ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Writing Tips for Beginners

Updated on August 24, 2015

Write Write and more Writing

In front of me is the blank white screen. Look at it just staring back at me, mocking me. Yeah, I see you idly waiting for us to write something.

Great...And now I'm talking to myself. "Just write anything, buddy. Anything! I mean this is a guide for writing, isn't it? Hello? Come on, write something about writing lessons or how to improve your writing. Holy cow, write a word. Just one word!"

(Snap back into focus) The screen is still white and that funky little cursor is continuously blinking at me. Blink...Blink...Blink..."You're an annoying little bastard, you know that?"

Writing Process

Does the above sound familiar? Of course it does.

No doubt, writing can be an arduous task, creating a lot of heartbreak and despair. It's a lonely place really, filled with darkness. There's nobody there to hold your hand. There's nobody there to force you to write. But somehow, as if by chance, you do manage to throw some words together. Some of those words make sense and others don't.

Of course, you've heard all of this before. I'm not spitting out anything new. I'm sure some of you have read how to write books teaching you various writing skills and writing styles. So, I'm going with a different approach.

Although this article is about writing, I'm not going to teach you how to write. That's something you need to learn on your own. However, I am going to provide examples of what not to do.

Writing Tips for Beginning Writers

First you need to ask yourself, “Am I willing to learn how to write? Am I ready to put in hours and hours of my precious time in order to improve my writing skills?”

Writing is not as simple as throwing a bunch of words together and patiently waiting for a paycheck. No, writing is far from that.

Writing is an ongoing process. It's nights upon countless nights of brainstorming, editing, revising, reading, and more writing. It’s a continuous puzzle that needs constant care on every chapter, every paragraph, every sentence, and every word.

For instance, that last sentence alone took me about 5 minutes. Five grueling minutes to come up with that crap! You see, you need to take in account for flow, rhythm, and uniqueness. All the while, you must keep your audience entertained and focused. And I hope for your sake, I did just that!

Most importantly, becoming a writer is about learning from one's mistakes. This rule applies to all writers whether they're writing an article, essay, screenplay, fiction nonfiction book, graphic novel, or pamphlet. So, what better way to learn how to write then by capitalizing on my own crappy mistakes?

My Top Ten Writing Mistakes

1.) More often then not, I find myself focusing too hard on sentence structure and grammar. The problem is I want it to be perfect the first time out. Needless to say, this takes hours and hours of writing and rewriting.

Lesson One: Don't take your writing too seriously.

Have fun with it and just write. This isn't the stone age where everything is written with a feather ink pen. You have time to correct it later.

Lesson Two: Try to avoid the...

I like to use the dot dot dot after I write something clever or I want to provide a little pop to the sentence. You know, the classic...wham bam...thank you, ma'am. It's annoying and is usually regarded as amateurish or immature.

Lesson Three: Stop repeating yourself when you write!

Sometimes I fall in love with a word and want to use it over and over again. I'll stumble on a word like, regardless, and instinctively find inventive ways to fit into a sentence. Saying the same thing over and over again is a big no no.If a word keeps resurfacing flush it out with a different word.

Lesson Four: Don't Procrastinate!

I love to procrastinate. If there is a particular scene or chapter that I am dreading to hash out, I will find every excuse possible not to write it. Basically, I know the process will be time consuming, so I put the project off.

Just shutoff your mind and take the plunge. You're going to have to face the story eventually. You might as well dive head first into it. Get it out of the way! Procrastinating will only cause anxiety and tension.

Lesson Five: Read and read often!

In the beginning, I never really read anything. In fact, I hated reading chapters upon chapters to finish a 500 page book. I thought it was boring and pointless. Why read something when I can create my own world?

In order to become a great writer, you need to read. Reading provides an unlimited resource of knowledge for all writers. It gives you insight into important skills like writer's voice, sentence flow, writing style, dialogue, third person perspective, etc.

Lesson Six: When in doubt write in active voice.

Sometimes I find myself writing in passive voice. Passive voice is a style where the subject denotes the individual affected by the action of the verb. It's a backwards way of saying something where the receiver becomes more important than the actor. For example:

"The World Trade Center was destroyed by terrorists."

In this scenario, the World Trade Center is the receiver and it becomes the highlight of the sentence.

The active voice is often the preferred choice among writing teachers. Using the same scenario as above, here's an example of active voice:

"The terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center."

See how it is a direct sentence, declaring the action right away? It's a more clear and direct way of saying something.

(Sorry for the little writing lesson there. I swear, I won't do it again!)

Don't misinterpret what I'm saying here. Passive voice is a great weapon if used correctly. If you're describing past events through a first person's perspective, passive voice can be a very effective tool. However, more often than not, writers use passive voice to 'flower up' a sentence. Don't write scared! Write it like you mean it!

Lesson Seven: No Drugs!

I drink way too much caffeine. Although coffee keeps me alert, sometimes I go a little overboard with it. I get jittery and my ability to focus is shot to pieces.

I know some people who say they write better when they are high and on cloud nine. My suggestion, if you are going to write then have a clear mindset going into it. Although you want a little freedom and creativity, I believe clarity is the key to great writing.

Lesson Eight: Write Everyday!

Sometimes I don't write at all. I'll skip 2-3 days between writing sessions and then try to make it all up in one sitting.

Whatever you do, make time to write something every single day. Don't say that you will make it up tomorrow. Make writing a priority. Remember you made the commitment to become a writer, so you better stick to it.

Lesson Nine: Learn to take criticism

There are times when I don't take criticism lightly. Sometimes I'll get defensive and obnoxious, especially if somebody attacks my writing.

There will be times people will not like your writing. They may be really harsh, and you may not like what they have to say. Take it with a grain of salt. Criticism is great. It gives you instant feedback and will help you mature as a writer.

Lesson Ten: No distractions!

A lot of times I will distract myself in the middle of a scene or thought. The writing may not be gelling or I may have a sudden writer's block moment. So, I'll surf the internet to pull me away from the situation.

Much like step 4, plot out a certain time of the day to write and suck it up. Stick to that window. You can do it, I promise!

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)