A. M. Dunnewin

WRITING TIPS FROM A FELLOW INDIE AUTHOR

Happy Summer Solstice, Western Hemisphere!! 😀 Summer is officially here, and in between the beaches and the parties, you’re days are probably already booked. And for writers, that can be a good and bad thing. While most of us love a healthy social life, writing can easily fall in between the cracks, leaving us with writer’s block. For those weary souls who find themselves in need of inspiration, here are a few writing tips to help jump start your next big idea on those hot summer nights. 😉 Tip #1: READ. Reading is believing….believing that you could write so much better than over half the books out there. You know it, I know it. So stop wondering and start writing! The world needs your story. 😀 And if you need some motivation, pick up a fellow author’s book and see what they came up with. After all, fan fiction is becoming a thing of the present. 😛

Tip #2: PEOPLE WATCH. Whether its your friends, your friends’ friends, your friends’ friend’s cousin, strangers in the mall, or those relatives you rarely see, get to know them or at least observe them. You never know when those quirky habits become great character traits.

Tip #3: TRY SOMETHING NEW. Ever gone surfing? Snorkeling? Rock climbing? Yeah, me neither. But honestly, what would life be like if we all just lived in a bubble? Go out and try something bold and fun. Learn to roller blade, practice your painting skills, join that fitness class you’ve been eyeing. You never know; it could become your next hobby or, better yet, your next story. 😉

Tip #4: ROAD TRIP. At least once in your life, grab your closest friends, jump in a car, and go see the world. Whether its cross country or just for a couple hours, there’s nothing like being on the open road with good people. There are a lot of writers out there whose traveling memoirs made them bestsellers, and your summer trip could be the next IT read.

Tip #5: DARE TO BE DIFFERENT. Don’t just follow the crowd; create the crowd! Be bold and unique, and don’t shy away from abstract ideas just because they’re a little different. Embrace them and see what they become. Every artist has its own medium, every musician its own melody, and every writer its own choice of words. Find your words, and always remember to know the rules so you can break them like an artist. 😉

Tip #6: DRINK. Now, I’m not saying you should get plastered just for your manuscript, but if it worked for half the writers, artists, and musicians out there, then you could always go the Rock and Roll way. Sure, you could end up dying young, penniless, and with no fame until after you’ve been dead for a few years, but hey! You’d be following quite a few of the great masters. So here’s to you, you drunken fool! 😀

Tip #7: EMBRACE THE RUSH. When writing ideas come at you fast, you take it! If you need a journal with you 24/7, then go buy one. If you like to talk it out and your friends aren’t around, record your thoughts on your phone or a tape recorder. Don’t just fester the ideas; let them out! Get them on paper, even if its a blurp or a few paragraphs. Anything is better than nothing, and every fire needs a little spark. Just be prepared to ride that writing wave when it comes rushing at you in full force.

Tip #8: LET YOUR IMAGINATION LIGHT THE WAY. Love writing romances but got a sudden idea for an action/adventure? Is your niche in science fiction but you can’t get that modern comedy out of your head? Then try writing in that new genre! Don’t limit yourself just cause you think you’re only good at one kind of storytelling. Let your imagination wander, and you may just surprise yourself. 😉

Tip#9: GET CULTURED. Go to a museum, browse an art gallery, learn a new language. Enjoy different cultures by learning about them. Even if you can’t go there, you can learn via the wonderful world wide web. 😉 Browse classical paintings from the Renaissance masters, find out what was so romantic about the Impressionists, or understand the mind of the modern artist. Listen to different music like Celtic, Samba, or Grunge Rock. Read about different eras or different people who shaped us as a society. History and cultures are made up of millions of tiny stories. All you have to do is look closely and find one you like. 🙂

Tip #10: REMEMBER YOURSELF. Whether you’re “forever young” or “young, wild, and free,” just remember to keep being you. Write what you know, what you love, what you want to be. Life imitates art, and art is limitless. 😀

And most importantly…

Tip #11: WEAR SUNSCREEN. This isn’t just an ode to writers, but to everyone in general. The best person to help you understand this tip would be Baz Luhrmann who gave one of the best advice to our generation, and its the kind of advice that never loses its merit. Class of ’99, enjoy the nostalgia with the tropical remix. 😉 And to everyone else, hope you enjoy your summer! ❤