Sara's 10 Basic Writing Tips

[Little Earthquake]

Originally Posted by kristie911

Drink alcohol. It makes enjoying the process much easier.

I wholeheartedly agree.

[JAlpha]

In my role as an editor for Flash Me Fiction Magazine, I mine the submission file in search of publishable fiction, that makes me partial to gathering tips on how authors can improve their writng products verses their writing process.

To say I am looking for well-crafted stories to publish is a given, but good writing is not enough to merit an award or publication in today’s competitive publishing markets.

So here's my #1 editorial tip for creating a powerful writing product . . .

A publishable fictional story has to have a worthy story topic–a subject that justifies the author’s time to write the story as well as the reader’s time to read it.

Yes, I know that sounds a bit harsh-- call it tough love But even the freshest and most articulate of authorial voices fall flat in a story that lacks thematic depth and complexity.

[dpaterso]

Originally Posted by JAlpha

A publishable fictional story has to have a worthy story topic–a subject that justifies the author’s time to write the story as well as the reader’s time to read it.

Yes, I know that sounds a bit harsh-- call it tough love But even the freshest and most articulate of authorial voices fall flat in a story that lacks thematic depth and complexity.

<thinks> You mean, write an interesting story?

-Derek

[JAlpha]

Originally Posted by dpaterso

<thinks> You mean, write an interesting story?

-Derek

The word “interesting” scares me because it often translates into a beginning writer developing an if it happened to me it’s important/interesting narcissistic story/style that doesn't deliver an engaging story momentum and exhilarating reading adventure.
.

[maestrowork]

1. Write what you LOVE to read. If you're not even passionate about the stuff you write, how can you make your readers care?

2. Butt-in-Chair, outline, blah blah... all those are just suggestions and what may work for some writers. Find your own methods and groove. Be flexible. Writing is an art, not bean counting.

3. There's no one way to write. Just because most books are written a certain way doesn't mean you have to do the same thing. It just means they're easier -- but easier doesn't necessarily mean better. Tell the story the best way it should be told. If it's 2nd person present tense so be it.

4. Take risks -- that's how a writer grow, but pushing the limits and going beyond the comfort zone.

5. Plotting is about choice -- take the unexpected path and see where it leads you. Don't settle for the obvious and cliched.

6. Learn the craft. Learn the business. Your talent means nothing if you don't have the right skills to make it shine.

7. Know the rules before you break them, and break them only when it makes sense.

8. To paraphrase Michael Chabon, and I take this to heart: success requires talent, luck and discipline. Of the three, you only have control over discipline. And then you hope that you have the other two.

9. If you think you're being "writerly" like what a "writer" should be, chances are you're not. You're just imitating, and the result could range from pretentious, inauthentic to downright ghastly.

10. Plant your feet firmly on the ground while you reach for the stars.

[jst5150]

I wrote these a while back for a staff I supervised in Portugal. They asked me to write them so I would stop berating them as I edited them. Anyway, the language applies to feature writing, but can apply across disciplines.

Tudor's 15 Laws of Good Writing


Before You Write …

Don't ignore me
I'm the one reading the story. You wrote this because you felt it was something I needed to know. It's up to you to find the correct words and make it entertaining for me. The subconscious effect is that I learn something, come away with a better understanding of a topic or my behavior/emotions change.

Write an outline
You're attempting to cover a lot of material in a little space. So, breakdown your story into chunks. For instance, a portrait of a company leader might have an introduction, then talk about his upbringing, then focus more on career and end on items for the future. However you deem necessary, the outline should help you arrange your thoughts and provide a roadmap for whatever your hook dictates. You're paid to think, plan and execute the writing. It's hard work. It's tedious and involved. However, you ain't shoveling coal. It's a privilege to write to thousands of people every week. Do the hard work and like it.

Show an interest
A finished story shows the mental investment by the writer and the publisher. Simply put, if you're not doing the homework about the Asbestos being pulled out of the gym and enjoying it in some small way -- by learning something new, regaling in the new insulation that will be supplied or letting out a sinister laugh at the costs -- you probably need to find another angle. A better hook (see below). Or get someone else to do the story. Or stop writing altogether.

Do your homework
Never, ever have to ask fact-based things you can find out ahead of time (biographical or unit data). Solve this with phone calls and trips to the Web. Then find related items. For instance, security or force protection is not an Air Force-only concept. What does NASA do? What does the Army do? What does Wal-Mart do? How can you relate this to your readers? Always have more material than you need. You may not need 17 fact sheets and 23 Web pages on the subject's hometown, but the one sentence of information you draw about it for your story may make the difference between a good and great story.

Your observations count
Fact is fact. How you, as the reporter/writer interpret and report that fact is what makes the story unique. You may see a trinket, a motion or hear something that matters. For instance, what sounds and smells surround your subject? What does a propulsion shop sound like? What does the group commander's office sound like? How do people react when they see him coming? This is all stuff that matters when telling a story about that person. No subject lives in a vacuum, whether mission feature or human interest.

As You Write …

Take risks
If you're afraid to use new words, get your hands dirty or say something that might be a little off-center, don't write. Stop. Call it a day. And then cross-train. Really. You have to be willing to go along new paths and seek new directions. The crux of your job is communicating difficult technical and often human-centered issues to an audience that expects you to clarify and, in many ways, entertain. To entertain, you need to try new verbs. Turn phrases that sound cool. Find new angles of explanation. Explore places people have never gone. Go for the writing equivalent of diving into an enemy's machine gun nest and saving the day.

Find a hook
Most musicians start songs with a hook -- a set of notes that serve as a guide through the entire song. One of the most famous hooks, or riffs, is the opening to Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" or the way the lyrics play out in the Barenaked Ladies "One Week." In feature writing, there's a hook. You'll hear it. Then you continue exercising that hook throughout the story. For instance, in a story about one wing commander, someone told her as a young ROTC cadet that she would look "better in blue" than in Army green. It set the tone for the whole piece.

Create a rhythm
It's easy to find yourself writing sentences that all connect with "and", and end up 22 words long. It's habit like a lot of others. Writing is like making a movie. Long cuts are used for description and drama. Short cuts describe action and bring impact in with a quick rush. Find ways to pace your story. Does what you are describing require fast pace. Does your reader need to be rushed through the sequence because of the event? Or more slowly to drink in an element of pain or joy? Every sentence counts. Every word matters. It all goes to the rhythm of your story.

Find a beginning, a middle and an end
This is a simple rule. Your story has to start somewhere. There are probably a dozen good ways to start a story, all of which were taught at DINFOS. One of those is probably for you. It's how you spin it that matters. The middle's got to sustain your start. The conclusion's got to wrap the whole thing up. However, all of them need to be tied together. Think of a feature story as a human body. It has ligaments, tendons, muscles, nerves and all the other body parts that hold it together and make it function.

Use great verbs
Smash, crash, punch, spit, jam, crawl, hunch, yell, scream, giggle, cry, wiggle, shutter, shake, shimmy, toss, fling, heave, preach, howl, slip, spill, slide, whiz, zoom, soar, rip, squeeze, lick, scribble, jot and fizzle are all great verbs. Impact, remediate, craft, work, host and propagate action are verbs meant for people who will spend a lifetime in communicative, bureaucratic Hades. Always remember something I like to call the Frank Ameduri Axiom: one good verb is worth 1,000 adjectives and adverbs.

Show me, don't tell me …
There is a difference between writing "He was scared," and describing it. It's better to tell me his hands shook, his eyes were wide and his breathing was heavy as he entered the haunted house. Then tell me how he stained his underwear when the Dr. Phil zombie jumped out and threatened to talk to him on his show in Hell.

… And tell me something new
As a reporter, you have an obligation to offer new insight. Everyone is already aware of the pride, importance, and safety of the thing. So, what's new? What is it that makes it that way? You know the airmen killed in the Khobar Towers bombing died because of a lapse in force protection. What was the lapse and how is it fixed today? Be as specific as you're able.

Be current/follow trends
The top 10 shows on television can usually dictate how our culture goes. Catch phrases. Talk in the break room. Personalities. Pop culture like TV, music and movies should be woven into features whenever you have the chance. That also means being current on the latest Air Force trends. What's the latest on fitness? How does the wing handle its annual awards program? You have to tell readers through your writing, "I'm here with you. I get it. I'm all over this." A combat controller has knowledge of all weapons and tactics -- not just the ones he uses. You should, too.

Also Remember …

Would you buy it?
Feature writing follows Darwin. If it's weak, it gets killed. Unfortunately, against Darwin's rule somehow, the Air Force perpetuates the species. Also, feature writing follows the rules of Madison Avenue. Think about it. Would you buy John Grisham if he constantly used words like "remediate," wrote in passive voice or his prose was wrought with clichés? Dave Barry's funny because he writes well, has a good agent and people buy in up in droves. When the base newspaper hits the stands Fridays, will your readers buy your work?

Be your own worst critic
Always be your own worst critic. You're as great as your next story. Keep pushing and figuring out where you're weak and strong. Exercise the weak muscles. Tone the strong ones. Find five new verbs to use in every story. Find new ways of saying "security forces personnel" and "aircraft maintenance journeyman." They are out there. Over time, you'll realize you have your own style. And it's yours. And it's good.

[robeiae]

I'm easily distracted. Man, look at that a-...

What's the topic, again? Oh, right.

So, when I'm writing, I don't like distractions--especially on my screen. To that end, I use a wonderful little program recommended by James Ritchie in this thread: http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/...ad.php?t=64296

It's called "Dark Room" (or "Write Room" for Apples users).

It's a free program, available here: http://they.misled.us/dark-room

Love it!

[poetinahat]

My only real epiphany is that I often do better starting from a small detail or phrase and build outward, rather than trying to write to a larger topic.

[Autodidact]

Make it shorter. Almost everything written can benefit by being shorter.
Specifically, make it shorter a word at a time.

Write. Read about writing. Think about writing. Talk about writing. You can even write about writing!

Be interested in the world, passionately curious, and pay attention.

Creating and editing are two different brain-processes. First, give yourself permission to spew out less-than-perfect prose. Then remove your creative hat and put on your editor's hat. (An eyeshade?) Don't spare your own feelings as you ruthlessly hack away what you created.

[A. J. Luxton]

Hydrate when you booze and when you caffeinate. This has what may seem like a disadvantage at first (it gets you to the smallest room in the house more often) but that actually turns out to be an advantage if you're a hyperkinetic type: gets more neurons firing. And it means you won't crash off your buzzes (and the associated writing sprees) nearly so quickly; you can sustain a coffee buzz for hours if you're drinking enough water, for some reason.

[jst5150]

Folks, we've received a few "10 tips list" from some of you. However the goal is build a separate thread with "10 tips" from people on the board. I'm compiling them nbow. So, if you have 10 (serious) tips that help you or others write, please PM them to me and I'll post them here.

Thanks.

[Danalynn]

These are all some AWESOME tips! I'm taking notes. . . .

[maestrowork]

Here's one more for the road:

- there's no one way to write.

Even the same writer can try different things; sometimes they work, sometimes they don't, and they may only work sometimes. It's always good to be flexible and try new things, new methods, and new ideas. Writing is an art, not paint by numbers.

[Ozzfan1317]

Thanks for the tips and LOL...hydrating is always important..

[EroticDiamond]

Thanks for the tips.

[Sarita]

Any time! Thanks for reading them

[WriterX316]

Thanks for the tips.

I learned a lot just off this one post.

Favorite quote: "Those with wings fly to your dreams."

[DecSigns12]

Thanks for the tips

[DeliciousPineapple]

These tips have been fantastic. Thank you all and keep em' coming!

[Aura]

I know some writers tend to be loners or introverts

I do tend to be rather reclusive. Many thanks for the advice

[Hailey-Edwards]

I was told once, after someone read my work that they could tell I read a LOT. I think that is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me LOL

Good tips :0)

[Laurie PK]

These are fantastic tips -- I look forward to seeing the compilation!

A couple days ago, I wrote "10 Writing Tips From My Reader's Digest Editor." She - the editor - has really improved my writing and editing skills. Jason, I'll PM them to you, and you can decide if they'd be helpful here....

[Aura]

Can you post your stories here? If so, how please?

[stormie]

Aura, are you asking how to post stories to be critiqued? You go to the Share Your Work forums and read the stickies (at the top). It'll tell you more about it.

[Aura]

Sorry mate didn't mean to sound thick