Heyho there my lovelies! I get asked a lot if I have any writing tips, whether that’s about the infamous writer’s block or the process in general. So I thought, in honour of my first blog post on my website, I’d post a collection of ten writing tips that I don’t see around a lot but that have always helped me write! Maybe they aren’t even as silly as I believe they are! Have fun reading!
- Stop your writing for the day in the middle of the sentence. When you close your document for the day, start the last sentence you write but don’t finish it. That’ll help you get back into it the day after!
- Don’t read what you’ve written until you’re done. If you need to go back to double-check something for the plot or to change something, that’s fine but if you’re stuck, don’t go back to the beginning of the chapter to read through it again. Just keep writing. Trust me, it saves time and you won’t be frustrated if you remain stuck even after reading through it again.
- If you’re stuck, write a different scene first. Do you know exactly what’s going to happen but you don’t know how to get there yet? Write the scene that comes after first. You’ll stay in your writing flow and you can just piece the scenes together after. You don’t have to force yourself to write chronologically, that’s often not how it happens anyway.
- Writer’s block? The best tip I can give you is to step away from it for a bit. Write something else or resign to reading. Whether you take a day, a week, or even a month off doesn’t matter—it depends on you. Give your brain a break, clear your mind. If you’re still stuck after that, consider going through your plot to see if you need to make changes to keep going.
- Read! Even if it’s just a couple of pages a day, reading, especially before a “writing session” can get you super motivated and inspired to continue working on your own writing!
- Put your phone away and turn off the Internet. Now if you’re using the Internet for synonyms and/or translations and research, that’s fine. What I’m trying to say is that often when I’m stuck, my mind will wander off and suddenly, I’m scrolling through TikTok and an hour has passed. Focus on the actual writing when you’re writing. If you find yourself staring at the same sentence for an hour, it’s time for a break anyway!
- Don’t get frustrated with yourself. There will be days when you won’t be able to write a single page—and that’s okay. One problem most writers have, including me, is that we get super frustrated over how we just can’t get enough writing done in a day. Some days are more inspirational than others. Always keep that in mind.
- You don’t need a writing schedule. People often ask me about mine and for full-time writers like Stephen King or Neil Gaiman, sure, they’ll tell you all about their daily routine as an author. Most of us, however, also work another job and/or have kids, not to mention daily chores. Write whenever you feel inspired to. I mean, if sticking to a schedule works for you, go for it but there’s no use in forcing yourself to write at a specific time of the day when you get your best ideas during a shower and want to jump to your computer half naked straight after. I personally try to write 1k words per day. When, how, or where I do that doesn’t really matter.
- Always keep a notebook on you. In modern days, we have phones, I get it. I use the Notes function more than I could count, however, it’s nice to always have a little physical notebook on you. Once, I dropped my phone during bowling and the screen broke from the inside. Long story short, it was done for and I lost a bunch of notes I had made. Luckily, I could retrieve most of them from memory but whatever you do, always keep a physical copy of all of your ideas! You’ll only make the mistake not to once and ideas come and go fast! Not to mention the perks of sitting in a coffee shop with a notebook, writing away…
- Don’t force yourself to write scenes you don’t enjoy writing. Sometimes, we put scenes into books that act as a filler rather than bringing the plot forward. The truth is, if something is boring to you, it’ll be boring to the reader as well. Skip or keep it short. That’ll help you not to lose your motivation and/or inspiration. If the scene is important but you just can’t bring yourself to write it, consider changing it. Always listen to your gut!
And that’s it! Some of my tips for writing that people don’t talk about enough in my opinion! Have you used one of those tips before? Do you also have one that might seem silly or impractical at first glance?
If you want more tips, be sure to write me on Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook, or directly here!
Big hug!
~ Stef
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