Here are 15 of the best tips from various authors and writers. They are taken from our creative writing course

  1. Get an imagination: If it’s been done before, do it another way. If it’s been said before, find another way to say it. Our online creative writing course emphasises originality from start to finish!
  2. See things like a movie camera – make your writing cinematic. Zoom in and pan the surroundings. Use your words to make pictures.
  3. Employ the elements of the novel: scene, setting; characters, dialogue; drama.
  4. When in doubt – cut it out.
  5. When using dialogue, stick with “said” or “says.” Avoid fancy attributions, such as: recalls, retorts, or replies – unless it is done sparingly for effect.
  6. Rely on nouns and verbs more than adjectives and adverbs.
  7. Ask yourself: ‘Why am I using this detail?
  8. Are all word choices effective and appropriate?
  9. Do the sentences and paragraphs flow smoothly?
  10. Do not start with the time, season or weather conditions.
  11. Captivate your reader. Give the reader a reason to keep reading from start to finish.
  12. Do not start with “It was”, “It’s” or “When”.
  13. Show the reader. Don’t tell them.
  14. If someone reads this 20 years from now, will they understand the reference?
  15. Last but not least, read writing by great writers.

See our creative writing course