From the article: Advice for Young Writers
Young writers often have questions about how to improve their writing and get started on a writing career. What advice made the biggest difference in your writing? Or what do you wish someone had told you? Share your favorite tips here.
Don't discourage yourself
- Never give up. Also, try not to compare yourself to other writers. Tell yourself if they can do it, so can you, and even BETTER! Only you can dive into your own imagination and everyone's mind is unique and special. Show them what you can do no matter how long it takes or how hard it is. The feeling you get when you complete your story is the best feeling in the world + knowing others love it sets your soul alight. :D Keep going. You can do it.
- —Guest Sandra
Set a Goal
- I'm currently working on a novel and I've never written as much as I have for any other novel I have attempted. What I did was set a goal. I did NaNoWriMo. The goal fo NaNoWriMo is to write 50,000 words in the month of November. IT has helped me push myself to finish the book, even if it's not good, it's still written and something to build on. You should try it too.
- —Guest Raya
Read to find your style
- Pick the book or article you really like and never grow tired of. Study how the author organizes the whole idea, his technique and style, his characters and the dialogues, his analogies and word usage, everything. Take it all in. Only by paying attention to other authors' styles can you find your own.
- —Guest Raniell
Write down your ideas
- Sometimes you get a great idea and you decide to work on it tomorrow, or maybe next week, when you finish what you're writing now. I faced that problem. I'd get a great idea, and by the time I sat down at my desk a few days later, I'd realize that I'd forgotten what the idea was. Now, I keep a small notebook with me wherever I go, because you could get an idea anywhere, any time.
- —Guest Khulood
Write every day!
- Even if you have no plans of getting published anytime soon. Writing every day not only helps you improve your craft, it also helps you build discipline for when you have to get through the tough spots.
- —Guest Merchickety
Advice
- I'm a young writer myself, and I think one of the best ways to get a reader enthralled and "in" the story, is by character. Remember, the main character can't be too perfect and the villian can't be too evil. Another thing is that if you get discouraged, thinking what use, don't give up. That's what I keep telling myself. One day, I WILL be an author. I know it. It's my goal. Make it yours if your as dedicated as me...
- —Guest Thatkid
Drink Caffeine
- As odd as it may seem, caffeine stimulates your brain. Personally, I find the residue from very vivid dreams caused by a caffeine intake prior to sleeping leaves me with interesting new thoughts and ideas.
- —Guest J. Slaughter
Read to write
- Everything you do in life- play, talk, read- is your training for being a writer. Paying attention to life helps you create more real characters and stories.
- —Guest Lukos
Don't Worry about Publishing
- The temptation is to get your work out there as soon as possible, but give yourself some years just to experiment and to find your voice, without thinking about the marketplace.
- —Guest Reed