A Guide to Writing by Synith.

I have personally come across so many writers, published, unpublished and everything in-between who make much of the same set of mistakes. This is why I felt it necessary to write a simple, straightforward guide to help beginning and experienced writers out. Please note that all stated are things to help you improve your writing formula. It is not necessary to follow them to become a better writer. They are just suggestions to help you along with the craft.


Eat a healthy meal:
The first and foremost important thing to writing is eating. The body simply cannot function without nourishment. I personally have had days where I skip a few meals and it changes my mood. You don’t want to come to the page pissed off because your body isn’t getting enough food. Step one to writing: eat.

Choose a quiet environment:
This speaks for itself. You want to be in a setting away from people and distractions. Be sure to choose a setting that is comfortable. If you have to constantly readjust your body because your chair is crap, this is not the setting to write. Choose a comfortable place. This allows you, the writer to open your mind up to all sides of the creative process. If you choose to write with music playing, set it a bit low, or turn it off altogether. You don’t want this interrupted by a cell phone, or your roommate barging in on you. You’ll completely loose focus on what you trying to get across. If this means writing late at night, or early in the morning make sure you get enough sleep the night before. Make it a habit to get to bed by a certain time. It’s so easy to get caught up with the Internet late at night. Set a curfew for yourself.

Be inspired:
Take time to smell the roses. Instead of going about your daily routine, skipping over the little objects of your neighborhood, take a look at them. Rediscover them in a new way. Always change your perception of things. If you find yourself starting to ignore that little garden statue outside your kitchen window, put yourself in check. Look at everything differently every day.

Get creative:
In writing, you must become four things. One: a madman. Allow yourself to get as crazy as possible at this early stage of writing. I call this process ‘free write’ because it lacks any edits or deep thought. Allow yourself to just babble on and on about whatever topic you have in mind (read on for topic suggestions). Second: become a carpenter. Shape the words the ‘madman’ threw down on to the page. Go though them. Think about every line. Ask yourself ‘does this sentence really convey what I was trying to get across, or is it garbage?’ Make every word mean something. Don’t let yourself get off on some tangent. Stick to the point. Third: become a judge. Judge your work. Ask yourself ‘does this work as a whole?’ if not ask yourself ‘why’. What didn’t work for the piece, why didn’t it work and how can you make it work. If you find yourself being overly poetic, back off. Remember to always keep your work as honest as possible. Keep it true to you. Just because you have a way with words does not mean you’re a great writer. Most great writers write in an honest format. Most of them only use 10% of their "poetic genius" in their work. At the same token, make it from your heart. Don’t write something to impress people. You’ll come off as a charlatan. Writing from the heart is much, much more effective than writing from the brain. It’s a delicate dance. Just make sure you always write for you.

If you’re lost as to what to write about: read. It’s been said great writers read more than they write. Engulf yourself in anything and everything. Read those silly teen-age books your children read. Read classics. Read everything you can get your hands on. This not only opens the door for grand inspiration, but also feeds your vocabulary chamber. After you finish a book write down your thoughts on the piece. Did you think the writer wrote in effectively, or do you think he wrote it just to make some cash? What worked in the book, what could be better? Get in the habit of writing down your thoughts and opinions on things. Likewise, keep a journal. At the end of each day write down the days events. I recommend only writing for five to ten minutes every night. This opens you up to expressing yourself more effectively. It’ll help you out in the long run.

Be open to new ideas. It’s so easy as a writer to get closed-minded about a certain topic. Break the habit. It’s wonderful to question things and I actually recommend it, but if those questions become an unbreakable fact in your head—you’ve gone too far. Break from it.

Study people and how they interact. Get familiar with how they use language and what emphasis they put on different words. For play writing and story writing this is a must. (Read more about this under "learn the gears of writing and language")

Another very important factor in writing is being comfortable with your own voice. Let’s face it—everyone writes differently. Just because you don’t write just like you’re favorite author does not mean you’re a bad writer. Become confidant with your own unique voice, style and approach to the page.

Write every day:
Set aside at least 30 to 60 minutes every day to write. If you plan on sticking with writing it’s best to have a small amount of time every day to devote to writing something. Anything; even if you only come out with a sentence. Every little bit helps you grow. It’s easy to get tied down from the day’s events that you skip writing, or say you’ll do it tomorrow. Express it on the page. It’s a wonderful exercise if you plan on being published later on.

Envision the scene:
If you’re lost about an image, or setting you’re trying to get across close your eyes. Allow yourself to walk though the scene. Place your mind in body in that setting. Ask yourself what would my character do here? Why is this place so important to him/her and how could I describe it without dragging the reader down with too many images and descriptions. Allow yourself enough time there. Just because you suddenly get an idea about something does not mean you have to leave that place and return to reality. Let yourself wander there for a long while. Run your hands on each and every object. Become part of what you’re describing and then apply it to the page.

Take breaks:
It’s so easy to get stuck somewhere when you’re writing. If you feel writers block starting to come over you, walk away for a while. Leave the piece for a good hour, or come back to it the next day. Allow yourself freedom. Writing shouldn’t make you feel like you’re locked in chains. Allow yourself some tome for your head to clear. Always remember that writing drains the body. You need time for your energy and creative levels to recharge. No one is saying ‘write this poem, or story by 2pm sharp--or else!’ If you’re having difficulty with inspiration, or muse—walk away from a while. Come back to the piece with fresh eyes and a clean head.

Learn the gears of writing and language:
Educate yourself on how the language you are writing in works. Familiarize yourself with its gears. There’s a lot of information available at your fingertips. Utilize it and educate yourself. It’ll really improve how you view writing and how approach the page. Please see the links at the end of the guide for more information.

Avoid cliches and ‘commonplace’ images and phrases. It’s so much more effective when you come up with an original image, instead of copying from one that’s been used so many times that it’s been beaten to death.

Be open to critique:
Let a close friend, or someone experienced look the piece over. Ask them for suggestions. ‘What would make the piece stronger?’ Ask them what worked in the piece and what did not work. Do not let their feedback bog you down. Their intention is not to slam you as a writer. They want to see you grow in your craft.

Keep writing:
The last point I’ll make is by far the most important. Like with all things, you will not become better at something unless you keep doing it. Writing should not be about getting published right now. Even the best of writers don’t get published. Let your focus be on improving your craft. Nothing else.


Books I recommend reading:

+ The Pocket Muse by Monica Wood.
+ The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile
By: Noah Lukeman.