The Ten Basic Rules to Improve Your Writing
Hi. I claim no expertise in writing. I did spend a few years as an English Lit major and then realized it sucked the joy out of my creativityand switched to psychology. The purpose of this post is to provide some basic rules to help new writers avoid some of the common and justified criticisms I have observed. They won't make you a Hemmingway, but will help keep the focus of the reader on your content.
1. Space and a half: A common complaint is that the story was cramped and difficult to read. The easiest method to avoid this problem is to submit your story with a minimum of 1.5 spacing. The extra space will make it easier to read the text.
2. Check that word: Most readers will either miss or ignore the “wrong word form” mistake (e.g. their, they’re or there). It is difficult to catch these mistakes; however, they draw enough criticism to warrant a read through of your work prior to publication.
3. Spelling errors: Hard to catch every spelling error even with spell check, but more than three and you are in trouble with the critics.
4. Short is better: Unless you are a master of grammar, longer sentences are more difficult to construct. The novice author will make mistakes with reflective verbs, pronoun agreement, and placement of the object in the sentence. If none of the terms listed make sense to you, it is more evidence of the value of shorter sentences. In the English language, you only need a noun and a verb to make a complete sentence.
5. LY, LY,LY : an adverb is used to modify an adjective or a verb. It is more complex than it seems so I use a simple rule. Remove each “ly” ending word from my writing. For most of us, the use of the adverb is unnecessary most of the time. For example
He ran (perfect sentence).
He ran quickly. Unnecessary because “ran,” means quick movement.
He ran slowly. Contradiction. If He ran slowly, you mean He jogged or walked.
If you find an adverb you cannot live without then leave it, but most can go away quickly.
6. He said, She said: In dialogue forget all the modifiers and allow it to speak for itself. One cannot “spat” out a word or “hiss” a statement. Rule 5 will be violated most often in dialogue modifiers- “he said sternly.” The reader should understand the “tone” based on the “showing” that goes around it. Compare these two events:
Clara loudly slammed the door shut. She spun around and glared at Carl with fire in her eyes. “How dare you talk to that bitch about our sex life?” She screamed through clenched teeth.
Clara slammed the door shut. She turned to Carl with clenched fists. “How dare you talk about our sex life with that bitch?”
The second example is better. The reader understands Clara’s emotions and the pace matches the real life experience. In addition, we removed “loudly” since there is no way to “softly” slam a door. We avoided the cliché of Clara’s “fire in her eyes.” We dealt with the impossible task of trying to “scream through clenched teeth…and we created dialogue without the use of the word “said.” When in doubt read your dialogue aloud and hear if it sounds natural.
7. Show do not tell: Powerful writing shows us and allow us to envision the event. There are times when it is appropriate to “tell,” but you must be judicial in the use. A simple method to consider show versus tells is to consider the goal of erotica. Sex, bondage, cock, pussy, orgasm; A list of words is not erotica it is a laundry list. Weaving those words into a vision of the event is our goal. Many writers fall back to “tell” when they describe their characters’ physical attributes. Here is an good example of a show approach courtesy of BDSM Library author, Tamara Powell:
She was a stunning young girl and she knew it. She was always running her hands through her long dark hair, and seemed to stare through Tamara with piercing blue eyes. Her breasts were well developed for her age, but she knew her silky smooth legs were her best quality and she flaunted them constantly.
What works so well is that the paragraph conveys both a physical description and the character’s attitude of confidence. Whether the topic is sex or physical features a writer’s goal is to show it in the story.
8. Alternate versus the Ridiculous: I love the alternate universe. It is a place like our world, but the rules are a little different. In the real world, you cannot parade a naked female student through the college hallways and spank her bare bottom in the cafeteria. That scenario would end in certain arrest. In the alternate universe, it is okay and everyone will join in. Some readers will complain about realism, but most rather enjoy such tales. No one appreciates the Ridiculous universe. It detracts from the story because the readers cannot get over their own disbelief. I admit it is a fine line and I may have crossed it myself a few times. To avoid the slip, ensure you provide a reason for the character’s compliance (to blackmail, manipulation, bondage etc) that makes sense and is semi-rational. For example:
Clara could not lose her job. She needed every penny from her paycheck for rent. The economy was bad and she knew that it would take months to find new employment. She felt she had no choice but to comply with her boss’s request.
Not great, but it gives the reader a rational reason why the character complies, even if the reader would make a different choice.
9. Got Fetish: Avoid topics that you have not researched. I am not suggesting you have to be a lesbian to write lesbian stories (not a fetish except for men). I am referring to the fetish categories that require specialized knowledge. If you want to write about latex, pony girls, enemas, CBT, and such then conduct the proper research. The reader’s are very well educated on their fetishes and do not respond kindly to mistakes. I avoid fetish writing because I understand that for the fetish practitioner, it really is about that “thing.” Since I cannot get my mind around the eroticism of enemas, I do not write stories about it.
10. Details That Do Not Matter: Poetry is the most difficult writing style. Poets must ensure every word and every line is perfect and purposeful. The same is true for prose writers, but we just don’t know it. When you ask a person about their day, you do not want every useless detail of their life. Neither does your reader. Every description and every action should have meaning to the story. I do not want to plow through a description of the character’s morning routine unless it is showing me something about the character. If you can remove a word or a sentence and nothing is lost…remove it. I have received criticism for the use of “Aaaaah” and “ooooowww” in my dialogue. It is a stylistic choice and I agree it could be removed. I do it because, for me, it adds an auditory element to the story and I like it better than, “she moaned.” If you are willing to suffer the criticism then ensure that the “sound” is physically possible and conveys the correct meaning. For example:
p-p-please is the correct stutter….p-l-l-l-ease is not.
n-no is different from noooooo.
There are many more rules to consider, but I wanted to share some of mine in hope that it would help my fellow authors in their quest to convey their imagination.
