Writing fictional stories is an exciting endeavor that allows you to let your imagination run wild while creating characters and scenarios. While there is no set of rules for writing fiction, there are a number of widely used strategies that can help you get started, improve your writing, and build a fantastic novel.
Some Tried and Tested Steps to Accomplish a Perfect Fictional Story
It takes devotion and hard effort to write great fiction, but a good strategy also plays a vital role. Here are some tried and tested steps that will make the process of fiction go more smoothly.
Start With the Best Idea You Have
You may have a list of ideas that need to be expressed, but there’s a good chance one of them is the one you’re most excited about. Begin with the best one. Many authors write at their finest when they’re emotionally immersed in their characters and plot.
Make Writing a Part of Your Routine
Great authors have a habit of writing on a regular basis. This entails devoting time to the craft of writing on a daily basis. Some writers set a daily word count goal for themselves; Stephen King writes 2,000 words every day. You may also join a writing club; holding yourself accountable to others is a powerful incentive. Don’t worry if your writing isn’t perfect or if you’re having trouble getting something onto a blank page. There will be days when you are more productive than others. It becomes easier as you write more.
Make Sure You Hold Good Understanding of Story Structure
Professional writers are familiar with the basic structure of most stories, from exposition to rising action to climax and decreasing action. Before you begin, make a paper plan to layout your primary narrative and subplots.
Do Not Provide Too Much Information
When writing fiction, only provide readers with the knowledge they require at the time. In writing, Ernest Hemingway’s iceberg principle states that you should just present your readers at the top of the iceberg. Supporting features, such as backstory, should be hidden, similar to the mass of an iceberg beneath the water’s surface. This keeps readers from becoming overwhelmed by information and allows them to fill in the gaps with their imagination.
Make It Simple and Easy to Understand
Consider Shakespeare’s famous line, “To be or not to be?” It’s famous for its conciseness and the way it sums up a character’s struggle with their own life. Bigger words and denser content have their own place, yet story themes can also be conveyed with simple sentences and language. When writing, try to use simple language with a clear aim for each word and sentence.
Keep a Grip On Active Voice
As an author, you want to write a page-turner—a novel that keeps readers interested from beginning to end. In your narrative, use the active voice. Sentences should normally follow the noun-verb-object pattern. While passive voice isn’t always a bad thing, it should be used sparingly in literature.
See What Other Writers Write
Reading excellent writing can assist you in developing your own voice and improving your writing abilities. Read a wide range of genres. It’s also a good idea to read books in the same genre as your work. If you’re creating a thriller, study other thrillers to learn how to create tension, plot elements, and the big reveal at the conclusion of the novel.
Concentrate On Learning Techniques of Creating Strong Characters
In literature, there are several successful techniques to build a character arc. To enhance tension in your novel, figure out what character information to reveal. Your primary characters’ actions, motivations, and aspirations should all be informed by their backstories. Determine whether the character’s perspective of events is better served by a first-person or third-person point-of-view.
To Stay Motivated, Set Milestones
Novel writing can be intimidating as the average word count of a book is around 75,000 words. This fact has scared away many writers. Hence, to keep yourself going, set milestones. Start with the small ones and slowly proceed towards the big ones. Setting milestones reduces the stress of writing a whole 75,000 words and makes it convenient to achieve.
While Writing a Book, Keep a Seller’s Mindset
How will you identify whether your book is a good one or not? Of course by selling it. While writing a book, keep a seller’s approach. Include what readers love the most, comprise creativity, and ensure what you deliver captivates the reader. For an idea, you can also take a general quiz to know what readers like to read.
Focus On Writing and Leave Editing for Later
Writers who are new to fiction writing are likely to do a lot of rewriting and editing as they type and it is not the right way to create a good book. Resist that urge of editing until you are done writing. Utilize the technique called freewriting, it will allow you to let your ideas and creativity flow.
Ask for Feedback
Before you complete the book, ask family and friends for feedback. Pay attention to what they say. See if there are chances of improvement and if grammar and sentence structure is on point. Feedback saves a lot of effort from being wasted.
A Concluding Note:
To become a fiction writer is a dream of many. However, most of them struggle to earn money. The industry of fiction writing is vast and one needs to follow a proper procedure and technique to stand out from others. If you are an aspiring author too, this article is a perfect gift for you. We have included everything you need to know to become a good fiction writer. And if you still find it hard to write a captivating piece of work, it is better to hire a professional fiction writer UK. Hiring an experienced writer will eliminate the chances of mistakes, improper sentences, lack of captivating elements, etc.
