Many thanks to customwritingservice who produced the infographic and post below specifically for my blog, to help you hone your writing skills!
5 Ways to Enrich your Writing
Writing a story of fiction is the dream of many aspiring writers and even authors who have gone in different ways, such as poetry or nonfiction. Let’s face it, fiction is seductive! Inspiration comes when you least expect it, and suddenly your mind is dominated by universes and characters that don’t belong to our reality. It is the author’s job to navigate this wild territory of their imagination and to convey in engaging words their knowledge of this new world.
But with so many cluttered ideas in mind, knowing how to write a fictional story is not as simple as the first light of inspiration makes it seem. You must now write hard and with discipline, until you finish a work that is coherent. One with a beginning, a middle, and an end.
To help lost writers find their way and lead their books to self-publishing, we’ve selected 5 ways to write a fiction story.
1. Set a daily word goal
Discipline is important to a professional author. The flash of inspiration is a gift that only visits the writer sporadically and, if you really want to write a complete fiction story, you must not depend exclusively on it.
When you stop waiting for inspiration and get your hands dirty daily, chances are you’ll discover new ways to get inspired. And, in order not to give up writing, setting goals is important.
An interesting way to write a fiction story is to choose a reasonable goal based on your own average productivity (for example, between 500 and 2000 words per day). Then, you make a commitment to yourself not to rest until you write these many words each day.
Pros: Helps to overcome perfectionism, which has no place in the creation stage, and increase productivity. By setting a modest goal and reaching it regularly, your confidence will build up and you will write faster.
Cons: Routine can be tiring. Forcing your writing may discourage some from thinking properly about the plot. Also, writers can cheat by using too many words to convey simple messages.
Alternate: Set a word limit per day. It will take you longer to publish an e-book, especially if the limit is too low (e.g. 100 words), but the limit will help you write while ideas are still flowing.
2. Disconnect
Turn off the internet. Switch off your phone. No small talk, no games, no social networks, no distractions. Now it’s you and your book.
This technique, just like any other, requires discipline and planning. To work, you need to set aside time each day, for example, a couple of hours, when you will do nothing but write.
Pros: No distractions! Now you can write your fiction story, putting your soul and dedication into your plot and words.
Cons: Procrastination. Some people would rather do anything than turn off their phones, and if writing means unconsciously disconnecting, writing will be associated with something negative for them.
3. Plan your book
Are you a pantser or a plotter? Some swear by planning the plot before starting their book as a great way to write a fiction story.
There are several methods of planning. You can choose to try to make a story timeline and build up on that. Or, you can make a sentence, turn it into a paragraph, then a page, and expand into a book. These are just two options among a multitude of possibilities.
Pros: You will feel more confident about the story’s continuity. It is likely that the plot will be better structured and consistent, too, with no holes or bumps. In addition, you may be excited to get to the most interesting parts of the story.
Cons: Some authors feel unmotivated when they already know the ending. You can turn your head to new and better ideas. Maybe after writing half the book, you realize that planning no longer makes sense.
4. Write from beginning to end (without knowing the end)
If you’re a pantser (i.e. you like to write flying by the seat of your pants), that’s fine, too. Everyone has their own approach to writing, and, as long as a bok emerges in the end, they’re all equally valid.
Pantsing is the technique of simply starting from the beginning with no idea of where your story will take you. You just keep writing until the story ends.
This is a natural and interesting method that encourages the writer to imagine and develop his plot as he writes. To stay organized, you should organize the information that emerges, thus avoiding inconsistencies.
While pantsing may seem less professional than planning, it works for many renowned authors. It really is a matter of personal preferences.
Pros: It’s a very simple method. You’ll discover the story in the same order as the reader, and this process is fascinating. Your characters can develop more freely without following the plot.
Cons: Maybe the end result is not what you expected. Without planning, your story can take unexpected turns, some of which may not be so good. You may become discouraged in the more boring parts of the story.
5. Write the scene that comes to mind
Standoutbooks.com suggests another way of writing a fictional story, which lies between the two previous ones. Basically, you write whatever scene comes to mind. What you imagine, you write.
In this puzzle-like format, the story unfolds in a nonlinear manner. When you feel you have all the necessary parts, you “assemble” your e-book, connecting each scene until it has a complete structure.
Pros: You capture the flashes of inspiration that came to every scene you imagined. That way, your story will probably be closer to your main themes and ideas.
Cons: Connecting disconnected scenes can be a lot harder than you may think. You will probably need to rewrite many parts of your book so that it is consistent.
In the end, the biggest secret to writing a book is simply writing. It’s about putting words on a blank screen. It is starting and going all the way, no matter the order of the factors. The following infographic by customwritingservice may help you hone your writing skills!
jenanita01 said:
A very helpful infographic, I shall laminate it and put it on the wall by my pc…
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
May it provide plenty of inspiration to your writing 🙂
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jenanita01 said:
I’m sure it will…
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jenanita01 said:
Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
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beetleypete said:
Thanks as always, Nicholas. I like the ‘8 Tips’ section a lot. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
That was my favorite, too 🙂
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beetleypete said:
I shared the post on Twitter. 🙂
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you!
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V.M.Sang said:
Mine, too. Although, being somewhat of a pantster, I did like that one, too.
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The Story Reading Ape said:
Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog.
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Charles Yallowitz said:
Reblogged this on Legends of Windemere.
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wilfredbooks said:
Very useful information for fiction writers, in an easily absorbed form, thank you Nicholas. I’ve tried it a few times, and I know I’m not good at it, so I stick to non-fiction, but I admire other people who can write fiction well, and I very much enjoy reading it!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Having done both, each has its perks. My current favorite is children’s books, though 🙂
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wilfredbooks said:
Reblogged this on Wilfred Books and commented:
Are you a pantser or a planner? Tailor your approach to writing fiction to what suits you best. Very useful advice from Nicholas Rossis.
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Joan Hall said:
This is a great post, Nicholas. All good ideas. I’ve more of a panster but I do some planning. I’ve also been known to write scenes out of order. Using Scrivener makes it easier to move them around. I use an internet blocking software for those times when the temptation to use social media is too great. I can block specific websites and still be able to access other places for quick reference.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Ooh, a blocking software is a grand idea! Thanks for the tip 🙂
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Sumita Tah said:
Wonderful infographic. It is really useful for writers. I’m reblogging it on Englishtutorialedu.com
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Yay! Thank you 😀
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Sumita Tah said:
Reblogged this on English literature and grammar.
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Smruti R. Kar said:
Excellent post Nicolas! This page is bookmarked for me now 🙂
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Yay! Thank you 🙂
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John W. Howell said:
Excellent points, Nicholas. I have been using daily word goals since I started. In addition to 500 or so a day on my blog I do 1000 a day on my WIP. A goal really helps get the first draft of an MS done. Your other points are right on as well.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Oh, wow! Impressive!
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Jan Sikes said:
Excellent tips!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Yay! Thank you, Jan 🙂
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DebyFredericks said:
The thing about plot vs. pants, for me, is that the ideas arising during the actual writing are much more interesting than what I had plotted out. I would end up discarding the outline.
That said, I don’t start writing blindly. I have an end point in mind. But if things arising in the writing change that ending, I might have to adjust my plans.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
I agree completely, although the end point is often shrouded in fog 🙂
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kimwrtr said:
Reblogged this on Kim's Musings.
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stevehillwriter said:
Excellent suggestions and very timely for me. Thanks!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
So glad to hear it! Thank you 🙂
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