Siriusly_fandoms Presents: Writing Tips & Prompts

Hi!

I'm Sophie, Siriusly_fandoms here on Wattpad. I've been a part of the Wattpad Block Party for a few years or so now, and I love writing alongside all of these amazing authors. Huge shoutout to Kelly Anne Blount for this awesome experience.

I've been writing on Wattpad since the seventh grade, and in these four or so years, I've learned some things about writing that I'd like to share, some of which came from my experience at the Champlain Young Writer's Conference, at school, and from other Wattpad authors. Feel free to agree or disagree, but these are just some tips that have improved my writing, and I hope they help!

Feel free to share your own tips in the comments!

WRITING TIPS:

1. Determine the main conflict of your story, and try to work around that.

2. Don't worry about perfection right away. Nothing can ever be perfect on the first try. You can always go back and edit.

3. Don't compare yourself to others. Your writing is your own, not anyone else's.

4. Rejection and/or discouragement is part of writing. Just keep working hard and continue to write. There will always be some people who like your writing and some who won't. Write for you, not for anyone else.

5. Write as much as possible. Set goals for yourself, such as "write 100 words a day", or even put aside 30 minutes each day at a specific time to write. For example, write at 6:30 PM every night, even for just ten minutes. It gives you extra practice and eventually a story!

6. Always try to share your work, gain support in your writing, and find someone you can go to for critiques. Wattpad is extremely good with this. It gives you an audience, and show what you can improve on, and what you're doing right!

7. Always keep reading. Good reading makes good writing.

8. The more specific a detail is, the more memorable it is.

9. Write in more of the senses you don't usually use. Taste, touch, smell, hear, see. This balances out a scene so readers can feel the entire scenario, and practically live it.

10. Be concise, clear, and specific. Keep in memorable details and revise or take out the lesser ones. For instance, instead of "walked slowly", "strolled" is more precise and descriptive.

11. Use details that make sense in the moment. For example, a character may notice if a gunman's hand is trembling, but they won't necessarily remember the type of gun they were carrying. Only use really specific details you wouldn't normally notice in a real life situation if the scene calls for it. Use details that make sense/are appropriate.

12. Inspiration is everywhere. Write about things and hobbies you like, listen to music, look up prompts, think in the shower, write on vacation, etc.

13. Planning makes the worlds difference. Planning can be extremely beneficial, and it can help you write with a purpose.

14. The middle part is the hardest part to write. Just power through it.

15. Be proud of what you write. Writing anything in any amount is an accomplishment, own that.

I run the Writing Club at my High School, and every Friday, I present the club with some writing prompts. If you're feeling a lack of inspiration, I find that these help when you're feeling stuck. Feel free to tag me in things you write using these prompts, or even write some short stories in the comments below!

WRITING PROMPTS:

1. Write down five random numbers between 1 and 45 and answer those in the character questionnaire below. This can give you inspiration for a new character

2. Look up interesting news headlines and write a story based off of your interpretation of it. For example, "I Found Jesus Under My Wallpaper" is one that I found. Also, if you look up "Florida Man..." you will find a lot of article headlines.

3. Write a list of things you absolutely hate. These can be extremely little specific details, for example, "the sound of nails on a chalkboard". Then, write a list of the little things you love. For example, "popping bubble wrap, sipping warm hot chocolate, a cat curling up on your lap". This shows how really specific details are the most memorable, and this is how you should be writing all details. If you want to take it a step further, use these details to describe your character's best/worst day.

4. With 3 minutes on the clock, write as many first sentences to stories you can think of. For this prompt, think quantity over quality. You can always go back and edit them. Write whatever comes out of your brain. First lines usually have a hook; they pull you in in some sort of way, establish a mood, introduce a conflict, make you ask questions, or establish a tone. Then choose your favorite and start writing!

5. Go through social media, tumblr, instagram, twitter, google, pinterest, youtube, etc. and find a really random picture or gif and write about it in whatever way you want (poetry, short story, etc.)

6. Restrict the number of syllables you use. For example, you can only use one syllable words. This makes your chapter concise, and it has a rhythm to it. Sometimes, constrictions like these give you more inspiration.

7. Think of a phrase to repeat throughout a story, a refrain. For example, "she felt isolated", "we wanted more", "they didn't have a home". Use specific details, experiences, and sound devices.

8. Write a story as if the main character is being introduced to a new character. Describe the person and the scene where they meet, and write the specific details rather than just say "he had brown hair and blue eyes." Say more, like "he wore a faded 'Charles Dickens' tshirt and his jeans held dashes of accidental colors from the strokes of a brush, blues, reds, pinks, oranges." — this shows that he likes painting and wears that shirt a lot. Make the introduction as memorable as possible.

9. Come up with ridiculous band names in 3 minutes (ie. random words thrown together, for example: Andy Dwyer from Parks and Recreation creates band names such as mouse rat, scarecrow boat, puppy pendulum, and orange rhymes with everything). Pick your favorite and write a story using it as inspiration.

10. Close your eyes and pick three random emojis from your phone and write a story about them.

11. Take a character from one of your novels or from an already published novel or tv show or movie, and put them in the wrong setting/story. For example, put Harry Potter in LA.

12. Write as many six-word short stories as possible in five minutes, and choose your favorite to write a longer story.

13. Come up with obscure superpower, and write a story as if the villain or the hero has it. For example, can grow their nails on command, knows a person's computer passwords by being within a five foot radius of them.

14. Think about all the traits that make you you, and write a person the exact opposite.

Thanks for taking the time to check out these writing tips and prompts, I hope they help to improve your writing! Please do comment with your own writing tips and your writing prompt-inspired stories, I'd love to read them! And if you have any writing prompts you use for inspiration, please comment them below as well! I'd love to use them with my Writing Club!

Thanks for reading, and remember that the best way to get better at writing is writing! Just keep writing, and you will see your writing improve.

If you want to check out some of my writing, you can read my novel "A Note A Day" on Swoonreads.com (if you want to read the edited version) and here on Wattpad.

Love you all,
Sophie C, Siriusly_fandoms

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