Writing Tips Archives

6 Simple Ways to Get Out of a Writing Rut

August 4, 2015 by Meet Brenda 3 Comments

Writers write in a variety of voices, particularly if they write for several different magazines/blogs/clients/genres/whatever and are professional writers or authors.

However, once you find your writing voice, sometimes it’s easy to get stuck there. This makes it harder to adopt different voices for different venues.

You can still sound like you but still adopt varying tones. For example, something written in a novel will be quite different than something on a sales page even if you still use similar words and phrasings. If you can’t do this, then you won’t be as successful of a writer.

Professional and aspiring writers alike both have to be able to write in several different styles to be successful. A writing rut hampers success and impedes progress.

So, how do you get out of a writing rut?

5 Easy Ways to Get Out of a Writing Rut

I’ve fallen into writing ruts several times over my seven-year career as a freelance writer, and I’ve found these tips to be helpful in shaking things up and getting out of a writing rut:

You knew I was going to say this one, didn’t you? It seems to be my answer for everything. But it is so important. If you feel like your writing is rutted and blah, read something inspirational. I like to read something like The New York Times or The Guardian if I want inspiration for journalism-style writing. If I need more blog inspiration, I’ll read something like Momastery. For writing inspiration, you absolutely cannot go wrong with a classic book like Les Miserables or any of these books that leave a lasting impression.

Try a Writing Exercise

I don’t do this often anymore, but when I first started out, I did a lot of writing exercises. Writing exercises give you a challenge to complete and have you write something specifically on-task. I like to imagine the exercises as if they were pitches for publication in a magazine that I really want to get into.

Take a Break

We all have those days when we know the day is a writing bust from the moment we wake up (or maybe don’t wake up). If you don’t have any looming deadlines, go ahead and take the day off. Do something completely different, like exercise or go for a walk in the sunshine.

Make a Deadline

Too many break days are unnecessary and harmful. At some point, you have to buckle down and do the writing whether you feel like you are in a rut or not. I have a whole list of strategies you can try to motivate yourself when you just don’t feel well or feel like working at all. Push through and be awesome!

Write, Rewrite, and Rewrite Again

It may be possible that you’re in a writing rut because your writing isn’t good. “Good” of course, is highly subjective, but if you aren’t happy with it, regardless of if another person is, it isn’t good writing.

What is the best way to improve your writing? By writing and rewriting. Make a draft and edit like crazy. Eliminate anything that can be eliminated, then consider adding some back in or perhaps adding something else in instead. Try things out and don’t be afraid of the delete button.

What I like to do is save each draft that I create and come back a day, week, or month later (depending on the scope/timeframe of the project) and pick the best parts of each draft to use as the final draft.

It’s also encouraging to see how the idea changed from the start and morphed into the final project. Plus, if you write a famous book, those half-finished drafts will be worth something some day.

Take a Writing Course

A lot of people stop learning once they graduate college, which is silly. There is always more to learn. There are hundreds of resources you can use to learn a new writing style, and many of them are completely free.

You Don’t Have to Stay in a Writing Rut

Above all, writing should be fun, informative, and entertaining. If you are in a writing rut, you cannot reach your full creative potential. If you feel burned out by writing, you don’t have to stay in your writing rut. Use these tips to pull out of it and get back where you want to be.

Pin this post for later!

More Writing Tips Picked for You

Do I Need an Editor? 7 Reasons Why Editors are Essential to the Writing Process

June 2, 2015 by Meet Brenda 3 Comments

Every wonder if you need an editor for your book/writing? If you are asking the question "do I need an editor" here are 7 reasons why editors are a must. — Even Tchaikovsky went through editing. Photo by Miami U. Libraries – Digital Collections

I see a lot of authors and writers ask the question, “do I need an editor?” I have worked both as a writer and editor. I believe writers of every type benefit from editing (in addition to writing tips).

I know how it can be frustrating to get your work back filled with markups and requested changes. Or worse, an editor tells you to change your writing with no direction (this isn’t really editing so much as criticizing). Sometimes, editors hate your writing style and will never love anything you put on a page.

As an editor, I’ve realized that beyond basic grammatical corrections, editing is often subjective. I tend to eliminate pontificating and filler phrases when I edit. Other editors prefer descriptive, flowing sentences. This is why it is important to find an editor who does love your writing style and your subject material.

7 Reasons Why Editors are Essential to the Writing Process

But, no matter what type of writing you do, the answer to the question “do I need an editor for my book (or paper or thesis)” is always “yes” and here is why:

Editors Clarify

When you’re writing, you get in the zone. You envision what you are writing about and your words flow onto a page in what you hope is a beautiful symphony of words. However, when an editor looks at your writing, she has no idea what was going on in y head when you wrote it. What you thought was a beautiful and poignant description of how rust is like life and everything eventually breaks down but still remains beautiful, the editor sees as a long rambling sentence about oxidized metal that is completely irrelevant.

An editor takes what you wrote and clarifies the meaning. Maybe it doesn’t take 200 words to make your point. Maybe it only takes 20.

Editors Focus

In my editing experience, I’ve seen a lot of writers go off onto tangents that are irrelevant or miss the guidelines entirely. An editor can help a writer focus on what needs to be said and eliminate the rest.

Editors Improve

When I’m writing, sometimes I realize that what I’m trying to say isn’t coming across quite how I would like, but I can’t think of another way to write it. An editor looks at a piece/book/whatever with fresh eyes and can help you find that new way to present the difficult section. From titles to plots, editors can really help make any piece of writing much better.

Editors Catch Mistakes

Everyone makes basic mistakes with writing. From writing loose instead of lose to more egregious errors like misspelling the name of a president, mistakes happen. Editors catch these small mistakes and make you look smarter.

Editors Know When to Let Go

Apparently, not all editors know this (specifically George RR Martin’s editors), but in most cases, an editor pares down information to the most essential parts. Today’s trend for books is “the longer the better” but the more I read the less I believe in this trend.

Now, I am far more likely to believe that 300 pages is plenty long enough for any story.

Editors Find Holes

Like George RR Martin, I have a story I’ve been working on for over 10 years (11 to be exact). Every so often, I write a lot of it at once and have my husband read it. He catches silly plot holes that I don’t even think of. My husband would be a great editor (and writer). An editor asks you, “why is this here?” “How does this drive the story (even non-fiction has a story)?” And the less popular, “this is bizarre. Get rid of it.”

Editors Reveal Your Best Writing

In short, the answer to the question, “do I need to hire an editor,” is a definitive “yes.” Editors help you become the writer you are, but more crystallized. Imagine yourself in the raw as partially congealed Jello. You kind of have shape, but it’s fluid and not very clear. An editor transforms the soupy Jello into a clearly defined ice sculpture.

Do you use an editor? Share your editor raves or horror stories with us!

Find more practical writing tips here!

Do you need an editor for your book or other writing? You’re in luck! I also offer reasonably-priced editing services.

Writing Tip: 5 Writing Personalities You Can Have

February 5, 2014 by Meet Brenda Leave a Comment

It’s time for my monthly column at Coffee Addicted Writer! This month’s topic: writing personalities.

“When writing for the print industry or the web, everyone tells you to have you own voice. But what does that really mean?

Finding your voice is simply a matter of writing with personality. No one wants to read boring informational articles (well, maybe some people do) or stories, which is why adding personality is effective. However, there are several ways you can do this…”

Read the rest of the post at Coffee Addicted Writer!

For more awesome writing tips, visit the Writing Tips Wednesday page.

Crafting a Story: Choose the Right Tense

January 29, 2014 by Meet Brenda 2 Comments

In general, there are three tenses used in books. The first tense is past tense; “he touched the gate,” “she ran down the street.” A lot of older books use past tense. The second tense often used is present tense; “I look at her face,” “a bell goes off.” A lot of modern books are written in present tense. Although present tense is common, it is still challenging to keep the past tense out of the story. A lot of books slip in and out between past and present tense, which if done right, is almost unnoticeable, but if done poorly, can ruin any story.

A few books are written in future tense. Future tense is kind of an awkward tense to write in, which is why few books do it. Usually, a book will only use future tense for part of the book, since it can be strange. “I will chase the dog,” “the baby will soon cry.”

The tense that you choose is not as important as the continuity of the tense that you do choose. When the tense changes in a book, the results are jarring. It is awkward when a book written mainly in present tense switches to past or future tense or vice versa. When you are reading, and suddenly the book switches from past tense to present tense, your brain jumps out of the story and starts to pay attention to grammar. When that happens, your story is no longer engaging and the goal of your story has failed.

It sounds rather dramatic, but the tense that you choose can mean the difference between the life and death of a story.

What Tense is Best?

There are pros and cons for both tenses. In present tense, it is easy to convey action and plot development, but difficult to add descriptive passages or reflective narration. In past tense, it is easy to describe events and explore character themes, but action can feel stilted. If you are unsure of which tense would sound best with your particular plot theme, you can try both. Try writing the same page or chapter with one version in present tense and one version in past tense. Whichever version fits in best with the theme of your story is what you should use throughout the entire book.

What tense is your favorite to read?

Reader Hooks You Should Emulate

January 22, 2014 by Meet Brenda 2 Comments

One of the best things you can do for any story is to make the first paragraph exciting enough to convince the reader to continue. I fact, your first paragraph may be the most important part of your story. A good book consists of several parts.

1. An intriguing opening

2. A first chapter that makes you want to learn more about the universe or characters

3. Chapter endings that make you want to keep reading

4. An unexpected ending (or a satisfying ending)

If a story has these elements, then it will convince people to read it. Probably the best book I read recently that follows these rules is The Maze Runner. I was so impressed at how James Dashner was able to hold my interest throughout the entire book.

However, your opening line is one of the most important elements of any story. Take a look at some of my favorite opening paragraphs from famous books:
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way — in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

The Witches by Ronald Dahl

“In fairy-tales, witches always wear silly black hats and black coats, and they ride on broomsticks. But this is not a fairy-tale. This is about REAL WITCHES.”

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it. In the first place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them.”

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

“I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids—and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me. Like the bodiless heads you see sometimes in circus sideshows, it is as though I have been surrounded by mirrors of hard, distorting glass. When they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves, or figments of their imagination—indeed, everything and anything except me.”

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

“This is my favorite book in all the world, though I have never read it.”

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

“He began his new life standing up, surrounded by cold darkness and stale, dusty air.”

I like that how even though all of these books are about vastly different things, they all make you want to keep reading. Now that I’m looking at these quotes, I guess I prefer the short and sweet openings. 🙂

What are your favorite opening lines in books?