Basic Writing Tips

So, you want to write. That is a noble thought. However, have you ever stopped to think about what it takes to write? Do you know what you are getting yourself into? You might think that is a silly question, but really, it isn’t. For example, think of the last time you went camping. Did you just jump in the car and go?
You may have approached it this way, but not likely. You probably realized you were about to go on a journey of sorts, and took the time to prepare for it. You probably took supplies, a map, a flashlight, and fueled up the car, among other things. You have to prepare if you want a safe, enjoyable experience, right? You don’t want to get up to the mountains, miles from civilization, and hear nature calling, only to realize you are surrounded by poison ivy – and, oh yeah, you didn’t think to bring the toilet paper.

So, what thought have you given to your writing journey? How do you prepare before you even put pencil to paper, or fingers to keyboard? The concept is exactly the same. I will go ahead an assume that you want to have as pleasureful a writing experience as you would a well thought out camping experience. In order for you to be prepared to face an unfortunate event while camping you have to have the right tools and equipment. If you left it at home, or if you never had them in the first place you will find yourself in an unfortunate situation.

So that brings us back to writing. If you start your writing journey without first considering what you might be going through on your writing journey, you are headed for an unfortunate situation that will likely result in little to no writing (or no good writing for that matter).

There are a set of tools, or equipment, that you must bring to your writing effort. These tools are just as vital as a tent, a box of matches, or a sleeping bag. Let’s discuss these writing tools in depth.

In order to understand the basic writing tools we need, let’s start with why we write. We write to communicate something. We write so that others can come to understand us. It stands to reason then, that if our aim is to communicate in such a way that we come to a common understanding, that we should start with the simplest terms. The basic unit of language is the word, and in writing its not just a word that matters, but the right word.

Vocabulary

The purpose of writing is to have the reader understand the writer. Its that simple. You have a message, and you want them to understand it. Simplicity is the key. See, in writing, you have to start with the most basic building block of all. You start with a word. If you want to be a good writer, you not only have to be able to come up with “a” word, but the “right” words. Why? Because putting the right words together helps deliver the message the right way.

If you don’t feel that you have a very good vocabulary, change it. There are many things you can do to improve it. You can read, you can write, you can look up words, and you can have your friends test you.

On that note, I posted an article yesterday on a new social networking site that has social flash cards. This is very interesting as you can use these flash cards to learn new words, and share them with other people. As a matter of fact, I saw several writer’s groups available for novelist level vocabulary. If you haven’t checked it out, go back and find it. It could well be worth your while.

I don’t understand why vocabulary makes that big of a difference, you might think. Well, let’s consider an example. Let’s say I am describing a red car. Depending on the words I use – my vocabulary – I will create one image in your mind, or I will create another. As a writer, I am trying to control that image as much as I can, because I want to control what you think, and what you feel while you read my writing.

If I describe a shiny red car as just that, you may envision an image lacking in as much detail as the picture below:

Red Car

Now, if I name the make, model, and year of the vehicle you may be able to envision something with much more detail.

A Shiny Red, 2007 Nissan 350z

You have to have a healthy vocabulary if you are going to write well. If you don’t, then start working on your vocabulary. Its not hard to do, but you do have to be disciplined. There are various ways to build your vocabulary. You can read a lot, and write a lot. You can also study words. Try to describe something you see as you are walking or driving by it. If you find that you struggle to describe it, look it up in the dictionary, or ask someone else how they might describe it.

Yesterday I posted an article about a new website offering social flash cards online. This is a great way for you and other writers to come together and work on your vocabulary together. If you have good depth and breadth of vocabulary, you will be able to write in a way that gives your reader the proper image in his mind. This leads to understanding. Understanding your writing will lead the reader to feel immersed in your story. You will have him write where you want him to be – and he wont want to leave.

Grammar

Once you have mastered the basic building block of language, the word, you will have to be able to throw several of them together to construct a viable sentence. There are rules that allow for these sentences to create understanding with your reader and to flow properly as they read them.

If you feel that you don’t know the rules of grammar, you should learn them – quickly. You don’t have to be in class to learn them, and you don’t need to buy a book either. A simple Google search for grammar tips will get you what you need to get started. If you don’t think you need to know the rules, you are dead wrong.

Here is an example:

Smelling like he had stepped in horse manure, John walked old saddle bags out of the coral by the reigns.

So, who smelled like horse manure – John, or the horse? Something as simple as this can cause your reader to have to stop and think about what you meant by this sentence. If you do this too often, the reader will quit reading, and you will have no audience.

What about breaking the rules? You should avoid this unless you know it will work. There are instances where, for effect, you can break the rules. This may work if it makes the dialogue realistic, or the store more believable.

There is a great website that reviews common mistakes with grammar called the GrammarGirl. There is also a free podcast running under the same name on iTunes for download. Check out the website here for more information:

Click Here

Style

Writing style plays a significant role in how your writing is received. Musicians, authors, and other creative artists are often categorized by style. In writing style is the tool you use to create how your story and your characters feel. In the famous Star Wars movies, think of great Jedi Master, Yoda. How did he speak compared to everyone else?

Quote 1

When 900 years you reach, look as good, you will not.

Quote 2
Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will.

– Yoda

What effect did this different speech pattern have on the character? George Lucas was definitely trying to leverage style to achieve an effect. Perhaps it was to create an air of mysticism? Only he can say, but he is definitely leveraging style.

Lastly, visit Strunk and White’s Elements of Style on the web. Its free, and its widely accepted as the best book on style out there.

Click here to visit the site.

Description

In writing, description can be a tricky technique to deal with. Why? Well, because how do you know when you are going overboard as opposed to not describing enough? The only way you will get a proper sense for the necessary quantity of description a certain passage calls for is by reading a lot. You have to read a lot to get a sense of what is out there, and how its done.

As a general rule you will want to spend the most description on people or items in the story that have significance. If you are writing a lot about something, its implied that its important. If you give something a quick brush over, its implied that its not important.

Stephen King wrote in his book, On Writing: a Memoir of the Craft, that description is the way the writer makes the reader a “sensory participant” in the story. I have never found a better way to word this concept. If the purpose in our writing is to help the reader come to understand what it is we want him to, then isn’t it even better that we get him to feel what we mean? That is powerful writing.

Say what you see

Finally, a simple rule for writing is to write what you see. As you envision the scene unfolding in your mind, write what you see. This may seem overly simple, bit it really is. Part of your novel will include a description of what is going on; a state of affairs if you will. Other parts of your writing will consist of the deeper, and less tangible state of mind. Picture a scene before you write it. Then, write what you see.
Happy Writing

Justin