Creative Writing Tips

    • The Vomit Draft

    • Too often, people get caught up in making the first draft perfect. Forget about it. Instead, say everything and anything in that first draft, just vomit all over the page. That way you can see what you like and dislike and go from there.
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    • Characterization - Love Before Death

    • If you want readers to be invested in your story, it's crucial that you make sure your reader falls in love with your character before you "kill them off." Note: This doesn't only apply when you are actually killing a character but applies in most situations. If your reader doesn't feel a strong connection with your character, then he or she won't care about the things that happen to your character. If you talk about how sad it was when you lost your best friend, make sure the reader loves your best friend too.
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    • Characterization - Spread the Details

    • People like to get characterization out of the way by bombarding the reader with all of the details at once. This strategy is just going to overwhelm the reader and cause many of the details to be lost. Sprinkle the characterization throughout the story, allowing the reader to learn more about the character when necessary.
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    • Elmore Leonard - Don't Write What People Don't Read

    • Elmore Leonard said "Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip." This is an important lesson. Think about stories you read. Are there any parts you simply skip over? Identify what causes this and avoid doing it in your own writing.
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    • Actions Speak Louder Than Words

    • Also known as show don't tell, the idea here is that you need to convey your message to a reader in more than just the words. Don't just say "Jon was mean" but instead, allow the reader to conclude that based upon Jon's actions in the story.
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