After reading some books about writing, this is the advice we found most helpful:
- A scary story often takes place in a dark location, because that plays with the readers' emotions & imagination more than a light location would.
- Don't say too much! If you make your poem too long and put in too many adjective or images, it lessens the impact.
- Remember, you don't always have to rhyme in poetry.
- "Use your slow hand in poetry. What comes fast and easy is invariably cheesey - just like this sentence." ~J. Patrick Lewis
- Use life experiences for your own writing. The more you do in the real world, the more you can write.
- The best poems are rich with the textures of life. ~Paul Jancezko
- Too much back-story is a problem. Get right to the exciting stuff!!
- Rather than putting in a ton of unimportant details, pick the best ones.
- Finishing a great piece of writing is exhilarating. For that moment, you are genius.
- Warnings planted in books help readers know where you're writing is going.