Getting Started: Writing Tips for Beginners

I remember when I was just starting out writing, and I started out in a pretty bad way. Nearly every mistake that is out there, I made it. So now, with all the experience I have gained, I will post some ways how to avoid starting out like me. =)

1). Don't be neat. Now, that might seem rather odd, but when I mean to not be neat, I mean to not sweat the details in your first draft. You should be neat in your final draft of your book, but when you're beginning, don't spend half an hour trying to make your first chapter perfect. If you agonize over every single word, phrase, and action, you won't get much done and your work will sound too labored. That is why I like to write my first draft instead of type it. If I type it, I'm tempted to delete and re-delete, which is made very easy by a handy-dandy delete button. If I write with a pen, I can't erase, which keeps me from getting hung up over a mere sentence. If there is something that you know needs editing in your first draft, just make a note of it in the margin and keep going. It doesn't matter if your book is perfect by the first-draft! Because it's not going to be.

2). Start out simple. Right now, I'm on a level with where I have sub-plots and sub-sub plots, supporting characters and characters that support the supporting characters. It's very hard, and I've been writing for a fair amount of time. If you're just writing your first book, I would suggest you start off with just one plot (maybe a small sub-plot, too) and just a few supporting characters. Then you can get more complicated as you go.

3). Talk to other first-time authors. When I was just starting out, I had a lot of friends who wrote--but I didn't know they did . It's encouraging to talk to other young authors, not to mention helpful.

4). Find out what genre you are (genre, just for reference, is the kind of book). I am a fantasy/allegorical genre. Seriously, I can't write anything else then fantasy and allegories. I've tried historical fiction, sci-fi, contemporary, and others, but I can't write those. You can experiment to find it out, or you can think on what books you read a lot of. Read a whole bunch of fantasy? You might want to try writing fantasy.

5). Read. A lot. I think that's self-explanatory, but I'll explain anyway. If you find a really good author, study their writing style. They probably use a lot of strong verbs (like sprinted or dashed instead of ran) and you can learn from their ways of making the reader interested. Just a note: don't copy. Learn doesn't mean do exactly what they did. You need to find your own writing style, but a good way to learn how you feel comfortable is to experiment standing in someone else's boots.

6). Have other people read your books. The first book I actually let someone read was the first third of one of my ongoing projects, Healing. They probably will be able to tell you if your characters are strong, plot interesting, etc.

7). Be healthy! Get a fair amount of sleep, drink a lot of water, eat healthy, get a good amount of exercise. They're actually important factors of good writing because they improve brain functioning and focusing.

8). Get your school-work and chores done before you sit down to write. That way there will be less interruptions from siblings or parents asking if your household duties are done yet, and you will be able to concentrate more if you don't have a to-do list hanging over your head.

9). Try to write often, even if it's only for a little while. If you skip one day, it'll be easier to skip a week.

10). Don't give up! No one ever becomes world-best author without a lot of work.

Yours without wax,

Izori