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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    • Elmore Leonard - Don't Use "Suddenly" or "All Hell Broke Loose"

    • While you might feel like something suddenly happened, it's a waste of space in writing. Suddenly gives the reader no visual understanding of what is being described, it makes something sound magical. Use more thorough descriptions of things and the reader will piece together what happened. Likewise, "All hell broke loose" gives no true visual of what's happening in the story. Don't rely on cheap phrases but instead, provide the visual imagery that will cause the reader to make that conclusion on his or her own.
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    • Experiment Using Writing Prompts

    • We've got a ton of great writing prompts on this site. Use them. These prompts will help you experiment with new writing techniques and can help inspire different ideas in your head. Even if the piece you write based on the prompt isn't the one you're looking for, it can help open the floodgates to a new piece.
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    • Elmore Leonard - Don't Waste Reader's Time

    • Make sure to write so that your reader feels like their time is being well spent. Cut out the filler words that drag the story and clog up your sentences and spare the details that your reader would skip anyway.
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    • Characterization - Give Your Character Drive

    • Every character should have a motive for their actions. People don't act in an isolated state and so, you shouldn't let your characters fall into this rut. Be sure as you write that YOU understand your characters rationale and desires or else their actions won't make sense to the readers.
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