It should come as no surprise to learn that I have no formal training as a writer beyond the mandatory English classes from my high school and college years. This isn’t unusual.  In fact, many aspiring writers are not classically trained in the art of writing.  Some of the world’s most celebrated authors were just like me before they published their first successful book.  They were regular people with soul-crushing day jobs and a consuming desire to change the world with their stories. 

As much as I would love to be the type of writer who can sit down in front of a blank computer screen and just start clicking away with the confident brilliance of Hemingway or Stephen King, I am not that kind of writer. I was not born with a specific gift for writing.  Writing is something I must study and practice incessantly.  It is the eternal knowledge quest of my writer-wannabe existence!

So, how can a person like me, a business person by trade and education, learn to write a fictional masterpiece that is as engaging and entertaining as it is structurally correct and commercially viable?   Here are a few tips I’ve picked up while on my personal knowledge quest that may help you on yours:

CONNECT.  People who share your interests are almost always willing to share their knowledge.  They know exactly what you’re going through and want to help.  If you’re serious about being a writer, you need to find your peeps.

Writing Organizations. There are organizations specific to your genre which you can join, usually for a nominal fee, to begin connecting with other writers just like you.  This is one of the most beneficial things you can do for yourself – find other people on the same crazy/amazing/scary road to becoming a published author.  I belong to the SCWBI (Society of Children’s Writers and Book Illustrators).  They have conferences and educational events, on-line help, and more.  However, what they really offer is a sense of community, a place where I belong.

Not sure of your genre? That’s okay.  Don’t be embarrassed.  We live in the age of Google, so with a computing device and an internet connection you can easily Google a list of writing genres.  As an aside, I love how Google has become a noun and a verb. Anyway, I prefer to use Writer’s Digest to help guide me along my educational path as a writer.  Here’s a LINK to their delineation of fictional genres, but always do your own research, too, as it will only further improve your knowledge (banish the lack!).

Writer’s Conferences. Attend writer’s conferences as often as is practical. It’s incredibly cathartic to walk into a room full of hundreds of obsessed writer wannabees who are as passionate/tortured/devoted as you. If you’re anything like me, it’s really hard to find people in my normal life who can relate to, or fake interest in, my dream of becoming a published author, but at a writer’s conference they are everywhere. Once again, it’s all about belonging to a community.

Critique Groups. Not ready for a big conference? Well, consider joining a critique group in your hometown. Critique groups are usually composed of a few writers, just like you, who are either already published or trying to get published. Group members read and critique each other’s work and are an awesome (and free) source of invaluable feedback on your story. You can join an in-person critique group or an on-line version, whichever better suits your personality and lifestyle. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have like-mind people surrounding you on your journey to authordom. And, if you don’t click with your critique group, find a different one. Critique groups should leave you feeling recharged, not disenchanted.

LEARN.   Did you learn the periodic table of elements by just looking at it one time?  No, you didn’t.  What about when you were a kid and decided to join a soccer team?  Did you walk out onto the field for the first time playing like a pint-sized version of Pelé?  Don’t lie.  You stunk.  You were terrible at the game until you learned the rules and winning strategies.  The same principle applies to writing.  Here are a few options for learning the craft of writing:

Read Books About Writing. There are so many great books out there about writing. I recommend Save the Cat by Blake Snyder for screenwriting and The Snowflake Method by Randy Ingermanson for novel writing. Both are fairly prescriptive in terms of the writing instruction they provide. Their simple how-to approach combined with relatable examples and clear, laymen’s definitions of technical writing terms make them great books for beginning writers. I’m currently reading The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler. Vogler breaks down the character archetypes and structure of a specific type of story called the hero’s journey, which just so happens to be the type of story I am currently writing.   To banish your lack of knowledge, find “how-to” books for your genre and read, read, read.

Read Books From Your Genre. This is where my business training comes in handy – study, and copy, what your competition is doing. Find and read the most popular, most critically acclaimed, and best-selling books in your genre and read them. Read them one time through for the pure joy of reading, but then read them again and really study how the author structured her story, how she developed her characters, and how she moved the plot forward. When were you hooked? Can you find that exact moment? How does the author manage dialogue? Does it slow the story down or move it forward? Does the author’s writing style show, not tell, her story?

On the flip side, what problems did you find in the book? Were any of the characters dull or just plain unlikable? Was the pace of the story too slow or too jarring at times? What would you do differently if you were to write this story?

PRACTICE.   The only way to excel at anything, even if you’re one of the lucky few gifted from birth with the genius of Mark Twain, is to practice.

Write Every Day.  I try to write every single day, even if it’s just a few sentences, because I truly believe practice makes perfect.  The process of writing forces me to research basic grammar and punctuation rules (because I have forgotten everything I learned in school).  I still make a lot of mistakes and probably always will, but I am committed to improving my skills and banishing my lack of knowledge.

More important than striving for grammatical perfection, writing every day allows you to find your voice and style. If you possess the talent to pen a poignant tale that leaves its readers forever changed, most folks will forgive a misplaced comma or a few more adverbs than are necessary.  However, you need to have as few errors in your writing as possible.  People who read a lot know where the commas should go, and punctuation errors are jarring distractions to them.

These are just a few tips for new writers. I would love to hear from other writers out there on how they’ve banished their lack of knowledge.  Click below to leave a reply.

Happy writing!