If you’re looking for a lot of writing tips condensed into a very short amount of time, you’ve come to the right place. A couple months ago, I made one new writing tip video for every day of the month. It was fun… if a little stressful.
But 30 writing tips—31, actually—barely scratches the surface. I’ve been writing novels for over a decade, so I figured I had a few more tips and tricks to share in this short format.
So here are 20 more rapid-fire writing tips.
1. Three Tips for Starting a Novel
Here are three key things to remember when starting to write a novel.
In the words of writer Terry Pratchett, “The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” Your first draft will be messy, and that’s okay.
Every bit of writing counts. Try your best to be consistent, even if that means only writing 200 words one day. Even one word is better than zero.
Have a plan. Especially if you’ve got a deadline (say, you’re participating in NaNoWriMo), having clear word count goals and an outline, however rough, is really helpful.
2. In Medias Res
One of the most compelling ways to start a story or a chapter is in medias res, dropping the reader right in the middle of something. This could mean opening halfway into an action sequence, or with the dramatic climax of a scene we haven’t seen the setup to. Your readers don’t need everything spelled out for them. In fact, it can be a lot of fun to figure out what’s going on as it’s happening. Try starting your story, or your next chapter, in the middle of a plot sequence. Skip the opening exposition, and get straight to the good stuff.
3. Save the Cat
Have you heard of the “Save the Cat” trick? It’s a storytelling technique to get readers or viewers on a character’s side, popularized by screenwriter Blake Snyder. You can use it in your own story by showing your protagonist, or any character you want the audience to like, doing something altruistic, like saving a cat. If you’re not careful, this story beat can be predictable and trite, so weave it organically into the plot, and show why this character is the kind of person who would go out of their way to do good. It’s important to also balance positive attributes in a character with flaws. If your protagonist does nothing but save a bunch of proverbial cats, that makes them less relatable and human.
4. Kick the Dog
Here’s how to write a “Kick the Dog” moment in your story—it’s not quite what it sounds like. While the “Save the Cat” story beat shows a character doing something good to get the reader on their side, a “Kick the Dog” story beat is the inverse. The fastest way to get a reader to dislike a character is to show them doing something terrible for no reason at all, like kicking a dog. Not only is it evil, but it’s unnecessary, and they went out of their way to do it anyway! It’s mean, but it’s a great way to show your reader who they should be fearing or rooting against.
5. Your Story’s Purple Cow
If you’re writing a story, you should always include a purple cow. I’ll explain. Seth Godin’s book on marketing, Purple Cow, is about the idea that “In a crowded marketplace, fitting in is failing.” I think that can be applied to writing books, too. Your story should have some unique wow factor, something remarkable that makes people do a double take, much like a purple cow would. Your book’s ‘purple cow’ could be a new spin on an old trope or an unconventional combination of genres. In my upcoming sci-fi book Catalyst of Control, the ‘purple cow’ is quantum mind control. You’ve probably never heard that phrase before, so hopefully, you’ll want to learn more. I’d love to hear what your story’s purple cow is in the comments.
6. Writing Villains
Here’s the key to writing a great villain. Your antagonist should be built around your main character’s central flaw. A great antagonist poses a challenge that’s specifically relevant to the protagonist—the more personal, the better. Whether your antagonist is a human, an organization, or a force of nature, they should function as the antithesis of your protagonist, displaying either the inverse of their good qualities or the extreme result of their bad qualities, pushing your main character to learn a lesson or overcome a flaw to win in the end. So your antagonist creates your protagonist’s character arc.
7. White Room Syndrome
Your writing might be suffering from white room syndrome—here’s how to avoid it. (White room syndrome is when there’s little to no description of a scene’s setting, meaning it might as well take place in an empty room.) Picture yourself in the setting. What are the first three things your eye is drawn to? Or, if you were a director filming the scene, what are the first few details you would focus the camera on to establish a sense of the space? You don’t need to describe much, just enough to give a feel for the look and atmosphere. Adding those few select details will give your reader enough to fill in the rest with their imagination, and avoid the dreadful white room syndrome.
8. Using Weather
One of the most effective ways of writing atmosphere and mood into a scene is through the use of weather. But not necessarily the way you think. Everyone knows if you want to make a sad scene sadder, make it rainy. But weather can be used ironically to create contrast—a character crying on a beautiful day is less expected, and could even be more emotionally effective. You can also use color and types of weather to reflect how a character is feeling. Maybe the colors of a sunset remind them of something from earlier in the story. Maybe the hailstorm around them reflects the cold, biting anger inside them. See if you can use weather to add another layer of meaning to your story.
9. Writing About Writing
If you’re stuck in writing your story, try writing about the story itself. Whenever I’m having trouble with a project, I find it helpful to take a step back and write honestly about how the creative process is going. Write about how you feel about the story, what scenes you’re looking forward to writing, what issues or plot holes are bothering you most. This act of self-analysis can lead to surprising insights that might just reveal the best path forward in your story.
10. Point of View
Deciding what point of view to write your story in is one of the most foundational choices you have as a writer, so don’t mess it up. Choosing the right narrative perspective comes down to understanding what you want out of your story, and then deciding with intent what POV matches best. If you want to explore the inner thoughts of multiple characters, use third-person omniscient, or alternate POVs with every chapter. If you want to focus on your protagonist’s perspective without having to convey their every thought, use third-person limited. If you want an even deeper dive into your protagonist’s inner workings, use first person. And if you just want to be weird, use second person POV.
11. Subplots
If you think your plot is too thin, your characters underdeveloped, adding a subplot or two might help. Subplots are secondary strands of the plot that might focus on a character other than the protagonist. The essence of a good subplot, as with the main plot, is conflict. So a side character or your main character has to face some challenge in addition to the central conflict—something that affects them or pushes them to change in a different way. If you’re not careful, subplots can feel disjointed, so try to tie them together with an overarching shared theme. That makes it easier to bring those subplots together with your main plot in a satisfying way by the story’s end.
12. Kill Your Darlings
“Kill your darlings!” is a common piece of writing advice, but what exactly does it mean, and how do you follow it the right way? To “kill your darlings” is to remove unnecessary bits of your story—characters, plot lines, or even individual sentences—regardless of how much you may like them. Hold off on killing your darlings until you’re in the revising stage, when you can look at your complete story with a more objective view. Something that initially seems unnecessary might turn out to be an integral part of the larger narrative. But once the first draft is done, be ruthless in cutting anything that doesn’t contribute to the story. It may hurt, but it’ll help your story. Still, you can save the things you cut. You never know when a scrapped idea might come in handy. Less “kill your darlings,” more “copy and store your darlings away from the final draft.” That is less catchy, though.
13. Writing Sprints
Here’s one simple trick to break past writer’s block. Try writing sprints. Set a timer for ten, twenty minutes, nothing too long, and just write. You can write anything—the important thing is to get words flowing, and not stop. If you want to up the stakes, use some sort of punishment or reward system for writing a certain amount. Don’t edit yourself, just let the words come out, however rough and irrelevant to your story they may be. It might just be what you need to get back into the flow of writing.
14. Finding Theme
Without a strong thematic center, your story might fall flat. But what if you have a plot idea and no theme in mind? Chances are, there’s an underlying theme already within your idea—you just have to find it. First, you can look at what themes other stories in your genre tend to tackle. For example, mysteries tend to have themes of justice, death, and loss. Common sci-fi themes include identity and free will. But you can try changing things up by using a theme less common to your genre. If you’re writing a fantasy story about wizards, you could explore the theme of free will through the lens of magic that influences characters’ actions. I’d love to hear what your story’s theme is in the comments.
15. Prologues
Should your book have a prologue? Here are a few essential points to keep in mind. First, some readers skip prologues. So be wary of putting very important setup in a prologue. Second, if your prologue is skippable… maybe you don’t need it at all. It might be more effective to skip any preamble and get straight to the action of Chapter One. Third, a prologue should set the right expectations for the book as a whole. If your prologue is action-packed, and there’s no action in the rest of the book, you’ll end up disappointing some readers. Personally, I prefer to start with Chapter One—that can even be a prologue of sorts, just without calling it that. Then you avoid the risk of readers skipping past it.
16. Three-Dimensional Villains
Here’s how to avoid writing a clichéd villain. If your villain desires power, for instance, ask yourself specifically where their hunger for power came from. Was there a foundational moment from earlier in their life that led them to desire power so strongly? You can even try writing that key scene that set them on the path toward villainy. Treat your antagonist like the main character. Give them a backstory, understand where they’re coming from. Then, weave that backstory and complicated psychology into your story.
17. Three Tips for Writer’s Block
If you’ve struggling with writer’s block, here are three tricks that might help you break past it.
Create something related to your story outside of writing. Making something like character art, maps, or a book trailer can help you fall back in love with your world and characters.
Jump to a completely different point in the story, and start writing there. The bigger the tonal shift, the better—it’ll provide a refreshing change of pace.
Revisit earlier parts of the story. They say not to edit while you’re still writing the first draft, but I’ve found that going back to revise or simply read what I’ve already written gets me immersed in the story and eager to continue writing.
18. Writing as a Young Person
When I was 7 years old, I wrote my first full-length, 50,000 plus word novel. Was it good? Not really, but it made me a better writer, and led me to where I am today. So if you feel like you’re too young, or your life’s not interesting enough, to write a book… think again. While life experience helps provide inspiration and material to work with in storytelling, you don’t have to have an extraordinary life to write a great story. You might not write your best work until you’ve lived longer and had more experiences, but you’ll be better prepared to write a truly great book at that point if you’ve already been developing your skills as a younger, less experienced writer. And never underestimate the power of your imagination, especially as a young person.
19. Planning a Series
If you want to write a great series, planning ahead is essential. It doesn’t have to be a detailed outline, but think through the overall arc of the series, or the direction it should be headed in, if it’s open-ended. I like to give each book its own theme, or perspective on an overarching theme. How do you want your characters—not just your protagonist—to have changed by the end? What are the biggest plot points in the series? What makes each book different from the last? Asking yourself these questions before you start writing can be the difference between writing a great series and writing a disappointing one.
20. Sharing Your Work
One of the worst mistakes a writer can make is avoiding criticism. It can be hard to take feedback, especially when it’s negative, but it’s one of the best ways to grow as a writer. Showing your work to other people might feel like taking a leap outside your comfort zone, but that’s often exactly what you need to progress in writing—and in life more generally. Find someone whose opinions you respect, ideally someone who likes the genre you write, and ask for honest feedback. I promise, it’ll be worth it.
There you have it—20 more short writing tips. I’d love to hear which one’s your favorite.
If you want to watch the video versions of these blog posts, head over to my YouTube channel here, and subscribe for more videos on writing.
– Grayson Taylor
Comments