Following yesterday's thread of thought, here are some writing tips that most people should be aware of as common sense.
- Show, don't tell. Put your money where
my pocket your mouth is.
- Read your writing aloud. If it sounds choppy or slow or ridiculous, (you guessed it) it is! Fix it.
- Adjectives are the enemy. Use them sparingly, like your last storage of chocolate.
- Verbs are great! They skedaddle, mesmerize, explode, catapult over burning buildings and even do the dishes (literally... or is that figuratively?). What more can you ask for ?
- Use correct grammar! Creative license will only get you so far, depending on what you're writing. But first, make sure you can easily follow the rules so you know how to artfully break them.
- Edit your work! Don't be a lazy ass and make someone else do it. Editing is one of the most important parts of the writing process.
- This should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway: avoid cliches!
- If you're writing about a character that's the opposite sex, please think twice about the dialogue and thoughts. I've critiqued writing many times where I end up saying, "(Guys/Girls) don't talk like that. Think about it. They would never say/think like that at all." Even if it's fiction, keep it real, yo.=
- Follow the rules of the world/genre. If it's sci-fi, don't go jumping outside the bounds of physics (esp. without any logical explaination). If it's fantasy, obey the law of the land; everything has limits and consequences, even magic. If it's non-fiction, don't go off into an alien space ship. You get the point?
- Research! Don't write about things as fact when you're going on assumptions. People will call you out on it.
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