Every writer has their own voice (their own unique writing style) and if enough time has been spent developing it, it'll be apparant on the first page.  Your voice is what defines you, dear writer, as an individual among the huge sea of other writers out there.  If you're like me then your craft is very special to you and that means you'll spend extra time studying to improve your skills.  That means opening yourself up to take in advice from other writers out there, who have nifty little tips and tricks to make your improvement happen faster.  What I have to share with you today is five writing tips that will take your writing to the next level (Now). 

*  I encourage you to make the decision on rather you implement these tips or not, but I also encourage you to give them a try - even if you're sceptical (because, what can it hurt, right?)

5 Writing Tips That Will Take Your Writing To The Next Level (Now)

1)  Verbs -  In the English language Verbs are very important.  Instead of listing all the different kinds of Verbs, I'm going to list the most important types you need to know for creative writing.  And those are Tenses.  You may not know the name (and I'm not going to lie, I had to look it up.  I know what they are, but knowing what they're called... not so much;) 

What are Tenses? 

They are-

Present Tense:  I / you / we / they / she / he / it  (thinks)

Past Tense:  I / you / he / she / it / we / they  (thought)

Future Tense:  I / you / he / she / it / we / they  (will think)

Present Perfect Tense:  I / you / he / she / it / we / they  (have thought)

Past Perfect Tense:  I / you / he / she / it / we / they  (had thought)

Future Perfect Tense:  I / you / he / she / it / we / they  (will have thought)

See, we all recognize these, don't we?  They are required in the English language to describe something in action.

  Many times, I've read something and instead of seeing Tenses, instead of seeing 'She thought it was a nice plan', I saw this 'The blonde head thought it was a good idea'.  It kind of throws you off a little bit doesn't it?  I can't stress enough how important using Tenses in your writing is.  It's not something you should ignore in favor of making it a part of your style.  I'm not saying you can't, but any seasoned writer out there will tell you that using Tenses is the correct way to show your characters in action.  It's the proper way to express yourself in the American language.

Here is another reasons why you should use Tenses 

  It is important to give your readers some credit.  If they read as much as we do then they are pretty smart.  Their soul purpose to read a story is to be immersed in that world, to be taken on a journey.  If the details for your character are well layed out (The hair color, the height, etc.,) then they'll already know those things, they will have absorbed your every word like a sponge (or maybe that description only works for me;). 

I'm saying this from personal experience:  To constantly be reminded of something you already know is annoying. 

  This isn't offense meant towards the writer.  Most are guilty of it at some point.  That's why we learn, we improve as time goes by.  It's best to learn this lesson now, and I feel I'd be doing you a disservice by not telling you. 

(A) Remember:  Your readers are smart and if you include character details as you go along you won't feel the impulse to randomly insert them here and there. 

(B)  Write like you talk.  When describing someone to a friend you would begin the conversation by telling them that you met this woman, she had blonde hair, and you'd also tell them other details that stuck out to you, which made this person important enough for you to mention them at all (That's how you should do with your story.  Add details in the beginning, so that throughout the book those details are already established), then once you've told her about this blonde headed woman, you'll immediatly start referring to her as 'Her' or 'She'.  As long as you remember to write like you talk (Minus the accent, unless it's important) then you'll improve your writing significantly and be ahead of the curb.

2)  Show don't Tell -  There is more to Show and Tell than just to Show or Tell.  If you want to write a successful novel, for instance, you are perfectly allowed to make your own choice about what you write in terms of genre.  You have to remember one thing though.  A successful novel is one that sells.  Your story or novel can be close to your heart, but it doesn't mean anything in terms of success if no ones buying it or if you're a Fanfic writer (no ones reading it - i.e. Getting Followers/Subscribers). 

One way to insure that your novel/story goes somewhere is to think about the readers.  I'm a firm believer when it comes to 'Writing For Yourself' as a writer, but I also know that you need to write in a style that's popular in todays time if you want it to go anywhere.  This doesn't mean that you need to copy someone elses voice (writing style). 

How do you write for todays time and do it without copying someone elses style?

​Our world today is highly populated with cinematic movies - fast paced, amazing graphics, thrill seeking, action packed, fantasy fantastical.  You're probably wondering what movies have to do with creative writing.  Well, they're stories.  Every movie has a plot (unless they're horrible and those are usually D rated or less - which... don't even get me started on those) and are highly centered around the characters in it.  Have you ever seen a movie that is so in depth of a single characters point of view that you have no choice but to become wrapped in the inner workings of their mind? 

It just you in and you no longer have a choice but to remain glued to your seat until it's over?  That's the kind of thing I'm talking about.  In movies you get to see everything played out on the big screen and when they're great movies, you find yourself hooked from the very beginning.  In todays time, everything is about that fast paced, cinematic (loaded with detail), movie like kind of story telling.  Lots of Show and only 'as needed' Tell. 

And basically for the whole not copying someone elses writing style/voice:  Try not to read something from other people too close to you writing your own stuff, because their voice, their theme, everything they've offered you will become the natural voice in your head.  You'll do it naturally.  Usually, you'll give yourself distance from your work and come back only to realize that this is exactly what you've done - written in their voice - and you'll notice that it doesn't work for your story.  Then you'll have to edit all of it. 

Then there's that general rule in writing, which is Plagiarizing (purposely copying someone elses writers voice or stealing their work and publishing it as your own) is wrong, so just don't do it.  ;)

​How do you write Cinematically?

​A)  Begin your story in the middle of something happening.  Example:  The house of a character has already caught on fire.  Your scene could start outside.  There are the flashing lights of the Firetrucks all around, police cars form a perimeter to keep on-lookers from getting too close, neighbors are standing around in their Pajama's and staring up at the house in shock.  The main character arrives home from work to find all of this happening.  She can be dumbfounded, or shocked, or her only thought is rather or not her cat FiFi had escaped out the Kitty Hole in the back door (humor in a serious situation can be a good thing - it can be a little comic relief from all the serious crap going on).

B)  Use lots of dialogue.  Most of the details that you write out or have your characters think are the perfect things to use for dialogue between two or more characters (or your main character if they have a habit of talking to themselves).  I'm going to show you two scenes and I want you to decide which one sounds better. 

Tell:  The flames were bright orange and stretched high in to the sky.  Amy couldn't believe it.  Her friend Dallas didn't seemed fazed, thinking she was a drama queen.

Show:  "Did you see those flames," Amy said loudly.  She formed a large circle with her arms and puffed out her cheeks.  She made an explosion sound and said, "I thought the whole place was going to blow up."

Dallas sighed.  "The flames weren't that big.  You're exaggerating... again."

With the first one, the Tell version, you're being told about something.  Other than that you don't get much information.  The characters appear bland, paper like, 1D, and although you might become curious as to rather anyone got hurt, what's going on, or start wondering who these characters are, it doesn't allow you to feel the full action of the situation.  It's bland.  I have read stories like this and loved them, though. 

There was something the author did right to pull me in, but I much more prefer the Show version over the Tell version.

With the Show Version, the second one, you get to watch in real time as Amy expresses her personal take on the fire, wild flapping hands and puffy cheeks and all.  You see that she's easily excitable and apparantly likes to stretch the truth a little... or a lot.  She has a light, happy and carefree attitude towards the world.  Her friend Dallas is a more down to earth type of personality, and apparantly straight up about her feelings towards her friend.  They are friends so obviously they have something in common that keeps them together. 

Dallas also seems to be a little annoyed with her friend when she's so hyper.  In the first version you didn't nearly get as much information and would never have known half of it until the writer told you so.  And with the second version, not only did you get a taste of the characters personalities, but you also learned that there was a fire and that these two friends had witnessed it while it was going on.  This creates curiosity.  You want to know more, or more importantly, (*your readers will want to know more).

C)  Fast Paced Scenes - Don't have to be fast paced.  You only need to add important information.  Make sure that every scene is as long or as short as it needs to be.  In order to create a perfectly lengthed scene you only need to ask yourself one question:  Is this scene important?  If it's a filler scene it's a no-go (delete it).  Filler scenes are pointless. 

They are exactly what their titles indicate, Fillers.  Why plug a Filler in when you can use a scene that furthers the plot or subplot, that reveals something important about your character and the world they live in?  Fillers are what happens when writers are stumped about what to write next or (Fanfiction writers) feel pressured to add new content, even though their in No-Inspiration-Zone-Mode.  I refuse to do Fillers because I would much rather give my audience the good stuff.  I'm not saying a Filler can't be entertaining or even amazing, but if it doesn't help the story in any way then it is pointless. 

It creates those pesky things known as Plot Holes (where readers sit around scratching their heads and asking themselves exactly why was this written, though?)  And we don't want that.  We want them to keep turning pages, devouring important information (and enjoying it), not taking five to ponder the last ten or fifteen minutes they just spent reading useless material. 

3)  Sensory Detail - Rather you do more Tell than Show, rather or not you do Cinematic Writing, Sensory Detail is everything.  That goes for your Characters Internally (what they feel with their own bodily senses, what are the sensations they are experiencing to what is happening?) as Well as the setting of you scene (where they are, what they are pyhsically seeing, smelling, sensing, hearing).

A)  Internal Senses - If your character sees someone elses fire (and they are not a psychopath - and/or did not start the first themselves) they will naturally feel a cold weight of dread in the pit of their gut.  Their eyes will widen and may begin to sting from the heat of the fire or the smoke rolling off of it, they may feel a jolt of surprise and gasp, they may feel the heat of the fire on their skin and how hot is feels depends on how close they're standing to it, they will feel the sharp pin pricks of panic that makes their fingers shaky as they dial Emergency Services (911).

B)  Setting - The house on fire may be two stories high and the thick flames are rolling out of the top story window.  The flames may be bright orange with flecks of yellow or may have a weird green or blue glow because of being chemically induced, depending on the temperature of the heat the fire may be white or nearly invisible (super hot), it may be night time or day time or be blue with early morning light, their may be hedges around the house and debris may have fallen on it, people may be standing around just like the main character. 

4)  More On Details - A high percentage of readers skip over descriptive paragraphs.  It's true.  When theirs too much explaining they get bored or they can't keep up with it and they skip past it to get to the action.  A nifty little tip (and this helped me out immensely in my own writing):  Only give the reader enough detail to know what's going on, a taste of the details.  Their imagination will do the rest. 

*I read somewhere that a woman bought a book from her childhood.  She had such wonderful memories of that book (it was her favorite) because of the pictures (the amazing vivid pictures).  Guess what she discovered upon opening that book up now that was grown up.  There were no pictures.  Every image, every amazing thing image wise had been created by her own mind. 

Isn't that amazing?  Imagination is a powerful thing and should not be hindered.  When you add details you don't have to tell the reader everything.  If your story is about love, then the last thing your reader cares about is what color a characters hair is or the exact brand their shirt is.  Yes, it's ok to add some details... 

I personally would find it weird if I didn't know what color a characters hair was.  For some reason that's more important to me than the color of their eyes.  I guess it helps me identify with them.  Like I said:  It's ok to add some details, but give them a taste and let their imaginations do the rest.

Example:  

(Don't)  The room was rectangular shaped.  The double sized bed was against the right wall and there was a black comforter on it.  A bedside table with a lamp on it was against the back window.  Maggie pulled her hair up in to a high ponytail and her two inch high heels clacked as she crossed the room.  Blah blah blah...

*  I'm bored already.  And theres way too much detail for my brain to keep up with.  My brain automatically deletes most of this information.  All I can remember is:  She's in a long room and she likes to have room to stretch out when she sleeps, so her bed is big.  I remember the bedside table, because I appreciate having one in my room.

I know there's a window in the room, so I imagine natural light illuminating it.  Her name is Maggie and... honestly, the whole ponytail thing... I forget that.  I don't care.  My brain automatically makes her a red head unless I'm told otherwise (I just know she has red hair, and I always imagine red hair as thick and wavy and beautiful). 

I forget what inch size her heels are.  I just know she's wearing them.  I don't like the word 'clack' so I delete it and imagine the sound I like to hear when I wear high heels and walk across a wooden floor - I don't even need a word for it - I know the sound personally so I just go with it.  That's another thing.  I like wooden floors and because they didn't specify what type of floor I imagine it to be this way. 

See what my imagination did there?  I created my own scene and it happened naturally.  My imagination did it, not me.

(Do)  Natural light illuminated the room warmly, bringing attention to Maggie's polished wooden floors.  She was tired.  The round mirror just inside revealed this in the form of puffy eyes, frizzy hair and pale skin.  Sighing, she removed her ponytail.  She dropped it on her bedside table, removed her high heels, and crawled on to her bed.  The memory foam took on the shape of her body and relaxed her tired muscles.  She fell asleep. 

*  See how much different that comes across?  What color did you imagine her hair?  Did you imagine the wooden floors to have a sheen across dark cheery wood?  I did.  The mirror is round, but did you imagine it as a white mirror or...?  What about size? 

What does the walls just inside her door look like for a mirror to be hanging that close?  Did you picture curtains on the window... I didn't mention a window, but you know there has to be one for light to be coming in.  Did you imagine a lamp on the bedside table, even though I didn't mention it?  What about her bed - memory foam man - so I imagine expensive, thick grade A quality, super white mattress because it's luxurious, and I imagined a white fitted sheet under her, a white regular sheet over her and under a thick comforter...

I didn't come up with a color for the comforter- (didn't care - I care about comfort over color - it stems from my personal preferences and gives my imagination the freedom to paint that kind of perfect picture - just for me), -and it would be cushiony, thick, and smell good, like fresh laundry (and familiar like her sweet scented perfume).  Her pillow would also be fluffy and comfortable.  Basically, my mind created an amazing scene from a mere taste in detail.   

Have I tempted you yet to try some of these on your own?  If none of the others ones did, this one had to of... right?  Ri-ight?  ;)

​And last but certainly not least-

5)  Character Point Of View (POV) - is one of, if not the most important thing in a story.  Every scene needs to be told in one characters POV.  I write in third person POV, because it's my favorite, so I have a lot of 'she's and he's and they's'.  Some people prefer first person POV, which usually requires one characters POV through the entire book/story.  With third person it's easy to have more than one:  As long as you know the in's and out's of your characters. 

As long as you do that, and make sure that in each scene, you make it very apparent exactly which character's POV you're telling the story from, you're doing it right.

I know that most writers know about POV.  And sometimes they understand it... in their mind.  Executing it, putting it down on paper (or on a computer screen), not so much.  Knowing it and doing it are two different things and even I've had to learn to do this correctly.  I used to have a bad habit of telling what a character felt, who wasn't the main character in that particular scene. 

It's unnerving and it's like a slap in the face.  Details that aren't from your main character POV are not only wrong to do, but the information you provide, how they feel, what they think, it's unneeded information.  The only thing it does is shock your brain, derail the scene, and make it harder to read.  If you want to tell how a particular character is feeling or what they are thinking, make sure that you only do that in their scene.

Imagine that you've read an entire scene from one characters POV:  You're connected to them, you know their name, their struggles, you can identify with them.  You have an emotional connection with them and are routing for them to get what they want, or to learn what they need to know to get to that point.  They are your sweet-heart, fluffy baby, w/e... (I think I went a little to far with that analogy) ...and all of a sudden this other characters thoughts or feelings are randomly there.  It really is like a slap in the face. 

If you're like me:  I get annoyed and sometimes angry when this happens.  I'm like... what the hell?  Because it kills that emotional connection with that main character who you've been following all this time.  I find myself sometimes scratching my head and wondering if I'd missed something along the way.  Have you ever had this happen and if so how did it make you feel?

*  I have given a lot of information about this and I want to make sure that I haven't confused you, so I'm going to provide a few examples.

How Do I Write In One Characters POV?

I'm going to write from a third person POV and a First Person POV (even thought for first person, I really don't want to.  The things I do for you guys ;)

Example (A) [Third Person POV]: 

(Do)  Mary couldn't believe the disaster she'd allowed her room to become.  She heard her friend Marvin talking on his cellphone in the hallway.  "Will you help me," she said over her shoulder?  He held up a finger and she sighed.  Some friend, she thought.

(Don't)  Mary couldn't believe the disaster she'd allowed her room to become. 

Her friend Marving thought she was a slob. 

"Will you help me," she said cutely. 

"No," he said in annoyance.  "You made your own mess.  Clean it yourself." 

She pouted and he rolled his eyes.  He can't resist when she does that, so he gives in. 

"You're such a great friend," she says. 

*  I get how this can be mistaken for looking right, for sounding right, but it's not.  It should either be in her or his POV.  If you write in her POV, no matter what, keep it that way.  If Marvin, her friend, feels anything about her nasty cleaning habits only add that in his personal POV scene.  It will work this way, because then you'll be able to enter his mind, his personal world away from her. 

You'll be able to connect with both of them in their own worlds, individually, and this allows you to build an emotional connection to both of them.  To get both sides of their story.  You'll be able to understand them better.

Example (B) [First Person POV]:

(Do)  "How can you say that," I asked in shock.  My arms were tingling.  My pulse had quickened. 

"I'm sorry," Mark said, not sounding it. 

I had trusted him, and this whole time he'd been lying to me. 

(Don't)  "How can you say that," I asked in shock.  My arms were tingling.  My pulse had quickened.

"I'm sorry," Mark said, not sounding it.  He hadn't meant to do this.  It wasn't like he didn't love her.

I had trusted him, and this whole time he'd been laying.

I hope that helped clarify how to correctly do character POV's.

Remember:  Keep each scene in one characters POV.  Anything feeling or sensory experience from another character is unimportant.  The only way another character can take part in that scene is from the main characters POV, and they can relay their feelings through dialogue (to the main character).  Any response to it should come from the main character.  Does this make sense? 

ENDING NOTE:  Ok, all you writers out there.  That's all I have for you right now.  I hope it helped.  These tips helped me, so I know they'll help you.  Like I said before, try them out, even if your sceptical - because, what can it hurt, right? 

*  If you enjoyed this and want to leave a Comment you can do so below. 

*  If you would like me to further explain anything mentioned above leave it in a Comment or PM me. 

*  If you'd like me to touch down on another subject in writing leave it as a Comment below.

Thank you for your time and I wish you luck.  ~ >>>Demitria_Teague               

I would like to think ~ >>>OnceUponAnEXO, also known as EmbersFalling for offering me the opportunity to write this Blog Post.