most Common Writing Mistakes
These ten solutions to the most common writing mistakes apply to all types of writing: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, technical, etc. Writing tips like this can make you a better writer and self-editor…which increases your chances of getting published! But first, a writing quip: “Don’t write down to your readers,” writes Jack Bickham. “The ones dumber than [...]
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