Fiction Writing Tips

There is no right way to write fiction. Unlike other types of writing which can follow a format, the basis of fiction writing is rooted in individual creativity. And though there might be some templates to follow (we’ve all read the third quarter conflict in a romance book or followed a chaotic build up to the climax of a thriller) but ultimately, the outcome of your plot and characters are going to be yours. 

Which is why this blog post has been so hard to write. But I will try my best to share some writing tips for fiction that I have used and applied in my 11 years of writing fiction. (Oh my god it’s been 11 years….)

These tips are also extremely applicable to NaNoWriMo (which I have completed twice now.) Quick recap, NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month which is a challenge that happens in November. The idea is to write approximately 1.6k words every day so that by the end you have a book of about 50k words. (I def recommend every writer try this at least once!)

1. Do It

Sorry for starting off on an obvious one, but the best way to write fiction is simply to start. Your first piece might not be good, or cohesive, or even coherent, but the only way for you to know where you are is to do it.

It took at least 5 years into my writing for me to definitively hone in my writing style. Over the years I learned that I prefer to write the story in order (something I’ve always done since the beginning but I played around with other things before confirming that this is how I work.)

I also switched from writing in first person the first few years to pretty much exclusively writing in third person. And this will come up later, but I rarely publish my first draft of anything I write anymore.

The other part of “Do It” is forcing yourself to write even if you don’t want to. Waiting for inspiration is like hoping to see a full moon on a cloudless night. Does it happen, sure, but not every day is a full moon. I’ve learned that the best way to get inspiration is to write, just force yourself to write and the words will soon begin to flow by themselves.

2. Challenge Yourself

If you’re not sure how to start, I have a few tips to get you going. One, use a random sentence generator. (This is the one I use: https://writingexercises.co.uk/firstlinegenerator.php ) Start your story with the sentence given and see where it goes. You don’t have to write a whole book, just a small vignette is sufficient. 

Two, challenge yourself in sprints. Limit yourself by time or word count and try to keep it up for a week. (And likely by the end you will want to go over the time or word count limit by the end.) Example: Write for twenty minutes every day or write 100 words every day.

3. Write Badly

If there is one tip you remember from this post, it should be this. WRITE BADLY!!! It’s just a first draft, not the epitome of your talents. 

The first time you write a story, it’s just you telling yourself the plot. It’s not meant for anyone else yet. There is a quote that encapsulates what a first draft is perfectly: “The first draft is just you shoveling sand into a sandbox so you can build castles later.” 

When I did NaNoWriMo for the first time I thought the story I was writing was horrible. But I stuck through and finished it. The re-write made it into something much more robust and by the time I posted it the feedback I got was insanely positive. 

4. Write Fanfiction/Short Stories

Fanfiction is a great way to practice writing and hone your skills. Take characters you already know and like and put them in a scenario they haven’t been and just write out a short story. It helps to play with familiar aspects rather than to fully develop something on your own (especially if you’re starting out.) 

If you have your own characters then start with a short story. No need to go write a whole book right off the bat if you’re not up for it. A short story allows you to write a complete story with a conclusion which is satisfying and motivates you to keep writing.  It also gives you room to experiment and learn more about your writing style. 

Fanfiction oneshots were and are the basis for what was my successful completion to the NaNoWriMo challenge. I give them all the credit. Had I not started with them, I wouldn’t have gotten this far with my writing.

5. Learn to Take breaks, Not Quit

Writing is a mentally exhausting endeavor even when you’re the most inspired ever. It takes a lot of energy to create something out of nothing. So when it gets too much, or if you’re feeling burnt out, take a break. But the important part is to return. 

Your story can wait for you to get back to it, but you must get back to it. Don’t abandon everything just because you got tired/uninspired. Take the rest and the time you need and return to the story. Sometimes that even helps to take it in a new and fresh direction.

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So there you have it, a handful of fiction writing tips that I personally have used with success. I hope this has inspired you to get started on whatever story that has been calling to you. I hope to read it someday!

Thank you for reading and please share your thoughts in the comments! See you next month!