Writers are full of advice for other writers, and it seems the experienced writers make you pay for it. But, below, is a collection of easy but wise advice I have gleaned from a variety of very reliable sources, such as creative writing college instructors and other experienced writers, since I started writing and that I have found helpful. I hope you find it helpful as well.
Of course, all rules are meant to be broken in at least some circumstances.
Please leave comments with your thoughts.
- A problem that a character can walk away from is a book a reader can walk away from.
- Write to your audience.
- Write dialogue that’s worth eavesdropping on.
- Don’t be afraid to “kill your darlings” if it furthers the plot (whether “darlings” refers to characters, favorite plot devices, subplots, or even entire chapters).
- Don’t be in love with your words. Cut mercilessly as needed.
- Add action tags to prevent “talking heads.”
- Make your main characters memorable. Otherwise they’re lost in the crowd.
- Every character should have a unique viewpoint, “voice,” and motivation or they become clones.
- Just when your main characters seem to get a grip on the situation, torment…
