Dear self,

1. Don't control your characters. Let them do their own thing, even if it means they go through terrible experiences.

2. Don't let pity overwhelm you. Even if you're making a character go through heartbreak, remember the point of the story. To blazes with compassion!

3. BREAK GRAMMAR RULES. Plain and simple.

4. Make up words! If there isn't a word to describe something perfectly, make one up. Who cares if it has red squiggly lines underneath?

5. For that matter, don't let the squiggly lines the computer puts underneath your words and phrases intimidate you. The computer doesn't know what you're writing about. YOU are the writer.

6. LISTEN TO MUSIC. It gets the creative juices flowing - especially music with lots of strings.

7. DO YOUR RESEARCH. If you're in the dark about what you're writing about, IT WILL SHOW.

8. Develop every character in your book, even the foils. Character development is the most important element in the story - exercise it!

9. Don't let it stress you. If you're having writer's block, don't force yourself to write.

10. And, most importantly...enjoy the ride.

RATE THIS CHAPTER!

Author guidance for This exercise

Give yourself 10 pieces of writerly advice.

Name your chapter whatever you wish.

If you didn't recieve an invitation to add to this piece, so what? Guh head.

updated Jun 21 '11 by SeeThomasHowl