So I finally got around to doing this blog on writing tips. These are just some simple things I’ve picked up in my many years of writing. I’m no professional here, but I like to think I have a decent amount of experience and would love it if I could help others with what I’ve learned. So here you have it!

5 Easy Tips for Being a Better Writer:

1: Capitalize & Punctuate.

Believe me, it makes your story look much more polished, professional, and thought out. As opposed to looking like you just threw your thoughts onto the page.

I get that if you’re commenting or randomly blogging, it might not really matter, but trust me, people will automatically take you more seriously if your stuff is in the right format.

2: Spellcheck & Proofread.

Spellchecking takes all of 1 minute. There is really no excuse not to do this! (Although it is kinda annoying when it tells you all these Korean names aren’t real words. -_-)

Proofreading might take you a little longer, but honestly, it’s worth it. Proofreading catches the little mistakes that spellchecking can miss. Like mixing up “there” “their” and “they’re”. Or worse, accidentally referring to someone as the wrong gender.

Having things spelled and written correctly makes your story flow much better, and in the end, makes it easier for your reader to read.

3: Research if you’re writing about a complex subject.

For example, a mental disorder or abuse. Unless you have first-hand experience with something like that (which I hope not), it is necessary to research. Otherwise, any misconceptions or misrepresentation will not only do a disservice to your fanfiction, but to the people who have actually experienced those things.

And if you’re not comfortable researching a subject, chances are you shouldn’t be writing about it.

4: Read.

Reading other people’s work will always, always help you to be a better writer.

And I don’t mean other fanfiction here. I mean books! Pick up a hardback. Or a Kindle. Something!

Don’t get me wrong, reading other fanfiction is good too. But chances are, most fanfiction writers are at your same level. A “professional” author will likely have more experience than you, and you’ll be able to pick up something good from their style and technique.

But even if it is a fanfiction writer, try to find one that you think is better than you, or has been writing longer than you, and absorb what you can about their work.

Or if the only professional books you like out there are kids books, then by all means, read those kids books! Anything helps!

5: Write, write, write!

The best way to be a better writer is to keep on writing. Experience is the best teacher here!

Side note: If you’re just writing for yourself and not posting your stories to the web, do what you want! In that case, it doesn’t really matter if things are in the right format or not.

BUT if you are publishing to the web, even in an amateur setting, I believe it is important to write to the best of your abilities, and to polish to the best of your abilities, for the sake of your readers.

You should write for YOU, but when you post, you should consider others.

Let me know what you think! I would enjoy all feedback. And if anyone likes this random writing tips blog, I’ll do more. :)

-Endellee