Creative Writing Tips

    • Poetry - Cut the Articles

    • In poetry, the articles (the, a) often just slow the piece down and distract from the real visuals. Try removing the articles from your poetry whenever possible.
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    • Write What You Know

    • It's often easiest to just be you. Drawing on your experiences and relying on the things you are most familiar with make it a lot easier to write a story. You can take liberties with it but it's easiest to make something up when you have a strong familiarity with it or have similar memories to build off.
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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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    • 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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    • Don't Keep Secrets From Your Reader

    • When you're writing a story, don't cheat the reader out of information. If a piece of information is important to the story and the character knows it, let the reader in on the secret. You're cheating the story if you make crucial details hidden. It doesn't build suspense, just frustration.
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