How to write your own story

| Beth Reekles | TEDxTeen

 

TEDx Talks

shared http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2013/jan/23/top-tips-beth-reekles

1. Dialogue

Dialogue makes up a huge portion of a book, and it's essential for character development, too. One of the best things about dialogue is that you can give away so much - what a character is thinking, how they're feeling (do they stammer, are they hesitant?) and the way they act around people. It can often be tempting to drop in big fancy words, too, just to show off your ability a little (not that there's anything wrong with a wide vocabulary!) but you have to be careful about how you use it. If the character's a thuggish boy, he's likely to swear and speak in slang, and not use proper sentence structure. A good flowing dialogue helps the book along so much, too - whether it's a heated argument, a bit of comic relief, or simply just some character development.

2. Show not tell

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I know I probably sound like your English teacher, but bear with me here. Saying "she was nervous" is much less effective than something like "she gnawed on her lip, wringing her hands, unable to look him in the eye". Actions can convey so much more than a simple statement, and they tell the reader a huge amount about how the character reacts in certain situations and what's going on in their head. And besides that, it makes your characters so much more relatable! Even if your book is set on an alien planet far into the future, if your characters exhibit human reactions and emotions, then your readers will relate to them better, and they'll be far more engaged in your book.

3. Writer's block…Help!

You know those hideous days when you get so frustrated with yourself because you just can't write - nothing you do seems to work! Well you aren't alone, so don't worry about it too much. It's awful, but there are ways around it: you just have to try not to stress over it too much. It will pass. Sometimes I find it helps to read a good book, or watch some TV, even do some homework - just to clear your mind a bit. Or maybe listen to some music; you could try listening to soundtracks that would fit in with where you are in your book. And sometimes, you just have to walk away. Not permanently, of course, but just for a little while. On occasion, I've abandoned my work for maybe three weeks running just because I don't know what to write; but when I go back to it a while later, with a fresh mind and new ideas, I have something to write. The trick is simply finding what works best for you.

4. Are my books worth writing?

The simple answer to this is "yes". Always yes. Even if what you're writing isn't all that great, it's good practice and the more you write, the better you'll get. Practice makes perfect after all, right? I've written dozens of novel-length stories and when I look back on most of them, I cringe in my seat because they were so poorly written and so badly executed. And you are always your own worst enemy; I never thought I was any good until I found Wattpad, where people seemed to really enjoy my work and give me a confidence boost. You may well think that your books aren't worth it, they're terrible, nobody will like them, you should just give up now... I've thought that, too. But your work might actually be really awesome, and you don't know until you put it out there for people to see. And even if other people critique you and say you're not quite up to scratch, then that still shouldn't stop you - don't give up!

5. I want to write but what should I write about?

The best advice I can give you on this is to write the kind of thing you'd like to read. If you're a teenager who loves YA fantasy, then writing a mystery with an adult protagonist might not be the best way to go. When I started The Kissing Booth, I was craving a good YA romance to read - without any vampires or werewolves and whatnot. So that's what I wrote: a YA romance without any fantasy. If you aren't a fan of the kind of thing you're writing, then how much can you really enjoy it? You're likely to give up on a story if you don't put your all into it, because it will probably just bore you. So write something you're passionate about!