18 pieces of writing advice
from the Tao Lin Center for Writing.
18 Pieces of Writing Advice from the Tao Lin Center for Writing
Don't "kill your darlings." Just copy/paste your prized phrases/sentences/passages that don't fit in your current piece into a different file for future use.
Try moving sentences/paragraphs around.
When in doubt about whether to delete something, delete it.
Write about the most moving moments of your life, when you felt the saddest, the most alone, the craziest, the happiest, etc. Tell us what made you feel that way. Give us the details and context so that we can feel it too. Put the moment of deepest emotion at the end of your story/essay.
Stay calm—don't worry—don't panic.
Instead of trying to write a “great” first line, write a friendly first line (clear, simple, unassuming) that will gently invite the reader in and not alienate them.
Don't romanticize destructive behavior. Doing this will lead you to engage in more destructive behavior while also attracting destructive readers who will also help keep you stagnant in self-destruction.
Instead of feeling discouraged by how "bad" your writing is, feel glad that you can keep working on it before other people see it.
Tell the reader how old a character is. When the reader doesn't know, it's like watching a movie in which the person's body and/or face is missing or blurred out.
Instead of trying to “find your voice,” just write something that you really want to share with a specific living person, a dead friend/relative, or an imaginary person that you wished existed.
Be patient. Work on something repeatedly, going through it beginning to end. Let it sit. Return to it. Keep doing this until you can find only very small things to change, or—ideally, if you have enough time—not find anything to change.
Don’t try to have a style. Work on other things—being clear and concise, sustaining a distinct tone, etc.—and a unique style will emerge naturally.
Figure out what works for you and do that.
Use more paragraph breaks.
Avoid cliches, idioms, "sayings." This will force you to be specific and encourage you to create new language—new words and phrases, new ways of describing things and feelings—resulting in new ideas and images and perspectives.
Write things that impress and move you.
Be careful when writing and listening to music. You might think your writing is poignant/effective when it’s actually the music that is making you feel emotional.
Print your writing and edit it by hand.
This should get more likes because it's all you need to know, minus the bs from people who don't have the same amount of experience
This is all solid advice, all practical.