Advice and Inspiration For Young Writers

  After more than 50 years engaged in a writing life as both teacher and writer/poet, I offer the following advice to young and inexperienced writers. Advice about developing good writing habits and thinking about your writing in ways that deliver some essential energy to continue writing. 



I sincerely hope my words prove of value to you and you go eagerly to the page to write what matters, striving to build confidence and experience as authors.

Here Goes!

If your words sound boring to you, they will probably sound boring to your readers. Write so the reader wants to turn the page to find out what happens next.

Read your writing out loud before you share it with anyone. Imagine yourself as a reader hearing the words for the first time. Listen carefully.

Develop a routine for writing and stick to it. A routine time for writing is more valuable to you than waiting for inspiration to visit you.

Make sure you read a lot. Reading adds fuel to your thoughts. Books provide a launching pad for ideas.

When creating story characters make them worth knowing, Share their strengths and weaknesses, their motives, their secrets. Give them memorable names.

Make lists regularly as a pre-writing activity.

Remember not every story has a moral, a lesson to be learned. 

Don't overdo adjective, use your very best verbs and never use similes you've heard before. 

Vary your sentence lengths to keep it interesting for your readers.

Wherever you go, bring your notebook and pens -just in case!

Do lots of things besides writing. It will add even more ideas for your writing. Hobbies, interests, passions are worth exploring. 

Be brave,  write in different styles and genres. Combine genres to make your writing even more exciting to read. Look at the way other authors write in specific genres and write under their influence. 

Look at every idea, story, topic from all sides before you write. Writing from a particular point of view is something worth exploring.

If you choose to write poetry please remember it does not have to rhyme. Poetry comes in many forms, so be willing to explore.

Write about things close to your heart. Things you care about, things you believe the world needs to know about. 

Find your voice in the words you choose and keep writing until your best words appear on the page.

Do not write just to please your teachers, friends, family. Write because you have something to say, something you consider worthy of not being forgotten. 

If what you are writing about doesn't give you pleasure, find something to write about that does!

If you write regularly you will get better at writing. All that contact with language can only benefit your writing.


Alan j Wright




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