Writing Tips From One Writer To Another!

~ gettingthroughanxiety

I’ve loved writing for a long time and therefore have accumulated some advice over the years. I thought I would take some time to share some of these tips with you! If you have any to add, feel free to add them in the comment section!

1.) Always have a pen or pencil around

  • You don’t know how many times I’ve been somewhere and out of nowhere, started coming up with words for a poem, lyrics to a song, or lines for a story. Sometimes there’s a pen around and sometimes there isn’t. In those times, I get pretty frustrated with myself. As a writer, you should always have a writing implement around. Let’s face it, sometimes we forget some of our best ideas!

2.) Read

  • I know. You’ve probably heard this little piece of advice so many times that you want to scream, but reading is fundamental to becoming a good writer. First of all, reading a good book inspires us to write something of our own. Reading great books is what made me want to be a writer – I wanted to be a part of the process. Also, looking at what makes literature and writing so wonderful is a great way to learn how to write well yourself!

3.) Be careful how much you share with others

  • I don’t mean to make anyone paranoid here, but there are people out there who will be happy to steal your work and claim it as their own. As writers we shudder to think of this type of thing, but plagiarism does exist. Therefore, always be careful when sharing your work and never share too much. Your work belongs to you and no one else should be able to take that away.

4.) Take the time to edit but don’t beat yourself up if you miss something

  • As writers, we want our work to be perfect. While we shouldn’t rush through our writing or skip the editing process, we also need to understand that we’re all human and that we all make mistakes. I know how hard it can be to not obsess about those mistakes or think that they make us bad writers, but the truth of the matter is that we’re not bad at writing just because we make errors. Hell, even editors make mistakes sometimes.

5.) Never, ever give up on your dreams!

  • Writing can be hard, there’s no doubt about it. It can be frustrating if you start a story and then it somehow gets lost along the way. It can be irritating when you send your story in to a million publishers and every time, you get a letter back saying that your work wasn’t accepted. While all of these things can make a writer disappointed, that does not mean that we should quick. In fact, it just means that we should try to learn to be better writers and to put even more effort into our work. Practice may never make perfect, but it sure does improve our chances of being successful!

How about you? What are your tips for yourself and other writers? Have you tried my tips? Do they work for you?

 

Published by gettingthroughanxiety

B.W. Ginsburg has enjoyed reading and writing for as long as she can remember. Her favorite authors include: Harlan Coben, James Patterson, and John Saul. B.W. Ginsburg published her first book, Rest in Piece, in October 2016. In addition to writing fiction, Ginsburg also writes about mental health. In her spare time, she can be found blogging, watching TV, and listening to music. B.W. Ginsburg graduated college with a B.A. in Arts; she majored in English and minored in writing.

10 thoughts on “Writing Tips From One Writer To Another!”

  2. Thank you so much for the tips! I will keep #1, #3, and #5 in mind. I HATE it when I accidentally leave my notepad and pen at home when going to a gathering or just to the store with my mom. I always seem to get the best ideas whenever I DON’T have it with me!
    Best of luck with your writing! How many copies of your book have you sold so far?

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  3. I used to carry and pen and notebook with me wherever I went! I’ve sort of stopped that now (though I do have a pen just in case I need to fill out a random card) since I carry my smartphone with me to all places, and I have note taking apps. Hooray for the future!

    The idea of stolen work is harrowing, but a sad reality. it’s a good reminder, because I can be overzealous with showing people my work. Thankfully, I’ve never dealt with that, but it never hurts to remind.

    I was just telling another fellow writer about not being too hard on herself with her work. I remember reading a very uplifting, encouraging piece about how if your work seems trite, boring, and terrible, remember that you look at it ALL the time. You’re used to it. You know what’s going to happen, so it can be hard to remain objective. That foreshadowing you think is obvious may blow your readers’ minds. Since you live in your own head and your writing is a product of that, it stands to reason that you might start seeing it as pedestrian and dull, but there’s a very good chance it will utterly enchant someone 🙂

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  4. The most important tip I’ve learned this year is to not take critics too seriously. Lots of people have very strong ideas about writing. Just because someone would have written something differently doesn’t make them right. Only you can decide how you want your story to be told.

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  5. Another great tip is joining a critique group. If you don’t know anyone go on line. Groups like Scribophile are invaluable. They offer a community of aspiring/published authors who will review your work and provide knowledgeable, objective advice. Most of our family and friends don’t want to hurt our feelings so may not be totally forthcoming. They usually don’t understand the components of a novel (pacing, character development, POV consistency etc.) that make it publishable. They can tell you they like it or point out major/ obvious flaws but lack the training to be more detailed.

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