10 Helpful Tips for Novelists to Write Better Fiction
Are you starting to write your first novel or thinking about publishing one? Our 10 Helpful Tips for Novelists to Write Better Fiction cheat-sheet can help you along the way. With advice on creating scenes, choosing the right words, and managing your time, these tips cover key aspects of writing that will improve your story. Whether you’re new to writing or looking for some fresh ideas, these tips will steer you in the right direction as you work toward your publishing goals!
Writer Tip #1:
Before you rush to publish your fictional story or learn marketing, take the time to learn the craft of writing. Too many writers want to jump in and learn how to self-publish, how to get sales & reviews, and half a dozen other things. And all of that is fine, but FIRST, take the time to really study the craft of writing, take classes, go to conferences, read How-To books on plotting and characterization. Write 3 full manuscripts, one right after the other. Take the time to learn to WRITE!
Writer Tip #2:
Before you self-publish, be sure to hire a professional freelance editor to proofread and critique your work. Not your writing buddy or best friend, or your grandma—but a qualified professional editor with a good reputation. Yes, this will cost you money, but publishing is a business. And you want a worthy product—a novel that will SELL. Spend the money and hire a professional editor.
Writer Tip #3:
When is a good time to write? To work on your novel? Time management is a hot topic amongst writers, but the truth is—there is never a perfect time to write. There will always be health problems, family drama, outside commitments and other things that will derail you or hold you back if you let them. If you truly want to write, you need to make it a priority and just start. Squeeze your writing into a few minutes here or a few minutes there or get up a half hour earlier each day. There never is a PERFECT time—you need to seize whatever time you do have and just write!
Writer Tip #4:
Use a blank calendar to keep track of the timeline for the story as you write. That way, you know how much time has passed between one scene and another or how many weeks have passed between key events. You can print out a blank calendar for free at www.timeanddate.com and if you write historical, you can print calendars from a century ago with the exact dates from that time period to keep your story historically accurate. Simply record each scene on the calendar as you write to keep track of your story.
Writer Tip # 5:
Keep a clean workspace. Not only will this make you feel better—and boost your self-esteem as a professional working writer—but it will help keep you organized so that you can find what you need when you need it. Invest in desktop organizers and desktop shelves to slide important documents such as book proposals and conference registrations into their own space. Also have a specific place where you will keep writing supplies such as thumb drives, computer ink, sticky notes, pens, notepads, index cards, or binder clips. A clean workspace can help you avoid frustration over lost items and boost your productivity.
Writer Tip #6:
Make sure your main character enters each scene with a scene goal. What does he want to accomplish right here right now? Who will oppose him in the scene? Every scene should contain conflict. What epiphany does your character have in this scene? What is the setback or scene-ending disaster or new complication that forces your character to decide what to do next? How will this move the story forward? Your character’s decision becomes his next scene goal. If the decision or next step isn’t strong enough, the story can stall, go off on a tangent, or get stuck. Strong scene disasters force the characters to make strong decisions.
Writer Tip #7:
No head-hopping! Make sure you stay in one character’s POV (point of view) writing only what that character can see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. You are writing from that character’s experience and that character only. Your character may think he knows what others are thinking and feeling, from their dialogue and body language but cannot really know for sure. Only switch from one point-of-view character to another between scenes or chapters. You should not switch the POV in the middle of an on-going scene.
Writing Tip # 8:
Use the first line of every new scene to reorient the reader. What is the time and location? Who is the point of view character? Where are they? How much time has passed since the last scene or the last scene this character was in? If the previous scene occurred in the morning and time has passed, you might start this scene with, ‘later that afternoon…’ Or if the reader last saw him two weeks ago at a party, then you need to reveal that it is now two weeks later. What has the character been doing during that time? After the new scene is properly set up with just a line or two of specific details, you can go forward with action and dialogue.
Writing Tip #9:
Limit your side-characters. All side characters in your story exist to either help or hinder your main character. If one of your characters does not have a role to play or provide motivation for your main character to achieve his goal, delete him. Is it really necessary for your character to have three sisters instead of two? Can you combine roles in your story to reduce the cast? Can the town doctor also help coordinate the upcoming town parade? Side characters can also have their own agenda that may complicate things for the main character. Or perhaps you want to use a side character to portray a different facet of the same theme you are revealing with your main character. Most importantly, make sure your side-characters have a reason for being included in the story.
Writing Tip #10:
One of the best preliminary tips for editing is to search for the word ‘it.’ Look at the first two pages of your manuscript and highlight or circle each time you see the word, ‘it.’ If you have more than three, then you need to choose more specific word choices. What is ‘it?’ Write specific nouns or concrete word description. Instead of: ‘she picked it up’ say ‘she picked up the shiny, black Kate Spade designer purse off the chair.’ Instead of ‘he gave it a banana’ say ‘he gave the monkey a banana.’ Be sure to name what ‘it’ is. And if you’ve already told the reader, then use other nouns or descriptors in place of ‘it’ when referring to the person or object a second and third time. Such as: ‘he gave the hairy animal a banana.’ Or ‘the primate.’
We hope you have enjoyed 10 Helpful Tips for Novelists to Write Better Fiction and that you have gathered some valuable ideas to help strengthen your writing before you publish your fictional novel.
If you have any questions or would like to leave a comment below, we would love to hear from you!
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is a multi-published author, speaker, and writing coach. She writes sweet contemporary, inspirational, and historical romance and loves teaching aspiring writers how to write quality fiction. Read her inspiring story of how she published her first book and launched a successful writing career.