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The Top Ten Rules for Writers |
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Written by Tannith Perry
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Saturday, 25 March 2006 |
You want to write a book? Or, maybe you want to write a short story,
poem, play, or screenplay. Whether you're writing fiction or
non-fiction, there are certain things you need to do if you want to be
successful. Here's my top ten list for successful writing.
- Write
often, all the time, everyday! Write in secret, in public, take notes at
family reunions and at the theatre. Become the weirdo who is known for
always having a pen, a pad and a roving eye.
- Show,
don’t tell, use concrete and specific details and all five senses
- Plot
should be secondary to strong characters, but still be present.
- Read
broadly, read deeply, read in a variety of genres, read consciously, READ
- Keep
writing, especially, when desperation, depression and doubt are your three
best friends. Push on!
- Read
your work aloud to find mistakes and places where sentences and dialogue
don’t flow.
- While
you are in the midst of writing a novel, ignore number 4. Reading other
people’s prose and stories can dilute your own voice.
- Know
your subject. Readers will not trust (i.e. read) authors who write a story
about racecars, but don’t know the difference between a V8 and a V6
engine.
- No two
scenes should create the same tone or have the same purpose. If you have a
sentence that conveys an idea such as, “She was a good writer”, cut out
any sentence with the same subject. “She could create a page of beautiful
prose whenever she wanted.”
- Make
your readers ask big questions. Does money make happiness? And small
questions. “Is she going to get kicked out of her apartment?”
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 11 July 2006 )
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