Five Writing Tips for Authors

Here are five writing tips I’ve used to improve my writing. If you dream of becoming an author, these insights can make your writing process smoother and help you avoid rookie mistakes (l made a few). Think of them as stepping stones on your journey to creating and publishing your stories.

Whether you're weaving fiction or dabbling in non-fiction, these tips will set you up for a better writing life, or easier at least. These five writing tips for authors are only a small part of the many tips you will hear on your writing journey, but they are a good place to start. They will improve your process.

The Decision They Made is my debut novel, and I know my writing has improved since I published it in November 2019. These five tips for authors helped me improve my writing after I published it. La Decisione Presa is the Italian-translated version of this book. Both books are available on my website, online, through bookshops, and in libraries.

Read Widely and Critically

Explore diverse genres, styles, and authors. Look at what makes their writing effective - structure, pacing, character development, or dialogue and what it is about the writing that keeps you reading.

Since becoming a published author, I’ve found myself reading more widely than ever, even exploring genres I never thought I’d enjoy. That said, there are two genres I tend to avoid: horror and erotica. I have tried to read them, but horror scares me too much to be enjoyable, and erotica doesn’t hold my interest.

What truly matters is reading what you enjoy, because when you’re engaged with a story, you naturally absorb lessons from it. Take notes on what grabs your attention: a twist you didn’t see coming, dialogue sounding authentic, or a character who impresses you. Use these insights in your own stories.

Show, Don’t Tell

Use vivid descriptions, actions, and sensory details to immerse readers. Instead of saying, "She was angry," show the reader that she is clenching her fists, her voice is trembling, or her eyes glare. Adding sensory details - sight, sound, touch, smell and taste, will heighten the readers' experience and immerse them in your story.

This tip stumped me when I first began writing novels until someone told me it is all about allowing your reader to imagine what is on the page. Your words paint pictures for your readers. Descriptive words build your characters' personalities, show the scenes in the worlds you are building, entice readers to keep reading, and can make your story more realistic if this is what you are trying to achieve.

Create Relatable Characters

Give your characters distinct goals, flaws, and personalities. Readers connect with characters who feel authentic and face challenges that resonate emotionally. Characters who are one-dimensional, ie, don't change throughout the story and lack depth, will annoy readers and won't move your story along.

An example of a character like this may be a cranky old man who remains cranky throughout the story. Can someone be angry all the time? In some stories, this may be useful for a secondary character, but a main character needs to be more animated and emotional or the reader will become bored.

I like to think of my characters as real people so I let them laugh, stumble, fall in love, and make bad decisions at times. Your readers will empathise with your characters' struggles and laugh with them when they have a win.

Fame & Other Disasters is my latest novel. It's a contemporary story for adults 18+. I used these five tips as I was writing, they have helped me improve my writing.

Edit Ruthlessly

Your first draft is just the beginning. As exciting as it is to see your manuscript finished, the first draft is not something to show others. Not yet. Refine your work by cutting redundancies. You can do this by reading your work out loud to find repetitive words, where you are using this or that too often, or writing long-form sentences without enough punctuation. You can also tighten prose and enhance clarity while you read out loud and cut words where necessary because less is more.

If you're part of a writing group (and if not, join one), seek feedback from the other members. Another writer will see things in your writing you may not have seen. It is a good idea to do this before sending your manuscript to beta readers.

Write Consistently

Establish a routine, even if it’s just 15 minutes a day. Regular writing helps you stay creative, develop discipline, and improve over time. Stay focused while you write too.

This is good advice, but it doesn't always work for me. There is this thing called life and it gets in the way. Although I agree with this tip in principle, writing daily may not always be possible. I find it better to be focused on the task when I have time. Writing is not something you can force and being stressed about not writing every day will not help improve your writing.

If you can write every day, that’s great. It is a helpful habit for writers. However, we’re all different in our writing journeys, and writing daily may not suit everyone. What matters most is finding a rhythm that works for you.

And a bonus tip ...

Find Your Creative Space

Discover a writing space where distractions fade away and your thoughts can flow freely. It might be indoors, a peaceful garden, or even a bustling café if ambient noise inspires you. For me, my inspiration flows when I’m near water. Water - a river, lake or beach, has a way of calming my mind and unlocking ideas. A view that stirs your imagination can transform an ordinary writing session into a burst of creativity. Experiment and find your place, your creative sanctuary.

Find your quiet spot to write.

Well, there you have it. Five writing tips plus a bonus! Writing is a personal endeavour, use the tips relevant to your writing style and publish the stories you will want to read.

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Happy reading (and writing),

Maria P Frino