Tag Archive - writing craft

7 Ways to Improve Your Writing Craft

Today’s guest post is by Dario Villirilli.

To become a skilled writer you need to pour blood, sweat, and tears into your craft for years—and no amount of good advice will get you there overnight. That said, if you’re here, chances are you’ve already started your journey and you’re now looking to level up your writing skills.

Whether you write for fun or you want to make writing your career, the 7 tips in this article are sure to help you improve your craft and become a better writer.

1. Embrace outlining as your friend

It’s often said that there are two types of writers: those who over-plan and those who don’t plan at all. Regardless of which camp you belong to, know that the purpose of outlining is to help you make progress with your story, not to limit it.

When you tend to adhere too strictly to a predetermined plot, you risk being predictable and losing readers’ attention. If that’s you, next time you reach a point where you’re unsure about how things should unfold, let yourself stay in that uncertainty a bit longer and see where it leads you. You might be surprised at how the story can evolve and still fall into the overarching narrative.

If, on the other hand, you’re a pantser, consider pausing after your first 30-50 pages to channel that inspiration and draft a novel structure. You’ll find that having some beats mapped out can help you find the focus you need whenever you get stuck (plus, you’ll finish your book sooner!). Continue Reading…

8 Elements That Get Readers Invested in Your Story

Today’s guest post is by Stefan Emunds.

Readers don’t just invest money but also time and effort. They suspend their disbelief and invest trust—meaning, they give you, the writer, the benefit of the doubt that you will deliver on your story promise.

They invest intellectually by figuring out clues and blinds, twists and turns, and they foresee climaxes. Last but not least, they invest emotionally by rooting for story characters and weathering conflicts and tension.

Reader investment is your goal. Reader investment means success.

You want to get total strangers to read the first chapter of your book and hook them enough to read the second. And the third. And the fourth. And so on. Reader investment means reader engagement.

These are the chief engagers:

  • Empathy
  • Curiosity
  • Tension
  • Inspiration and motivation
  • Sense of wonder and beauty
  • Emotional thrill
  • Excitement
  • Satisfaction
  • Feelings

Let’s take a look at each of these engagers. Continue Reading…

Less Is More When It Comes to Setting

On Throwback Thursday, we’re looking at excerpts from past posts on Live Write Thrive.

Today’s post is from A Peek inside the Envelope:

Sol Stein, the famous editor, author, and writing instructor, has a very short chapter in his classic book Stein on Writing that he calls “Creating the Envelope.” As I looked through my numerous books on writing craft, I drifted toward his book (which happens a lot), and was reminded again of the best advice to give writers regarding setting details.

Here’s what he says: “Writing fiction is a delicate balance, On the one hand, so much inexperienced writing suffers from generalities. The writer is urged to be specific, particular, concrete. At the same time, when the inexperienced writer gives the reader detail on character, clothing, settings, and actions, he tends to give us a surfeit, robbing the reader of one of the great pleasures of reading, exercising the imagination. My advice on achieving a balance is to . . . err on the side of too little rather than too much. For the reader’s imagination, less is more.” Continue Reading…

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