“From Blank Page to Brilliant Story: A Beginners Guide to Crafting Engaging Fiction”

Are you an aspiring fiction writer, eager to embark on a literary journey and share your imagination with the world? Look no further! In this post, I’ll provide valuable insights and practical tips to kick-start your writing endeavors and create captivating stories that resonate with readers. These tips may seem simple but following them may be the kick in the pants you need to jumpstart your writing.

• Don’t let grammar get in the way of writing. Is grammar important? Of course, but just because you’re not good at it doesn’t mean it should keep you from writing. Have you ever read a grammar-style book? Boring. What really matters is how you tell the story, not perfect grammar. With all the grammar programs available, many are free, so there’s no need to let grammar stop you. What if Shakespeare decided not to write because he didn’t know the difference between an adjective and an adverb, or how to write a complete sentence? Writing is art, and sometimes it’s not “correct”.

• Freewriting is your best friend. I have been freewriting since I started writing in my teens scribbling it all down on my wide-ruled notebook paper so I could get it all out of my head. I didn’t realize the significance of it until I read a book by Peter Elbow titled “Writing with Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process”. It helped me immensely in getting out of my own head and getting words on the page. When I’m stuck, or even when I begin writing for the day I stop and take at least 5 minutes, or more, and free-write about what I plan on writing. Give it a chance, I’m sure you won’t be sorry.

• Don’t let perfection stand in your way. We’ve all been guilty of this a time or two. I’m here to tell you, “It doesn’t have to be perfect the first, second, or third time around. Sure, in an ideal world, the first time you put your finger on to keyboard the stuff you wrote would be perfect. However, in our world, to expect perfection is to court disappointment. Cut yourself some slack, and reign in your expectations to save yourself some strife.

• Don’t let yourself get bogged down in details mid writing. In other words, you don’t have to have every aspect of your character or world to start writing. If you get to a part where you don’t know what you want to name the inn where the adventuring party is going to stay, put in brackets [inn name] and let it go at that. I’ve done this so many times and it puts a significant cramp in my momentum. They say the devil is in the details and if you let them catch you up you might find yourself in a maze of distractions that slow your momentum. Remember, no one gets it right the first time, and no, you’re not horrible.

• Never try to write and edit at the same time. Don’t do it! No matter how glaring that typo is in the first paragraph! There will be plenty of time to edit after you get it all down. Once every single detail about your setting, characters, and plot is out of your head and on the page. Give yourself some time to go through and arrange things how you want them. Fix structure, character, setting, and scene issues, then move on to editing.

Hope this helps! With this simple guide, you’ll gain the confidence and knowledge to embark on your writing journey. Unleash your creative potential, tell the stories only you can tell, and take your first steps toward becoming a skilled and successful writer.