I start a lot of threads out there, I know. I've been writing for four years, but I lack tutoring and I don't have anyone to critique my work, so I can't say my writing has improved much. Any experienced writers out there have good tips for me?
I am in no way experienced….but:
Hi! I’ve been writing for a while and I could say a few things about how I’ve learned.
You hear about Mary/Gary Sue/Stues a lot. Honestly characterization is a HUGE part of writing, and if you know how to write out (hell, even basic) dramatic scenes you can total incorperate true personalities hidden in your characters.
I agree with @Bandito’s second statement. Try and add a few actions, it helps a lot with how the character thinks and acts primarily. It is what ultimately makes a scene. (Here’s an example from an RP to help you understand. First, I’ll give you what I wrote without my character’s action. Then, I’ll give you what he did to help add depth to the scene and his personality)
(Without)
“I will not be talked to like this in my house. I did not say I was going to fire you. But it's obvious that you’re testing my patience. However much you might think I’m your friend, I will not be disrespected, belittled and expected to return the gesture.”
(With)
M threw out his hand the moment Jericho went to go walk away and the door flew shut. He looked angry, his eyes chips of angry ice.
“I will not be talked to like this in my house. I did not say I was going to fire you. But it's obvious that you’re testing my patience.” His hands tightened into fists at his sides. “However much you might think I’m your friend, I will not be disrespected, belittled and expected to return the gesture.”
You can see what I had italicized didn’t have much meaning without the obvious betrayal of my character's anger. Italicization is a wonderful tool, that I suggest you use for a situation such as this!
3 Have fun! Don’t stress out about what others think of your work. You’re bucking up and actually writing. Like drawing, you’ll only get better if you write constantly.
Make sure you're technically good. You could have the best characters and plot in the world but if you have no idea how to write a well structured sentence or where to use a dash instead of a comma your work will fall flat. I'm not just talking about what you learn in school either, that's just the basics and isn't good enough if you want to write professionally/end up published. This is normal for people for other professions, they go to some sort of advanced study (doesn't necessarily have to be formal education though, you can easily learn off of youtube with something like writing) but because things like writing and art are easily accessible, people think they can pick up a pen and go for it with what they vaguely remember from high school English. Learn your theory first.
I'm sorta surprised that no one has mentioned showing and not telling. Basically, reveal things through descriptions and actions. For example:
Telling: "The house was old."
Showing: "The small, dilapidated house sat in the middle of the yard which was overrun with weeds. From where I stood, I could see that both of the front windows had been boarded up, cracked beyond repair. Ivy crept up the sides of the wall towards the roof which had caved in towards the back."
Telling has its place, but for the most part it makes for some really dull writing. Showing will give the reader a more accurate picture and will also give you a more varied sentence structure which will make things more interesting for your reader.
but I lack tutoring and I don't have anyone to critique my work, so I can't say my writing has improved much
I'm not sure if you've seen it yet, but there is a forum here for sharing and critiques. I'd really recommend possibly posting some examples of your writing there if both confident enough and wanting a second opinion. I'm definitely someone who is pretty insecure about my writing so totally understandable if you don't want to. However, It can be really helpful to have a second pair of eyes to look over your stuff. Plus the community here, from what I've noticed, is super friendly which can really make a difference when it comes to getting a good critique.
Thanks so much for the help, guys! Some of this I’ve definitely taken into consideration already, but the new tips are very much needed!