Ready, steady, write!

Creating a unique piece of literature can be daunting even when you have a killer idea you're sure would make a superb series or a movie. Where do you start? How to do you keep going? And most importantly, what will it take for you to wrap it up and write those glorious words 'The End'?

In the following days, I shall try to cover the basics in separate posts.

Here is everything I will discuss:

1: choosing the most suitable program for your writing (Word, Google Docs, PDF, and Scrivener being among them)

2: (get to) know your audience (age category, genre, subgenre, tropes, etc)

3: outlining

4: world building (Word Anvil, Campfire, Chrono Grapher, Inkarnate, GIMP, Inkscape, One Note, Art Breeder)

5: research (you guessed it - you'll need loads for the task above)

6: character building (you can use the same tools as for the world building + Word and / or a notebook)

7: writing on schedule, but also whenever and however possible

8: writing exercises (including but not limited to writing a short story, a story on a prompt, a story of 100 words, etc.)

9: keeping your writing simple (or, as us editors like to say, using plain English) and write with clarity

10: vary your syntax for the sake of rhythm and know when to break a paragraph

11: seeking and getting feedback and knowing how to handle it (not all feedback will be beneficial for your story or you as a writer)

12: revising on a structural level

13: revising on a syntax level (eliminating glue words, filtering verbs, unnecessary fillers, passive voice) and ensuring your sentences work grammatically

14: reading (yes, you will need to read)

It's a lot - I know. Been there, done that. Went from being a writer who had no clue what they were doing to an editor. And guess what? Even editors make mistakes in their own writing (it's our baby!) and need to hire editors. Self editing IS possible, but it's often not as efficient as when you send your story to an editor. However, with these few tricks, I hope to make your writing journey easier and more enjoyable.