Ten Tips for Writing Fiction

At the Humber School for Writers, Miriam Toews and Richard Scrimger gave their “Ten Tips for Writing Fiction.”

1. Every story has a forward tilt.
 
2. Use your best energy for writing – your best time of the day.

3. Know your main character before you begin.

4. Be brave. Every occupation has its risks. Be as honest as you can, as intelligent as you can. Miriam Toews said, “I feel nervous before I write, exhilarated.”

5. 90 Minute Rule: Commit to ninety minutes of writing. You can stop at that point or go on. It’s okay to stop. You’ve accomplished something.

6. Give your subconscious time to work on the problems that arise in your novel.

7. Take your notebook with you, Miriam Toews said. “I jot down everything. I stop mid-conversation and write something down. I’m a writer. I don’t have a fall-back career.”

8. About writing fiction, Richard Scrimger advised, “Stay on message. Ring in the fire.”

9. When writing a novel, it’s helpful to make notes as you go. Miriam Toews writes these notes in caps and puts them at the end of the document. Other than that, she tries to write the story chronologically. “All my odd anecdotes usually work. I write them intensely.”

10. About calling yourself a writer...Why not? Maybe there will be a time when people will know you’re a writer by what you do, not what you say. If you are constantly writing, what else are they going to call you?