Your Guide to Writing the Perfect Story

Important Organization Tips and Skills

Part of making sure that you stay on track with your story is staying organized. Any serious writer knows that writing a novel is a lot more than just typing as you go. Some do this but, like I've mentioned previously, it is far from effective. I hope this is helpful to you.

Tip #1:

Plan your story. I cannot stress this point enough. If you still are convinced you can skip this step, go read my chapter on it.

Tip #2:

Keep all of your files or notebooks dedicated to your planning together so you can ensure that you do not lose them. The same goes for any supplies that you may have used.

Tip #3:

Save anything you've written in more than one place. Wattpad glitches, Word stops responding, computers crash and basically any other thing you may be using has some sort of flaw. By keeping your documents in more than one place, you run less of a risk of losing all that you have worked for. I once wrote an entire short story and went through the whole editing process and everything. Lucky me, Wattpad stopped responding when I saved it and when I checked back on it, all of my work was gone. Don't let this happen to you.

Use OneDrive, Google Docs, a USB, Word, Wattpad, and/or anything else you can think of. It's better to take a little time to do this extra step than lose everything you worked for. Just make sure all of them are updated regularly.

Tip #4:

Don't let your story get cluttered! Make sure all of the chapters are organized, the blurb is just right, and you have the right cover. Keep your author's notes separate from the story, indent your paragraphs (unless on Wattpad), and make it clear when the scene is changing (entering twice).

Tip #5:

Keep notes. Write down plot ideas as you get them. It will keep your mind fresh and the fear of forgetting your fabulous ideas at bay.

Tip #6:

Don't rely on your memory to aid you! We hear and see billions of things every day and we can't absorb all of it. I might have noticed my friend's purple hair elastic or that there is a tear in the volleyball net in gym class, but in all likelihood I will have forgotten by the end of the day. If you find a cool website with writing tips, copy it down somewhere! If you are browsing the writing guides on Wattpad but don't have time to read all of them, put them in a reading list. Make sure you are added to all the threads on the "Improve Your Writing" club that you want to be. Your memory will fail you, but a trusty pen and piece of paper won't (usually).

Those are all of my organizational tips. I will most likely be adding to this as I think of more. If you have any, please let me know in the comments and I might add them on here.

I realize the past few chapters have been a bit slow, but they are there for a reason. You need a break to absorb everything and I, to be quite honest, need a break from writing it. The next chapter will be right back on to writing tips, I promise. Thanks for reading!