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.
    • Comments()

    • Elmore Leonard - Just Use Said

    • As Elmore Leonard has said, avoid using anything besides said to carry dialogue. Most other words will just clutter up the dialogue and it's better to let the words and your physical descriptions of people to carry the dialogue.
    • Comments()

    • 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.
    • Comments()

    • Don't Be Afraid to Share Your Strange Thoughts

    • Don't be afraid if you have skeletons, or perceived skeletons, in your closet. Your readers will appreciate your strange nuances and may share them with you. These quirks will help your readers identify with you and in some cases, relate to your work better.
    • Comments()

    • 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.
    • Comments()


View all creative writing tips