Top 10 Writing Tips by Lovelyn Bettison #Top10WritingTips #Writing

Learning from our mentors helps us to improve and evolve in our chosen field, and I still recall the advice given to me at the start of my writing journey.

To help the next generation of writers’ young and old, I started a Top 10 Writing Tips feature whereby established authors shared their words of wisdom and favourite writing tips. Back by popular demand, I’m delighted to share more inspiration and insights for season two.

Meet Lovelyn Bettison

Lovelyn Bettison writes ghosts stories. Her books feature quirky characters, parallel worlds, and things that go bump in the night. Join her readers’ group to get a free ghost story and access to exclusive contests and fun emails about spooky stuff.

1 – Write every day, no matter what. Writers write. Choose a specific time to dedicate to writing daily. If you tend to have problems with procrastinating, attach your writing to something else you already do daily. For example, at 10 am every day I get a cup of coffee and sit down to write.

2 – Get rid of distractions and make sure your writing time is truly writing time. Turn off your internet and put your phone in another room. You can use apps like Freedom, Serene, or Cold Turkey to block distracting websites.

3 – Plan what you’re going to write next to increase productivity. There are a lot of people who like to write by the seat of their pants, but having even a loose outline will make writing easier. When you know where the story is headed, your writing is tighter, and you end up with less fluff that needs to be cut in the editing process.

4 – Don’t be afraid to produce a messy first draft. Concentrate on getting the story on the page first. Then, you can clean it up later. If you continually switch back and forth between editing and writing, you are preventing yourself from getting into a true creative flow state.

5 – Learn to write using dictation. It’s easier on your body because you can move around while writing. If you plan on writing a lot, you risk getting repetitive strain injuries that are no fun. Dictation can be hard to get used to at first, but if you stick with it, your body will thank you. It will also increase your word count.

6 – Write what you love. I understand the desire to write the next great literary work, but if you primarily read suspense thrillers, that’s what you should be writing. Writing is an art. It’s also entertainment, and there’s nothing wrong with entertaining people with a fun story.

7 – Study your genre and learn the tropes. If you have a clear idea of what your readers expect, you’ll know how to satisfy them with a story. Knowing the tropes doesn’t mean you throw away creativity. Tropes give you a framework to write within. The creativity comes in finding a way to make those tropes new and innovative by twisting them enough to surprise readers while still giving them a satisfying reading experience.

8 – Know who you are writing for. If you have a clear vision of who will be reading your story, you’ll know how to write characters they’ll love and plots that will pull them in.

9 – If you’re bored with what you’re writing, then the reader will be bored too. Evaluate each scene you write. Is this scene necessary? Does it move us closer to the conclusion of the book? Is it providing important information? If the answer is no, cut it.

10 – Never stop studying the art of storytelling.

Connect with Lovelyn

Website: https://www.lovelynbettison.com/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Lovelyn-Bettison/e/B003PDBMVA

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lovelynbettison

The Psychic Blurb

Traumatized by her past but hoping for a happy ending, can one medium cope when her feigned second sight becomes spectacularly authentic?

Cheryl is barely getting by. Struggling to find clients after escaping an abusive relationship, the tarot reader still feels she’s helping folks… even if she doesn’t actually believe in the paranormal. But when a desperate man badgers her into clearing his haunted house, the fake fortune teller is terrified when she discovers she can suddenly see real ghosts.

Uncertain if the spirits trailing her are malevolent or misunderstood, Cheryl flees in panic. But with her business on the rocks and the handsome guy refusing to leave her alone, the determined woman resolves to get to the eerie truth.

Can the reluctant clairvoyant conquer her fears and embark on a new beginning?

The Psychic is the suspenseful first book in the Suncoast Paranormal thriller series. If you like quirky characters, sinister themes, and shivers of romance, then you’ll adore Lovelyn Bettison’s graveyard gambol.

BUY your copy of The Psychic here:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F1VWVS8/

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07F1VWVS8/

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