By Afrah Waseem

If you are an amateur writer and feeling stuck while writing, then you needn’t worry, because this article serves the purpose of guiding novice writers by providing a road map and a complete guide.

Proficiency in writing comes from experience. It’s just not that you impromptu a pen or laptop and become a writer. It’s a meticulous modus operandi where you read, write, edit and delete. The procedure serves at various times, lest you acquire virtuosity in your skills. Read the first mistake that new writers make is that they don’t read. Read to tart up your knowledge, lexicon, and grammar. Some say ignorance is bliss, but ignoring reading is a big mistake that young writers make. There is nothing of the beam in reading other people writing unless you intend to plagiarize. So read as much material as you can find. It doesn’t stock whether you are a fiction or non-fiction writer. You have to learn as much as you can find. Fiction writers read fiction stories, novels, or comics. Non-fiction writers follow blogs, journals, articles, newspapers, books, and whatever material they find pertinent to their niche. Research is the first step in writing. Never stop reading and researching. The road to becoming a writer is really daunting and complicated. It might precede to your epic catastrophe, but reminisce, JK Rowling, once a botched writer is now at the epitome of her career. When you are writing, you are creating something epic. You become the gods of your specimen. You think it’s a masterpiece, and no one can write it better than you. It’s a farce!!! Get your writing rechecked i.e., edited by an expert. However, considering its significance, we have chosen this theme to provide a road map for novice writers so that they can avoid the biggest mistakes they make while writing.

The writers who reason their work is magnum opus should get it assessed and proofread for slip-ups and typos and plot holes. This progression entails patience and tolerance as the editor will delete and rewrite many things, which may cause tempestuous effects. Sometimes you have to rewrite the whole thing. So hang in there. Editing your manuscript will increase your prospects of getting putative and fewer rejections. Dialogue: Another mistake that fiction writers make is feeble dialogues. Don’t write a monologue. Make sure your exchanges seem spontaneous and innate. They articulate essential information and give muscle to your character. Healthy conversations create strong characters. The important thing is that they should sound tangible. They are the window of your character’s soul, divulging the twist or amplifying tension. So be vigilant while writing them. Moreover, get to know your audience and make sure you are writing for your epoch, not for the people in the past. Your writing should reflect your era. Books like Twilight and The Vampire Diaries have thrived as they are germane to the time.

Likewise, in non-fiction, writers should know the cutting-edge advancement in their turf. Punctuations: Punctuations are the enunciations of your writing. They make a gray piece come to life. Their practice dates back to the fifth century BC whence the Greeks commenced inculcating them to bring life to their writings. They augment the reader’s perception and connive them visualize the scene. Observe another writer’s dilemma is that they don’t observe. Observation is vital for triumph. Go to a park, café or theatre and consider the locality. Observe the people’s comportment, the way they behave around strangers and friends. Jot down any exciting phenomenon, gesticulation, and expressions. It will give validity to your writing. Remember, a good actor needs excellent imitation skills. Likewise, a good writer needs good observation skills as they have to incorporate them into their writing. Plotting and unique selling point: Weak plots steer to failed books. An excellent writer without a strong plot is doomed.

Similarly, simple writing with excellent plots leads to triumph. The scheme encompasses your story’s sluggish start, a flabby mid-section, rutted pacing, using gimmicks as hooks, and bogus details. Every time kick off your writing with primer, body, and end. Never get adrift from these steps. Make sure your paper is systematic. Planning is a crucial step. Plan as it categorically abets writers to find plot holes in their work. Writing drafts in the form of web and flow charts also benefit. As Glen C. Strathy says that what was the point of writing that story? Careful plotting never shepherds to that. Writers should know their writing’s unique selling points. The thing that gives them control and makes their piece top-notch writing. This is what will sell and revere them in the reader’s eyes. Always keep your audience in mind while writing. Even newspaper editorials have flashy beginnings to gauge reader attention. Make sure you are confident with words and know the art of maneuvering them. Ambiguous writings make the readers disinterested and lose concentration.

The writer takes the reader to another dimension where they live in the character’s world. Make sure your paper does that. Make the reader experience your writing. Render it sprightly and fetching. Pet phrasing: These are the repetitive phrases or quirks used by the writers in their manuscripts, which they associate with specific settings. These are the inadvertent mistakes the writers render while writing. Use synonyms and thesaurus. Don’t repeat words and phrases gratuitously. These are unintentional mistakes that are overcome in proofreading. Every novel writer wants to see their name in print either in e-book or paperback. Rushing to do it is not going to add value to it. Be calm and serene. Don’t hasten to get it published. Write, read, think, and repeat. Get it proofread by an expert. Reread it yourself. Rushing to get it published may result in erroneous and chaotic work. Abysmal ideas: Keep in mind that some ideas never work. They are appalling, to begin with. Either it’s irrelevant to your niche, or it’s completely absurd. Make sure to inculcate relevant ideas. A rom-com can never end in tragedy. Writing about imperialism can never have been set in non-aggressive or pacifist countries. So new writers read, research, write, proofread and repeat. Take baby steps. Don’t hustle, and surely you will reach your epitome. Don’t be so confused because every newbie makes mistakes and they need some guidance. In this way, it is great to follow a road map given to novice writers, so they can learn something more.

So, this is a writer’s road map for novice writers that you should try to follow to become a professional.