Anyone who is a writer can testify to how difficult it can be to write any piece of work and to write it well. We all have our off days where we struggle to find inspiration to write. That is why we've put together some epic writing tips from some of the best writers in history, to help make your writing flawless.
Anyone who writes can tell you that it is a love-hate kind of thing. Sometimes the words just flow beautifully and endlessly, and other times you spend hours staring at your screen while waiting for the words to magically write themselves.
And writing inspired work becomes more and more of a challenge as the year-end fatigue starts kicking in. So, what better way to get some inspiration than from established writers themselves?
Read on as Saads Abrahams from media update shares some writing tips from famous writers.
"If you're using dialogue, say it aloud as you write it. Only then will it have the sound of speech." -John Steinbeck
When someone reads your work, you want them to be able to connect with what you've written, When you write something that just sounds mechanical readers tend to get bored with your writing.
To avoid this, read your work out loud — this will help you hear what your readers will hear when they read your story. Try to make your writing flow as if it were a conversation and it will more likely be received well by your audience.
"If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it." -Elmore Leonard
Following the previous tip, if it sounds like writing, rewrite it. Make your writing create images in the minds of your readers. You need to be passionate about what you are writing if you want your work to be interesting and not just look like words on a page.
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." -Leonardo Da Vinci
Don't add unnecessary "big" words in your writing when a simpler word will do. If you want your writing to be easily understood and reach a larger audience, you need to simplify your writing.
"Read, read, read everything — trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it. Then write. If it is good, you'll find out. If it's not, throw it out the window." -William Faulkner
This is one of my personal favourite tips — read a lot and write a lot. The only way you will ever become a great writer is by opening your mind to a whole lot of different writings.
Writing is a skill that takes practice to perfect — and the only way to improve your writing skills is by one, writing a lot and two, reading a lot.
"It takes a lot of bad writing to get to a little good writing." -Truman Capote
As stated in the last point, writing is a skill. No one is perfect on their first go, or even their first draft of a piece — so if you are struggling with a project, just start.
It may not be any good but it's a start, and once you're done, you can go back and edit and rewrite until you have written something you are proud of!
"When you're stuck, and sure you've written absolute garbage, force yourself to finish and THEN decide to fix or scrap it — or you will never know if you can." -Jodi Picoult
There are many, many obstacles that writers face, such as writer's block or even just having a lack of confidence in what they need to write. So, a tip from Jodi Picoult is to just start writing — there is nothing that can't be edited at a later period. So just start and let the words flow — even if they aren't great to start with.
"Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open." -Stephen King
When you are writing, write with your own thoughts and try not to let any outside noise in. Only once you are done, allow feedback from peers and editors and then rewrite with that feedback in mind.
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