{"id":21714,"date":"2022-12-07T18:15:55","date_gmt":"2022-12-07T18:15:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/07\/20-expert-writing-tips-advice-for-authors\/"},"modified":"2022-12-07T18:15:55","modified_gmt":"2022-12-07T18:15:55","slug":"20-expert-writing-tips-advice-for-authors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/07\/20-expert-writing-tips-advice-for-authors\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Expert Writing Tips: Advice for Authors"},"content":{"rendered":"

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No one likes staring at a blank page\u2014 not for five minutes, and certainly not for five hours. If you\u2019re an author or aspiring author, you have probably fallen victim to the blank-page-stare. Whether it\u2019s writer\u2019s block, not knowing where to start, where to pick up the next day, or how to go forward with your content strategy, we get you. We feel you. We see you.<\/p>\n

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That\u2019s why we compiled twenty expert writing tips for you to lean into when the skies look gray and the page looks\u2026 as white as ever.<\/p>\n

How about the horse\u2019s mouth? When things come straight from the horse\u2019s mouth, or the writers’ pens, then things get a little better. These writing tips from authors are just that. They\u2019re writing tips from authors, real authors!<\/p>\n

Take your fingers off the keyboard and get ready to scroll!<\/p>\n

20 Writing Tips from Authors<\/h2>\n

Writing Tip #1:<\/h3>\n

\u201cWriting is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words.\u201d \u2014Mark Twain<\/h4>\n

\"medievalwriting\"
Start writing! Just write! We\u2019re serious. WRITE NOW. RIGHT NOW. If you just trust in the flow of the process, just get writing and don\u2019t focus on the good, bad, the glorious, or the ugly. Just start writing. You can go back later and do a heavy round of edits. You can scrap whole pages if you want. Start writing and edit later.<\/p>\n

Writing Tip #2:<\/h3>\n

\u201cNever use a long word where a short one will do.\u201d \u2014George Orwell<\/h4>\n

The more you can cut from your writing, while still being clear, the better. While it\u2019s tempting to be bombastic and throw around pretty words, only do so if they serve a specific purpose. Writing advice always points to this\u2014 clarity comes first.<\/p>\n

Writing Tip #3:<\/h3>\n

\u201cWriting a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.\u201d \u2014E. L. Doctorow<\/h4>\n

We all want to see exactly where we are going. Human beings like being on solid ground. Unfortunately, in the world of writing, you don\u2019t get to see your destination from page one, or even page 101. Just keep going, one page at a time. Sure. You\u2019re content strategy probably has a beginning, middle, and end you\u2019re trying to follow, but the page-by-page struggle is how the book is written!<\/p>\n

Writing Tip #4:<\/h3>\n

\u201cPerfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a shitty first draft.\u201d \u2014Anne Lamott<\/h4>\n

Ever heard of a shitty first draft? You can thank Anne Lamott who coined this term in her book, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Allow yourself the gift of a shitty first draft. Don\u2019t obsess about being perfect, well, really during any phase of writing a book, but certainly not during your first draft. Perfectionism is the enemy of writers! It\u2019s actually not a good thing for humans in general. Unless they\u2019re building airplanes, then please make those airplanes perfect and perfectly safe. We\u2019ll allow you all the perfectionism you need!<\/p>\n

Writing Tip #5:<\/h3>\n

\u201cRemember, Grammar Nazis: It\u2019s YOU\u2019RE going to die alone.\u201d \u2014Damien Fahey<\/h4>\n

\"grammarrules\"Who wants to be a rule follower? Don\u2019t be afraid to wave your improper-grammar flag, and to wave it with pride! As long as it works for you and the reader, who cares! Grammar nazis? No one likes them anyways.<\/p>\n

Writing Tip #6:<\/h3>\n

\u201cI feel like a lot of time my writing is like having about twenty boxes of Christmas decorations. But no tree. You\u2019re going, Where do I put this? Then they go, Okay, you can have a tree, but we\u2019ll blindfold you and you gotta cut it down with a spoon.\u201d \u2014Carolyn Chute<\/h4>\n

Sometimes writing feels hard, really really really really hard. Yes, all the reallys were necessary, and well-earned! While this quote might not feel like writing advice, it is one of our favorite writing tips from authors in general. You can feel the struggle. All the decorations. No tree. Ok. One tree. Cut it down blindfolded. No axe. No saw. One spoon. YIKES. It\u2019s palpable. We also wanted to take a moment here to acknowledge that writing is difficult, and it takes courage and tenacity. Don\u2019t underestimate your bravery!<\/p>\n

Writing Tip #7:<\/h3>\n

\u201cIf you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn\u2019t matter a damn how you write.\u201d\u2014W. Somerset Maugham<\/h4>\n

If you have a good plot, then no one cares about your fancy words or extraordinary usage of flowery metaphors or glittery similies. We\u2019re not giving you permission to be a horrible writer with a good plot, but it doesn\u2019t hurt to remember that your writing is a vehicle to tell a story. Your story is the heart of why a reader picks up a book, devotes hours of their time, and falls in love with your words.<\/p>\n

Writing Tip #8:<\/h3>\n

\u201cEvery accomplishment begins with the decision to try.\u201d \u2014Neil Patel<\/h4>\n

If you have decided to try, then you\u2019re already halfway there. As the other writing tips have alluded to, writing is a walk in the park. The decision to be a writer puts you on the path. You\u2019re already on your way to the accomplishment of publishing your book and sharing it with the world.<\/p>\n

Writing Tip #9:<\/h3>\n

\u201cLife is chaotic and meaningless, and you have to find your meaning. You must find the answer, you can\u2019t just live. That\u2019s the point of the story: helping you find your meaning in life.\u201d \u2014Robert McKee<\/h4>\n

\"thats-too-much-pressure-to-put-on-me-too-much-pressure\"Did we just hear you say, \u201cHold the phone. The purpose of my story is to help me find meaning in life?\u201d The pressure is on, kid! Well, in reality, all writing is an act of catharsis\u2014 a way of sharing our story and processing our thoughts and emotions. That\u2019s why it\u2019s not only solid writing advice but solid therapy advice to write to process emotions. And while writing helps you find meaning in your life, good writing and powerful storytelling will also help those who read your words find meaning in theirs.<\/p>\n

Writing Tip #10:<\/h3>\n

\u201cWriting cannot be taught, though it can be learned.\u201d \u2014Joseph Epstein<\/h4>\n

Make as much sense as a pig in a blanket on a hot summer\u2019s day. We\u2019re not talking about mini-hot dogs, we\u2019re talking about google ol\u2019 sweltering barnyard pigs. While you\u2019re scratching your head over that analogy, our point is that writing is an act of creation, it comes from inside of you. It\u2019s not something someone can teach you to do, by writing you learn how to do it yourself. That being said, feel free to read all the writing tips you want, and take all the writing classes you feel like. Everything is a part of learning to write!<\/p>\n

Writing Tip #11:<\/h3>\n

\u201cWhen your story is ready for rewrite, cut it to the bone. Get rid of every ounce of excess fat. This is going to hurt; revising a story down to the bare essentials is always a little like murdering children, but it must be done.\u201d \u2014Stephen King<\/h4>\n

Our lawyers want us to make sure we\u2019re clear here. We are absolutely NOT advocating for murdering children. That\u2019s not at all what we, or Stephen King, are actually talking about. What Mr. King is saying is that when you\u2019re editing, it can be a painful process of murdering your favorite lines, parts, or scenes. Acknowledge that this is uncomfortable and that it makes you angry or sad. Let the emotion flow. And get ready to strikethrough way too many of your favorite pieces of prose.<\/p>\n

Writing Tip #12:<\/h3>\n

\u201cIf there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.\u201d \u2015Toni Morrison<\/h4>\n

As of 2010, there were 129,864,880 published since the invention of Gutenberg’s printing press in 1440. As that number hasn\u2019t been updated in well over a decade, we\u2019re sure that number has dramatically increased as well. With such a staggering number of books out there, it\u2019s all too natural to feel like there just isn\u2019t room out there for one more book written by little ol\u2019 me. Guess what? There is. Especially if you have a book inside of you, it\u2019s your duty to write it!<\/p>\n

Writing Tip #13:<\/h3>\n

\u201cAnd by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.\u201d \u2015Sylvia Plath<\/h4>\n

While we\u2019ve mentioned that perfectionism is the enemy of the people, and particularly of the writer, so is self-doubt. Writing takes outgoing and ongoing guts. Don\u2019t doubt yourself. Write and write some more. Don\u2019t be THAT guy. Humility and self-doubt aren\u2019t the same things. Take a humility vitamin if you need to every morning, but no more heaping spoonfuls of self-doubt for you!<\/p>\n

Writing Tip #14:<\/h3>\n

\u201cNo tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.\u201d \u2015Robert Frost<\/h4>\n

\"surprise\"Is there surprise or no surprise in the reader reading this writing tip? Ha. We think we\u2019re funny sometimes. Remember that your emotions are what\u2019s fueling the story. If you aren\u2019t passionately involved, your readers won\u2019t be either.<\/p>\n

Writing Tip #15:<\/h3>\n

\u201cDon’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.\u201d \u2015Anton Chekhov<\/h4>\n

Be creative. Be descriptive. See the world with new eyes. Try to describe things in such great staggering detail that your words come to life on the page. And then, after your first few drafts, we\u2019re sure you\u2019ll be cutting nearly half of all your descriptions, but still. It\u2019s worth spending time noodling over the descriptions and breathing life into your words.<\/p>\n

Writing Tip #16:<\/h3>\n

\u201cStories may well be lies, but they are good lies that say true things, and which can sometimes pay the rent.\u201d \u2015Neil Gaiman<\/h4>\n

Speaking of paying the rent\u2026. We want to be mighty clear here. Writing tips from authors always highlight how you can\u2019t expect your book to make money, and you can\u2019t write books if you\u2019re only writing them for a paycheck. While Neil Gaiman here is being coy, he sure is able to pay his rent on the power of his prose. You may not be so lucky. Don\u2019t write for the money. Write because you are a writer who has chosen to write.<\/p>\n

Writing Tip #17:<\/h3>\n

\u201cA writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.\u201d \u2015Thomas Mann<\/h4>\n

This writing tip, and quote, made us smile. Writer to writer\u2014 we get you. And we\u2019re picking up what Thomas Mann is laying down.<\/p>\n

Writing Tip #18:<\/h3>\n

\u201cYou can make anything by writing.\u201d \u2015C.S. Lewis<\/h4>\n

Don\u2019t limit your imagination. Don\u2019t fear that you\u2019re taking things too far with your imagination. As C.S. Lewis and countless other writers have made clear, you can create entirely new worlds with your writing. Your writing can create anything.<\/p>\n

Writing Tip #19:<\/h3>\n

\u201cYou can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.\u201d \u2015Jack London<\/h4>\n

Another writing tip about sitting down to write? Write, write, and write some more. Yep. You got that right. Another writing tip about just, well, writing. Don\u2019t sit there and stare at that blank page for more than a minute or two, pick up your metaphorical club and get writing!<\/p>\n

Writing Tip #20:<\/h3>\n

\u201cIf my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn’t brood. I’d type a little faster.\u201d \u2015Isaac Asimov<\/h4>\n

\"jimcarreywriting\"If you\u2019re the type of writer who has to write because you\u2019re bearing an untold story inside of you that simply must be let out, then this writing tip will resonate with you. Type faster. Write faster. If you write as though you are running out of time, imagine what that would do for your daily word counts or for your productivity in general. If you set an actual timer and only allow yourself six minutes to write, how juicy and delicious do you think your writing would be? Give it a try. Let us know how it goes.<\/p>\n

What Did You Think Of Our 20 Expert Writing Tips?<\/h3>\n

With 20 writing tips straight from the experts, plus plenty of fun little asides penned by our expert writers, we are sure that your blank page isn\u2019t looking as blank as it did before you started reading this piece. Major takeaway? Biggest writing tip? Go. Write. Now.<\/p>\n

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