Lips' Writing Tips for the Advanced Writer
Writing is indeed hard. If you’re like me, you’ve got a hang of it and now it’s just down to improving and building on the skills you have down pat. I’ve been writing for awhile now, and there is so much I’ve learned through trial and error. So many things that this post may get a little lengthy, because I’m gonna share all the stuff that’s really helped me improve. So let’s get down to brass tacks!
A few apps and websites that I use and totally suggest-
> Google Docs is my old faithful. It auto-saves your work, which is such a godsend, and there’s a mobile app so you can write on the go.
> Evernote is quickly becoming my favorite way of writing, planning, and organizing my writing. If you’ve heard of scrivner, I use evernote in a similar, yet more stripped-down way. It’s great for organizing wips, ideas and prompts, and planning and writing series. It’s pretty damn flexible, and I’m enjoying it so much. I also love the fact that you can download it for your desktop, so writing becomes that much more distraction-free. Which is usually my downfall.
> Edit Minion is a tool that can analyze your writing and pick out weak and over-used words. It can also tell you if your sentences are too short or long. It’s a great step-up from hemingway editor.
> TwinWord is a tool with a built-in thesaurus that suggests alternative words when you pause in your writing. It’s great for getting just the right word that may be on the tip of your tongue.
> Written? Kitten! rewards you with pictures of kittens every 100 words. I mean, it’s great if you find cat photos to be motivating to get you to write more.
> Coffivity is great for background noise, especially if you like that coffeeshop feel without the hassle of leaving your house. If you aren’t into that, there’s always Supernatural-themed background audio over at Ambient-Mixer. My favorite is the ‘Riding with the Winchesters’ track- it’s chill and you could turn off the ambient ‘radio’ and play whatever classic rock mix you’d like on low in the background for that authentic feel. There’s also some really great other fandom-themed stuff for Marvel, Doctor Who, Harry Potter, and more if you’re so inclined.
There’s a few things I’ve learned that I really think has helped improve my writing-
> Body language is so incredibly helpful for setting a tone to a situation, and clue the reader into how a character feels without having to say it outright. Everyday we all use body language to clue us in to tell us things that someone isn’t saying, and is as important as what they are saying.
General body language cheat sheets- x, x
The body language of attraction for Men and Women.
Body language in conjunction with conversations and dialogue- x
Make body language unique to the character. Sam and Dean show frustration differently, so let their body language reflect those unique tics.
> Showing emotion
Emotion should always lead to decision-making, either good or bad, that will propel the story forward.
Body movements should never be random. Everything a character does should have a specific intent: to achieve an end, reveal emotion, or to characterize.
Understand your character’s emotional range. For one character, intense situations may make them hyperventilate. For another, it might cause them to shift slightly while seated. Knowing how expressive a character is will help you find the perfect body cue to convey an emotional meaning.
Too many emotional internalizations in a scene can slow the pace considerably. If the thoughts are key, try shifting some of these to active, realistic dialogue. It will increase the pace and still allow the character’s feelings to be known.
Characters experiencing raw emotion often react without thinking- either through dialogue or action. This creates the perfect storm for mistakes, generating more conflict.
> Show vs Tell.
Show examples- x
When to Tell- x
> Building mood- x
> Adding conflict and drama- x, x, x
> Flashbacks are a common way to show the reader a backstory event ‘in real time’ but you gotta use them with care.
Only use a flashback if it propels the story forward and the backstory is crucial.
Flashbacks should reveal something important, not explain.
Get in and get out- no flab.
Give it a punch. The event should have a huge impact on the current scene and emotions at work.
> Dialogue- x
Short, sharp dialogue is a prison shiv: moves fast ’cause it’s gotta, because Big Larry only has three seconds in the lunch line with to shank Jimmy the Snitch all up in his kidneys. Longer dialogue moves more slowly. Want to create tension? Fast, short dialogue. Want to create mystery? Longer, slightly more thoughtful dialogue.
Don’t let one character lecture; let it be a conversation. Otherwise, you end up with an infodump, and readers are just gonna skim it. And we don’t want to skim.
Dialogue is not always turn-based. Sometimes people are interrupted, because of a variety of reasons. People also stammer and try to work out what the hell they’re actually trying to say out loud. Don’t be afraid to mix it up and keep things interesting and dynamic.
Dialogue should flow like water. Find the boring parts. The unnecessary stuff. The junk. Anything that doesn’t feel a) necessary and b) interesting. Stick it in a bag and set it on fire. That means don’t hang a bunch of ornaments on your dialogue. In fiction, use the dialogue tags “said” and “asked” 90% of the time. You might use “hissed,” “called,” “stammered,” etc. These are strong spices; use minimally. Novice writers are tempted to pimp up their speech tags instead of the dialogue. You can do better than that.
Example - “Don’t ever talk to me that way again,” Peter hissed.
Better version - The twinkle in Peter’s eyes disappeared as he stepped closer. His voice was low, almost a growl. “Don’t ever talk to me that way again.”
Other Research guff that’s helpful when writing in the Supernatural world-
List of legendary creatures by type
Writer reference masterlist
Random name generator
Writing Injuries
Wound Types and How to Treat Them
More like this:
Lips’ Writing Tips for Beginners & Returning Writers
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