Writing Guidelines & Suggestions

To typo is human, to correct is divine, and to write stylishly is priceless. A reader will thank you.

TYPOS AND GRAMMATICAL ERRORS

·       Use a writing aid with discretion.

·       Grammarly and ProWritingAid are two of the best-known. Invest in the apps.

·       Clear the imperfections, and do not eliminate your voice.

·       Bells and whistles are abundant.

·       Be judicious in using echo words, repeats, and changing wording for easier reading because, in the end, a story should sound like you.

PASSIVE WRITING

·       Why and when passive became so passé is a mystery.

·       Sometimes, it is necessary to get a point across.

·       Sometimes there is no other way.

·       Now, entire stories written in a passive voice are like trying to down a shot of molasses without a chaser.

·       A tidbit or more is permissible if it helps to move the story along.

·       But for the most part, bring on the action.

TELL A FRESH STORY

·       Find a way to look at the world differently. It is what makes each writer's voice unique.

·       Everybody uses tropes. It can be the basis for a wonderful tale.

·       Think about the reader and what will make the story come to life.

·       Great Aunt Rose used to say, "It's all in how you pronounce."

DITCH THE CLICHÉ

·       You can whistle Dixie, but not all that glitters is gold.

·       Create with words; there are so many from which to choose.

CHOOSE A POINT OF VIEW AND FOLLOW THROUGH

·       A view only goes as far as one's periphery allows.

·       Omniscient narrator. First. Second. Third. Close/deep (researched this one to the nines; in conclusion, they are the same).

·       POV can shift in a story or a book but make a clear delineation with a new chapter or a separation. Confusing a reader is not good. Don't humiliate a character by putting them on the spot.

ENGAGE THE READER BY SHOWING

·       Show vs Tell is an age-old comment from editors and writing buddies.

·       Everyone is guilty of putting forth eloquent descriptions and telling the audience what they have so aptly described.

SHOW

Metal-on-metal echoed throughout the hallway as the thick mahogany door pushed into the room and returned to its frame. Even the plush carpet lining the hall could not absorb the grating sound. The unseen force whisking the thick slab to and fro was not strong enough to slam the door into place and cause the latch to lock. A beam of sun illuminated the hallway with each inward creak.

TELL

The wind moved the door from inside the room, and sunlight was seen each time the door swung open. The hinges creaked.

DETAILS

·       It's all in the details

·       If there are too many or they are superfluous, nix them.

GOAL, MOTIVATION, CONFLICT

·       Whether pretend or real, characters need a goal they work toward, a source of motivation and conflict. Or there is no story to be told.

·       Conflict is internal. Conflict is external—conflicts conflict. Then, the story gets juicy. If there is no conflict, there is nothing worth reading.

·       Make the characters suffer. Then rescue them or not.

EVERYONE HAS A NUANCE OR QUIRK

·       Give them mannerisms.

·       Give them quirks. Make them come to life.

·       Characters must lift off the page.

·       Plots must fit the characters. Characters must fit the plots.

·       They should be like real people. Everyone is nervous about something, excited by the world's unforgettable moments, and sad when something or someone is lost to them. Everyone is a little weird. The more real a character is, the more memorable.

VERBOSITY

·       When you use too many words to make the same point, it can feel like you are utilizing so many words that the writing is redundant and repetitive, and the reader is reading the same thing over and over.

·       Stephen King says, 'Kill your darlings.' We love our words. We are writers. But sometimes we say too much.

·       Mystery writers have the upper hand on how to stage a murder on the page.

PACE

·       Short, to-the-point sentences add an element of tension and speed. Long reveals slow the moments down and make the reader savor each step.

·       Is a quickstep the right move on the dance floor?

·       Or is a slow and methodical pace a better choice?

·       Pace and cadence must fit the genre, plot, characters, motivation, and scene. The pace affects every nuance of the story.

DIALOGUE

·       Dialogue should sound like people talking to one another.

·       Characters should talk like the people that they are.

·       Know the character's background and choose words in accordance with the life you know the character has lived.

·       Leave literary language in the past.

READ IT OUT LOUD

·       The best way to feel and experience a story is by reading it out loud. Computerized reading can be stilted and void of emotion. Humans still have the upper hand.

·       Or have someone read it to you. Now, there's a twist. If a reader reads it as the writer intended, well, that's a win.

DIALOGUE TAGS

·       He said. She said.

·       Some say that said or asked are the best words since they disappear into the page.

·       Others feel a little creativity goes a long way. She screamed. He whined.

WHO ARE YOU WRITING FOR?

·       If someone other than yourself, think about what the reader wants to read and what you want them to experience when they read it.

·       Picture who will read the story and write as if that imaginary person were reading over your shoulder.

·       You can't please everyone, so please the reader you dream of writing for.

SHORT OR LONG

·       Some stories are short, and others become novels.

·       Often, writers choose the length of a work before they begin.

·       But like everything else, once the story starts to unfold, be flexible if there is insufficient material to make it to 100K words.

·       Novels can benefit from planning, but some writers do quite well without a care as to knowing what is going to happen. Their fingers flow over the keyboard.

·       Short stories don't have room for superfluous fluff. Ask any writer of flash fiction. Try a flash fiction. It will make you an expert in brevity.

TIME AND PLACE

·       Know your scene. Know your setting. Know your period.

·       Clothing, cars, haircuts, verbiage, and technology often align with the time.

·       Futuristic, dystopian, speculative, sci-fi, magical realism, and the like are exceptions. You've created the world. Do as you please. Just be consistent.

EDITING AND REVISING

·       Everyone has a different approach.

·       Some edit as they go along.

·       Some do a dump and run.

·       Whatever your style is—review, revise, review, revise. Repeat.

·       Step away from the piece for a few weeks or more.

·       It's hard to be your own editor. Your voice is telling the story. Whatever you wrote is going to sound great to you. But will it sound good to a reader?

·       If you ask someone to read your work, it is best not to ask those (often friends and family) who will say it's lovely when it isn't.

·       Reach out to fellow writers. Find beta readers. Hire an editor. You want the truth.

AI

·       It can find mistakes, find loose links between clues in a mystery, and check for punctuation, grammar, and typos. Use Grammarly or ProWritingAid as well; AI is not foolproof.

·       It can help fill in gaps in an outline.

·       You have a gift as a human writer—your voice.

·       Only humans write like humans.

·       AI is not a replacement for the human touch.