Writing fiction can be an enriching experience. However, not everyone can make their stories interesting enough to enjoy. If you’re new to fiction writing, the following tips will help you become a better writer and boost your chances of publishing your work:
1) Be Passionate About What You Write
You must write about something you’re passionate about. If your writing doesn’t come from an emotional place, it won’t make readers care about the story. So, before you start typing that first word, think of something that can motivate and inspire you to write.
2) Have a Strong Point of View
The best fiction stories are written from a particular point of view. That’s why you need to decide who your account is about as early as possible and stick to this choice. It’s also helpful to think of how this character would react in various situations and choose the words that best fit them.
3) Be Original
There are only so many stories in the world, so try to write something new and innovative, even if it’s about an everyday topic like a man afraid of getting teeth replacement implants. If you already have a story idea in mind, ask yourself if other works can be compared. It would help if you also thought about how your work will stand out from the competition.
4) Create Compelling Characters
Before anything else, think of a character you’d like to write about. It doesn’t matter if you’re writing a first-person point of view of omniscient third-person narration; every protagonist needs to be developed. You should also make sure that the other characters are interesting enough for readers to notice them.
5) Use Adjectives Sparingly
It’s essential to describe the setting and characters so that readers can easily picture them. However, adjectives shouldn’t be overused because they weaken the writing. So, only use them when necessary. If you’re struggling with finding words for this type of description, read the work of another writer whose style is similar to yours.
6) Keep the Story Moving
Too much exposition can slow down your story. Try to avoid long detailed descriptions and keep the story moving at all times. Your readers want to be entertained, not overwhelmed with unnecessary information that doesn’t contribute to the overall narrative. So, always ask yourself if what you’re writing is necessary or just space-filling filler text.
7) Keep Your Writing Simple
Don’t try to impress your readers with fancy words. If you know several big words, feel free to use them, but don’t overload your writing with them. Remember that more straightforward language is more accessible for readers to understand and ensure that your message comes across loud and clear.
8) Build Suspense
Suspense can give a familiar story a whole new dimension. That’s why you need to find ways of building it from the very beginning until the end. You can also create Suspense by thinking about how all your characters will react when put into a highly uncomfortable situation.
9) Don’t Overwrite
It’s vital to be descriptive but also avoid overindulging in details. It’s one thing if you want to bring attention to the importance of a setting, but it’s another when you’re trying to make readers feel bored by stretching the story too much.
10) Edit Your Work with Care
Once you finish writing your novel, please don’t rush into publishing it online. Instead, please have a few trusted friends read it over and give you their honest opinion. Also, do some research on self-publishing sites so you can choose the best one to host your work. Remember that it’s better to publish a few chapters first and build a following before publishing a whole book online.
11) Don’t Delay; write today!
Writing a book can be a daunting task, but you can become a better writer and finally get published if you know how to do it right. Just remember the tips discussed above and apply them to your work.
12) Edit Later
First drafts are meant to be rough. You should always edit your work after you finish writing it since that’s when you’ll truly see if it makes sense or not. This is why we recommend trying out automatic proofreading software like Grammarly and Ginger so you can benefit from the second set of expert eyes.
13) Publish it
Self-publishing is an excellent way of going around traditional publishers and making it on your own. But for that to happen, you need to have a following first. So, always try to publish new chapters or episodes of your work online before printing the whole thing. But before putting anything online, it’s critical to have a few trusted pals read over your material. Keep in mind that no matter how many people read it, there will always be critics who don’t like what you’ve written. That is why you should learn not to take rejection personally and study other writers’ mistakes when they obtain negative reviews.
In conclusion, fiction writing is hard work, but it can also be a gratifying experience. Just remember to keep these tips in mind, and you’re well on your way to creating a fantastic story that people will enjoy reading.
