Accomplishments

Here are some tips for people who want to write for fun, like I do.

Write about things you like, not things you think others will like. You aren't doing this to get published or for money, but for yourself and only for yourself. Even if you eventually want to get something published, it is a good idea to follow this tip - whether you like what you're writing about or not shows through your writing, and something that was forced to write won't be pleasant to read. It's unlikely that people will like reading about something you hated writing about.

Develop your own writing style. Nobody wants to read something that sounds awfully like a famous writer.

Don't plagiarize. This means, don't copy anything from other stories you have read, not even a character or a sentence, and especially not the whole stories. Would you be happy if other people stole from you a story you worked hard on and called it theirs?

Write in a language you're familiar with. If you're familiar only with your mother tongue, write in your mother tongue. I write in English and not in my mother tongue because a) I'm fluent in English, b) for some weird reason I'm more comfortable writing in English, and c) because I want to share my works on the net. If you aren't fluent in a language, don't use it.

Spellcheck, spellcheck, spellcheck. Nobody wants to read something that's almost incomprehensible because of the many spelling and grammar errors in it. If spelling isn't your strong point, ask somebody else to spellcheck what you write, or use an automatic spellchecker. A few mistakes are ok, but too many make a text unreadable. Also, don't use gergal form and abbreviations (like writing "4" for "for", "2" for "to", and such). They can confuse non-native speakers.

Choose fitting names for your characters. Unless you're going for a comical effect, don't have an Almighty Wizard and Ruler of the Lands Over the Sea named "Bob".

Don't be overdescriptive, but don't lack description altogether. Both styles can get boring.

Be careful not to make continuity errors.

Don't make your characters lack common sense.

Don't push the reader's disbelief. Always have an explanation for what happens. Don't make that explanation hard to believe, either.

Don't abruptly shift point of view. You'll confuse readers.

Always carry with you a notebook and a pen. Good ideas can hit you any time, and if you don't have something to note them down at once, you'll most likely forget them.

If you can't find a name for a certain character, don't worry. Keep writing, leaving a blank space where the name would go. You can worry about the names later. One of my drafts for a story had, at one point, five unnamed characters, identified with letters.

Don't correct yourself while you write. If you think a sentence doesn't sound good, or you can't find the perfect way to say what you want to, do not stop to correct it or think about it. You can do that later. If you correct it at once, you risk forgetting what you wanted to write next.

Do not be afraid to modify what you wrote if there is the need. If a sentence doesn't sound right, modify it or take it out altogether, no matter how much you like it.

Writer's block does not exist. It's called 'lack of inspiration', and there isn't much you can do about it. You can try reading a book, or taking a walk, or listening to a song, whatever usually inspires you. You can also try freewriting: start writing something, it doesn't matter what, it can be even a rant on why you want to write but you can't. It usually helps.

Have a tip you think should be added here? Email me!