Guest Post: 5 Uncommon Writing Tips for Beginners

The world is awash in a sea of writing tips and advice. Every writer has their own approach to the craft and, as a result, their own opinions.

The good thing for you as a budding author is that you have a wealth of information to learn from. It’s up to you to work out which is useful and which isn’t, and you do that by trying things out.

In this guide, you’ll hopefully walk away with a few more things to try as we cover some more uncommon writing tips for beginners.

Let’s dive in.

1. Think About Character Development

If you’re writing a novel and you have your cast of characters all ready to go, it helps to think about the journey that those individuals are going to go on. This isn’t just a physical journey, getting from point A to point B, but an emotional journey. How do they respond to the great events you put them through? How does that shape them as people?

Our stories and characters are subject to The Butterfly Effect too. Every action has a consequence and how a character responds usually corresponds with how they develop in the story.

For example, Frodo Baggins from Lord of the Rings on his quest to Mount Doom runs into obstacle after obstacle. Yet he carries on, it doesn’t let it break him. And this helps him grow as a character.

2. An Important Writing Tip: If You Can’t Work Out the Plot, Focus on Conflict

One of the ways you can help encourage your characters to grow and develop is to place obstacles in their path. These challenges test their skills and their resolve and helps them advance forward.

Much of the time, if you can’t think of what could happen next in the story, ask yourself what your characters want—usually the end goal of the story. Then ask yourself what can you do to stop them from achieving that?

Then list all of your ideas. You can call these points of conflict and you can litter the road for your characters with them.

So one of the best and most important writing tips you can keep in mind is to try and think of ways to stop your characters from getting what they want. You’ll have plenty of plot ideas before you know it.

3. Try Starting with The Theme

One element of writing that many writers struggle with is theme. And it’s understandable as to why.

Theme, or the premise of the story, is in my experience poorly explained. Given the vagueness of the concept it also comes with vague explanations. However, here’s a simple one: the theme of a story is what it’s actually about, what the very point of you telling this story is.

For example, the point of Lord of the Rings was to prove that good can overcome evil, even despite the odds against them. And that you should always hope that good will win.

This is then demonstrated through the story and the characters.

So, thinking about the point you’re trying to make first can help build a structure for everything else because everything should tie back to that theme.

4. Don’t Edit Until After Your First Draft

Writing a story is a process and as part of that process, you’re in no way expected to write something perfect with your first draft.

The manuscript you create evolves over time. It’s analysed, critiqued, and shaped until finally, you reach a point where you can change it no more.

A lot of writers talk about feeling the temptation to go back and fix things as they’re writing that first draft. This can be a dangerous thing to do.

Completing a draft is all about building momentum with your writing. If you’re able to develop a habit where you’re writing a few thousand words a day, you don’t want to disrupt that. Keep it going for as long as you can. And one of the best ways to help you do that is to refrain from looking back.

You may think of glaring plot holes as you plough on, but if you can, just make a note for later that you need to fix it.

5. You Don’t Need to Write Everyday

Many people start writing as a hobby, something to fill their void of spare time. However, it’s an infectious pursuit and soon you may find the desire to write taking over.

We may then become locked in a battle with time. Many of us have to work to live and that takes up a lot of time. And then there are the woes of life itself to contend with.

It’s important to appreciate how much time you have to write. If you only get an hour a week, it’s unreasonable to expect to write a novel in six months.

The more time you put into it, though, the more you’ll get out of it.

But what you can put in is still tremendous progress. Every word you get down on paper is a step toward achieving your writing goal. Don’t beat yourself up for not getting more done. Just do what you can and keep focusing on the finish line.

Writing a big project like a novel is very much like running a marathon. The mental challenges are the same. And they’re often the trickier ones to overcome.

In Summary

Embarking upon a creative writing project is one of the most exciting things you can try. But as you wander into the creative wilderness, you’ll soon find traps aplenty. However, by taking the time to read up on advice like this, you’ll navigate your way without issue.

Above all, stay focused on that end goal. When drafting, avoid editing. And if you get stuck with the story along the way, think about conflict and theme and that should help reveal solutions for your character development too.

Learn from the greats part 4: reading recommendations

As mentioned over the past few weeks, books are, no surprise, my favorite things to talk about, and I get asked for recommendations all of the time. I've started a reading section on the Turn the Page website but I will continue sharing some of those recommendations here!

This week, let's talk about BOOKS WITH GREAT ATMOSPHERE:

These books have great stories and characters, but the vibe of each book – the way they make the reader feel – is where they really shine.

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

When her grandfather calls, delivering the news that her cousin Allegra has gone missing, Lane Roanoke returns home to rural Kansas. As a teen, Lane lived on the farm, but ran away – is that what Allegra did, or did something more sinister occur? Even though the story is twisted and horrifying in so many ways, there is so much heart and innocence and love that shine through. Some of the scenes between Lane and Cooper in particular made me cry from their bittersweetness. This is a beautifully-written book.

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/89876/9781101906682

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3IwH5tu

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Yes, yes, she wrote the amazing Gone Girl, but this is another stellar book by the author. Reporter Camille Preaker returns to her small-town home (everyone is always returning home in books, I guess!) to cover the murders of two preteen girls. Having avoided speaking to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother, and a half-sister she barely knows, she is forced to get to know them once more. As she delves further into her investigation, she begins finding herself identifying too strongly with the victims, and the demons of her past come back to haunt her.

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/89876/9780307341556

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3XbIhXt

Introducing the Author’s Roadmap, a boutique service offered to authors who are ready, really ready, to realize their long-held dreams of being published.

First we’ll begin with a 60-minute call in which we’ll get to know one another. You tell me about you and your book and what your big, audacious dreams are for getting it published (and even after that). You ask me whatever questions you have and together we identify which roadblocks are keeping you from getting to your last stop.

After we meet, you’ll send me your manuscript and I’ll dive deep within it, identifying which aspects will be most attractive to publishers, literary agents, and readers – and which might need a little work (and then I’ll tell you how to fix them).

Finally, I’ll give you the steps you will need to take to get your book published, and beloved by readers everywhere. Looking for a literary agent? I’ll tell you how to get there. Self-publishing? I’ll get you there, too.

It can be hard to know which way to go, and the options can feel overwhelming.

I’m here to get you where you need to be: published.

​Are you ready to play big?

The truth about agents, rejection, and platforms

A quick note about agents, rejection, and platforms:

Being rejected based on your platform (or lack thereof) does not mean that the literary agent thinks your career path isn’t impressive, that you’re not greatly respected in your field, that you’ve accomplished nothing, or that you do not have anything substantive to say. They likely don’t even think you are lacking in talent, that you should keep your day job, or that there is no hope for you and your book in the wide world of publishing.

The reason that agents care so much about platform is because the editors at publishing companies do. And editors equate platform with potential book sales. This makes sense, of course – if you have X number of fans who are already interacting with your content, then you will likely have X number of fans who will actually purchase your book. And as the publishing house is making an investment in you with the advance they pay, they want to feel comfortable they will make their money back (and more). Agents and editors need to know what IS happening and what HAS happened, not what COULD happen. Even authors choosing to self-publish need to have a platform and to build awareness of their “brand”: fans = money, and if you don’t have the fans, I wouldn’t quit your day job.

It may seem outrageous that someone who has worked in a field for 30 years may not be considered a platform all-star. It may not be “right,” it may not be convenient, but that’s the world we live in and write in. If you’d like to continue to “fight the man,” go ahead. But a change of perspective may be more helpful (and fruitful!). 

The good news is, just because your platform may be in its beginning stages, or it may need a little work, does not mean it will always be that way. Platform is something that people need to constantly be working on – even Oprah is consistently finding new ways to reach out to her fans.

It’s important to remember that not all platforms are the same; it all depends on where your audience is. Some folks build their followings on Twitter or on Instagram, others through speaking engagements or a podcast. Find out where your ideal readers are going and interact with them there. You are aware already that knowing your audience makes you a better writer – after all, it’s all about them, not you – and this thought applies to building a platform, too. Do your research, try, and then try again. And yes, this can be time-consuming (I wish I could say to tweet twenty times a day and publishing success will be yours). 

It’s important to think outside the box when you’re doing this. What are your personal strengths? Look at your competition, or at peers in your field for whom you have great respect. What are they doing that seems to be working? How can you put your own spin on it and make those ideas work for you, too? If you can’t make the process fun, think of it as an inevitable, like doing your taxes, waiting in line at the DMV, or paying off your student loans.

If you’re at the beginning, don’t be discouraged. Writing a whole book seemed pretty impossible at one point, right? Nothing will happen overnight. Platform is about the long term, not the short term, even if you want to just write this one book and then wipe your hands clean of this crazy industry. Slowly but surely, you will start growing your tribe. And the people that are excited for this book will be excited for your next one, and the one after that. 

Introducing the Author’s Roadmap, a boutique service offered to authors who are ready, really ready, to realize their long-held dreams of being published.

First we’ll begin with a 60-minute call in which we’ll get to know one another. You tell me about you and your book and what your big, audacious dreams are for getting it published (and even after that). You ask me whatever questions you have and together we identify which roadblocks are keeping you from getting to your last stop.

After we meet, you’ll send me your manuscript and I’ll dive deep within it, identifying which aspects will be most attractive to publishers, literary agents, and readers – and which might need a little work (and then I’ll tell you how to fix them).

Finally, I’ll give you the steps you will need to take to get your book published, and beloved by readers everywhere. Looking for a literary agent? I’ll tell you how to get there. Self-publishing? I’ll get you there, too.

It can be hard to know which way to go, and the options can feel overwhelming.

I’m here to get you where you need to be: published.

​Are you ready to play big?

Archetypes vs. stereotypes – what’s the difference?

You’ve heard the terms before, but what is the difference between an archetype and a stereotype?

First off, it’s easy to remember that generally archetype = good, stereotype = bad.

In books, an archetype is essentially a recurring symbol. An easy example is a hero. They start out in ordinary circumstances, but everything changes when they must answer the call to “adventure.” They face their darkest fears in a conflict that ultimately transforms them. Think Harry Potter or Ulysses.

Other archetypes include the sidekick (Dr. Watson, Sancho Panza), the villain (Mrs. Danvers, Hannibal Lecter), the innocent (Snow White, Anastasia Steele), and the mentor (Gandalf, Yoda).

A stereotype, on the other hand, is a character with extremely generalized character traits. Two easy examples would the “virgin” and the “vamp” – female characters defined by their sexuality, or lack thereof.

Other stereotypes include Native Americans in Little House on the Prairie, African Americans in Gone With the Wind, and so on.

There are, of course, more examples of each of these, but hopefully this gives you a good introduction to thinking about archetypes and stereotypes.

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• The secrets to creating a stellar “elevator pitch” and becoming a pro at pitching yourself

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Writing a Self-Help Book 101

Do you want to help people change and improve their lives? Do you want to make a difference? I’ll bet you’re considering writing a self-help book.

I don’t blame you. It’s a beautiful thing to want to help, and there will always be a market out there for self-help – people will always want (and need) to get better, and they will always be in search of new, fresh voices to help guide them in their quests for self-improvement.

The bad news? This is also a very crowded field – according to the NPD Group, in 2019 alone, 85,253 new self-help titles were published, and 18.6 million books were sold. That’s a lot of helping!

So, what you can you do to stand out from the pack? You should always be working on your author platform, for one. Then, you need to make sure that your book is the best it can possibly be.

Before you get started, be careful about the following things:

• Choose your topic wisely – as mentioned above, self-help is a crowded marketplace, and you want your book to stand out. You also want to make sure that this is a topic you know enough about to position yourself as an expert, and that you care enough about the topic to write the book, market it, etc.

• Be specific when choosing your topic. A subject like “how to be a good mom” is too broad; “how to be a compassionate and effective parent to your adolescent daughter” is more specific.

• Know your audience. What are they looking for? What is their biggest pain point?

• Be aware of comparative titles. What books like yours have been super successful? What do they do well? What does your book offer that is better or different? This knowledge will help when pitching and marketing your book, and it will also help you analyze what kinds of books readers need, the best approach to take, etc.

• Choose a title AND a subtitle – the title can be catchy, and the subtitle can explain that the book is about (e.g., Fat Schmat: The Sassy Girl’s Guide to Weight Loss, Manage Sideways: The New Manager’s Guide to Change)

As you’re writing be cognizant about word count. Most self-help books are 40,000-60,000 words, and you definitely want to err on the side of brevity. Not only do most readers want to receive their answers/instructions/guides as quickly as possible, the higher the page count, the more expensive the book will be to publish. (Therefore, fewer books will be sold, which makes the prospective book less attractive to agents, editors, and readers.)

Possibly the most important tip I have for you? OUTLINE. Outline the heck out of your book. You need a map to guide you during the writing process, and to stay focused.

Structure is always important, and when you are starting out, it’s important to stick to the traditional structure as closely as possible. Here’s a good sample structure to follow:

Most books have about 12 chapters (with each chapter is usually about 5,000 words long, including 2,000 words in stories/anecdotes/case studies). Each summary should be 1-3 paragraphs, and should give an indication as to what information will be covered in each chapter and how (client success stories, quizzes/assessments, etc.).

Your book should be laid out in a clear, logical manner. Here is a general structure:

• Chapter 1 – The overview/introduction – this is where you identify/explain the problem/pain. You will likely share your story here, or another particularly powerful one – you want to connect and empathize with the reader.

• Chapter 2 – Here you help the reader identify him or herself as a person desperately needing the information you’re about to offer. You want to introduce your “solution,” and explain why it is effective (i.e., how the reader’s life will benefit).

• Chapters 3-11 – Give the reader the steps they need to follow; expound your ideas of how to solve the problem. Each chapter should build upon the one that precedes it.

• Chapter 12 – I call this the “go forth and conquer” chapter. Here you sum up what the reader will have learned, tie everything together, and end things on a powerful note. Empower the reader to take the necessary steps to change/improve their life. The reader should leave the book feeling like they too can achieve the results you presented in Chapter 1 and 2 sums up book, inspires reader to go out and change their life.

When you’re looking at the chapters themselves, you can consider following this general structure:

• Start with a quote that can set the tone for the pages that follow.

• Identify your goal for the chapter (what do you want the reader to learn?).

• Share a story or two that they can relate to/connect with.

• Make clear why they need the information you’re sharing.

• Tell them what to do next.

• Give a brief summary (this can be done in a short paragraph, or this can be down in a bulleted list of key takeaways, for example).

• Give them an action step (e.g., worksheet to fill out).

As you’re writing:

• Don’t take too much on – don’t try to do all the things. There can always be other books, and you want to make sure you don’t overwhelm the reader with information – make this as easy for them as possible.

• As Denise Duffield-Thomas says, be comfortable being a contributor, not a guru. While you should be an expert in what you are saying, you don’t have to be the expert to end all experts. People want to hear what YOU have to say.

• Do your research. Whether it’s interviewing experts, reading studies, or compiling statistics, you need to have relevant and factual information to back up your statements and claims.

• Give the reader something to do. You want the reader to have as many opportunities as possible to interact with your material. Stories allow them to interact emotionally, but activities (quizzes, worksheets, fill in the blanks) give them the option to review and apply the information they’ve just read.

After you’ve written your first draft:

• Edit (obviously). Go back to your outline and make sure you have followed it as closely as possible. As yourself if you’ve shared enough stories, given the reader enough ways to connect with the information, etc.

• Consider hiring an editor. I don’t mean this in a self-serving way, but it helps to have a person in your corner that has experience editing your type of book.

• Get an amazing book cover designed for you – people really do judge a book by it’s cover.

• Get endorsements – these make a huge difference when they’re splashed on the book’s cover!

• If you’re planning to traditionally publish, write your book proposal (this is what agents and editors will want to see before the manuscript itself).

• Keep working on your platform!

Need a little inspiration? Reedsy put together a great list of some of the best self-help books of all time: https://reedsy.com/discovery/blog/best-self-help-books

I can’t wait for your book to change readers’ lives. See you on bookshelves soon!

The Author Power Pack: 4 Mini-Trainings to Make Your Writing Dreams Happen and Get Your Book Published Now

Discover Industry Insider Tips and Tricks to FINALLY Write and Publish The Book You’ve Been Talking About Forever

I’m sharing:

• Why you need a nonfiction book proposal, how to write one, and how to make yours stand out from the hundreds of others agents and editors see every day

• The 16 common mistakes and missteps that even the best authors make when writing, editing, and pitching their manuscripts

• The #1 mistake that most authors are making (without even realizing it!) and how you can fix it so you can finally get your book written and published

• The 12 specific strategies my clients use to build their platforms

• The secrets to creating a stellar “elevator pitch” and becoming a pro at pitching yourself

Click the link below to purchase your game-changing Author Power Pack Today!

​I’m Ready to Be a Published Author