Writing Tips


 * Establish a writing quota. The quota is based not on how much time they spend thinking about writing, but on how many words they get down. Some do a daily quota, others do it by the week. But they figure out what they can comfortably get done and set a quota about 10 percent above that as a goal.


 * Review the previous day’s writing and move on. By looking at what they wrote the day before, they get back into the flow of their story. They fix little things, spelling and style mostly, but then get on with the day’s work.


 * Writing a novel is about momentum. You lose it every time you stop to revise a scene in the middle, to look up a word, to ponder or change the plot. Leave notes in your draft. Highlight empty spaces. Fill text with XXX and know you’ll come back later.


 * Analyze successful stories. They ask questions when reading and use their findings to help strengthen their work. For example:
 * How does the writer make me want to turn the page?
 * Why am I drawn to the lead character?
 * When are the stakes raised?
 * How does the writer integrate minor characters?
 * What makes a scene work?
 * What’s the key to conflict?
 * How does the writer handle dialogue?


 * Wallow, then write. They let the rejection hurt for half an hour or so, then get back to the keyboard.


 * Learn from the critique. They go through the letter and their manuscript and attempt to draw out any lesson the rejection brings. They understand that people in the publishing industry actually want to find new authors.


 * Explore all facets of a story. They concentrate on feeling the story as well as writing it.


 * Description is best when subtle. Too much description is static. Pick one, two, or three details and stop there.


 * Read a wide variety of material. These writers read outside their genre — even poetry! — not to find out what’s hot, but to expand their stylistic range.


 * Use test readers. They don’t trust themselves in all ways. They know they need objective readers, so they cultivate people they trust to tell them specifically what’s not working. Then they’ll figure out a way to fix it.


 * Hire a good freelance editor. They know that the big benefit of a traditional publisher is professional editing, so it’s worth it to them to find a reputable freelance editor to go over their work. Note the word reputable. There are less-than-savory services out there that will gladly take a writer’s money for very little quality work. (And if you’re trying to not write a novel that’s publishable, you should probably use them!)

Writing Exercises

 * The Five-Minute Nonstop. Write for five minutes, first thing in the morning if possible, without stopping to think about what you’re writing. No correcting. Just write.


 * The Page-Long Sentence. Choose something to describe (a room or a character) and write a page-long sentence about it, not pausing to edit and instead going on whatever tangents present themselves.


 * The List Maker. Whenever you’re stuck for an idea to pursue, make a list. Brainstorm ideas without assessing them. Turn off your filter. Get lots of ideas, then pick the best one.

Additional Resources

 * How Not to Write a Novel - original article by James Scott Bell where most of these tips came from
 * NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) - write 50,000 words during the month of November
 * The Snowflake Method - how to write a novel using the Snowflake Method