101 Writing Tips from an Exhausted Reviewer

Tips for Beginner Writers

So! You're new to writing. And you want tips. Well! Here I am. With tips. Enjoy!

There is one tip I have for you. Listen very carefully.

Run.

Run away. Because once you are sucked into the madness of writing, of being unable to stop the incessant daydreaming, of becoming so deeply invested in your characters that you no longer can tell if they have parts of your personality or if you have parts of their personality--

And don't get me started on the lethal reviewers. Each criticism they give will crush your soul.

It's too dangerous. Run. Find a hobby that is less likely to end in misery and binge-eating of ice-cream.

Run.

Anyways!

Now that I'm done being dramatic for no reason, let me assure you that I am just kidding! Writing is a fantastic hobby. It is a great way to really use your imagination, to learn about yourself, and create amazing stories that make others--and yourself--feel things. It's so powerful and is one of the longest standing art forms ever!

A while back, I got asked to give tips for writing beginners! Now, I am not a super seasoned writer by any means. But I have been reviewing for a while, so I have noticed some distinct differences between beginner writers and advanced writers. This chapter contains some overall tips that I personally think would benefit those beginner writers, as well as tips I wish I had been told when I first started writing!

The way I see writing, you have your 'friends' and you have your 'not friends'. It is important to know what is your friend, and what is not your friend, when picking up a hobby.

For example, if you're learning to sky-dive, then the parachute is a huge friend! If you are scuba diving, your oxygen tank is your friend! But the shark that is trying to bite your eyelashes off? Yeah... not your friend.

Let's get into it!

YOUR FRIENDS:

Friend #1: Reading

I normally finish my tip lists with this one, but I genuinely think this needs to go at the very top here--especially for newer writers.

Imagine asking someone to play soccer when they've never even watched a single game of it and therefore, don't know any of the rules or goals of the game.

Imagine asking someone to cook food when they have never eaten a single thing in their life before. Please do not ask me how they would be alive, for I never think far ahead enough when I am coming up with examples.

Imagine asking someone to wax off your arm hair when they have never even--

Okay, that one was getting a bit weird.

It is so important to read! Reading helps enrichen your vocabulary and pick up on writing styles that resonate with you. It helps you learn grammar, and it also helps with discovering what you actually want to write about.

So, please, read broadly! Read widely! Read books by popular authors, and read books by writers who don't have many readers at all. Read books of all genres and read books that contain all the crazy tropes--supernatural creatures, historical fictions about ballerinas, thrillers about murderous seaweed!

This also includes reading your own writing. Because, let's face it, you're going to have to read it and see if you are proud of it!

If you only want to take one tip from this entire list, pick this one. It is so important.

Friend #2: Learning

This ties into the reading--because reading is a form of learning. But, if possible, don't ever stop learning about the craft of writing.