My Writing is Terrible!
We’ve all had this happen to us: the moment when we realize
that what we wrote is not as great as we thought. Most of us as writers like to believe that
our writing is superb. We hate criticism
and it is hard to not take it personally.
But sometimes we have to step back and ask ourselves: did I write this
to the best of my ability?
I work as a freelance editor as well as an Independent author.
I have edited many manuscripts that left something to be desired, as far as the
writing went. Most of these came from
those in their teens or early twenties.
With the rise in self-publishing I have noticed many books being
published by teenagers the moment they finish writing them. The problem with this is it gives credence to
the idea that self-published work is garbage; it also means that a story was
published that people will not remember years later.
So, how as an author do you turn your work into something
that shines? Before you send that
manuscript off to be published you want to:
·
take a writing course or two.
·
put your story away for a few weeks or months
before going back through it. This will give you a fresh perspective.
·
send it off to a professional editor
Hone your craft. Take
writing courses at the local university.
Many colleges offer online courses that you can sign up for to fit your
busy schedule. Learn the basics of
grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Everything starts with the basics so learn them well.
Take creative writing classes. These not only help you improve your writing,
but will also help with brainstorming ideas for your stories. In my creative writing classes the students critiqued
each other’s writing. This is of great assistance. Critiques from fellow students are more
constructive and of better use than any negative review of your book.
Learn how to write fiction as well as nonfiction. I majored in History in college. In my classes I had to learn how to research
topic and then turn all of those facts into a comprehensive paper that people
could read and easily understand. My
creative writing classes taught me how to write fiction. I’m sure you have heard the old adage show, don’t tell. This holds true for fiction. Most of the manuscripts I receive for editing,
the author tells the story. In a world
of visual media, this style of writing proves boring. You’ll lose your reader’s attention.
Show the story. Use
descriptive voice. Use sounds,
adjectives. Think about the setting for
your scenes. What are the colors, the
landscape, buildings? Are there any
smells? Sounds? Incorporate as much as you can into the
narrative of you novel. Make the reader
feel as though they are in your story.
Get a thesaurus.
Thesauruses are your best friend as a writer. A lot of us get stuck in finding words to
describe the setting of our novels. A
thesaurus will help find words that mean the same thing, but are different
enough to break up any repetitiveness in your writing. For instance, instead of using the word hit in the same paragraph five times try:
smacked, kneed, punched, or struck.
Not only are these verbs stronger, but they make your writing more interesting.
Don’t be a hurry to publish your work. Too many new authors are in such a hurry to
get published, that they put their work on sale without even considering that
it might not be worth a person’s time purchasing it. Comb through your writing. Get a third party to read it; not your
friends or family. You need someone who
will be brutally honest about the quality of your writing to read your
manuscript.
Always remember that your first draft is going to be
terrible. That is the nature of first
drafts. Some of the most well-known
authors rewrote their work several times before getting it just right.
Another thing to keep in mind: there will always be those
who do not like your books. Even after
all the work you put into your novel to get every sentence and every word
perfect, there is going to be someone who does not like it. It’s inevitable. Even J.K. Rowling got negative reviews for Harry Potter. So if you get a negative review, thank the
reviewer and do not take his opinion personally.
Just remember: writing is a skill as well as a craft. Learn it well.
