7 Uncommon Writing Tips That Will Transform Your Storytelling
Connecting with your readers goes beyond writing; you also need to make use of storytelling. The better your storytelling skills, the better your connection with your readers. To help you tell better stories, I have drawn from my experience as a writer the tips that have helped me and that I don’t commonly see, to also help you tell stories like a pro.
Tips to Help You Tell Stories Better
Don’t Read Only What Interests You
One of my friends, a nonfiction writer, once told me, “Fiction seems like a waste of time to me.”
If only he knew what he was missing.
I’m planning on writing an article on misconceptions people have about fiction too because I’m sure so many other people share that mindset.
But back to the topic at hand. By reading outside your genre or usual interests, you’re basically expanding your toolkit. You pick up new tricks and ideas that you can bring back to your own writing.
It’s like cross-training for writers. You get better at what you do by learning from different sources.
So, don’t box yourself in. Explore different genres. You’ll be surprised at how much you can learn and how much it can improve your writing.
Mix it up, get inspired, and watch your stories become richer and more engaging.
Don’t Get Feedback from Your Friends
From my experience, when it comes to assessing your writing and storytelling skills, your friends are not the best source. This is because most of the time, your friends’ comments on your writing and storytelling skills are just to flatter you.
While they may be doing that from a good place, coddling is not what you need to improve. You need real, honest reviews that will point out your strengths and weaknesses.
The real critique comes from strangers such as people in your writing group, beta readers, and professional editors and authors.
Just Because You Are Writing Fiction Doesn’t Mean You Are Not Writing for an Audience
Okay, let’s be real here. Fiction might be born from your imagination, but that doesn’t mean it’s a private affair. Unless you’re writing purely for your own eyes, you’ve got to remember: you have an audience out there.
Even in fiction, you’re not just telling a story for the heck of it. You want people to read it, right? You want them to feel something, to be moved, entertained, maybe even changed. That means you need to think about your readers.
Remember, writing fiction is a two-way street. You pour your heart and soul into your story, and your readers give you their time and attention. Make it worth their while. Make them feel like they’re part of the journey you’ve created.
So, even if it’s your story, it’s also their experience. Don’t forget about them. Write with them in mind.
Write the Ending First
Starting from the ending has a way of helping you focus on the plot and preventing you from being all over the place with your writing. Because now you know your destination, you know where you are landing, the final part of it all, so it helps you keep to that lane.
Personally, writing the ending first helps me stay eager and motivated for the book. Because let’s be real, staying motivated while writing thousands and thousands of words is not a walk in the park. So being able to see my book’s final destination written down gives me the motivation I need to write the book.
Limit Your Writing Time
So this particular tip is totally dependent on you, but I’m adding it because I’ve seen too many writing tips that tell you you need to write 5,000 words a day, or lock yourself somewhere and write for 12 hours straight before you can get really good at writing.
I call that bull.
Of course, there are people who can write for hours and hours. But making that the standard for everyone is just not okay.
If it’s one hour you can comfortably write for each day, then it’s fine. If when writing, you need to take a break after every 20 minutes, it doesn’t make you less of a writer, nor does it make you inferior to those who can write for three hours straight without taking a break.
So study yourself. And write in a way you find comfortable, not the way some guru said is right.
Start Writing Before You Are Ready
Michael Crichton once said, “Books aren’t written — they’re rewritten.”
Just because that idea isn’t fully formed or perfected in your head is not an excuse not to start writing. Because even the most seemingly perfect ideas have to be rewritten, revised, and refined once they hit the pages.
You also need to know that the more you procrastinate, the more watered-down your idea becomes. Ideas come and go, and the best time to execute an idea perfectly is when it’s still hot.
Think of your idea as a burning candle; the longer you leave it to burn, the smaller it gets, which means that after so much procrastination, you may finally write that book, but it won’t be what it would have been if you had gotten down to it while it was still fresh in your head.
So stop using a not fully formed idea as an excuse not to write.
Using Simple Language Is Not the Same as Not Being Detailed
Some writers mistake simple language for simplistic writing, but that’s far from the truth.
Writing in simple language means using clear and concise words to convey your message, making your story accessible to a broader audience. It’s about choosing the right words, not the fanciest ones. The key is to focus on clarity. Describe your scenes, characters, and actions with specific and vivid details.
You can paint a rich picture without resorting to overly complex language. Think of it like a high-definition photograph — crystal clear but full of detail.
When you use simple language, your readers can immerse themselves in your story without getting bogged down by complicated words or phrases. It also helps them visualize the scenes more easily and connect with your characters better.
