Michael Cristiano

One of the hardest things about being a writer is knowing when you’ve reached that elusive status of being a good writer. Scratch that: the hardest thing about being a writer is knowing when you no longer suck.

You see, bad writing is everywhere nowadays. With the exploding self-publishing industry, anyone can become a published author. Anyone. Have good books been self-published? Of course, but bad books have been published tenfold, and this excludes all the times that a big press has released a poorly written book (in the name of business, of course).

So, how do you avoid being a bad writer? Well, the answer is simple: hard work. And while you’re at it, pounding away at your keyboard and going for that eighth cup of coffee, incorporate these tips.

Yeah, I’d go put the pot back on. You might be here a while.

Write Often and Diversify

A writer who doesn’t write is a person who is just… well, a person. To be a writer, you must write. Yes, that means you must sit down with notebook and pen, keyboard and screen, arm and permanent market, and create something. But you mustn’t only strive to write as often as you can. You should experiment with differently genres and mediums to see what works best for you. If you’re a poet, try a short story. If you’re a novelist, try articles or essays. There are so many ways writers can practice and hone their craft (freelance writing, blogs, social media), and there’s a seemingly endless stream of topics to write about.

Read. EVERYTHING.

Just because you’re a science fiction writer, it doesn’t mean you should only read science fiction. Just because your a short story guru, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pick up poetry. You should read things you would never think to read, and the classics of each medium are a must. Don’t only stick forget nonfiction and media though. Read newspapers, online journalism, blogs, the backs of cereal boxes. The more you immerse yourself in writing, the more natural it becomes — and the mind has a way of imitating things it likes.

Subscribe to a Style Guide

I know, I know. Why would you want to buy something that reads like a grammar textbook? Yes, I’m aware that writing is an art, but you also must realize that this art has rules. Buying a style guide is a way of learning about those rules. I like the Chicago Manual of Style, mainly because it is the predominant style guide in North America, but there are loads of others. If it is your dream to write professionally, whether it be fiction, freelance, or nonfiction, you should get yourself  style guide. Regardless of which guide you subscribe to, the key is to be consistent.

Look at how pretty it is!

Use Prompts and Exercises

I’m not big into writing prompts, but I do admit, they’ve gotten me a few cool ideas. Do a quick Google search, and you’ll see that there are hundreds, nay, THOUSANDS of prompts to get you in the mood (not that mood). I’m all about those writing exercises though. Whenever I’m trying to get a new idea, I love a good free write. Whenever I’m trying to flesh that idea out, I make mind maps and pretend conversations with my characters. Exercises and prompts are also good ways to counter that writer’s block.

Focus on Openers

There’s a reason why openers are called hooks. The purpose of the opener is to entice your reader, pull them in, and then trap them so they won’t think to run until it’s far too late. From my experience as an Acquisitions Editor, I reject a lot of work because of weak openers. Put simply: I reject things I’m not excited to continue reading. It doesn’t matter if your middle is spit-shined, bacon-wrapped, chocolate-dipped literary gold. No one will get to it if you don’t give them a reason to hang around.

Do Things that Inspire You

Sitting around the house all day won’t inspire you enough to be excited about your writing. Well, it might, but you might also find you need something more. Travel, discover your city, visit museums and art galleries and after hours nightclubs (creeper protection not included). Don’t be afraid to do things out of your normal because it’s in these situations where we grow. Besides, new experiences are always great sources for writing material.

Find a Friend

Writers need criticism. Do they always want it? No, but after a while, a writer realizes that the best way to grow is to embrace criticism and STOP writing it off as useless hatred (haha, see what I did there?). I’m serious. Go find a writing partner, ideally someone who reads a lot and perhaps writes quite a bit too. Most importantly, you want this person to be honest with you. You want them to give you notes about what they don’t like and what needs to change, and you need to TAKE THEIR CRITICISM AND USE IT. Is all of it useful? No. Some of it, you may veto (I’ve done so from time to time). But if you’re ignoring 95% of all the criticism you receive, the problem *may* not be your writing partner.

Edit Ruthlessly

Whether you have a writing partner or not, a first draft is NEVER an acceptable manuscript. You should cut things. You should add things. You should eliminate all cliches, most adverbs, and flowery prose from your work. Once you think you’re done, take some space. Give yourself a week or two, and return to hack away some more. It’s not over until you’ve mistakenly cut off a limb.

Wait, you’re not done. Remember the style guide we spoke about? Go read it. Brush up on your grammar, go back, and copy edit the crap out of your work.

Don’t Try So Hard

My final piece of advice is quite simple: don’t try so hard. Revel in the simplicity. Be concise, and say what you mean. I’m sorry to tell you, you will not be another Hemingway. Before you sulk, you will not be another Hemingway because there is only ONE Hemingway (and spoiler alert: he’s dead). But you’re you! Isn’t that enough? Take pointers from the greats, but don’t steal their style. Yours may still be a ways away, but it’ll come.

But leave out those damn adverbs.