Introduction
When I started writing, I wished there was someone I could talk to. At the time there wasn’t anybody in my life even interested in writing. My friends had their own interests and the same went for my family. Wanting to write, for both fun and a career, seemed entirely out of left considering my environment. All my classmates saw writing as a chore, just a thing you did for assignments. Even my reader friends seemingly had no interest in how those stories came to be. More than content to simply enjoy whatever book that consumed their attention at the time. And my family barely read at all, certainly not for pleasure.
I had no clue where to start. No example to follow except the already polished and published books on my shelf. And I didn’t even know what to search online to find the resources I needed. Eventually, I jumped headfirst into it and struggled. And struggled. And struggled some more. With each work and each word typed, I slowly found my voice and started writing stories I was proud of. Which is all part of the experience. No amount of advice, well wishes, or research will stop you from struggling. But still, I wished that I had someplace solid to start. A firm platform to jump off of before diving into the deep. Which is why I decided to write this piece.
Here, I will put the little things someone would have told me all those years ago. The things I learned over my years of writing. The lessons, the advice I would give, to help someone like me. Who wanted to reach out and ask but was too nervous and unsure to do so. If that’s how you feel, then you found the right place.
Writing Tip 1: No Idea is “Too Stupid”
My first piece of advice is to never doubt the quality of your ideas. If it sparks passion, if it makes you want to write, then it’s worth investing in. No, not everything you make will be a masterpiece. Which is something to be thankful for. Not everything will be amazing. Not everything will even see the light of day. And you probably won’t end up finishing half of what you start, especially at the beginning. But writing is supposed to be self indulgent. It’s supposed to bring you joy or to make you think. Or to help you work through whatever is going on in your life.
So even if it seems silly or “stupid,” if you have the urge to write, do it! I promise you, there are definitely people out there who would adore whatever self indulgent idea you come up with. Or something you write now may plant the seeds for something better in the future. If you get caught up on only writing the ideas that seem “good” enough for the rest of the world, you’re probably not going to end up writing much. And, unfortunately, the only way to get better at writing is through writing.
At the beginning, you’re going to write things that future you is going to cringe at. You’re going to write things way beyond your skill level and feel defeated when you can’t execute them. You’re going to write a story or a chapter that you think is the essence of the Gods one night, then look a day later and realize it’s all gibberish. These are all common and essential moments of being a writer! Slowly but surely, you will get better. As long as you keep writing. So write that funny short story! Write that dramatic, angsty poetry! Write that song about your favorite character! Keep at it and something you’re truly proud of will emerge.
Writing Tip 2: Find other Writers
My second piece of advice is to actively seek out other writers. I can tell you from personal experience, I’ve had times where I haven’t had other writers in my life and times where I have. And overall, my life has always improved by having access to at least one other writer.
In person is preferred for this. There’s nothing like actually sitting down, face-to-face, and digging deep into each other’s work. I have many fond memories of sitting in coffee shops for hours with one of my writer friends. Computers and notebooks in front of us, a dead silence only broken by the sound of furious typing and flipping pages. At least, until one of us looked up and asked something like, “what’s another word for shiny? But like…evilier?” From there, furious discussion would take place until a conclusion was reached and we returned to our own devices. Then, another question would spark another debate.
You’ll quickly find that nobody quite gets it like a fellow writer. You can tell your friends and family all about what you’re working on. And you might get some enthusiastic nods at best. But in my experience, you’ll get a lot of wide eyed stares and perpetually confused looks. But with my writer friends, there’s conversation. There are genuine questions, advice, and offers to read over what you have. They’ll compare it to what they’re working on or what you’ve done in the past, all to seek a deeper understanding of your piece.
As a new writer, there’s no better way to learn than to find some fellow writers. Besides, of course, actually writing. I understand that this can be intimidating, especially when you’re new to writing. You may not feel experienced enough to engage with other writers. But I promise you, finding other writers will increase your comfortability with writing. And talking about your writing. Feedback and support is one of the pillars of writing. So finding a group of people or even one other writer to depend on for those two things can really improve your writing.
Search for online communities to join, where you can post about your progress, ask for advice, and share your achievements. Also seek out the writing groups in your community. Check out your local library, see if they have a regular writing group. There also may be groups that post where and when they meet on social media. There are various ways to find your fellow writers, you just have to seek them out.
Writing Tip 3: Back up EVERYTHING
Every writer I’ve known has felt the pain of permanently losing hours of work. And nothing I’ve experienced has been so demotivating. There is nothing that breaks a soul quicker than losing an entire chapter or even an entire story to the endless abyss. Forcing you to spend even more time rewriting what you’ve already put time and effort into making. The feeling of defeat, resignation, and outright anger is nothing like I’ve experienced elsewhere in my life.
So if you’re new to writing, try not to fall into the same rabbit hole. Actively back up your writing. Whether that be through using a program that connects to the cloud and backs up your writing automatically. Using two different writing programs; one for writing, one for copies. You can also get a hard drive and keep copies of your work on there. Whatever method works best for you and your writing, find it, and start practicing it regularly.
You never know what may happen. Your computer may die in the middle of writing. Or blue screen out of nowhere. You could also spill a drink or snack on your keyboard mid-writing session and completely break it. There’s many ways to lose your writing. Trust me, ask any writer about how they’ve lost a large chunk of progress and they’ll tell you a story. The sooner you can practice backing up everything you work, the more likely you’re able to avoid this tragedy.
Writing Tip 4: Good Writers Read
Another piece of advice I have for new writers is that good writers read. What does that mean? It means that writers don’t spend all their time writing. Even though it’s one of the most effective ways to improve your writing. But the car can’t run without gas and eventually, you’re going to find yourself getting burnt out and running on empty. When that time comes, take the time to refuel and find new inspiration.
Read those books on your “to-read” list, pick up the book collecting dust on your shelf. Read everything and anything, not just what you’d typically stick to or write. Instead, try out a genre you don’t typically read. Something brand new to the scene. If you don’t usually seek out classical literature, maybe give one a try. You may end up disliking it or it may not be your favorite. But you may also surprise yourself and find a new pool of inspiration.
You can also find inspiration through new shows or games but reading will actively improve your writing. So be sure to dedicate some time to reading new books.
Writing Tip 5: Gotta Know the Rules to Break ‘em
If you’re a fiction writer like me, we can take advantage of a more loose set of rules and expectations. Most people don’t enjoy fiction that’s written like a corporate memo or a scientific research paper. Unless, of course, it’s part of your world building/shtick. This means we can play with various elements of our writing. We can vary our sentences. Making one sentence extremely long winded, taking our readers and steadily pulling them along the current we create. Others can be short. Snappy. To the point. Creating an entirely different atmosphere.
We can begin a sentence only to—go in a different direction. Catching any relaxed reader off-guard. There’s many different ways we can play with our words. However, there are some non-negotiables. Such as spelling. You can spell “cat” “ccat” but most readers will only be confused and assume that nobody paid enough attention to run a basic spell check. Another mistake I often see new writers make is in regards to dialogue. Not many English classes have an intense focus on writing dialogue between characters. So new writers should take the time to find out how to write basic dialogue.
These are only a few examples of rules that every writer should know. Not that you need to learn everything at once. It’s not an exam you need to cram for. Instead, learn as you go. Write and google what you don’t know as you go. Or ask your fellow writers to read over what you have and accept any corrections with grace. I’d also recommend buying a book on grammar and editing, just to always have a reference on hand.
Conclusion
While this list is short and concise, and definitely doesn’t hold all the knowledge I’ve gained, I hope it was a good place to start. I hope this reached a new writer, still feeling unsure about accepting that title, and helped them feel a little more confident. If they’re reading this right now, don’t be afraid to reach out. Whether it’s to ask for advice, talk about their first work, or to simply seek reassurance.
Us writers must stick together, in a world that tells us that we are unnecessary. In a world where people don’t understand the work we put in. Where all they see is words on a page/screen and not the hours spent planning and carefully crafting the narrative. Where they say that our work can easily be done by AI and that it “can’t be that hard” to write. Remember that all of that isn’t true. And that your work takes effort, skill, and is worth every moment you put into it. Good luck to you all!
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