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So everywhere you turn are writing tips. You’re told to write this way or that, this tip will guarantee success, or if you fail to do this tip, you fail as a writer. Don’t get me wrong, these tips are good to keep in mind and review often (that’s why I post a tip every week). But wouldn’t it be nice to have a pocket version to keep handy with your writing notebook? Well, here it is.

The top ten creative writing tips of all time:

1. Very few people make a living at writing fiction.

2. Show, don’t tell.

3. Don’t use clichés.

4. The more detail in the story, the more real the story.

5. Revise, revise, revise. . .

6. Avoid author intrusion.

7. Write what you like to read.

8. The shorter the story, the more important each word becomes.

9. Success breeds success. The more published you are, the easier it is to get published again.

10. The beginning of a story must be interesting. You don’t want your readers to be lost, or worse, bored on page one.

That’s it, print this page and taped it into your moleskin notebook cover, set it on your desk (try not to loose it in all your writerly organization), or stuff it in the back pocket of your favorite pair of jeans (try not to throw it in with the wash of course, but don’t fret it will be here if you do).

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