Keeping a journal can be a good way to subtly improve your writing skills. Doing this keeps you actively writing each day. More importantly, it makes writing a habit. The more you write, the more you will improve. Keeping a journal of your personal life can also help your fictional writing. It can aid in the development of your characters for other fictional stories. Explore the motives o the people you interact with in real life. What are their motives? What makes them do the things they do? these sort of things can aid in your creation of realistic characters in your story.
I encourage your journal to be made up of many different things. Don’t make it simply just a diary, though this is helpful. Include personal thoughts, real life experiences, fictional writing and even poetry. The idea of keeping a journal is to improve your writing through consistently writing daily.generic cialis pills canada Viagra Uk Retail Price viagra uk retailers
order levitra on line? Cheap Kamagra Uk Viagra order cialis tampa florida
“cialis overnight” Buy Generic Viagra Si Br viagra pill pictures
find viagra free sites edinburgh Cheapest Price Viagra drug effects more side viagra
lowest cost cialis 1 Purchase Cialis Online generic cialis pills coupon
female viagra drug Uk Viagra Sales Online best cheap viagra
lily icos cialis online Cost Of Viagra In Mexico 3 buy generic viagra online
lowest price on viagra Uk Alternative Viagra levitra online us
Cialis perscription drug stores get viagra without prescription 414. Drug Cialis Tadalafil cialis cheap online direct?
best cheap viagra viagra viagra Generic Levitra Online “3 discount generic viagra”
“what is the drug viagra” Brand Cialis For Sale levitra order prescription
viagra uk retailers Pricing Viagra Pills order levitra on line?
order cialis tampa florida Viagra Alternative Uk “cialis overnight”
viagra pill pictures Buy Viagra Cheap Fed Ex find viagra free sites edinburgh
drug effects more side viagra Cheapest Cialis Prices lowest cost cialis
generic cialis pills coupon Get Viagra Prescription female viagra drug
best cheap viagra Viagra Canada Pharmacy lily icos cialis online
3 buy generic viagra online Generic Viagra Canada lowest price on viagra
levitra online us Cialis Online Softtabs Cialis perscription drug stores get viagra without prescription 414.
cialis cheap online direct? 4555 Free Levitra 6563 best cheap viagra viagra viagra
“3 discount generic viagra” Cialis Name Brand Cheap “what is the drug viagra”
levitra order prescription Best Price On Cialis viagra uk retailers
order levitra on line? Buy Viagra Online India order cialis tampa florida
“cialis overnight” Canadian Drugs Cialis viagra pill pictures
find viagra free sites edinburgh Cheapest Viagra In Uk drug effects more side viagra
lowest cost cialis Viagra And Street Drugs generic cialis pills coupon
female viagra drug Cheap Overnight Viagra best cheap viagra
lily icos cialis online Drug Interaction Viagra 3 buy generic viagra online
lowest price on viagra Viagra Online Discount levitra online us
Cialis perscription drug stores get viagra without prescription 414. Generic Viagra On Sale cialis cheap online direct?
best cheap viagra viagra viagra 4.26 Buy Cialis Online “3 discount generic viagra”
“what is the drug viagra” 100 Mg Viagra Prices levitra order prescription
viagra uk retailers Cheap Generic Viagra order levitra on line?
order cialis tampa florida Cheap Levitra Tablets “cialis overnight”
viagra pill pictures Viagra Lowest Prices find viagra free sites edinburgh
drug effects more side viagra Viagra Discount Sales lowest cost cialis
generic cialis pills coupon Cyber Pharmacy Viagra female viagra drug
best cheap viagra Buy Cialis Soft Tabs lily icos cialis online
3 buy generic viagra online Ebay Dding Buy Viagra lowest price on viagra
levitra online us Buy Viagra Australian Cialis perscription drug stores get viagra without prescription 414.
cialis cheap online direct? 2cheap Levitra Online best cheap viagra viagra viagra
“3 discount generic viagra” Discount Keyword Viagra “what is the drug viagra”
levitra order prescription Cialis Pills Discussion viagra uk retailers
order levitra on line? Deal Online Price Viagra order cialis tampa florida
“cialis overnight” Viagra Impotence Pill viagra pill pictures
find viagra free sites edinburgh Best Price On Viagra drug effects more side viagra
lowest cost cialis Viagra Generic Canada generic cialis pills coupon
female viagra drug Keyword Discount Viagra best cheap viagra
lily icos cialis online Cheapest In Uk Viagra 3 buy generic viagra online
lowest price on viagra Cheap Canadian Viagra levitra online us
Cialis perscription drug stores get viagra without prescription 414. Buy Cialis Online Now cialis cheap online direct?
best cheap viagra viagra viagra Canada Cialis Generic “3 discount generic viagra”
“what is the drug viagra” By Money Order Viagra levitra order prescription
viagra uk retailers Cialis Discount India order levitra on line?
order cialis tampa florida Viagra On Line Canada “cialis overnight”
viagra pill pictures Buy Cheap Cialis Online find viagra free sites edinburgh
drug effects more side viagra Viagra Drugs Zenegra lowest cost cialis
generic cialis pills coupon Discount Viagra Drug female viagra drug
best cheap viagra Order Generic Cialis lily icos cialis online
3 buy generic viagra online Canada Viagra For Sale lowest price on viagra
levitra online us Average Cost Of Viagra Cialis perscription drug stores get viagra without prescription 414.
cialis cheap online direct? Order Levitra On Line best cheap viagra viagra viagra
“3 discount generic viagra” Order Generic Levitra “what is the drug viagra”
levitra order prescription Overnight Cheap Cialis viagra uk retailers
order levitra on line? Cialis Pills For Women order cialis tampa florida
“cialis overnight” Discount Pfizer Viagra viagra pill pictures
find viagra free sites edinburgh Best Price Viagra Uk drug effects more side viagra
lowest cost cialis Incredibly Cheap Viagra generic cialis pills coupon
female viagra drug 2order Levitra Online best cheap viagra
lily icos cialis online Pfizer How To Buy Viagra 3 buy generic viagra online
lowest price on viagra Generic Drug For Viagra levitra online us
Cialis perscription drug stores get viagra without prescription 414. Levitra Drug Impotence cialis cheap online direct?
best cheap viagra viagra viagra Generic Pharmacy Cialis “3 discount generic viagra”
“what is the drug viagra” Levitra Not For Sale levitra order prescription
viagra uk retailers Buy Real Viagra Online order levitra on line?
order cialis tampa florida Cheap Levitra Online “cialis overnight”
viagra pill pictures Buy Cialis Online Uk find viagra free sites edinburgh
drug effects more side viagra Telephone Orders Cialis lowest cost cialis
generic cialis pills coupon Viagra Canadaian Prices female viagra drug
best cheap viagra Buy Followup Post Viagra lily icos cialis online
3 buy generic viagra online Best Buy Viagra Viagra lowest price on viagra
levitra online us Cialis Pills Wholesale Cialis perscription drug stores get viagra without prescription 414.
cialis cheap online direct? Counter Drug Over Viagra best cheap viagra viagra viagra
“3 discount generic viagra” Splitting Viagra Pills “what is the drug viagra”
levitra order prescription Buy Cialis Href Online viagra uk retailers
order levitra on line? Buy Viagra Overnight order cialis tampa florida
“cialis overnight” Levitra No Prescription viagra pill pictures
find viagra free sites edinburgh Buy Levitra Online Us drug effects more side viagra
lowest cost cialis Discount Price Levitra generic cialis pills coupon
female viagra drug Europe Cialis Central best cheap viagra
lily icos cialis online Drug Get Online Viagra 3 buy generic viagra online
lowest price on viagra Viagra Free Shipping levitra online us
Cialis perscription drug stores get viagra without prescription 414. Best Buy Cialis Softtabs cialis cheap online direct?
best cheap viagra viagra viagra Ebay Bidding Buy Viagra “3 discount generic viagra”
“what is the drug viagra” Cialis Levitra Online levitra order prescription
viagra uk retailers Viagra And Cialis Cheap order levitra on line?
order cialis tampa florida Discount Viagra Sale “cialis overnight”
viagra pill pictures Viagra Vs Cialis Online find viagra free sites edinburgh
drug effects more side viagra Buy Line Viagra Where lowest cost cialis
generic cialis pills coupon Buying Viagra Online Uk female viagra drug
best cheap viagra Viagra Prescription Uk lily icos cialis online
The competition a writer has to face has drastically increased in the past decade, especially since the amount of people reading for pleasure is decreasing. While methods of publication on the internet have grown exponentially, publishing by traditional print means is becoming more difficult. For this reason, as a writer who seeks a print publication you need to be more competitive - simply because the writing market is decreasing. Here are some ideas to give you an idea you need to stand out from the hordes of writers.
Develop Your Own Style
Many writers work hard to make their style match well known authors. In my opinion, this harms the writer rather than helps them, because in the long run it’s really not a unique style. It’s someone else’s. As a reader, what I love most is an author who’s style is unique and distinct. I’ve noticed that some authors have developed their style or techniques to the point that readers can recognize the writing as the authors without knowing it’s the author’s piece of writing to begin with. This is difficult without an established fan base, but it’s something all writers should strive for.
Get Your Hands Dirty
Don’t be afraid to try new things. Try creative styles, new genre’s and new techniques. You might just like it. Experiment and find out what works. The best writers never stop experimenting; they’re not afraid to try something new.
Make Your Characters Real
If not the #1 thing that attracts readers, characterization is #2. Impersonal characters put a reader off. Personally, if the characters are personally, I’ll end up not finishing the book. Create characters that draw the reader in; make characters that the readers want to know more about. Most importantly, make characters that people can relate to, but also characters that surprise the reader.
Everyone wants to write a bestseller - I mean, come on - who wouldn’t? Not only do you (theoretically) end up wealthy, but you end up well known. While there are hundreds of books that make it to the bestsellers list, there are tens of thousands that don’t. For this reason, new writer’s must be realistic. If you manage to get published, chances are you won’t make it to the bestsellers list right away.
Here are a few things to consider:
Content - you need a story that encaptures the reader; a novel that has some highly original and highly creative ideas and plotlines that will keep them interesting. It needs to be full of intricate details and perhaps alternative storylines. You need to have characters that the readers love, and characters that form strong, realistic relationships.
Something Viral - Your story needs to be good enough that readers will recommend it to a friend. If your story is good enough that people will tell others to read it, you’re doing something right and you’re halfway there. This is usual a combination of things that make readers recommend your writing, namely style and simply good writing.
Experience - Sadly, this is the number one thing a writer typically needs to write a bestseller. Most bestselling authors have written several published books that didn’t make it onto the bestsellers list. An author who has previously published three books typically stands a better chance at making the bestsellers list than a new author.
Keep in mind the genre of the book as well. Currently, 7 of the 10 top fiction bestsellers, according to the New York Times, are thrillers. They’re about crime and detectives an suspense. 8 of the top 16 fiction bestsellers were authors i personally recognized, which reinforces my previous point that publishing experience is key to making the bestseller list. Novels of certain genre’s just don’t do well in making the bestseller list. This is simply because there aren’t many readers of the genre, not necessarily because the book isn’t good. Western is a prime example of this.
Keep in mind that you shouldn’t be writing to get your novel a bestseller. You should write because you love it and want to write, not to make money. Moreover, getting your novel published is a worthwhile goal, but you, as a writer, have to keep in mind that it isn’t the easiest thing to accomplish.
A friend of mine recently pointed out what otherwise should have been obvious, but was nonetheless something I’d never really thought about before. The popular quotation, “it was a dark and stormy night” is, in itself, a very redundant clause.
The phrase itself originated from novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton in his 1830 novel Paul Clifford. The style is, in today’s literary terms, an attempt at dramatic flair.
Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s opening sentence went as follows:
It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents, except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.
The phrase was not well known until Charles Schultz (”Peanuts” comic artist) used it in his comic strips, sometimes with a variation as “He was a dark and stormy Knight.”
If it was night, don’t we already expect it to be dark? And can’t we be more descriptive than “stormy”? Particularly to begin a story, “It was a dark and stormy night” is weak, even standing alone. It has no teeth, no vitality. - Cogito.
This is a very valid point. Why state that it’s dark if we know it’s night? Why not be more descriptive? One could describe the storm, the dark, or even the night. The writer just needs to carefully examine that he’s not restating the obvious.
In general, there isn’t anything wrong with the phrase, aside from it becoming a modern-day cliche. My point isn’t to bash Bulwer-Lytton, but rather to point out the importance of not being redundant. While there are some situations in which redundancy can be beneficial to a writer, in general it should be avoided.
When writing, find something you like to write about. For some people, this is a particular genre, such as romance or fantasy. Sometimes it’s the same genre they read, though oftentimes this is not the case. Writing about what you like is especially important in nonfiction writing. Not only is it boring for the writer when they write about something they don’t have interest in, it sometimes results in poor writing. For example, it wouldn’t make sense for someone interested in cosmetics to write about global warming if she loved writing about cosmetics but hated science papers. This is not always the case, but it is the most of the time. Not only this, but it will be more difficult for the writer to write; if they like the topic, they’re typically more knowledgeable in the topic, whereas if the writer doesn’t know anything about the topic, it’ll take them a lot more work and research to write accurately.
On the other hand, keep in mind that writing about things your not knowledgeable or interested in can still be beneficial. It might expand your focus and abilities; who knows, you might find a new interest.
They key to writing successfully is simple: be persistent. Perseverance goes a long way. You can be an excellent writer, but if you’re not motivated, you’ll never be successful. As a writer, you need to find what works best for you to get thing out of your head and onto the page. I previously suggested that you set aside a piece of time everyday for writing. Find what works for you, and then write.
Skills and creative ideas are often very helpful to writing an excellent novel, but they’re not as vital as perseverance. If you don’t persevere, you can have all the creativity in the world, but you’ll never finish. Believe me, no matter how hard you try, you’ll never sell 3/5ths of a novel.
Take a look at many of the novel’s that are published today. Many of them are okay writing, but there’s nothing unique about them. Apparently, for some publishers, that’s okay. The author finished writing the novel, which is the first and most important step.
I simply want to stress how important being motivated truly is. Not all perseverant writers are successful, but all successful writers are perseverant.
A problem I often face myself is being unable to find time to write. Some days I’ll write several thousand words, other days I’ll struggle to write any at all. Sometimes I’ll have a breakthrough, other times I’ll be unable to write for a week. Unforunately, oftentimes it turns out to be the latter.
I don’t mean to be harsh with this post, but the only reason you might not be able to find time to write is because you’re not motivated. Don’t worry, I have the same problem, and now I realize why; I’ve not been motivated enough. Good writing does take time, and if you don’t have time, you have to make time. Make time to write. If you’re a student, write during classes if you can. If you usually spend time watching Seinfeld or a favorite TV show, turn it off and write instead. Oftentimes we don’t want to give up something to make time for something we claim we love. If we really love writing, we’ll find time to write. If we can’t find time, we’ll make time, or we really don’t love the craft.
I suggest you make it part of your daily schedule. You should make a habit of writing. Don’t make excuses either. I suggest doing it in the morning or evening. Wake up early and write for half an hour in the morning, every morning. Alternatively, you could do it in the evening. Stay up an hour later or skip watching television and write, and do it daily.
If you want to be a successful writer, make it a part of a schedule. That’s some of the best advice you’ll ever receive if you’re having trouble making progress and getting the words on the paper.
