When We Collide Author's tips for better writing

Hey all! I’m A. L. Jackson, author of Pulled and Take This Regret.  I want to thank Taking it One Page at a Time for asking me to share with you today on my 10 Tips On Becoming a Better Writer. 

I spent some time contemplating whether I wanted to focus on the overall picture and lifestyle of being a writer, or if I wanted to focus on craft. In the end I thought I’d give you a little of both.

So here it goes ~ A. L. Jackson’s 10 Tips to Becoming a Better Writer

Never give up. Yes, this is a general philosophy that can be applied to almost any passion, but one that is essential to being a writer. If you’ve chosen writing or becoming an author as your passion and aspiration, then expect that there will be a lot of discouragement that will come with it. There will be times when it feels as if it is just not worth it. But there will also be times, like when you hold your published book in your hands, when it feels like the most amazing thing in the world.

Outline. If you’re writing your first book, I strongly recommend that you begin with an outline. It’s essential to know where you’re beginning, the direction you’re  heading, and your ultimate destination. Be sure that the plot makes sense and you can clearly see how you can take your reader on this journey. You’ll have plenty of space to allow your characters and plot to grow and develop as you write, but an outline will help you to stay on the right track.  After that first book, you should be able to tell if you’re a stronger writer with or without an outline.

Continue to read.  Read the classics, read the bestsellers, and read in your genre. Allow yourself to be inspired!

Find a critique partner you trust. I can’t emphasize this enough.  A critique partner can help you see the holes in your plot and characterization issues that we, as writers, can’t see.  Often these things are clear in our heads, but it may not come across that way to the reader.  Plus it’s so encouraging to have another writer friend who we can toss ideas around with and support each other in our writing.  On a side note: Be sure this critique partner’s interest is in helping you become a better writer and not in tearing you down.   
 
Look for common themes, words, and phrases in your manuscript.  Most authors have favorite words and phrases.   Identify them and be sure you don’t overuse them.

Get rid of those adverbs! I recommend doing a search through all the adverbs in your manuscript. If you can replace an adverb with strong verbs and descriptions instead (which you almost always can), do it.

Show, don’t tell.  Bet you haven’t heard that before J  Don’t tell us your character feels sad, but describe the scene unfolding that made brought on the sadness, the actions of the character in response to it, and give clear descriptions of what the character is experiencing and feeling.

Approach editing with an open mind.  Our first instinct as writers can be to be defensive of our work, but open your mind to suggestions given to you by your editor and/or critique partner.  Editors are there to help make our books better, not tear them apart. If you disagree with a suggestion, take the time to discuss it with your editor and see if the two of you can work together to create a good solution.

Don’t let formatting or punctuation marks tell your story for you.  Don’t overuse italics for emphasis or exclamation marks to show excitement.  Let your story speak for itself.

Continue to write.  The more you write, the better writer you’ll become.  Plus, you love it, right? So sit back and enjoy what you do.

Thank you again to Taking it One Page at a Time. Wishing you all much luck in your writing endeavors!