A guest post submitted by Jennifer Harshman from Harshman Services.
If you’ve been following this series, you have decided to answer the call and write. You’ve done your research, chosen your writing tools, figured out your message, and outlined your book or blog post. But how do you start? What do you need to know while you are writing? What do you do now?
Start by writing a crummy sentence. Yes, you read that right. Write that first word, then another word, and eventually you will have a sentence. A few sentences lead to paragraphs, and paragraphs lead to chapters. Don’t doubt yourself. Just sit and write. As you write, take comfort in the fact that the first draft is not your final draft. Writing the first draft is what I often refer to as getting some clay on the table. The art happens in revision and editing. You can do this! It’s time to roll up your sleeves and become the writer you’ve always dreamed of being.
Every writer has their own writer’s toolbox, which is a collection of tips, tools for writing, and literary elements that resonate with them. They pull from their toolbox often to aid them in writing. Begin thinking about what to put in your toolbox. The following three lists give you important tips and hints for writing, but you should read widely to find more. If you notice a technique an author did well, make note of it, then consider how you can use it for your own work. Read books about writing, editing, and self-publishing. Join writing and self-publishing groups on social media. Nurture friendships with other writers. Keep improving.
Ten hints and tips for all writers
Read, read, read. When you read, you grow your knowledge base. As you grow in knowledge, you will be able to use that information to create material that’s more interesting. The more you read, the more quickly you will grow in your vocabulary and grammatical skills. You may or may not like Stephen King’s writing, religious views, or politics, but he is 100% correct on one thing: “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have time (or tools) to write.” Consider reading to be a component of the writing process. It’s that important.
Write what you want to read. Simply put, write about what interests you. Sure, experts always say to write to your market. But your writing won’t be effective or interesting if you don’t write about what you are interested in. You’ll be more motivated to finish a project that you are inspired by.
Set up a writing schedule, and begin a writing habit. When are you fresh and focused? When is your house the quietest? When are you the least stressed and the most creative? That’s when you should write. If you write every day, at the same time, your brain will learn that it is the time to write. Even if you just write 100 words, you are still writing, and that is good progress.
Begin developing your voice. The more you write, the more your own writing style will come through. The only way to gain your own style is by reading and writing. It can be shaky at first, but this is all about hitting your groove. Every writer has a style all their own, and you will too. But you have to put in the work and write. A great way to start developing your style is to read your favorite authors and figure out why you like them so much. Maybe you can use some of their techniques. Click here for more information on finding your voice.
Do not edit as you write. One of the surest ways to make your writing come to a screeching halt is to edit while you write. I am guilty of this, so I can’t preach too strongly against it. The Backspace key is always the first key to wear out on my keyboards. If at all possible, write now, edit later. Focus on getting your ideas dumped onto the page before you edit them. Not only does it slow you down, but if you are constantly looking for what you did wrong, you will start to judge yourself, and imposter syndrome will creep in. Worry about editing after you’ve finished your first draft.
Writer’s block? Writer’s block is something all writers and authors fear. What do you do when the words don’t spring forth? Stay calm. It happens to almost everyone sooner or later.
Sometimes writer’s block can happen when you are putting too much pressure on yourself. Take a moment to relax. Do some deep breathing and pray. Becoming active can help. Taking a walk gets you out in the fresh air and oxygenates your blood.
Try freewriting. Take some time to sit, with a pencil or pen (not on a computer) and write whatever comes to your mind. The objective here is not to create beautiful prose. It is just to get those words flowing again.
Try to do something creative that isn’t writing. Draw a picture, or play an instrument. The key is to get your mind in creative mode.
There are two ways to reduce your chance of suffering from writer’s block. Make sure to spend a small portion of every day reading, and keep yourself on a writing schedule. Reading will keep you in the right mindset, while keeping to a writing schedule trains your brain to produce on demand. Click here for more information on breaking free from writer’s block.
Read your work out loud. The best way to find errors before you hire an editor is to read your work out loud. It seems strange, but it’s quite effective. It may be easier to hear errors than to see them.
Eliminate fluff. As William Faulkner said, “In writing, you must kill all your darlings.” As gruesome as this quote sounds, he was at least partially correct. After you’ve finished writing your first draft, and while reading it out loud, you will notice things that just don’t contribute well. You’re going to have to remove them or revise them. Sometimes this means deleting something you find beautiful. One caution: never delete anything you’ve written. Note that I said you’ll have to “remove” and not “delete” them. Create a file called something like Spare Parts, or Parking Lot, or Idea Cellar. Populate it with all those lovely tidbits that didn’t fit, and all the things you wrote that you think are junk. Maybe you can use them in your next writing project. On multiple occasions, I’ve seen an entire book spring from a single sentence an author cut from a manuscript and pasted into a Spare Parts document.
Eliminating fluff also means all those words you are used to using that don’t hold much meaning. If you come upon these words, read the sentence without them, and see if the sentence still makes sense. If it does, delete the word. The following is not an exhaustive list but will help you begin your journey.
Adverbs (-ly words). If you describe the action in detail instead of using an adverb, it can make a richer reading experience for your audience. This is a part of the concept of “show, don’t tell” I will discuss later in this article.
Very: This word can make your writing seem clunky. It doesn’t really add much weight to your work. It’s simply not as descriptive as you might think. Instead of saying “very happy,” consider using “ecstatic.”
That: If there’s one word everyone clings to, it’s that. Sometimes it’s necessary, but it often isn’t. Test the waters. If it doesn’t change the meaning of the sentence, chuck it.
Just: Unless it’s in dialogue, it’s usually unnecessary. Try the sentence without it.
The same word twice in close proximity: Please watch that you are not repeating words in the same sentences, or in the sentence above and below. It can make the section awkward.
Click here for more words you should consider avoiding.
Have a friend or family member read your work. This is another tip for before you hire an editor. Give your work to others to read. In other words, use beta readers. I often suggest finding trustworthy people to help you with this. Here’s my suggestion on how to handle this:
Select one person who can walk into a room and find problems. These people will generally be the most truthful and not sugarcoat the problems they find.
Select one person who will tell you your writing is beautiful no matter what. This person will keep you motivated after all the bad news the first reader gave you.
Then fill in with others that fall somewhere in the middle of the two.
All your beta readers should be readers but not necessarily writers.
Give them a list of questions to guide them. Include questions such as:
Was there anything that didn’t work, such as holes?
Were there certain characters or aspects you found especially likeable?
Is there any information I may have missed?
Was the writing interesting and easy to understand?
Make sure to thank your beta readers by mentionoing them in your acknowledgements.
Still wondering where to find a beta reader? Click here.
Hire an editor. This piece of advice is the most important if you are writing a book. Editors are worth their weight in gold, because their job is to make your writing—and you—look good. Nothing throws a reader out of something worse than a typo or an awkwardly worded sentence. In another post, we will cover the different types of editors. There are developmental editors, line editors, copy editors, and proofreaders. All wear completely different hats during the process. Contact Harshman Services to talk about making your writing the best it can be.
Ten Tips for Writing Blog Posts
Know your audience. You can have the most beautiful blog in the world, but if you don’t target your audience, no one will read it. If you are writing a craft blog, talk to crafters to find out what they are interested in. Take some time to read and inspect what successful blogs are doing. Be true to yourself, but you should also present it in a way that would draw your optimal audience. Consider the following:
What is the target age of your reader?
Which gender would benefit most from your content?
Where do they live?
What are their hobbies? What are they interested in?
Are they married? Single? Divorced?
Where are they active online?
Include images. We live in an increasingly visual world, so use that to your benefit. When people jump on the internet, they are expecting to see something visually appealing. Those pages that are visually appealing attract readers. You should consider your writing’s look and feel. Make sure you are choosing photos you have the legal right to use, and give proper credit when required. You can find free, royalty-free photos on pexels.com and unsplash.com. Any photo or other image produced by the US government is in the public domain and may be used as well.
Pay attention to SEO. SEO? What in the world is that? It stands for search engine optimization. This is a term you’ll come upon often, and with good reason. Paying attention to SEO will help you show up on search engines like Google. You may think that you don’t really have to worry about this, but if you want to attract new readers, you need to come up in Google and Amazon searches. With the right keywords, you can. You can also bring traffic to your website, and it doesn’t cost you a dime. Think about what you type into search engines when you want to find information. Now think about the types of search queries people would type to find the kind of information you provide. You need to include those keywords and queries in your writing.
Write an interesting headline. Often, people will scan a blog over quickly, using the headlines to help them target exactly what they are looking for. So, make sure to make your headlines and subheadings succinct and interesting. Headlines and subheadings are what catch the eye of the reader while they are scrolling and looking for something specific.
Hook readers early. While some readers will scan your page looking for what they want using headings and subheadings, others will read your first paragraph to see if they want to stick around. You have to hook your readers immediately, within the first paragraph, even within the first sentence. Here are some ideas for you:
Give an interesting fact or ask a question.
Aim to identify with your reader. Do you write to frazzled moms? Then write something that makes them nod with you in agreement. Show them you understand.
Get personal with your reader. Make them feel connected to you. They will trust you more and will see you as the valuable source you truly are.
Make a good first impression. Remember what I said about aesthetics and images? They can help you create a great hook.
Write short, snappy paragraphs. It can be hard for readers to pay attention when reading. It has a lot to do with the psychology of reading on screens, as well as the fact your reader probably has twenty tabs open on their browser, all vying for their attention. So, keep things short and sweet. Short paragraphs that are witty and easily digested are a good way to get them the information they need quickly, and effectively.
Use bullet points. Using bullet points is a great way to help your reader find information quickly. They tend to be highly organized while being lower on word count. That means your reader can skim your information quickly and come away with a great deal. People don’t come to blogs to read a book. They usually come for bite-sized, digestible nuggets of information.
Make sure to leave readers searching for more or with a call to action. This is where you might ask your readers a question to write about in the comments. Doing so let’s them know that you see them as important contributors. Asking readers to share your blog on social media is also a good idea. Afterall, word of mouth is still one of the best ways to market.
Ask your reader to subscribe. You don’t want only one-time readers. You want them to come back again and again. Don’t be shy. Ask them to subscribe to your newsletter, email series, or notifications. Your readers need to be reminded that you exist, and they'll be happy to sign up for those notifications if they liked your content because it means getting more of your content, conveniently, right there in their inbox. Don’t be shy. Ask!
Ten Tips for Writing Nonfiction
Define why you are writing. Why is it important? What is your purpose? These are important questions you must answer. You may love Psalm 9:1–4, but why should you use it as a theme for a biblically based self-help book? How can you help others with this book? Is your purpose to minister to laypeople, or do you want to provide a heavy-hitting academic book that would appeal to theologians? What do you want to do with your book, and what do you want your book to do for you?
Ask yourself who your audience is, then write to them. This goes along with tip number one. But this time, consider who you will be writing for. What will they be looking for in your book? What are their motivations for buying it? Is there a specific person needing a book about Psalm 9:1–4? All of this must be considered before you begin to write. You need to balance your need to express yourself with the needs of your future reader.
Write with authority. When you set out to write a nonfiction book, you need to understand something important: you are the expert. Even if you don’t feel like it. If you doubt yourself, do not make it sound that way in your writing. Even if what you are writing is an opinion, state it as if it’s fact. Of course, if you are going to be the authority, make sure you have the research and experience to give you a good foundation on which to stand. Formal education and degrees aren’t always necessary, but a healthy knowledge base is.
Just because it’s nonfiction doesn’t mean you shouldn’t tell an interesting story. You need to draw your reader into your book. Make them feel comfortable while learning. Just because you are writing nonfiction, that doesn’t mean that you should ignore all literary methods. Tell a story. Paint a word picture. Light a fire inside your reader with your words.
Hook your reader. A prospective reader decides in seconds whether or not they’ll read your book. The hook is the first few lines they see. In those lines, you need to grab their attention so strongly that they refuse to put your book back on the shelf or click to another book on Amazon. How do you do this?
Make a surprising statement.
Make it emotional.
Make your reader ask questions.
Start with something exciting.
Use humor.
Make your reader feel special or powerful.
Here are more tips on hooking your reader.
Don’t turn off those emotions. Use them! Make sure your reader knows why they need to care about your topic. Adding emotion keeps your reader paying attention,stirs them, and makes them care. If you tap into your reader’s emotions, the message will be more likely to stick. Here are some ideas for you:
What emotion would work with your work? Find and use it.
If your book deals with an abstract issue, home in on it with stories of real people who have experience. It will make the information more memorable.
If it makes you nervous, chances are, it is something to be explored. Explore it.
Keep your reader asking questions. You want to light a fire of interest in your reader. You can do that by asking them questions. If you get them thinking clearly about a topic, they begin to become active participants in the book. If they feel like they are active participants, they won’t want to put your book down.
Use real-life examples. If you can take an idea and apply it to a real-life situation, you’ll be able to reach more readers. Remember, everyone thinks in different ways. By presenting your data or research, and then following up with a clever story about putting that data and research into practice, you’ll reach more people. Always include real-life scenarios and examples whenever possible, even if you need to anonymize them.
Vary your sentence length. You want short sentences and long sentences in your work. Why? If all your sentences are the same length, your book will become monotonous for your reader. Mix it up. Your writing will become more interesting just by doing that. If your entire book is full of long sentences, then your reader will soon become exhausted. If all your sentences are too short, your book will feel simplistic.
Use a style guide. You may be wondering what a style guide is. A style guide is a set of standards used for writing. It helps your writing to stay consistent, which, in turn, helps your book’s readability and your credibility. Here are some of the things that choosing a specific style will do for you:
It makes you look more professional.
It helps you to avoid mistakes.
It saves you time and money when you are in the editing phase.
Unless you are writing for a periodical or a scientific journal or submitting a paper at school, use The Chicago Manual of Style. It is the most widely used style guide in publishing. Expect your editors to use it, too. Here, you can find more information about using a style guide.
Ten Tips for Writing Fiction
What is your genre? Who is your reader? Once you have your story idea, think about your genre before you start plotting. Each genre has elements that readers expect to find, such as technology in science fiction, magical creatures in fantasy, and a happy ending in romance. Where does your story fit? After you figure that out, think about who reads that genre. What is the age group? Are they men or women? Make sure to research and write with your reader in mind. What do they expect? Here are some of the genres within commercial fiction:
Mystery
Crime
Science Fiction
Fantasy
Romance
Contemporary
New adult
Young adult
Middle grades
Children’s literature
Are you a plotter, pantser, or a plantser (a mix of the two)? Some people are meticulous plotters, meaning they outline everything and plot their entire story. Some are pantsers, they tend to fly by the seat of their pants and allow their story to develop as they write. If you’ve never written a novel, I would highly suggest you become a plotter. Plotting and outlining help you to fully flesh out your idea before you start writing. That means you will write faster, have fewer instances of writer’s block, and have less chance of writing yourself into a corner. If you really like the idea of being a pantser, then do so after you have the entire novel process worked out and you have a written novel under your belt. You can find more information about outlining in the post on outlining your writing.
Compelling characters. A good character is one readers relate to. They read what the character does, and think to themselves, Wow, that could be me. Good characters grow and change and sometimes make interesting choices that make the reader mad. No mortal is perfectly good—or perfectly evil—so don’t force your characters to be. Give your protagonist flaws and your antagonist some redeeming qualities. Allow them to have interesting backstories that raise a reader’s empathy (sprinkled in, no data dumping, please).
When planning a character, it’s important to think not only about their surface qualities, but also who they are as a person. Writing instructor and author Abigail Wild strongly suggests completing the personality test at 16personalities.com as if you are your character. While the Myers-Briggs is not scientifically accurate, it is very common, and the information gained from the test will help you create characters your readers won’t forget. Learn more about character development here.
Worldbuilding and setting. I’m about to tell you one of the best pieces of advice I ever got regarding creating a setting. Are you ready? Treat your setting as if it is a character. Your setting affects your characters and the plot. It interacts with them and they with it. It can be used as a tool to further your plot and can change your characters’ lives. So, take time to build your world and setting. Well-Storied has information about worldbuilding.
Open with action or dialogue. You have to hook your reader within the first paragraph. So don’t start your book with an info dump, trying to explain the scene. Instead, start in the middle of an action scene or a tense moment of dialogue. Get your reader right into the plot. Make them care immediately. Trust me. It works.
Keep putting pressure on your main character. You have to continually turn up the heat for your protagonist. Every chapter needs its own narrative arc, and each narrative arc must grow in tension until the climax. Your antagonist has an important job in your book. They’re the ones who constantly apply that pressure to your main character. Let there be down periods to give the reader a rest, of course. But don’t ever let them become too comfortable.
Don’t give away too much. No data dumps. This is a hard one for new authors. So many want to hand everything to the reader. Don’t do this. Trust that your reader is intelligent and will read between the lines. Hold some back. Reveal bits of backstory over time. It makes for a more organic and authentic read if you let the reader find things out over time. When planning, understand that you will know more about the characters, setting, plot than your reader, and that’s okay. Allow them to use their imagination to fill in the blanks. If they are able to do this, they become active participants in the creativity held within the pages of your novel. Most readers don’t know it, but they actually love this without even realizing it’s happening. And, if they can use their imagination while reading, they become more excited about your book because they’ve put a bit of themselves in it. That is powerful.
Use pacing to create emotion. Simply put, action scenes should read quickly, but not everything can be an action scene. Pacing is a powerful writing tool, but how do you vary the pacing of your book? Here are some tips:
Use sentence length to help you. For faster paced scenes, use shorter sentences and choppy paragraphs. For slower paced scenes, use longer, more elaborate sentences and paragraphs.
Use cliffhangers to add a sense of anxiety for readers.
Zoom in on details when you are trying to slow things down.
Use internal dialogue and character introspection to slow things down.
For faster paced scenes, make sure you only write what is necessary for your reader to know.
Here’s more information on pacing.
Writing effective dialogue. Dialogue tells your reader so much about your characters. Here are some tips:
Make sure each character has their own voice. A 14-year-old will not sound the same as his teacher. Also, the way a 14-year-old speaks to a teacher and how they would speak to a friend are different.
Pay attention when people speak to each other. You want your dialogue to sound authentic and not like a robot, but don’t include all the ums and ahs people tend to use.
Make sure the reader knows who is speaking. You can do this with dialogue tags or beats.
When using dialogue tags, use the simplest tags possible. They are just a signpost for the reader’s brain and should become invisible to the reader. It should never become more important than the dialogue itself.
Dialogue beats, sometimes called action tags or just “beats,” are wonderful. They tell you who is speaking by using action instead of dialogue tags. That could look something like this:
Emma spun on her mother. “Why would you say that to me?” In this instance, the reader knows who the speaker is. It’s Emma. Not only that, but it also sets a tone: Emma is upset. Remember, humans communicate with body language as well. Use it.
Liternauts has more information on writing powerful dialogue.
This will help if you have any questions about how to punctuate your dialogue correctly.
Showing versus telling. This is a concept that perplexes people. Showing is painting a picture for your reader. It helps to create the sense that they are watching a movie in their minds. If you are telling, you are summarizing it for them. Showing is a more powerful technique.
No matter what you write, you should always consult with a professional editor. Contact Jennifer Harshman at Harshman Services today!
