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Top Ten Tips for Beginner Writers
Understand
Writing is amazing. It is so satisfying to be able to hold your success, to see your success, to know your hard work paid off. On the opposing side, writing can be a pain. As unfair as it may seem, to succeed, you need to fail. Truthfully, writing is more than putting words on a page. In order to be a successful writer, you need to understand that.
Writer Friends
No one will understand a writer's mind better than a writer. Of course, every writer is different. Even so, they have been/are where you are. They will assist you in growing as a writer, probably better than any English teacher ever could.
First drafts
Think of a building. Obviously, you build from the floor upward. Essentially, your first draft is the foundation of your story - something to build upon. That being said, your first draft is not the story as the floor is not the building.
Keep Writing
As previously stated, in order to succeed, you need to fail. If you aspire to be a successful writer, you need to also understand that it is not the fact you fail, but whether you rise despite the failure. Furthermore, if you wish to improve, you need to continue writing beyond your mistakes.
Originality
Originality is not mandatory. If your plot derives from an AU, writing prompt, or already exists (a book or movie having the same general plot), your story does not lose its value. Some of the best stories exist more than once.
Yes, it counts.
If you post on Fanfiction, you are a writer. If you post on Wattpad, you are a writer. If you write, you are a writer. Your work is valid, no matter what you decide to do with it.
Writing Journals
There will come a time when the perfect idea hits you and you don't have access to a device. Sure, we operate digitally. Even so, invest in a journal. You’ll never know when you might need it.
Reading Books
Reading action packed books helps me understand how to effectively shift between a scene/moment in a chapter. Even if you’re not much of a reader, rest assured the techniques you wish to master are hidden in pages for you to observe.
Taking Advice (the irony is strong)
You will stumble upon posts instructing you on what to use in a sentence, what not to use, how to express emotion, et cetera. Keep in mind that not all of it will apply to you. Use the word “very” if you want to, end a sentence with a preposition if you would like, don’t name your chapters if you don’t feel like it. You are in charge of your story.
Taking Breaks
It is okay to take an hour break, or a week-long break, or even a three-month break. It does not make you any less of a writer. Do whatever you need to do to become the writer you aspire to be, even if that means not writing for a while.
If you have any questions, or feel I missed something, feel free to let me know!
Character Development
When developing a character, I choose the role I want my character to play, then decide how I could make it realistic.
Take my character Remi Wolf, for example. Remi is always in the center of chaos, and she is aware of it. To save herself an emotional breakdown, she plans ahead. Some would call it being prepared, but when her doing it affects her everyday life, it slowly starts to be an anxiety disorder.
There are ways to portray Remi’s anxiety without saying she has anxiety, such as giving her noise cancelling headphones. Since she has been around chaos most of her life, she may be sensitive to noise. Remi could wear these in a classroom, in the cafeteria, et cetera.
As tedious as this task may be, putting a reason behind the tiniest detail not only helps the development of the character make sense, but it humanizes the character in a way where the reader can relate to them.
(Tip: Everybody gets anxious, but if it’s to the point where your anxiousness is affecting how you perform everyday tasks, talk to someone about it. Preferably, a doctor of some sort, but it helps to talk to your peers.)
If you have any questions regarding character development, or feel as though I’ve missed something, feel free to let me know!
Character Traits
An interesting trick I learned from scrolling through my Instagram feed (instead of writing) is to focus on the extremes of your character - the two ends on a character’s personality spectrum.
Take a perfectionist, for example. This person strives to be perfect all of the time, therefore, they work extremely hard. However, this person is so obsessed with being perfect that they can come off as condescending or controlling.
A character’s personality traits also depend heavily on the viewpoint at which you’re looking. Take an abusive parent. When the parent is at work, all of their co-workers may see them as a caring, respectful, and friendly person. To their child, they’re seen as uncivilized and a monster.
I’m not saying you have to use the “extremes” concept on every character. In fact, assigning only negative traits helps the reader identify who the antagonist (or villain) may be. However, giving a character both positive and negative traits helps humanize the character.
If you have any questions regarding character traits, or feel as though I’ve missed something, feel free to let me know!