Writing Tip #5
Finally, it’s Friday and that means you’re free! Unless you work a job other than a stereotypical 9 – 5, in which you may be bound to hours outside of the weekday (or you’re a parent, in which none of your hours are free). Bless you, mighty working warriors.
Don’t forget to check out the tips for:
They are all pretty awesome and will probably inspire your next novel (maybe) – if so, I expect an invite to the gala.
Today’s tip is to experiment.Everyone has their preferred style – look at Stephen King, Algernon Blackwood, Clive Barker, and Dean Koontz. All their writing styles are unique to each other, and you may be comfortable in your own style but it’s important to push your boundaries too.
Experiment with first-person or third-person perspective, past or present time, add in steam-punk or Gothic elements, make it a period piece. You can try to write something heavy in imagery or go a more simplistic route, you can practice writing huge passages of description or focus more on dialogue. The important thing is to experiment, push the limits of your own comfort, and find something new in your writing.
"Be courageous and try to write in a way that scares you a little" -- Holley Gerth
One of the worst things you can do as a writer is to become complacent -- that’s a nice way of saying you’ve become lazy.By continuing to push yourself and try new things, the more likely you are to write something truly unique.
One writing exercise I was taught in university was this: you pick a passage out of a novel from a writer you enjoy or find interesting, then you try and mimic their style as best you can in your own passage.
I always thought this to be a fascinating experiment, a way to force your brain to operate in a different way for a short time, to open up new avenues of ideas and techniques that might help you in future projects. I really recommend you try it as well.
Thanks for stopping in, everyone! I’ll see you tomorrow and don’t forget to love, share, and like!
x P.L. McMillan