Be a Serious Writer
Writing isn't an exact art, So I will try to tell you how to be a serious yet loose writer.
Steps
- Write often. To be a writer, you must write every day and always save what you write. Even if you don't think it is very good, keep everything. You have no idea what may bring you inspiration later.
- Develop your characters and plot thoroughly. Books are no good if the character does not have problems. Your character's dog could get lost. The stone must be attempted to be stolen. The dragon must try to eat the maiden. Without problems, there is no plot.
- Be wary of endless detail. Describe enough for your readers to get a picture in their head. It is not necessary to write endless information on every character.
- Write the beginning last. Do not spend hours on your beginnings. In fact, don't start with writing the beginning. Nobody will know what order you wrote your story in at the final product later.
- Develop your plot. Plots should not be a simple problem, like losing your dog. Plots should not be over-complicated or your reader will be thoroughly confused. There can't just be one obstacle in the way of getting to your solution. There must be multiple mountains to climb. However don't create the problems all at the same time. Sprinkle them throughout your story. Give your readers time to breathe.
- Build to the climax. The climax of your story is possibly the most crucial part of your story, apart from the plot. The climax is when the reader is on the edge of their seat, your character is about to solve your problem, and the reader just wants the answers. Whatever you do, do not let the suspense end. You want suspense, and you want the reader to be on the edge of your seat. When little Timmy is about to find his puppy in the pound, have the puppy somehow escape, and the story continues. You can have them solve the problem, but not until the last possible second.
- Finish your story. The ending should come when every part and twist of your story has been sorted out. The exception to this rule is if you are planning sequels. For those planning sequels, cliffhangers are great. You could also considering starting a new problem at the very end of your story.
- Begin editing. Save this for last as it will help you become a better writer. Make spelling corrections. Look through a thesaurus for better words. Rephrase that sentence. All in all, do as much as you can to make your story perfect. But don't get your hopes up. Stories are NEVER EVER perfect. Not even published bestselling books. So always edit your books.
- Enjoy the journey. When you finish your story, it is so satisfying. At the same time, you may find a little emptiness; you may find you miss your characters! Congratulations.
Tips
- Don't be discouraged with rejections if you decide to publish. Dr. Suess got at least 100 rejections before he found a publisher.
- Do your research. The more accurate information the better.
- Don't worry about the size of your book. If you think it's too long, look through and see if you have to much detail. If you think it's too short, see if you can add detail but it doesn't really matter.
Warnings
- If you want to publish your book look at the publishers your sending it to make sure your work isn't stolen.
