Entering the world of writing can be a wonderful experience! From realistic novels to detective stories, from science fiction to poetry: the only limit is the imagination. Writing does not mean simply putting something in writing: you have to read a lot, do research, reflect and revise. Everyone should find the method that best suits their needs, but the following tips will help anyone get started on a good writing journey.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Get started
Step 1. Read a lot
Approaching a wide range of authors and genres serves to expand not only one's knowledge, but also to have a glimpse of different styles, identifying the "touch" of different authors. It is useful to reflect on the theme to choose, on the style to adopt and, last but not least, what you want to avoid in order to give the wrong impression of your stylistic imprint.
- Read the genre you would like to adopt for your work. If you want to write a science fiction novel, for example, start reading the masters of the genre, such as Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick and Ray Bradbury.
- Read on regularly. Even if you only have 20 minutes left before going to bed, read something and, after some time, you will notice an improvement in your writing style.
Step 2. Find a place to write
In the beginning, try writing in different places to find the environment in which you feel best. Where can you focus most? Where do you find inspiration? Where can you collect your thoughts? At home, in front of your usual desk, or in a crowded cafeteria, perhaps in a remote corner of the library or in the park.
- You may find that it helps to change places based on your mood or where you have arrived.
- Choose the place to write based on the specific activity. For example, if you have to gather ideas, it would be better to do it in bed, in your room, while the library can be perfect for making changes.
Step 3. Choose a writing tool
Do you prefer to do it by hand or on a laptop? You don't have to decide only the place to write, but also the most suitable tool.
Beware of distractions. You may be able to type faster by typing, but the computer brings with it various distractions, such as emails and websites
Step 4. Collect your thoughts
Write down your plot ideas. A well written book always comes from a great idea and the possibilities are endless. You could write something about calculations, about Mercury, even about yourself. There is nothing that cannot be covered in a book. Try to answer the following questions:
- What happens in your story?
- What is the main argument?
- Who is the main character?
- Why should the reader be interested?
Step 5. Do your searches
If you want to write something about a topic you don't know well, or want to be sure you are dealing with it realistically, seek information or ask an expert for advice.
- Search for information online. Type the topic into the search engine and browse the top twenty results.
- Check the texts in the library. Yes, believe it or not, you can still find information in the library that is not available online. If you need broader sources, try a university library.
Attention: Use the information collected online with caution, especially if you have to write an essay or an article that is based on factual data. Sometimes, the sources available on the internet are not reliable. Published texts and newspaper articles are thoroughly checked before they are published, so they tend to be safer sources.
Method 2 of 3: Write a Draft
Step 1. Write a rough draft
It doesn't matter if there are misspellings or ineffective adjectives. The draft only serves to throw out some random thoughts already. Write down anything you want to include in your work, without worrying about organizing the draft, as this is something you will do later.
Step 2. If you find it difficult, try free writing
Set a timer, then start writing without stopping until the time runs out. You won't have time to worry about mistakes if you let the words out quickly.
Step 3. Create a second draft
Review the first draft and start reordering items. Fix spelling, grammatical errors, and ineffective sentences, especially by eliminating repetition. Enrich the texture and reflect on the elements to be cut.
- Edit your work without mercy. If an item doesn't fit well into the story, if you find it useless, or you don't like the way you wrote it, don't hesitate to delete it.
- Pay attention to consistency. Do all parts of the story make sense? If so, you can continue, otherwise review everything, changing the contrasting parts.
- Check the usefulness of the elements. Are all parts of the story necessary? Does each paragraph add useful circumstances, suspense, carry the story forward and develop the character of an important character?
- Check that nothing is missing. Have all the characters been introduced the right way? Does the plot flow smoothly, or are there gaps?
Step 4. Correct your work
Remember that spell checking is not enough. Only you can notice substantial differences between terms that, even if written in the right way, do not fit into the proper context.
Step 5. Write a third draft
At this point, give yourself more time to reflect on each paragraph, analyzing it, editing it or writing it from scratch. Also consider moving entire periods to add them to a different place.
Step 6. Keep writing until you are ready for a second opinion
This is an important step, because other people will read what you actually wrote, not something you think you wrote.
- Ask for the opinion of people you trust, respect, and read or write a lot.
- Expect an honest and thorough analysis. Only an honest opinion can help you improve as a writer, even if it were a ruthless critique of the whole story.
- If they need guidance, ask them the same questions you asked yourself.
- This is a critical step, especially if the whole story revolves around a technical topic you don't know by heart. Make sure at least one of the readers is an expert.
- Join a group of local or online writers to share your writings, read the works of others, with a mutual exchange of comments.
Step 7. Evaluate the responses you receive
You don't have to be satisfied or share anything they tell you about your work. On the other hand, if you get the same kind of comments from different people, you should probably take them seriously. Find a balance between what you want to keep and what you need to change based on trusted judgments.
- Reread the story keeping in mind the judgments received. Pay attention to gaps, items that should be eliminated, and sections that need to be reviewed.
- Rewrite what you see fit using reader comments and your critical sense.
Method 3 of 3: General Strategies for Effective Writing
Step 1. Omit unnecessary terms
Eliminate words that only serve as a facade. If a word is not essential to tell the story, or is semantically superfluous, leave it out. It is preferable to use a few words rather than insert too many, because the writing risks becoming suffocating, pompous and illegible. In particular, pay attention to:
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Adjectives. In particular, pay attention to adjectives that describe nouns, because they are sometimes redundant. Beginner writers often make the mistake of inserting too many adjectives to flaunt descriptive character.
Example: "He stepped aside, but indignant anger boiled inside him." "Indignato" means "resentful" and already implies "anger". In this case, the adjective can be eliminated without taking away anything fundamental, because it does not add anything new. It would have been better to write: "He stepped aside, but anger was boiling inside him."
- Idioms and slang expressions. Expressions such as "child's play" or "foam at the mouth" are not always suitable for smooth writing. Just like slang terms, they relate to a certain era and can be misunderstood (could you decipher dialect phrases dating back to the 1920s?).
Step 2. Use simple terms
In the beginning, practice writing like Hemingway instead of Faulkner. If you're not familiar with their style, here's a comparison. Which do you think is easier to understand?
- "Maera lay motionless, her head on her arms, her face in the sand. She felt the warmth and stickiness of the blood she had lost. She felt, each time, the horn coming. Sometimes the bull just hit him with his head. Once. the horn pierced it from side to side and Maera felt it sink into the sand. Someone was pulling the bull by the tail. They covered it with insults and waved the cape over its muzzle. Then the bull disappeared. " - Ernest Hemingway, In Our Time.
- "Of men, neither white nor black nor red, but men, hunters, with the strength and the will to resist and the humility and the ability to survive, stories of dogs and the bear and the deer in contrast and in relief, in and from the wild nature condemned and commanded to the ancient and implacable confrontation according to ancient and inflexible rules that emptied all regret and gave no respite. " - William Faulkner, The Bear.
Step 3. Let the verbs carry the sentence
Verbs are probably your best friends. A well-placed verb makes a wonderful sentence and makes useless to use other terms, both adjectives and nouns, which could only create havoc. It's a concept by Ezra Pound that a sentence is essentially a way to convey power. Verbs help make this step possible.
- For example: "He entered the room." There is nothing wrong with this sentence. On the other hand, it is a bit dull. It can be made more lively, more specific, with the introduction of a more incisive verb, for example "slipped," or "rushed," or "slipped".
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Use active rather than passive forms as a general rule.
- Active form: "The dog has found its master." In this case, the dog performs the action, because it has found the master by acting actively.
- Passive form: "The owner was found by his dog." In such a case, the dog does not perform the action directly. The master is found, he undergoes the action.
Write Step 16 Step 4. Expand your vocabulary
This way, you will be able to take advantage of more specific terms. It is not necessary to use a big word when there is a common equivalent that has the same meaning, yet every now and then you will be forced to enter particular terms. But they are a resource for the darkest of times, so use them sparingly.
- In your opinion, how many people know the meaning of "sesquipedale"? Probably very few. It means "very long". If you're going to use this term, do it in the right context. It probably can't be combined with common words, but you can use it to give a sentence an ironic, satirical or funny tone.
- Get in the habit of memorizing technical terms. If you want to describe a house, you will probably need to know some architectural terms: "gutters", "columns", "facade", "interior", "riser", and the list goes on. There are no synonyms because they are technical terms and you are forced to specify "gilded interiors" if you do not want to paraphrase, saying "the gilded stuff that is on one side of the wall". It is up to you to find the best solution.
Write Step 17 Step 5. Use figurative language to achieve a particular effect
Which includes metaphors and similes. You've probably heard of it before. Use metaphorical language sparingly, only when you need to impress the reader. "The cleats were hard and misshapen" becomes a more vivid picture with the introduction of a simile: "The cleats were hard and misshapen like shells spit out of the sea."
Write Step 18 Step 6. Pay attention to punctuation
You probably think it is a boring aspect of writing, maybe you are right, but it is essential to understand the meaning of the sentences without the possibility of misunderstanding. It must be present, but it must not be noticed, like an invisible network. Some err in excess, because they draw attention to it, even if they don't do it on purpose.
- Exclamation marks. They must be used sparingly. People don't often make exclamations and not always a sentence is worthy of an exclamation point. Elmore Leonard, the great mystery writer, says: "Keep an eye on exclamation points. You are not allowed to use more than two or three for every 100,000 words of prose."
- Semicolon. It is used to define hybrid periods, linking two sentences that have a logical connection. However, Kurt Vonnegut argues against the semicolon: "Don't use the semicolon. They are transvestite hermaphrodites who represent nothing at all. They simply prove that you went to college." While Vonnegut may be a bit extreme with his claims, it's probably not worth using the semicolon too often.
Write Step 19 Step 7. Avoid an archaic style
Archaic writing includes terms and constructions that were in vogue 300 years ago, so it's hard to understand, doesn't seem natural to the contemporary ear, and, believe it or not, it's much more difficult to use.
- Archaic: "The motivations have quadrupled."
- Make sure you copy, edit and check the written work, but not while trying to gather ideas.
- You can create a to-do list to keep track of the various steps you need to complete.
- Remember that it should be a fun activity, so don't stress yourself out too much. Famous authors also generally rewrite their stories several times.
- Don't be afraid to write the events of history without respecting a chronological order. A lot of writers start from the ending and then go back to the beginning. If you intend to do this, write each paragraph as you intended it but on different pages (or in different files if you are typing on a computer, or in different sections of a large text document). Then rearrange the pages so that the events unfold according to the correct chronology.
Modern: "There are four reasons."
Write Step 20 Step 8. Express what you mean clearly
Think about what you want to say before expressing yourself. Try to match the words with the thought, so that they reflect it perfectly. Many people simply put words on paper, hoping that somehow they convey a message. It is nothing but laziness.
Advice
