You want to write better stories, right?
If you’re anything like me, you’ve tried to learn how to make your stories stand out in your reader’s heads so they keep coming back for more!
The thing is, writing is one of those things that you just keep learning. When you commit to learning what bestselling fiction authors are doing to make their stories stand out and you put what you’ve learned into practice, you will begin to see amazing results in your own books! 🙂
So, what are some ways you can make your stories unputdownable for your readers?
In this blogpost, I want to share with you seven tips on how you can write better fiction…
7 Tips to Write Better Fiction
Many writers look for rules, structures and formulas to follow to write better fiction, when they don’t really exist. The simple truth is that the best stories happen when the writer has done whatever they need to do to serve their story. This is the best way to serve your readers and they will love you for it.
Here are few helpful tips that I hope will help you write better fiction. 🙂
1.Come to the page with a sense of wonder.
Your goal is to create attention, keep it and point the camera(in your writing) toward what you want your readers to see. Create a sense of magic and wonder with your setting, with your interesting characters and intriguing/original plot line.
This feeling of wonder, will keep readers turning the pages.
2.Write your story using all of the 5 senses.
When you write your story, it is filtered through the character’s senses. Not you as the author’s senses, but through the character’s perspective. You are putting the reader inside the character’s head.
So when you funnel in things from the character’s voice, opinions of other people, character’s thoughts, you will instantly keep your reader’s attention.
Take multiple senses and use them together. For instance, when your character is feeling scared and lonely, the sound of thunder and rain would hint at how the character feels about their scary or grim situation.
Add as much of the 5 senses(sight, smell, touch, hearing, taste) as you can throughout your story.
3.Word Choice brings mood and characterization.
Words bring meaning.
It really is true especially when you use them in context with your characters.
When you think of your setting as a color, smart word choice deepens or lightens the color. Compare your word choice with moods and feelings and you’ll keep your readers inside the character’s head.
Even when you’re writing in third person, use words that each specific character would use themselves.
4.Study Cliffhanger Endings to Chapters.
Great endings to chapters – especially in modern fiction – is one of the easiest ways to keep readers turning the page.
Read some of your favorite bestselling books and see how the chapters end. It’s the best way to keep your reader’s attention.
5.Give Reader Cookies(little nuggets) to Keep Readers Turning the Page.
The term “reader cookies” is borrowed from Kristine Kathryn Rusch who used it on her blog to describe little nuggets that you include in every chapter to keep readers turning the page.
If you put just one reader cookie in every chapter it adds that familiarity to an otherwise original story.
6.Don’t be Afraid to Experiment.
Too many authors are scared of making a mistake or making readers angry. Sometimes being afraid to try something new, stops writers from making innovative creative decisions about their fiction.
Readers are consistently rewarding innovation.. just look at some of the greatest bestselling novels in history. Be yourself and try something a little new every time you sit down to write. Eventually you’ll sharpen your writing voice and you’ll start to find what works for you.
7. Have fun and enjoy writing your stories!
Writing is the greatest job in the world! Enjoy immersing yourself in your story every time you sit down to write. Think about it: you create worlds, settings and people… how awesome is that?
When you have fun as you write, it’s amazing how you can let go of worries, fears or those things that bother you.
Make this about you having fun immersing yourself in your story. Make this about delighting readers. Make this about you enjoying writing for the sake of telling amazing fiction.
I hope that’s been helpful. Go write an unputdownable story!
What are some other tips you have to write better fiction? Please leave a comment below, I’d love to hear from you!
