Write one true sentence, and then go on from there.
“Sometimes when I was starting a new story and I could not get it going, I would sit in front of the fire and squeeze the peel of the little oranges into the edge of the flame and watch the sputter of blue that they made. I would stand and look out over the roofs of Paris and think, “Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.” So finally I would write one true sentence, and then go on from there.” - Ernest Hemingway
Love your story. Often times we have several ideas for the books we would love to write. Write the story you are most passionate about. Your story is easier to write when you enjoy the characters and the plot.
Use the active voice. You want to pull the reader in from the first paragraph. You want a page-turner. Using the active voice in your stories, should generally follow the basic structure of noun-verb-object. While passive voice isn’t always a bad thing, limit it in your fiction writing.
Write now, edit later. Writers are always tempted to look for perfection in the first draft. They spend so much time trying to edit that they never get past the first chapter. Your first draft is just that - YOUR FIRST DRAFT. Do a dump of the story on to the page, get it out of your head, then you can edit. This is what we call freewriting.
Understand the basic structure of a story. Most writers understand how a story should be structured. You have your setting, characters, what the story is about and the point you want to get across. Creating an outline before you start will ensure success in completing your story.
At IABX, our mission is to promote and empower independent authors. We strive to provide useful and valuable information to do just that.
Feel free to send us an email at info@iabx.org if you have any comments or suggestions. We would love to hear from you!
Missed the past weeks' Wednesday Writing Tips? Check them out here.