Don't over-think your writing. And don't overwrite. Writers, especially new ones, think they must sound smart, literary and professional. Well, that's a goal for us all but if you try too hard it'll be obvious to your reader and your writing will sound stilted and pretentious.
Do what comes naturally; use your own voice, be authentic. That's what will draw people in. If your writing is real, people will feel at home reading your work. Make it natural and casual, particularly when writing dialogue.
A tip: read your dialogue out loud. If it doesn't sound like you and your friends talking, re-write it until it does.
Here's an article from Writer Unboxed about underwriting versus overwriting: Check it out.
Bottom line is there's no right or wrong way to do this writing stuff. Do it however feels best to you - just do it. Get it all down on paper. Write, write, write, and don't worry about the process. There are no absolutes about how it's done. Complete your first draft but remember, that's just the beginning. Whatever mistakes you've made (and there will be many) can be fixed. You have to start somewhere.
1 comment:
Very good advice!
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