NEW TO WRITING? Tips & Tricks for Getting Started

By Vicky Schinkel

No matter how old you are, if you have a story that you want to share then you can be a writer.

We All Have Stories to Tell

Stories are the foundation of how each of us makes meaning of our lives and of the world around us. Stories and writing do not need to be autobiographical. But each of us has a unique experience, a specific narrative that informs our words and our actions. That personal lived experience will always form the foundation of our life as well as our writing. The first tip I would like to share with aspiring writers is to understand your own personal narrative. And the best way to do this is selfreflection, to ask yourself questions, and question your place in the world.

Translating Lived Experience To Writing

Your writing improves when you ask your characters these same questions – build profiles for each of your main characters. These profiles are separate from the actual story that you want to write but enable you to understand their back story. What are their motivations? What (and who) do they love and hate, or are completely indifferent to? This is a good way to start thinking about sub-text –meaning that lies beneath the surface of the plot – and helps you develop your ideas into something meaningful to you and your readers.

Know Who You Are Writing For

Ultimately you should begin by writing for yourself. The process of writing is not always about getting published. It begins with personal self-expression. Once you understand what you have to say (share) and what it means to you, you are then in a position to start thinking about who will read your work. The ultimate test is that writing is authentic. While writing with a specific audience in mind can help you focus your work it is important to avoid ‘catering’ to this audience. Fashions in writing come and go – writing multiple points of view and time jumps, for example. You don’t want to replicate your favourite authors, but you do want to be inspired by them – which leads me to my next tip.

READ!

I am often surprised by how many aspiring writers do not actually read – and especially do not read the works of good authors. When I was writing a paper on statistics (yes not very interesting) the first task my supervisor set me was to read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Some Practical Writing

TIPS

1. Write a one-pager that explores what is universal about your story. What is personal? What are you trying to communicate? How are the different characters connected?

2. Understand the structure of storytelling (Look at the classical narrative structure by Aristotle). You have to know the rules to break the rules.

3. Avoid too much exposition – show, don’t tell.

4. Avoid too many adjectives. Good luck, and happy writing!

Bio of Author: Dr Vicky Schinkel has several postgraduate degrees, including one in Creative Writing, and considerable editing experience. You are welcome to connect with her via email – she loves to guide aspiring writers (vickyschinkel@gmail. com)