Twitter Writetip and EditTip #10

I can't believe that it's the 10th collection of my Twitter writing and editing tips. It's hard to put everything in 140 spaces, but I try. And I'll keep tweeting the tips for writers as long as someone is reading them. Check out my edit services www.sirraedits.com Happy writing~ 


Limited dialogue and actions equate to one-dimensional characters. Give them more. They're humans, not bots. #stabbylove #writetip #EditTip

Conditional sentence: use WERE not WAS in the IF clauses. Ex: If I were rich, I'd stab with a diamond-blade sword. #writetip #stabbylove ^.^

Readers don't need to read minds to understand. If writers can give imaginative & vivid writing, there's no need for multi POV #writetip

Self-indulgence will kill a book. Invoke feelings in your readers, not get lost in your characters' emotions. #stabbylove #writetip #EditTip

Dictionary/thesaurus are writers’ best friends. When in doubt, look it up. Especially the correct definition! #stabbylove #writetip #EditTip

Dialogues must be indicative of characters' age, personality, & language style. All characters must have distinct voices. #writetip #EditTip

The subject & content decide if a book is YA or adult. Not the level of writing. Kids’ books don’t mean elementary writing #stabbylove

Still catching tons of "as if" or "like" comparisons in writing. It's like the writer got lazy and stopped describing. #stabbylove #EditTip

There's a universal theme in novice #writers.They always rely on pretentious words to make their book "sophisticated." #stabbylove #writetip 

1) #writers Don't look for new, fancy words to describe same thing. Use your imagination. Find new things to describe #writetip #stabbylove GRRR

2) Don't use hard, technical words to dress up your MS. Especially if you don't know the definition or the correct usage! #writetip #stabbylove

3) Know the definition of every word you use. And mean every word. Or you create factual inaccuracies & inconsistencies. #writetip #stabbylove

#Writers. How many words in your MS are filler words? You know, the words that don't add anything to the story? Delete. #stabbylove #EditTip

Writers who think they can edit their books objectively are either delusional or narcissistic. Or both. Even editors need editors. #writetip

Present tense gives immediacy.But mixed w/ short/choppy sentence/fragments, it's like a crack-addict on speed wrote it #writetip #stabbylove

#writers DON'T ASSUME definitions. Use the dictionary. Every word in your book should be written with intention!!! #writetip #EditTip

#writers Don't limit yourself to 1 genre, target age group, or POV style. Then your writing and creativity will suffer. #writetip #amwriting

Slanting sideways. Blending together. Scream loudly. Whispered quietly. Stand on feet. Reading with eyes. REDUNDANT! #EditTip #stabbylove

Purple prose. It has to be relevant and relate to the story. Don't use it in your book just because they sound pretty. #writetip #stabbylove

2 or even multi POV, I can tolerate. Barely. But what if they're in the same scene? Abandon the MC's POV? Head-hop? Just not right. #writetip

#writers Use ITALICS to emphasize and QUOTATION MARKS for direct quotes. Make the distinction. #writetip #stabbylove