Guidelines for Smooth Writing

These will help you delight your readers.

  • In prose—including fiction, reports, essays, papers, newspaper articles—clarity is more important than anything else. Readers won’t enjoy our exciting plots and fascinating characters if they don’t understand what we’re saying.
  • The most powerful parts of speech in English are nouns (people, places, and things) and verbs (action words). We sometimes need adjectives (modifying nouns) and adverbs (modifying verbs and adjectives), but they’re weaker. If you start to put one in, read your sentence with it and without it to see which way is better.
  • Look for word repetition and substitute synonyms if you notice that you’re using a particular word too much.
  • Vary our paragraph beginnings. We don’t want to start more than two paragraphs in a row with the same word.
  • Vary our sentence structures. We don’t want to repeat two parts of a sentence connected by and or but over and over or to have all our sentences be very short. We want to mix it up. For but, we can use though, although, or however; for and we can use what’s more or plus or also.
  • Long paragraph blocks make readers tired and worried that they’re not up to the job of reading through them. We can break our long paragraphs up wherever there’s an opportunity—a change in focus, in character, in what’s happening. Bits of white space on the page are relaxing to the eyes.

32 Responses on “Guidelines for Smooth Writing”

  1. Beth says:

    Hello! These are great tips! I never thought of using white space as a creative element before. I want to try this!
    I recently finished reading your book Writer To Writer. I’m stoked that you are still writing the blog that inspired that book! I got so many great tips from that book and have been so inspired by your writing! I tried out your advice of ending a chapter with a question in the novel I recently finished and I think it worked really well!

  2. Patrick von Hatten says:

    This will help with my writing, i always think that when i write a sentence that it sounds to robotic.

    But i also struggle with fearing that my novel sound to much like something that has already been published, i think of an idea but after i expand on it for a few days i draw connections to other stories that have already been published! i don’t know how to stop this, i can never finish a novel without this problem?

    • Christie V Powell says:

      Gail has several similar blog posts that might help you on originality. Here’s one:
      https://gailcarsonlevine.com/blog/2013/02/20/building-on-legacy/

      In my opinion, stories are never going to be completely original, and that’s a good thing. Stories reflect a lot about the author and who you are, and that’s so valuable. There are billions of people out there, millions of writers, but every point of view is important and meaningful. If you end up publishing, you may reach some of those people and teach them something new about other people, or they might find a kindred spirit in you. Or you might end up writing the story just for you.

      Side note: Brandon Sanderson shared the analogy of his friends playing basketball. They’re never going pro. They’re never going to make any money playing basketball, but it’s still a worthwhile activity, good exercise and developing real life skills. Writing is like that–it’s inherently valuable and worthwhile whether you publish or not. So go ahead and build hopes and dreams, but don’t forget to enjoy the process right now.

      I would suggest you not worry too much about being original, especially if you’re just in the idea stage. Two authors with the same idea will still come up with vastly different stories (if you need an example, compare Gail’s Ella Enchanted with Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix). Look at how many different fairytale retellings there are, even with the exact same fairytale! And we still read them and want more.

    • Miss Maddox says:

      I agree with Christie V Powell. Of course, you shouldn’t try to copy other authors on purpose (unless you’re just writing for fun for yourself and that’s what you want to do, in which case go ahead!), but I wouldn’t worry about small similarities – or even similarities that seem big at first glance. If you’re not intentionally trying to copy someone, your story will probably turn out vastly different by the end. But if you give up on it just because of one similarity to another book, your idea will never have the chance to develop into something unique. I think you’ll also have more unique ideas as you write more. When I first started writing, I think my ideas pulled from other stories much more than they do now. Just like any other aspect of writing, it takes practice to come up with good original ideas.

      • Isabelle Knight says:

        I know! It’s the same with me. My middle grade fantasy series… SO many of the ideas and themes and just like the traditions and worldbuilding aren’t UTTERLY original! And none of them ever will be! I just pull/steal some ideas from books/movies/video games that inspire me and put them together! As I write, it becomes my own. If you’re that worried about originality (kinda like how I am with one of my ideas), then I suggest you just go and write it out (assuming you haven’t started yet). As you write, your story will take on a shape of its own! If that doesn’t work, first just finish the first draft (unless you need to pull your story/let your story take you in the right direction) and just read through it. Maybe try and taking some of the stories that inspire you and pull a few elements from them and put them in your novel. As you write, all those elements will slowly become yours!

  4. Isabelle Knight says:

    Hey, so… I hope that the sort of writer’s group/advice discussion thing still exists. I have just published my first novel, Enchantria: Guardian’s Heir, but I’m really REALLY worried because I want people to read it and continue reading the next books (book one isn’t the best… I TRIED my best, but like, it’s not the best in the series) but what if no one likes book one and so doesn’t read the other better books in the series? I know this probably is a ridiculous worry, but it’s one that I keep having.

    • Christie V Powell says:

      That’s tough, and it is a real concern. Readers don’t often pick up book 2 unless they enjoyed book 1.

      If you’re indie published, you can always go back and revise book one. You wouldn’t want to make major structural changes, but you can edit and polish when you have more experience. You could also go back and write a prequel later so that the series starts somewhere else.

      The important thing to remember is that indie publishing is a marathon, not a sprint. Getting good at it right away is rare. Getting money or fame right away is rare. But even if no one reads your later books, you will have gained so much experience and new skillsets that will help you write better. And, of course, you enjoy it in the moment, and you’ve created a new piece of art that has value and helps you grow, no matter the external consequences.

      • Isabelle Knight says:

        Yeah… that’s probably true. Thanks for the advice! I actually do plan to write a prequel, though I’m not sure how it’s going to turn out. I’m actually going to do two prequels. One prequel is sort of like the backstory of the villain, and how she came to be. The other is about Helena (the person who first saved all the kingdoms from the evil sorceress, Onyx, and actually created Enchantria, the kingdom where the story takes place). Hey, what would your tips be for getting people to actually read my books? I went over book one and made a few minor tweaks. I think it’ll do fine. Maybe enough to get people to read book two. And I’d say book two’s pretty good. Also, what would you suggest for authors who are in a writing slump? I have been revising my series and am getting pretty tired of revisions now. And it just feels like I’m stuck in a rut and don’t enjoy writing as much anymore. Not fun. Not fun at all.

          • Christie V Powell says:

            Thanks! I’m worried that it doesn’t capture the fairytale-retelling audience well enough, so I’m starting to plan out a new prequel for the series.

            I’m still checking out yours, but I love the cover!

        • Christie V Powell says:

          For the getting readers:
          I’m not the best at it, and everyone/every book is different. That said, here are some things that I do:
          -social media. Personally, I have: a facebook page to run ads with, a facebook group to communicate with fans, instagram, and twitter. I’ve experimented with tiktok but not doing so well there. I have a blog post on using twitter, “Marketing for twitter” on “The Spectra books blog”.
          .-monthly newsletter
          -for a while, I used Bookfunnel to get newsletter subscribers. It’s $100 per year, last I checked, so I don’t use it every year.
          – asking for reviews. I found people to ask on http://www.theindieview.com/indie-reviewers/ Then I send them a letter kind of like a query letter, asking them to review my book, and offering a review copy. Book reviewers get really busy, so usually my success rate is one review for ten requests (so a lot, but much better than query letters).
          -I’ve done some experiments with ads, but not a ton, because there’s a steep learning cost while you figure out how to make it work for you. There are courses you can take, some low cost/free, online about how to do it.

          There’s a facebook group called 20booksto50k that discusses indie book marketing in depth.

          • Isabelle Knight says:

            I’m trying to work on another middle-grade fantasy, FoxClans, but I just can’t seem to get into the flow, like I’ve lost the writing spark. idk. It’s just not fun. I’m also still in revision mode and just want to make everything perfect, worry about character personalities, character importance, characters not acting the way they should, inconsistencies, etc. Any help? I’ll try writing junk, but it doesn’t seem to work extremely well… not for me, at least. My brain literally screams at me to do something useful when I’m writing junk, and whenever I get back to my work in progress, well… I just can’t get into the creative flow as well.

          • Christie V Powell says:

            Here are some notes from my cousin’s class (her name is Whitney Hemsath and she has books out and she’s awesome, so definitely check out her stuff). My notes might be kind of jumbled, but hopefully something in there is helpful.

            How to Look Up When Writing Gets You Down:
            Define what success looks like to you. Ask yourself why. Why is that your why? This answer will be your real goal. Your other goals are only one way of achieving your why.

            Keep a document where you collect the praise people give you (reviews, comments from beta readers, verbal encouragement, etc). Keep any critique somewhere else. This document is for praise only. Read it when you’re feeling down.

            Keep a writer bucket list. Have some tiny items and some massive (finish a first draft, get a multimillion movie deal). Check off some things but don’t delete them so you can see how far you’ve come.

            Shrink the font of what you wrote the previous day so that you can’t read it (while drafting).

            Read the one star reviews of your favorite book. Read the five star reviews of your least favorite book.

            Remember that an imposter is someone with intent to deceive. If you’re trying your best, you’re not an imposter.

            Remember, the businesses who succeed are those who finish something.

          • Isabelle Knight says:

            In reply to the notes: uh… how is reading one star reviews of my favorite book and five star reviews of my least favorite book going to help? Is it supposed to like give me a different perspective? I did read one star reviews of Ella Enchanted (my favorite book along with hundreds and thousands of other books!). As for my least favorite book… haven’t read the five star reviews. My least favorite book is just one I seriously dislike. I mean, it’s not like a BAD book, it’s just not for me.

  6. Isabelle Knight says:

    So… I plan to have Enchantria published as a paperback. Except there are a whole lot of problems. One, I have absolutely no idea how to format a paperback. My ebook was formatted in Kindle Create, and I’d like to keep the same style of formatting. My word processors are Microsoft Word and LibreOffice. My trim size is going to be 6 inches by 9 inches. And I also have no idea exactly how many pages are going to be in the paperback, so calculating the spine width may be a problem. Two, ISBNs aren’t exactly cheap, and I want my book to be available in bookstores other than Amazon. And sadly, I am not a Canadian citizen, so I can’t really just get a free ISBN. KDP does offer one, but then the paperback can only be sold on Amazon. And I can’t really get any apps that require a fee. Any advice?

    • Christie V Powell says:

      I format for paperback in Microsoft Word. Nothing fancy, but it does the job. Page numbers often end up a huge headache, but I can put up with a few hours of frustration in exchange for saving money and having creative control. You can also hire someone to do it for you. I know some people use fiverr to find a cheap formatter.

      For spine width, I know you’re supposed to enter the number of pages into a calculator and get it exact, but honestly, I just guess, and then when I go to submit the cover in kdp, it’ll tell me the correct width if my guess was too far off.

      I just do the free ISBN for kdp/in person only, so you might need to ask someone else that one.

      • Isabelle Knight says:

        Okay, well, I do have some fancy formatting when I used Kindle Create such as the separators for the scene breaks and the chapter titles, books by this author, etc. How would I get those to show up in Microsoft Word? I was thinking of just putting a picture of the separators there, but how would I do that, and would it look weird? I plan to use cream colored paper so…

        • Isabelle Knight says:

          Kay, never mind. I think I’ve gotten that down now… I THINK. Emphasis on the word think. I am going to publish Enchantria as a paperback, but I can’t really order a proof copy because of my location so… How am I going to find a way around that?

  9. Isabelle Knight says:

    WOOHOO!!!!! I JUST GOT MY FIRST FIVE STAR RATING ON AMAZON! any ideas to celebrate? should I be celebrating? I feel like I should. (activate Pinkie Pie’s party cannon). In case you don’t know who Pinkie Pie is, she’s a pink pony with curly poofy pink mane and she is HYPER excited, funny, laughing, and is a party pony! she also has a party cannon that appeared randomly whenever she wants. She’s from My Little Pony.

      • Isabelle Knight says:

        Sounds delicious! Not sure yet what i’m going to do. Hey, I did find a bakery the other day and a place where you can learn archery (the none dangerous type. the one with the suction cups at the end, not murderous weapons… hopefully…) also please note that was a dramatic joke. there is no reason to fear for anyone’s safety. Unless I accidentally hit the cats. Cats are fast, right? Though I’m not even sure if I can even pull the string!

        Yeah, and I am just so excited! I wish I could know who left that five star rating. My book was published on August 28. My friend said that it’s lucky to get a five star rating so soon. Is it? I’m a self-published author. My marketing attempts have been a YouTube Channel with five subscribers (friends and family) and a small author website. I think to celebrate… idk. Maybe I’ll go to a pizza restaurant or find one. Or play with the cats, though the ginger/autumn colored one just licks her paw and ignores me.

  10. Isabelle Knight says:

    How do I deal with stress as a writer? These few days I just often find myself VERY stressed and anxious, and I keep giving myself health scares cuz I think I have a condition and then I don’t. One thing i had a health scare about was glaucoma (basically causes eye blindness…) and still unsure if I have it or not. PROBABLY don’t but…

    I know these things might sound a bit ridiculous to keep giving myself scares like that, but that’s kinda what happens. It’s been affecting my writing, and I haven’t been writing as much, and I feel very down. Any help?

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