#Writing Tips

Writing Tip Tuesday 👉 Here are 4 ways to hook readers from the very first page: 1️⃣ Start with tension, not background. Readers don’t need the character’s entire life story in paragraph one. Start with something happening — conflict, danger, a secret, or an unexpected moment. ✍️ Example: “Emily wasn’t supposed to be in the mayor’s office after midnight—especially not with his safe cracked open behind her.” 🔎 Why it works: Tension triggers curiosity and urgency. Now they’re invested before you’ve explained anything. 2️⃣ Open with a question readers want answered. Create a mystery or unanswered question in the first few lines. A strong hook makes readers think, “Wait… what’s going on here?”. If they need to know the answer, they’ll keep reading. ✍️ Example: “On the morning of her wedding, Lily found a note slipped under her door.” 🔎 Why it works: Curiosity creates a reading loop. Once a question is opened, readers feel psychological tension until they learn the answer. 3️⃣ Introduce the main character through action. Instead of describing who your character is, show them doing something. Their choices, reactions, and dialogue reveal personality faster than exposition. ✍️ Example: “‘Don’t open that door,’ the officer warned. Maya opened it anyway.” 🔎 Why it works: Readers connect to characters through behavior. Action reveals personality faster and more naturally than explanation. 4️⃣ End the first scene with a mini cliffhanger. Your first chapter should end with something unresolved. Give readers a reason to turn the page — a reveal, a shocking line, or a new problem. ✍️ Example: “The message on Daniel’s phone wasn’t from his girlfriend. It was from her sister. And it said: She knows.” 🔎 Why it works: A cliffhanger creates momentum. Instead of feeling like a stopping point, the chapter feels like a launch point into the next scene. 📌 Save this for your next writing session 💬 What’s your favorite way to hook readers in the first chapter? Tell us in the comments 🔗Are you a writer? Go to the link in bio and enter our writing contests! #writingtips #writingadvice

Delete these words from your writing 🚫 Before we start, I’m going to give the obvious disclaimer that there’s nuance to this, and you shouldn’t take a catchy hook as a hard rule. The following words can often be deleted from your prose just because there are often stronger, more effective ways to write. That said, if there are places where you think they work, LEAVE THEM IN. Also, this doesn’t count for dialogue. . SUDDENLY: See if you can convey suddenness instead of writing ‘suddenly’. For example, you could swap ‘suddenly, the door opened’ to ‘the door burst open’. . FELT: (As in the past tense of ‘to feel’, not the fuzzy fabric.) There are some cases where this word works fine, but see if your sentence could be stronger if you described the feeling instead of just saying ‘he felt X’. For example, instead of ‘he felt agitated’, show him pacing, write his scattered thoughts, describe his fidgeting, and so on. If you need some guidance, check out the ✨FREE BODY LANGUAGE CHEAT SHEET✨ linked in my bio for a handy reference. . SAW/HEARD: Sometimes these words have a purpose, but they can often be replaced with something stronger and more direct. Instead of ‘he heard a man walking’ you could write ‘footsteps echoed down the hallway’. This can be more vivid. It allows readers to experience sights/sounds firsthand instead of filtering them through the character’s perspective. . SEEMED: Again, this word has its place. If you want your sentence to sound more direct and concise, remove it. If you want to keep an air of uncertainty, keep it. For example, you could rewrite ‘everyone seemed to agree’ with ‘a wave of applause rippled through the crowd’. . 👉  Save for later ✨  Follow @schoolofplot for more writing advice, tips, prompts 🔍  Get writing resources and freebies in the link in my bio . Tags 🏷️ #writingadvice #writing #writingtips #writingprompts #writingideas

Writing advice: Writing tips for new writers 👉 Save for later! . Read intentionally. When you read a paragraph of a novel that makes you tense or delighted or fearful, question why. Think about the word choice, the sentence structure, the pacing, and everything that came in the scene before it. See how you can use these techniques in your own writing. . Practice writing short stories sometimes, even if your end goal is to write a novel. As Ray Bradbury said: “Write a short story every week. It’s not possible to write 52 bad short stories in a row.” . Write primarily for yourself, especially if writing is a hobby. There’s always going to be someone who hates something. You can’t please everyone! Writers benefit from a thick skin. If you see a tweet about how your favourite trope is cliche or weird, you don’t need to cut it out of your book. There’s a market for everything, and if you write something you genuinely love, it’ll find its audience. . Try finding a writing community. There’s a link to a free writing club discord in my bio under “free resources”. Sometimes a second opinion helps a lot! . You can break as many “rules” as you like. There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to writing. If a piece of advice doesn’t suit you, there’s no need to follow it. Your writing is uniquely yours, and that means you have the freedom to break as many “rules” as you want. . 👉  Save for later 💬  Tell us your favourite writing tips in the comments 🔍  Get resources and freebies in the link in my bio . Tags 🏷️ #writingadvice #writingtips #howtowriteabook #writergram

They’re missing these 3 crucial elements: 👇 🎯 1. Using contractions and incomplete sentences Real people rarely speak in perfect, complete sentences. We mumble, trail off, and skip words. ❌ Don’t do: “I cannot believe that you would do something like that to me.” ✅ Instead do: “I can’t... you actually—how could you?” 🔍 2. Adding verbal tics and filler words People say “um,” “like,” “you know,” and “I mean” all the time. Your characters should too (just sparingly). ❌ Don’t do: “I believe we should reconsider our strategy and approach this differently.” ✅ Instead do: “Look, I just think—I mean, maybe we’re doing this all wrong?” 💭 3. Cutting the small talk and pleasantries Unless it reveals character, skip the “hello,” “how are you,” “goodbye.” Get to the tension faster. ❌ Don’t do: “Hi, how are you?” “I’m good, thanks. How about you?” “Great! So anyway, I wanted to talk about...” ✅ Instead do: “We need to talk.” “About what?” “You know what.” Remember: Dialogue on the page isn’t a transcript of real conversation—it’s the illusion of real conversation. Tighter, sharper, but still authentic. The best dialogue sounds like people talking... just with all the boring parts cut out. Want more dialogue tips? Comment DIALOGUETIPS for my free guide to writing conversations that actually sound natural! 💬✨

Stop writing trauma, Start writing coping mechanisms instead. #writingtips #writingadvice #writertok #creativewriting #showdonttell

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR WRITING📝 If you want to get into an Ivy League, check out my College Admissions eBook (LINK IN BIO) → ultimateivyleagueguide.com ✅ Breaks down 4 main types of college application essays ✅Provides my own essays that allowed me to get NO Ivy League rejections ✅Has real strategies and tips verified by admission officers ✅Suggests a writing timeline for a stress-free process! #harvard #stanford #ivyleague #yale #collegeappseason #collegeapplicationcoach #collegeapplicationtips #collegeessayhelp #collegeessaytips #collegeadmission #studytok #studyhacks #studywithme #studytips #studytipsforstudents #studytipsandtricks #activerecall #activerecallstudying

The reel version of the carousel I posted last night | How to avoid writer’s block as a teenage author ✍️ | Writing tips for young writers | How to write faster and stay inspired #writersblock #writingtips #youngauthors #writingadvice #teenwriters

Writing tips: A pen name, or pseudonym, is a fictitious name that an author uses instead of their real name when publishing their work. Writers use pen names for all sorts of reasons such as privacy, personal preference, or to cross into another genre. Here are some tips for creating yours. ⁺₊✧ (Save for later) ⁺₊✧ CHECK GOOGLE AND SOCIALS: First of all you don’t want to pick a pen name only to find out they’re a famous w@r criminal. 💀 Beyond the obvious though, you might have a smoother ride if your pen name isn’t taken on social media. No big deal if it is, you can always modify the handle by adding “writer” or “writes” or “author” on the end, but if even THOSE are taken, consider going back to the drawing board. ⁺₊✧ CONSIDER GENRE: You don’t have to do this by any means, but readers often have certain expectations based on the genre. Your pen name can signal what sort of content readers might expect from you. A cozy romance writer might choose a name that sounds approachable and nice like Lily Summers over something like Rex Falcon. ⁺₊✧ USE AN INITIAL: This not only gives you some anonymity but it can conceal things like your gender. If this is important to you (for example, you might be writing in a genre dominated by another gender, or you’re a private person) then consider it. ⁺₊✧ HONOUR SOMEBODY: If you’re stuck, look to people you want to honour. This could be a family member, an inspirational writer, or some other icon in your life. You can take their first name, for example, or their surname (if it’s not super distinct and recognisable). Generally avoid taking their entire name unless they’re fine with that. ⁺₊✧ GET FEEDBACK: Sometimes even the smartest people miss a very very obvious drawback. Better safe than sorry! Get some feedback on your pen name. You can do it in the comments section if you want! ⁺₊✧ 👉  Save for later ✨  Follow @schoolofplot for more writing advice, tips, prompts 🔍  Get writing resources and freebies in the link in my bio . Tags 🏷️ #writingadvice #writing #writingtips #writingprompts #writingideas

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DRAFTING TIPS 👇 1) Plot and brainstorm ahead of time. I let the story simmer in the back of my mind for a few months, and then I took a month to plot. My main plotting resource for this book was Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody. 2) Choose your overall word count goal. I chose 80,000 words so I could pace myself and the story. I plotted out the exact word count I should be on for each major plot beat (i.e., hit the Catalyst at 8,000 words, All Is Lost moment at 60,000 words, etc.). 3) Set a daily word count goal. For me, that was 3,000 words a day. But it’s important to make this a REASONABLE goal for YOU. The goal is to FINISH, not to sprint through the process. 4) Plan in buffer days every week. Plan in breaks! I could have (technically) reached my goal of 80,000 words in four weeks at the pace of 3,000 words a day. But I knew I would burn out quickly without breaks, so I planned in a couple break days each week to either rest or catch up. 5) Schedule your days around your writing goal. It’s one thing to say, “I’m going to write x amount of words every day for x amount of weeks.” It’s another thing to actually make it happen. When will you write each day? I broke up my daily writing sessions—an hour in the morning before work, an hour on my lunch break at work, and a couple hours in the evening. That way, I didn’t have to churn out 3,000 words in one sitting every day. 6) Commit to finishing. Whatever you do, don’t stop. Finish that book. It’s called a rough draft for a reason. ☺️ Polishing will come later, but you can’t polish something that isn’t there. 7) Pray! Commit your story to God, ask for His help while writing, thank Him for the gift of writing—making God part of my creative process has been such a source of joy. ☺️ If you’re a writer, what tips would you add? ——— If you’re new here, hello! I’m Kimberly, an aspiring Christian author of clean fantasy and sci-fi stories that celebrate eternal truth. If you’re interested in a low pressure bookstagram account that shares clean, wholesome, and fantastical stories, follow along!

✍️ WRITERS: Stop starting your story with your character brushing their teeth. In Chapter 1 of my new series “30 Tips for Your First 30 Pages,” we’re talking about one of the most important openers: Start with a decision. Instead of a passive intro, show your character making a choice—something that sparks plot, theme, or worldbuilding. Think Katniss deciding to hunt past the electric fence. Bonus points if the decision hints at their past or personality 👀 🎥 Follow for weekly tips + sign up for the newsletter in bio for deeper breakdowns! #writingtips #writersofinstagram #fictionwriter #writingcommunity #storycraft #amwritingfiction #bookwritingtips #authortips #howtowriteabook #30tips30pages

These are 10 ways I know that you are a STRONG academic writer 📝👀☕️ As an English teacher, this is some of the main advice I give to my students that also got my through honours English in my undergrad (with distinction🙈) Drop a writing tip below ⭐️🤍 #books #academicwriting #writingtips #englishteacher #reading