Writing is not just a hobby; it’s an art that takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and time to perfect. While there are so many fiction writers in the world, everyone understands that it takes a lot to perfect the skill and get readers hooked on your work.
Truth be told, it can also become frustrating sometimes. After all, it’s not easy to create a story, plot, and character from scratch. Refining a fictional idea and making it a story can sometimes get too much to handle.
As a fiction writer, working without perfecting every nook and cranny is impossible. And, of course, whether you are an established writer or just starting your career in fiction writing, all this struggle can get exhausting and overwhelming.
There is something new to learn every day. If you are unsure where to begin improving your fiction writing, here are a few tips that can help.
1. Practice World Building
As an author, your main focus may be the characters and the plot. Yes, these factors are important, but they are not enough to write a compelling work for your readers. The setting is another crucial part of your fictional world.
Imagine your favorite fiction book without its setting. It would not be fun to read, right?
There is more than one reason why aspiring fiction writers need to learn the skill of world building. Whether your book concerns the real world or fictional, settings can influence how your characters react and respond. It also allows the reader to visualize better.
Yes, readers love attention to detail when they are writing fantasy novels. But, if you are writing in another fictional genre, do not go overboard with your world building. Your settings can seem childish or unrealistic if they are not grounded in reality.
2. Research Your Genre
The biggest misconception among writers, especially those just starting their careers, is that they only need research for non-fictional work. However, writing fiction is not an easy task. If you want to give what your readers expect from that genre, you must read, research, and understand it.
If you are writing about a genre you do not understand or respect, it is unlikely that you will be able to make your reader fall in love with your work. That is why every writer must understand fiction and the preferred genre in-depth.
Remember, you are writing to catch the eye of the reader who has likely read works from the same genre. They know the ground rules and how things work. So, there is no fooling them with fancy settings and relatable characters.
Of course, staying stuck in the defined set of rules is not mandatory. Fiction is flexible. But, when you know a genre inside out, you understand where it’s okay to break some ground rules and when it’s not okay to challenge the traditions.
3. Write Every Day
There are so many things that come together to create a brilliant writer. It is a mix of dedication, motivation, and, most importantly, consistency. That is why every writer needs to write every day, even if it is a single paragraph.
If you are working on fiction, you need to focus so you do not miss out on any important details. If you work two days and forget about it for a week, you will not remember where you left off. Hence, when you start again, so much will have changed.
On the contrary, if you maintain a routine and stay consistent with it, you can jump back at the same speed and tempo. This practice can help you maintain the tone and style of writing till the very last sentence of your work.
Yes, some days, you may need a break or hit the road for a vacation. It is best to leave some focused notes on your writing novels on such rare occasions. So that, when you come back, you can easily resume where you left off.
4. Withhold Some Information
An important part of becoming a successful fiction writer is finding ways to get the reader hooked. One has to make their work so amazing that the reader cannot help but turn from one page to another and yet another without control.
The best way to do so is to work on engaging their intrigue. That is why all amazing fiction writers use their superpower of withholding information. This practice lets the reader use their imagination to fill the gaps without getting overwhelmed.
You can take inspiration from one of the most amazing writers in history- Ernest Hemingway. His iceberg theory suggests that you show the reader just the tip of the iceberg and let them work to explore the rest by reading through the pages.
You can hold the supporting details such as the backstory, details of supporting characters, and much more from the reader. As a writer, you do not have the compulsion to spell everything out. Let some things remain in their imagination.
5. Use Active Voice
Fiction writing can be fun. And when your readers share the same passion for your work as you do, things can turn wonderful in no time. After all, every writer wants their reader to turn one page after another without control.
However, interesting plots and relatable characters cannot do it alone. You need to create a smooth flow to connect one line with another. And, of course, there is no better way to make reading easy than using active voice in your work.
While passive voice is not always a bad omen, using a simple sentence structure is best. Remember that even the most complicated plots and settings can be easily deciphered if written in simple language. Therefore, using short and crisp sentences is always a good idea.
You can always read fiction work from other great writers. Their use of language and grammar can help you see what all the hype is about. Eventually, you can incorporate the same technique in your writing and create great fiction pieces.
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