I’m always thinking. For better or worse, I’m often in my head. And I come up with all sorts of explanations and thoughts on what makes for good writing–for me and others. So I once compiled a list that I believe, makes for better writing. I thought I’d share it here. So here goes.
- Use your senses. They give you details which can turn into words to be more descriptive
- Be aware of the world around you. Ideas are literally everywhere if you choose to look
- Write tight. Details are good. Being long-winded is not. Kids are notorious repeat offenders because of word count. They get assignments of writing so many pages or paragraphs. And when they run out of ideas, they repeat the same things. So I rather they write tight. Say it once and move on. Working from an outline for the who, what, where, when and why can limit them to one description each.
- Start in the beginning, middle or end; just start somewhere and the rest will fall into place.
- Picture yourself as a reader of your story. Does it tell you what you want to know? The who, what, where, when and why of it all?
- Ask ‘what if’ to stir your imagination. You can take something ordinary and transform it into something extraordinary.
- When kids get stuck with writers block, ask them questions. Lots and lots of questions. Once they get to the heart of themselves, the pens usually begin to fly.
- Think about problem, action, solution when you write.
- Begin your stories in different ways—not only once upon a time and one day
- If you get stuck, take a break. Brainstorms often come when you’re busy doing something else (Life happens when you’re doing other things? Who said that?)
- Practice beginning a story with an introduction to the topic. Introduce the topic, describe why it’s important, then bang! Hit them with a key sentence that leads them into the actual story
- Find a hook. It can be easiest to ask a question, use a quote that relates to a topic. Or make a bold statement. Your reader will be drawn in.
- Whether you’re blasting off into distant galaxies or crawling under your warm covers, the point is to take a trip. Pick up a piece of paper a pen an imagine yourself entering a whole new world.