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You’ve read all these writing tips before. Maybe you’ve even dismissed them as complete and utter crap. Well, here’s 10 writing tips and explanations of those writing tips that are almost guaranteed to make you crap your pants.
1. In Order to Write Well, You Have to Read Everything
I hear this all the time, and many million-dollar earning mainstream fiction writers and even indie authors have said this. If you don’t read, you can’t write. There’s some truth to this, but the connotation is that you should have a fiction book in your hand and be reading it every moment you are awake. If you’re not reading then you are an epic loser and will never write a good book.
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As a new or upcoming author, you may be wondering whether you should write a single title book or a series of books featuring the same characters. While this is a personal choice most of the time. Sometimes books automatically turn themselves into multiple books. In this article, we’ll discuss the differences between a single book and a series.
Single Title Books
A single title book is one book with one set of characters. When the book ends, that’s the end of those characters, the plot and all the subplots. This means that the author must write the book in such a way as to leave no loose ends. The major plots and subplots must all reach a conclusion by the last page. Once the book is finished, the author is free to work on their next book idea.
Read more: What Is the Difference Between a Single Title Book and a Series?
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(Note: This article isn't about mental health or avoiding treatment for mental illnesses. If you're sick, schedule an appointment with the appropriate doctor.)
You’re a writer—and chances are, you’re insane. Not in a clinical, diagnostic way (hopefully), but in the delightful, sideways-thinking, deeply imaginative sense of the word.
We’ve all heard the clichés: “Writers are a little crazy,” “You have to be mad to write,” “All the best authors are nuts.” These sayings exist because there’s some truth in them—not that we’re unwell, but that writers simply do not think like everyone else. And that’s not only okay—it’s a superpower.
Writers see patterns where others see chaos. They hear dialogue in their heads that no one else can hear. They dream in metaphors. They obsess over obscure facts. They feel everything too much or too little, and then they write about it.
So stop trying to be “normal.” Embrace your particular brand of madness—because that’s where the magic happens.
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Did you know there are apps in the Google Play Store that can make your writing and reading life easier. While I initially purchased my tablet to store recipes via My Cookbook, I quickly figured out that my new tablet was far more useful than just saving my holiday roll recipe. Here are my top 5 picks for writer and reader apps.
1. Amazon Kindle
Amazon Kindle is obviously the first choice for reading, especially if you spend a lot of time downloading free and paid kindle ebook. This app basically turns for tablet into a library and a book at the same time. If you’re an author or a reader, you probably already have this downloaded onto your phone and/or tablet.
Read more: 5 Android Tablet Apps that Make Writing and Reading Life Easier
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Stop me if you’ve heard this one – There Are No Rules in Fiction.If you’ve heard this, you are not alone. Unfortunately, that statement should not be taken at face value. There are rules in fiction. A more accurate statement would be – There Are Fewer Rules in Fiction.
Understanding What They’re Talking About When They Say There Are No Rules in Fiction
When someone tells you that there are no rules in fiction, what they mean is that you can use sentence fragments, grammatically incorrect dialogue and punctuation you wouldn’t see in a term paper, thesis or college essay. In other words, you don’t have to write your fiction like you would a school assignment. It doesn’t have to be rigid formal English. Every sentence doesn't need a subject and a verb. In fact, you can have a single word sentence if it makes sense in the context and is understood, but that’s the thing. You’re readers need to be able to understand your fiction, and it needs to be grammatically correct within the context of your book, free of spelling errors and punctuated correctly or reasonably so.
Read more: Dispelling the Myth: There Are No Rules in Fiction