# Writing Tips

Author: Arcane Reno
Tags: Advice, Help, No-Yiff, Stories, Writers block, writing, writing skills

#1 of Writing Tips

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**Tips for Aspiring Writers**

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I don't consider myself an expert by any means, but I have learned a few things that can help anyone who is looking to get into writing.&nbsp;

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First off, use a decent word processor! &nbsp;Writing in things like wordpad is fine, but you'll be much better off downloading something like Open Office. &nbsp;It's 100 percent free, and has essentially all the same features as the expensive Microsoft Word program. &nbsp;

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Use the spell check feature, and re-read what you've written. It also helps to have someone else read over it before you post it. &nbsp;Everyone makes mistakes, it's when they don't fix them that it gets irritating. &nbsp;Spell check won't catch incorrectly used words, and a second pair of eyes really helps. &nbsp;Sound things out in your head as you read. &nbsp;Does it make sense?

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Save your work periodically as you write. &nbsp;There is nothing more frustrating than writing a great scene and then having some random error delete it on you.

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Don't do the two things I just did. &nbsp;Avoid using numbers as part of your writing (unless it's a really long string of digits.) &nbsp;It's not strictly improper, but it doesn't look as good as typing it out as a word. &nbsp;Also, avoid editing as you write! &nbsp;It's a bad habit, one I sadly cannot break. &nbsp;You are far better off putting down what you want to write, then coming back and fixing the mistakes later. &nbsp;

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Use paragraphs to spread things out. &nbsp;People love to see white space, it's easy on the eyes. &nbsp; It's easy to fall into the trap of writing large blocks of text. &nbsp;Try to find places that it makes sense and insert a space. &nbsp;My usual habit is to use single spaces for small time gaps or action shifts, double spaces for a scene change or larger time lapse, and double spaces with an indent and bolded first word for large time lapses. &nbsp;Find whatever spacing method you like best. &nbsp;Also, whenever you have dialog sections, insert a paragraph or at least a line break between the speakers.

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Example: &nbsp;"How did you know it was me?" asked John.

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Sally smiled. &nbsp;"You always wear that same spicy cologne when you're feeling romantic."

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Watch your tenses! &nbsp;There is nothing more irritating than reading a passage that flips its verbs all over the place. &nbsp;Poor verbs! &nbsp;They don't know what's happening, and neither do your readers. &nbsp;Again, sound things out in your head. &nbsp;Is the action happening presently? &nbsp;Is your character ABOUT to do something? &nbsp;Did they do it two seconds ago? &nbsp;What is wrong with this sentence?&nbsp;

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She brought the car to a stopped, jumps out and started scream for help. &nbsp;

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Everything is wrong with it. &nbsp;Pick a tense and stick with it until the end of the sentence, don't switch midstream. &nbsp;It is okay if you change tenses in a following sentence, as long as it keeps the consistency. &nbsp;In some cases, with longer, more complex sentences, you can switch before the period, but you must have a comma in between to break up the switch, and the tenses need to follow a logical order of progression. &nbsp;

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Example: &nbsp;"Oh no!" she shouted as she ran out of the store, starting to wave her arms frantically.

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Try to use lots of different words. &nbsp;If you keep using the same terms to describe things, it starts to sound really dry. &nbsp;Use a thesaurus if you are unsure of what else to put down, or rethink your sentence. &nbsp;You can also do things like using CAPS and _italics_ for emphasis on certain words. &nbsp;It lends a nice bit of flavour to your writing, and makes it pop and sizzle. &nbsp;

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Know your punctuation! &nbsp;Punctuation is your friend. &nbsp;If your characters are talking for more than a minute without a single pause, there's probably something wrong. &nbsp;Think of how you would say it. &nbsp;Commas indicate the short pause, periods the end of a sentence. &nbsp;Are they asking a question? &nbsp;Are they getting excited? &nbsp;Maybe they have odd speech patterns, you can chop words with apostrophes. &nbsp;If you are writing descriptive or narrative text, watch how long the sentences go. &nbsp;In some cases, such as action, short sentences can work very well. &nbsp;In other cases, a longer sentence is better, but still needs the appropriate pauses.

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Perspective matters. &nbsp;Who's telling the story? &nbsp;If it's first person, they won't know what's going on inside other characters' heads. &nbsp;If it's third person, how much knowledge do they have? &nbsp;Are they omniscient? &nbsp;Or are they still stuck in one character's viewpoint? &nbsp;You can also spice up your story by having multiple viewpoints from different characters. &nbsp;Just make sure you have some kind of separation between them. &nbsp; I don't recommend switching the narrative perspective though. &nbsp;That might work for some people, but I personally am not a fan of it. &nbsp;Try it if you wish, but I advise sticking with a single narrative view throughout the story. &nbsp;

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**Action Sequence Tips**

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Action scenes are one of the harder things to write. &nbsp;The trick is to strike a balance in how much description you have. &nbsp;You want to avoid being overly descriptive, as blow by blow gets old really fast. &nbsp;However, you also need to give your readers a good idea of what is happening. &nbsp;Some people like to write in completely abstract form (using names of sword forms for example.) &nbsp;Others prefer to use straight up description. &nbsp;It's your choice, find what works for you.

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Know exactly how you want the scene to play out before you write it. &nbsp;Keep a clear picture of the action in your head and describe it accurately. &nbsp;Remember, if you can't picture what's going on, neither can your readers.

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Watch your pacing. &nbsp;Don't have objects magically appearing out of nowhere. &nbsp;If someone gets a sword, describe them drawing it or otherwise picking it up. &nbsp;If they are suddenly just swinging a sword around, it's a bit jarring. &nbsp;Also, watch your relative positioning. &nbsp;Are characters suddenly vanishing? &nbsp;If someone walks through a place where someone else had been standing, make sure the other person isn't suddenly no longer taking up physical space. &nbsp;

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&nbsp;Description of where the people and objects are is key. &nbsp;If you want to give a good idea of what is happening, make sure your audience knows where the characters are in relation to each other. &nbsp;What are their surroundings like? &nbsp;Is it a one on one on a beach? &nbsp;A battle scene? &nbsp;A shootout in a warehouse? &nbsp;All these things are going to factor into the action. &nbsp;

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**Sex Scene Tips**

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Try not to get too \*ahem\* distracted as you write the scene. &nbsp;If you can't focus on the writing, it's going to get messy, in more ways than one. &nbsp;Take care of business first if that is the case.

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Are you going for detail or abstraction? &nbsp;Decide in advance. &nbsp;An abstract or implied sex scene can be just as hot as one with lots of detail. &nbsp;Which kind fits better?

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&nbsp;If you are going for detail, vary your language. &nbsp;Sex scenes that repeat the same words over and over are tedious. &nbsp; Use all sorts of different terms for the involved body parts and the sensations the characters are feeling. &nbsp;If you are unsure of what terms to use, just look up the part in question on urban dictionary or something. &nbsp;Pick a few that sound good to you.

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Know your body parts! &nbsp;Don't have things randomly sprouting from places or things being jabbed into impossible locations. &nbsp;A little research goes a long way. &nbsp;If you are unsure what something means, look it up. &nbsp;

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&nbsp;It doesn't have to go on for pages and pages, but try to have at least a few paragraphs of description. &nbsp;Three hundred words is a good minimum target length for any sex scene. &nbsp; Of course, having it go longer is perfectly fine. &nbsp;If you are writing a long scene though, try to include things like foreplay or multiple positions. &nbsp;Several pages of straight thrusting gets old fast. &nbsp;Have the characters talk during the scene too, and vocalize their feelings. &nbsp;

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In closing, everyone has at least a bit of creativity in them. &nbsp;Looking to write, but just can't get an idea? &nbsp;Write anything! &nbsp;It can suck, and it doesn't matter. &nbsp;Just put words down on paper, the ideas will come. &nbsp;Before you know it, creativity will be spurting out of you all over the place! &nbsp;Eww, I just squirted a bit! Hope it didn't get on you, it's very hard to clean creativity stains out of the clothes! &nbsp;If you need something to start you off, try reading something someone else has written, and write one of their scenes in your own view. &nbsp;

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Have fun!

Source: https://sofurry.com/s/deP5Pg5m
Part of the series Writing Tips
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