As a writer, it’s important to know the dos and don’ts of the literary world. Whether you’re a self-publishing newbie or not, these guidelines will help you craft an engaging story that others are guaranteed to enjoy. So what are you waiting for not permitted means? Read on for the ultimate list of literature dos and don’ts!
If there is any piece of advice I can offer to all writers out there, it would be this: always let your readers imagine the picture in their head.
Literature Do’s are:
1. Use a Real Setting:
If you want to paint with words or draw, you need to begin with a picture. The setting details are part of the picture. You may think you’re painting with words, but the details aren’t there. You’re just putting letters on the page that don’t create a story.
2. Write What You Know:
If you’re writing about your life, it’s essential to stick to your experiences and knowledge of how things actually work in your world; it will show in what you write.
3. Write About What You Love:
It’s cliché, but it’s true nonetheless—you must love what you write about if it is going to be a satisfying read for your audience.
4. Show, Don’t Tell:
It’s very tempting in the beginning stages to tell your reader everything that happens. This leads to a very boring story, though. Instead, show your audience what happens, and they’ll imagine it much better than if you’re telling them about it.
5. Keep It Short and Sweet:
Quality over quantity every time. Readers appreciate having more pages to read than being strung along for hundreds of extra pages that have little to no impact on the plot or characters.
6. Develop Your Characters:
Your characters are the most important part of any story, especially the main character(s), because your readers will relate to them and feel connected with them if done well.
7. Use a Character’s Name:
A name is always a powerful tool in storytelling. If you have a character who’s very hard to think of as a main character, give them an easily identifiable name. The reader will instantly be able to relate to that person and feel like they know him or her.
8. Don’t Use Exclamation Points in Dialogue:
They can be distracting and imply that the reader is supposed to be shocked or surprised by what they hear, when the writer has said what he or she really intended to say. Leave out the exclamation mark if it adds nothing useful to the scene itself and just adds more noise to your writing .
9. Use Titles That Are Relatable to Your Main Character’s Journey:
This can grab the reader’s attention and help them form an image in their mind of where the story is going to go. It can also give a hint as to what sort of character the main character will grow into by story’s end.
10. Have at Least One Funny Moment in Your Story:
No matter how serious or sad your story, it’s important to have a break from all that intensity or drama every once in a while. You can even mention that contrast briefly in the dialogue by having one character laugh at another’s misfortune or comment on something humorous that happened.
11. Include a Job in Your Story:
If you’re writing about someone who needs to make money, even if it’s not for their own sake, make it a job that’s functional for the plot. It will help readers relate to the character and to what he or she is going through.
12. Use Proper Grammar:
This can save you from having your story edited by your worst critic, an English teacher. If your work is riddled with errors, it will be easy for them to point them all out and tell you when they found them .
13. Be Brief:
There are very few words you can use in a short amount of time that are worth using at all, anyway. Make sure to only use the most important words and to avoid filler words like “you know” and “like”.
14. Keep a Tight Focus:
If you have too many characters you’re not taking care of or the wrong characters are being introduced, your readers will lose interest. It’s a lot more fun to read about one character and see how his life is affected by a few major events. Don’t be afraid to kill off characters—it’ll make it easier for you to focus on the ones who need to live and let go of those who don’t.
15. Write in a Simple Style:
Don’t get bogged down in flowery language or creative metaphors. Keep your writing simple by using plain, straightforward, everyday language. Your readers will be able to relate to and understand your characters much better if you keep it simple.
16. Use Proper Punctuation:
This is an easy way to make sure all of your sentences are correctly punctuated, making it much easier for editors and publishing companies to catch those little mistakes that may be throwing off the rhythm of your story.
