Top 10 Writing Tips by author Diane Thomas-Plunk #WritingTips

Welcome to week 18 of our Top 10 Writing Tips by… feature. If you’ve missed any of the other top tip posts, you can find them all HERE. Please feel free to pop over and connect with the wonderful authors who have taken part.

Next up for the challenge is author Diane Thomas-Plunk.

Warren County Days is the sequel to Diane Thomas-Plunk’s first book, the popular Opal. A Pushcart Prize nominee, she was also recognized by NPR when her entry was designated a “favorite” in the Three-Minute Fiction contest. Another of her stories is currently available in the anthology What Would Elvis Think? Her work is also featured in the anthology of winners from the Nivalis 2016 short fiction competition.

Ten Tips for Writing by Diane Thomas-Plunk:

Read. In particular, read good authors in your genre and study how they do it.
Write. Start a personal blog and try out some of your ideas. Seeing your words on a page can be instructive.
Write every day. It doesn’t matter what. Just do it and think about what you’re doing.
Schedule a time of day to write. Writing can be a challenge, but procrastination is easy.
Join a writers’ group in your town. Learn from what they do and how they respond to what you’re doing.
Develop a smaller, personal group that includes a writer or two and a smart, insightful reader. Share your work or pieces thereof for reactions and suggestions.
Read and learn The Elements of Style by William Strunk.
Also read On Writing by Stephen King. It’s part memoir and part “how-to” in a conversational approach. It’s aimed at new writers.
Take a creative writing class at your local community college.
Enjoy the path. Revel in success. Lick your wounds when your work is declined and make it a learning lesson for your next step. Love your community of writers and supporters.