Allow me to start this article off by saying: I'm not a professional writer.
Hell, I didn't even get a degree in writing. I'm no accomplished author, nor an acclaimed professor. I'm a recent graduate who took a few creative writing classes over the course of my academic career.
I've been writing (unpublished) creative work since I was a teenager. A creative writing class and a flash fiction course bookended my last semesters of high school and college. I don't do this full time, and I don't get paid in any capacity.
This is just a collection of tips and tricks that have helped me polish my prose over the past few years.
Before I get started, I want to share the most solid writing advice I've received. My flash fiction professor began our course with this reminder:
Your readers are smarter than you assume.
Don't worry about it when writing your first draft. Writing out exactly how you want something to come across is fine when you're developing the idea on paper.
When you go back to edit, keep this in mind.
DIALOGUE TAGS
I like to compare creative writing to film editing. Film editors put together footage in the smoothest, most organized way possible. If they've done their job well, you shouldn't notice it. The same applies when it comes to pacing dialogue and action in your story. Readers will notice if they're overused. Tags should be unobtrusive and purposeful.
More tags are welcome if there's a group of people speaking; you want to make sure a reader can follow who's saying what. But, a conversation between two people shouldn't have a tag beside every quote.
EXAMPLE: "I don't know anything-" Sam starts. "I do," Deena interrupts, the second syllable cracking over her trembling lips. "I know you were always too afraid to tell anyone about us."
VS.
"I don't know anything—" "I do," The second syllable cracks over Deena's trembling lips. "I know you were always too afraid to tell anyone about us."
Sam is already beginning to talk- it doesn't need to be specified. And, since her dialogue ends with an em dash, we know that she's being cut off. This eliminates the need for Deena's tag, too.
(Em dashes can be used to signify if a character is cut off mid-sentence, mid-word, or if there's a sharp change in tone as they speak.)
That doesn't mean you need to do away with them entirely. Dialogue tags are most useful when you are able to use a specific descriptor. (Thesaurus.com is your best friend.)
When you use words like:
she wails/mumbles
he bellows/shouts
they hiss/seethe
You're giving the reader insight into how your character(s) are feeling without having to specify it. Which brings me to the next topic...
ADVERBS
As a general rule of thumb, you should avoid using adverbs. The -ly words. (Sadly, angrily, brightly, etc.) Most of the time, you can replace them with a strong adjective, or a description.
I'm confident every writer has heard the words: show, don't tell.
You want to readers to feel like they're watching something. Or going through it themselves. Why stop at angrily?
EXAMPLES: "I'm leaving," he says angrily. He pounds a fist against the doorframe. "I'm leaving."
She smiles brightly. A grin breaks across her face as she catches sight of them.
Which produces better imagery?
Whether you're writing a novel or a piece of flash fiction, word choice matters. Sometimes you have to dig to find perfect one/combinations, but your story will be better for it.
The most common mistake with adverbs is redundancy. Beginner writers- myself included- add them for emphasis when the same tone/intention can be conveyed without them.
EXAMPLES
"Holy shit Ellie," Beau says surprisingly. Ellie's gaze flicks between the device and the other girl. "It's yours." "What?" Ellie presses a pair of headphones on top of the cassette player. "I know it's not really your style, but my mom spent way too much money on a new one." "Ellie," Beau stammers nervously. "I can't-"
VS.
"Holy shit Ellie," Beau's mouth falls open as she turns the cassette player over in her hands. Ellie's gaze flicks between the device and the other girl. "It's yours." "What?" Ellie presses a pair of headphones on top. "I know it's not really your style, but my mom spent way too much money on a new one." "Ellie," Beau stammers. "I can't-"
I used an action to convey Beau's surprise- but I could have even just left it at, "Holy shit, Ellie." "Stammers nervously" is redundant. Remember, your readers are smart! They will know your character is nervous if they're stammering, stuttering, spluttering, or stumbling through.
There's no hard and fast rule, but keep the pace of your scene in mind. A charged action scene needs to be written the same way it unfolds- quick, and to the point.
Figure out what you want to convey. Then, build the dialogue, tags, and actions to get the point across as succinctly as possible.
Again, this doesn't mean you should completely omit them. Adverbs can be useful in a few circumstances.
Just like dialogue tags, you should include some if they lend themself to a description. (i.e. The dog barks incessantly. The man smiles condescendingly.)
Or, if they juxtapose a particular action. (She smiled sadly.)
SENTENCE LENGTH
In addition to creating cadence and rhythm, tone and mood in your story can also be influenced by the structure of your writing.
Short sentences create urgency. Anger. Push action.
Longer sentences are calmer, allowing the reader and character to reflect. Even during high-octane stuff, it's good to throw in a few longer sentences to slow moments down. Use them to hone in on a moment.
Here's a quick excerpt from a story I wrote. One character is mortally wounded.
Ayla positions trembling fingers over the spot, whispering something unintelligible. The wound reopens as quickly as it closes, freshening the pain as Ayla keeps reattempting to stitch her back together. As if conviction itself could repair it. Evelyn winces, summoning enough strength to place a hand on Ayla's tear-stained cheek. A broken noise spills from her at the contact. She captures it with one of her own before looking down. "It's okay," Evelyn promises. Distant. Disembodied. It isn't. The war is over. She won't get to see it. Will hurt Ayla, again. But the pink beneath her fingers, her panicked breaths- they're strange comforts. Assurances she's alive. She's still here. And it's enough. It has to be.
(Again, not a professional. Just an example I found in my own archives.)
This example begins directly after the character sustains the injury. It starts with longer sentences, as Evelyn and Ayla try to make sense of what's happening. They gradually shorten as both characters realize there's not much time left; she's dying.
Some older novels are filled with long, ambling prose that paints a vivid picture but feels endless and oversaturated. No shame if you liked those assigned books in English class, but I disliked them because of how dense they felt. Like I had to dig for the story by wading through a sea of adjectives, commas, and dashes.
That being said, you don't want to go to one extreme or the other. Too many short sentences feel stiff and blunt. A paragraph (or two) of wandering thoughts turns monotonous.
Varying sentence length gives your readers time both to soak things in, and take a break. Follow up thoughtful prose with a short blurb. Pause a breakneck scene to sit in your subject's mind for a moment.
There's no secret formula to this. Your work, characters, and story are completely unique. You know it best. A sentence can be grammatically correct in a first draft, but try a few different structures if a scene doesn't flow the way you want it to.
This page will be updated regularly. One of the coolest things about being a writer is always having the opportunity to learn something new. Check back for fresh tips!
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