Young Writers Society

Writing is meant to be FUN! So have fun with it!

"Good writing isn't defined by the writer but by the reader."

AKA

Stop force-feeding your material to readers and listen to what they have to say so you can invoke a better reaction from them.

-Kakky-

sorry, but i'm going against the 101 tips for writers in the resource section, which says, "Always know your ending before you start."

Whenever i write (at least if i have developed my charecters as well as i should), i sometimes find myself thinking that a story will go one way, and then i find out that the charecter would not LET it end that way, or they would do something else that would result in another ending. I believe (and so does Stephen King in "On Writing, a Memoir of the Craft," a great book definately worth reading) that your characters should determine the direction that the story goes.

So i guess my tip would be, "Listen to your characters!"

- Show don't tell.

- Let your characters live.

- Be prepared to be told you're crap.

- Give the reader someone or something to root for.

xx

Ok, I'm not sure if someone already said this, but it's good advice (I guess), so it's worth rereading.

-always bring something to write with to the bookstore- or anywhere for that matter- because your all most guaranteed to get an idea at the spur of the moment.

Write your first draft with your heart. Re-write with your head.

Simple as that.

Don't care what idea is, just write (May you read it in my signature).
It said me somebody else.

Love what you do.

Actually, this goes for all things but I've always put this full forced towards my writing. Because if you don't love what you write, how can you ever expect anyone else to love it either. That love has to stem from a passion towards your characters and your story.

"A writer only fails when they stop writing".

I read that in our Lit. book. It's a quote from Ray Bradbury. I can't stand the things he writes ((haha, sorry)) but I like that quote from him. Also, I like,

"Just go with the flow".

That helped with my latest story, The Arms Dealer.

"Write what you need to read."
- Francine Rivers


That tip has stuck with me since I read it four years ago. As a result: the untitleds, The Edge of Forever, Hail Mary, Azaleas for Susie, and For Diana.

Sorry if someone already said this, but I think that even if you think you're crap now, all you can do is improve. You can't get worse. And with every draft you write, even the smallest one, is giving something to your writing experience.

write what you love to read

space

This might seem a bit odd, but when and if you talk to yourself, write the conversation down afterward. I've got many good lines by doing this. Okay, I don't always do that, but every once in a while.

One of the worst things I've done is this: After greatly inspired by an awesome book, you start to write a story that's so similar to it, you even use same names for characters. Wonder why I never finished the stories?

Hmm... Carry a notebook and a pen with you wherever you go. I know this has been said before, but it's such an important one it doesn't matter.

Probably been mentioned, but best tips I can give from thinking about how I write:

-Music can help stimulate ideas, but it tends to hinder you if it is too loud/heavy

-Always have a fairly basic plan of what will happen, although be prepared to let it spiral away from your plan

-Be open to critisism - being arrogant or ignorant won't help improve writing standards

-Try to show things more than tell them, especially with poetry, although of course basic info must be given clearly

-If nothing is coming to you, don't press it. Relax or come back to it later, rushing or forcing writing will spoil it's effect and quality

-Get a fairly wide audience to read and review your work

-Spell and grammar check thoroughly once final copy is ready

-Just make sure it feels right to you!

"The wind blows, then it doesn't. And then it blows again."

That's my signature. A little word from Stephen King that is so true in so many ways.

Also, "The book is the boss." Alfred Bester.