The Unheard words of new writers...

       WRITERS provide concise advice for those of us seeking
        to improve their creative writing.

         Help complete the A to Z, we need tips for the letters
         j and y - what's your tip?
         Email: editor@unheardwords.com
        (editor@unheardwords.com), Subject 'Write Tips'.

a) Write active; use active voice instead of passive voice, For example, don't write, "He was hit by a car"; write, "The car hit him." Active voice is more precise, uses fewer words, and reads smoother.

b) Build your confidence; by getting your writing into print! Letters or emails to newspapers or magazines are a great start. You might get a small payment and - more importantly - you are building up your writing CV.

c) Carry a notebook; with you everywhere you go (and a pen!). Jot down ideas, thoughts, snippets of overheard conversation...anything! Just write!

d) Just doodle it;  if your main idea has hit a dry spell then doodle. Write down what ever's in your head, what can you see around you, what was your friend saying last night, what's in the news? One stream of writing can easily flow into another, so clamber onto a literary life-raft and doodle.

e) Write every single day; if you can write about nothing else, write about yourself. Diaries are good for this.

f) Find sun behind grey clouds; treat rejections from publishers as an opportunity, one down another hundred to try.

g) Be grateful for feedback; on your work - especially if it's constructive criticism! "Great, lovely, I really enjoyed that" tells you absolutely nothing! If you show your writing to anyone, encourage them to be honest - and don't take the hump when they are!

h) Work hard; never give up; sometimes the benefit is in the process and not the outcome. So be prepared to live and learn, when that piece that you've slaved over still isn't right - return to it another day and re-write.

i) Get involved!; Writing can be a lonely business but there are ways to combat that: Join a Writers or Reading Group (check out your local library), go to talks by writers (bookshops such as Waterstones have a programme of visiting writers and it costs nothing, or little, to attend), check out writing websites and chatrooms. And if you can't join a group, post your work for feedback on the web.

j) Your Tip!

k) Know what you write; Start with what you know best: your street and local community, your work place, family etc but be careful not to mention people's real names.

l) Life as art; Realize that the best writing comes from your own life, so live it as you want it written.

m) Write Mind; Write in your mind when on the tube (subway), in the bathroom, or sleeping.

n) What's needed; study your market for what's needed or hasn't already been done.

o) Outside the box; think outside the reality box, your dog's personality (lazy, spoiled, uppity) when applied to a human, might make a great fictional character.

p) Prioritize writing; prioritize your writing, as you do your eating.

q) Ask yourself questions; when you create a character! (And write down the answers!) This will make your character more rounded and believable but it could also generate some plot ideas. eg: What's his greatest ambition? What's her biggest secret? Who does he love/hate/admire? What is she afraid of? What was the last lie he told? What's the strangest thing about her?

r) Write to Read; Write what you want to read, if others like it too, that's a bonus.

s) Style-ized; Oh, and another thing. Read other authors, both good and bad, to see what they did well and not so well. It's a great teaching tool, but be certain that you don't try to adopt their writing style. Find your own "voice".

t) Take it slow; page (pace) yourself. Take it one page at a time. It can be overwhelming and daunting when you think of writing an entire book, esp. when you're in the middle and struggling with plot/character issues.

u) Make full Use of what you write; record when and where you wrote it, etc. Most importantly read or show others your work and ask for feedback whether it be good or bad. And try to write about things and in styles you know nothing about (you may be surprised by the results).

v) It might be valuable; keep everything you write, it might be valuable one day.

w) Write don't worry. Don't worry what your nearest and dearest (friends / family) think. They can write their own novel.

x) eXperiment. If you have an idea, don't be afraid to try it. It just might work.

y) Your Tip!

z) Write a Zoo; imagine you're in a zoo and each of the characters you need to write about is a different kind of animal or exhibit. What are the labels on enclosures, what are the descriptions of each creature, who'll be the biggest attraction to the public?

      Thanks for these tips goes to:

     Baker (2007)
     Suzie Flynn (2006)
     JustinR (2005)
     Helen Yendall (2005)
     gabrielsblast (2004)
     James W. Lewis (2004)
     radicsj (2004)
     A. Monise Hamilton (2004)
     Petronella Breinburg (2004)

Help complete the A to Z. What's your tip?
Email: editor@unheardwords.com (editor@unheardwords.com), subject 'Write Tips'.

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