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Tips for young writers ...
1001 Red-Hot Tips for a Super-Duper Start to your Story
(well, okay 3 – but that’s all you need)
Jill McDougall
Q: How do you get someone to hang out with you?
A. Grab their attention and keep them entertained.
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More tips for young writers ...
Describing characters: a worksheet
Jill McDougall
Writers often use similes to describe a character’s features.
These are similes:
His nose resembled an ancient potato.
She had hair like an exploding volcano.
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Still more tips for young writers ...
Get Real
Jill McDougall
You've worked hard on your story and now your best friend is reading it. Better still, they're not yawning. Whew. As a writer, you've achieved your very first goal: keep the reader awake.
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Avoid clichés like the plaque (it’s as easy as pie)
Nothing gets me spitting chips and pulling my hair out faster than that old chestnut, the cliché.
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Harry Potter,Huckleberry Finn and, er... Hubert Gribble
Remember the dashing hero in Gone with the Wind?
What a rugged manly hero. And what a rugged manly name.
Rhett Butler.
Imagine if he'd been named something else, like ... Percy Sprong or Hubert Gribble.
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A Matter of Fact
Help! I'm in charge of a class of restless six year olds and none of the usual storybooks seems to grab their attention.
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A Sprinkle of SparkleIt’s your worst nightmare. The editor at Blockbuster Publishing has sent you an email. She’s read your manuscript and she likes it but there’s one small problem (and this is where you stop breathing), your story needs more … sparkle.
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Say What? Five ways to make your dialogue zing
“How are you today?”
I’m very well, thank you.”
This simple exchange tells you plenty about the speakers. They are polite and well spoken and they probably don’t know each other too well.
Imagine if the interaction had gone more like this:
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Let the Fat Lady ClumpYour viewpoint character finds herself passing through a park. Does she walk or hobble? Does she run or scuttle? Does she bustle down the path like a TV compere? Or does she slump along as if she’s carrying a bag of potatoes on her back?
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Grizzles and GrumpsFeel like a grizzle? You’ve come to the right place.
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Attention-Grabbing, Gob-Smacking TitlesA catchy title spells Marketing Success in big fat letters. A fun title suggests a fun read. A side-splitting title says: Belly laughs this-a-way.
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Create a Glow-in-the-Dark StoryYou’re poised at the post box. You take a deep breath and give your manuscript one last squeeze for good luck.
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Five REALLY GOOD Reasons to Write Non-FictionNon-fiction is a HUGE market. Really huge!
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Writing Tips 
