There are a kajillion books and articles with tips for writers. There are writers galore offering up advice. There is an endless stream of things I could say and call them “writers tips.” It’s all been said before; I have nothing original. However, writers like to hear themselves talk talk talk talk talk. (Using words on the page, that is. We don’t do so well in person.) We crave an audience, and we’ll grab one up any chance we get.


Don’t necessarily listen to writers freely, or not so free-ly, giving out writers tips.

Maybe I should put it this way: Read the tips and find messages that seem to be repeated over and again by writers and by “experts” in the field (such as Strunk and White, or an editing or writing website or book—from places/people you trust). Find those tips on which all writers and editors agree, and then adapt them to your needs. The rest is only our individual experience or opinion anyway, and if it sounds right to you, then heed it; if it sounds like patootie on a stick, then discount it. Yet, if we have a common “theme” in our tips, it should perhaps be paid attention to, no? Yes! For example: One space after punctuation is, sometimes hotly, debated. One space after punctuation is Right! I say it now, with a firm hand (but you’ll still see writers using two spaces).


Practice. Practice. Practice.

Do you think a musician/vocalist says, “I know how to play the violin/piano/cello/trumpet perfectly, or I know how to sing beautifully, and so I don’t have to practice”? Even with a prodigy, there must be the continued playing of the instrument, or the inhalation and exhalation of voice, to keep the mind, lungs, or fingers supple. Do you think the star athlete sits on his butt and says, “I’m the best, so no need to practice”? The athlete knows she must practice, practice, practice. Why would writers be any different? Practice your craft.


Be true to your characters. Listen to them.

This is different for everyone. Personally, I put my fingers on the keyboard and let the characters “talk” to me; I let them take over. I usually have a vague image of a character and I’ll sit down to explore who the character is, and that may mean something they think or do or feel, or a quirk they possess, or an expression on their face. I begin with a sentence, then two, then three, and then more. And eventually, the character becomes clearer, and if I am lucky, becomes a “Real Person” who has their own life and wants and loves and dreams. If I try to shoehorn something into my story, the character won’t like it, meaning, it will be contrived and unreal and just “wrong” for that character. If I insist on keeping something in that doesn’t fit, my audience will know—oh yes, they will! Same as yours will. When we get in the way of our characters it is as if we’ve just written that phrase, or paragraph, or page in red neon ink. Our characters are the people we have created and formed, yes, but they are also “real people,” and just as you cannot force your will upon your friends and family, you should not force your will on your characters. Step back. Let them be who they are, separate from you.


Read. Read. Read.

Now, there is a good possibility that one can write, and write well, without reading. There is always the exception to any “rule” (Of course for all we know, exceptions are only fibbers! Ha! Perhaps they do their practicing in secret . . . yes. . . . maybe . . . well . . . anyway . . .). By reading, you learn what works, what doesn’t. You learn it’s okay to take risks. You learn you must know the rules to break them effectively. And reading takes you beyond the universe of your own mind and into someone else’s universe. Explore around, see what you find.


Read out of your usual genre or “favorite authors."

If you like romance novels, try reading a mystery. If you read nothing but Stephen King horrors, pick up another horror author’s books and try them. If you like novels, try short stories. Go to the library or to a used book store so you don’t feel as if you are “wasting” your money on books you are afraid you won’t enjoy. You may be surprised, though, and find an author or genre of writing different from the usual.


You’ve heard “write what you know.” Don’t always think of this in concrete terms, necessarily. Think of it in the abstract, as an ideal. Take it beyond the literal meaning.


If you do not know the meaning of terms such as: Point of View (POV), Tone, Voice, Tense—find out the meaning.

If you do not understand these terms and how to use them effectively, learn. These "basics" allow you to manipulate the language, mine the techniques, control your work—even if you break the rules in that "controlling."


Information overload

Too much information, as you may be feeling here by now, can be a dangerous thing. Too many voices in your head telling you what to do, not to do, how to do it, when to do it. When all is said and said and said and written and written and written, it is you, your computer or piece of paper and pen, and your own voice and words. Write, and let everything else be damned.



Kat Magendie is co-editor/publisher of Rose & Thorn Journal. She is the author of Tender Graces and its forthcoming sequel Secret Graces. She lives on a mountain called Killian's Knob, in the Great Smokies in Western North Carolina. Visit Kat's website at kathrynmagendie.com.