Ah, writing. The act itself can be one wrought with fear and suspense. As much as perfection and the validation that comes with knowing it all would be comforting, no one will ever be done improving. I wouldn’t have it any other way, even on the days where I’m staring at a blank cursor wondering if I even know what words are anymore. There is so much to love in that struggle. I love the challenge of pushing myself to think about story in a new way. I love staring off into space, wondering how to tell the story. I love the challenge of knowing it will never be exactly what I have in my head. All of this sometimes feels like torture, but it’s a good torture. A torture that keeps things interesting.
I’m like Morticia Addams. waxing poetic about the wonders of pain.
The best ways to become a better writer are to read and to write. There’s no getting around that. But there’s still room for talking about it, too. And for that, I recommend Jenna Moreci’s YouTube Channel. She’s fun, she tells you all the things she hates and loves, and she has videos on things you might not have considered for your own stories.
Where should you start?
Horror writers might want to begin with her video on Writing Fear and Suspense.
From there, you’re free to explore her channel. A particularly fun one might be The Nine Weird Habits of Writers. Because a lot of readers complain about sagging middle syndrome, I’d recommend checking out her video addressing that issue. Finally, I personally love watching her Trope Talk videos, which you can find a whole playlist for.
If you’d like to learn more about Jenna Moreci, her books, and how she got started on YouTube, there is a great episode of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Marketing podcast where she tells all.
And that’s all you need to know to have you busy with writing tips presented in a fun way that you’ll be willing to listen to while doing the dishes or eating dinner. Go forth, and be better writers!
For more writing tips, check The Midnight Society’s Writer Resources page.