Five Tips For New Writers

Good day to all you lovely people! I'm glad you're here! If this is your first time here, welcome! My name is Adam and I’ve been writing consistently since 2014, I have a Bachelor’s Degree in English with a creative writing emphasis. I’m a published poet and have written six novels and one novella, as well as several short stories. I have also copy-edited for relategreat.net and done copy-writing for goldenspiralfineart.com Over the past eleven years, I’ve learned a ton about writing and its processes. So, without further ado, let's jump right in, shall we? Here are five tips that I wish I would have applied more fully when I began my writing journey.

1. Find your niche and (mostly) stick with it.

   
   

   Most writers already know what they want to write when they start. It's not something to deliberate over and spend who knows how much time to figure out. You simply start writing one day because you like telling stories or conveying your thoughts and emotions through poetry, or whatever media you prefer, and you don't stop. That's perfect! That's exactly what you're supposed to do! Do not stop!

   
   

And yet, eventually, a time will come when you want to branch out and try new things. Good. Do it. Especially if you're in school and you're studying creative writing and one professor is asking for a poem, while another is asking for a non-fiction piece, and the other a short play, and on and on. That's wonderful and you should lean into each and everyone one of those genres with everything you have. But, in your heart, you'll know exactly what it is you want to write, what calls to you more than anything. And that might change and if it does, let it. Change is neutral until we can see through retrospect if it's working or not and then decide if it was good change or bad. But until you try, you won't know.

For me, I started with fantasy and then dabbled in horror and discovered that mixing the two was the perfect move for me and dark fantasy became my genre of choice. Stephen King, is known for horror, but he's branched out into other genres, as well, fantasy with the Dark Tower series, and some crime novels with the Bill Hodges trilogy and others. But even those have elements of horror within them as he simply cannot escape writing what he loves. So, finding your genre and sticking to it, that's all there is to it, right? Yeah, pretty much. Everyone has their niche and once you find yours, you'll know it and you'll want to do nothing more.

2. Write consistently (set up a regiment for yourself).

   
   

   Nothing feels better than writing when the muse, desire, inspiration--whatever you wanna call it--hits you. When you feel so inspired and you know exactly what character A is going to say or do to character B to make them take the next crucial step in your story. Then they make that step and they climb the mountain and kill the dragon and save the prince and and and... and then it's gone and you don't write for a day, a week. Oh god, a month? Surely you haven't waited an ENTIRE YEAR since the last time you touched your manuscript! Are you insane?

   
   

   Okay, shaming aside, I'm serious. Don't do that. Instead, set up a regiment for yourself so that you are writing consistently. Set aside a specific time in your schedule to write. Whether that's daily, every other day, or even for a few hours once a week, the key is consistency! For example, when Stephen King writes, he writes every day and tries for six pages a day and gets them as good as he can until his project is finished. Look, I get it, okay? Time is the greatest commodity. Many of us have full time jobs, families, kids, a dog, not to mention all the shit that goes along with all of that and eats up so much time. But guess what? You're a writer and what do writers do? They write! Guess what I'm doing right now instead of watching TV, or doom-scrolling on my phone, or (sobs internally) playing Oblivion Remastered... That's right, I'm writing! So get to it! You have no excuse! You may have reasons (dependents, and family, of course, absolutely take precedent) but guess what? Eventually they go to sleep and you have free time then, don't you? "Oh, but Adam, I'm tired." Suck it up, buttercup. So am I. I worked 13 hours today. I regularly work 12 hour days five days a week (yes, I count my writing as part of my work, it's an unpaid, part-time internship at this point). I wake up at 5 AM to start my day by writing for an hour before my long-ass commute to work and then get home at 5 PM and write for another hour before my wife gets home and we have everything else that life throws at us to take care of before bed at 10 PM (yes, I also often get less than eight hours of sleep at night). You wanna be a writer? Then write!

   
   

Alright, on a softer side, do you have to write every single day like I do? No. But the key is consistency. Ask any author and they’ll tell you the same. Brandon Sanderson has even advised on this, stating that if all you can manage is a few hours on a Saturday, then that’s when you write. Be intentional with it. Ask your significant other—or whoever you need to—to be respectful of this and not to be disturbed during that time. The main reason why I write so early in the mornings is because I know that I won’t be disturbed, that my lovely wife won’t need me for anything because she’s still sleeping. And then when I get home, despite wanting nothing more than to just relax, maybe play some video games, I write for a half an hour or so until she gets home and then I can worry about everything else that I need or want to get done before it’s time for bed. But, like I said, the key is consistency. Set a schedule, be intentional, ask your loved ones to be respectful of that time and goal. I promise, you’ll get so much more written if you do this rather than waiting and hoping for time to explore your passion. 

3. Read, read, read, READ!

   
   

   You know what else writers do? They read. They read everything. As I stated above, my chosen genre is dark fantasy. Does that mean I only read dark fantasy? Oh, man, I wish! But no, I read sci-fi, high fantasy, non-fiction, poetry, craft books, and more and so should you! Stephen King has often said, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have time to write.” And how true that is! Let me ask you this; have you ever met someone who writes but doesn't read? Have you ever read their work? It's awful, right? And did they get anywhere in their aspirations as a writer? As an author? Hell no, they did not. If you can look me in the eye and say otherwise, no you didn’t, you damn, dirty liar.

   
   

   On a similar note, have you ever had a conversation with someone who was so ignorant, so willfully stupid and bigoted that you just couldn't stand them? Guess what that person doesn't do. If you guessed read, then you won the grand prize. (It isn't much more than a pat on the back. Hey, I'm a writer, too. You think I make enough money to be handing out prizes?) Okay, my point is, if you want to be a good writer, you have to read. You have to understand the craft. Not just on an academic scale that you'd get from craft books (though those are great, too) but from the genres you're going to be writing in. You need to understand and learn through the examples of the great authors that came before you. So read! Read as much as you can!

   
   

   And, I don't mean listen to audio books. Don't get me wrong, I love a good audio book on my commute as the next person and I'm not here to gatekeep. I love me a fantastic story read to me by a fabulous narrator. But if you think that listening will make you a better writer than picking up an actual book and reading it, marking it, and taking notes on it, you've got another thing coming. Audio books in this context do not count as reading.

   
   

4. Have an honest support system.

   
   

   Having someone who can cheer you on as you write and submit and receive rejection letter after rejection letter is crucial. Even if they don't directly read your work, but are there simply to be an emotional support is better than nothing. But, nothing beats having someone else (especially someone who is in the same boat as you, or better yet, someone who knows what they're talking about and is around the same level as you) read your work. And look, I get it, having other people read your stuff is scary as hell. But I promise, the quicker you rip that band aid off, the better. Get used to your work getting critiqued because if you want to grow as a writer, then you've gotta have some pretty thick skin. But it's not just about hearing the critique either, it's learning how and when to apply it that matters the most. Either way, finding someone who can be brutally honest with you and help you grow is probably tied for the first best thing you can do as a new writer. 

   
   

There are some writers who claim that their writing is solely solitary and they don’t have a writing group. That may be true to an extent. But even they have editors, or usually one or two people close to them (spouses, a close friend or two, a sibling) who are helping them with this. So find your support system and let them help you become better!

5. Educate yourself

   
   

If you're like me and you hate school, then you might be rolling your eyes a little at this. But guess what, going to a university was probably the best thing I could have done for my writing career. I learned so much, and made amazing friends (who are now my writing/support group that give me the feedback that I need and cheer me on whether I'm feeling down or doing great work). I not only learned from my English courses, but I learned a ton from my generals, too. Classes like Geography, Anthropology, Astronomy, and many more helped me with world building and gave me tons of ideas for characters, plots, religions, and more! Do not be afraid to lean into your generals if you go the traditional route of education. In fact, many authors even suggest choosing a different major and minoring in English or Creative Writing. Not gonna lie, I wish I would have done this, but only just a little.

If you're not a traditional learner, I totally get that, too. Regardless of my college education, I still learn constantly outside of school through reading, YouTube courses, and book coaches. There is so much free information out there! The question you have to ask yourself is, are you disciplined enough to go out and do it on your own? Or (are you like me and) do you need the extra push that paying for your education can give you. You know yourself best, so you choose. If you go the free route, here are five books I recommend you check out to get you started.

1. Story Genius by Lisa Cron

2. Wonderbook (specifically for Sci-fi/Fantasy) by Jeff VanderMeer

3. Seven Drafts by Allison K. Williams

4. Understanding Show Don't Tell (and Really Getting It) by Janice Hardy

5. Thrill Me by Benjamin Percy

Bonus: A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver

I certainly hope this was helpful to you. If you found it was, comment how, share with your writer friends, leave a like and go check out my social media pages for more content!

Cheers!

-Adam