7 Important Things

I am in a Creative Writing class, for those who didn't know. After reading two stories for critique last night, I feel the need to point out a few important things to remember when you're writing.

1: Finish your sentences. "If anything, Michael was the mature one, not him, because in this situation he held so much wisdom to point out his sarcasm, and that he was" is not the way to end a sentence, much less a paragraph. That brings me to point number 2.

2: Show, don't tell. And if you begin showing, don't stop suddenly and then tell. "...its metallic blue paint had definite rust spots that showed the body needed a lot of work." Yes, rust indicates a wearing down, a need for work. Don't tell us that.

3: Know what you're talking about. "The truck was filled with all sorts of mechanical tools...pipes (the white plastic kind that is used for plumbing)." They're called "PVC pipes." If the reader doesn't know what that is, they can look it up, or just not worry about it. Unless their being PVC and perhaps easier to cut is extremely important later on in the story -- and the reader needs to know what PVC is -- just leave it at that.

4: Avoid attributing an action or noise to the wrong object. "Then she heard the brick sidewalk click as a pair of steel toed boots...approached her." Unless the sidewalk is clicking of its own accord, that noise is either on its own (heard clicking as a pair of steel toed boots approached her on the sidewalk?) or is a combination of two items (heard the clicking of a pair of steel toed boots on the sidewalk?).

5: Use complete sentences as much as possible. "The moon hidden behind some clouds its usual white light tinted a warm shade of purple." is not a good example.

6: Use a thesaurus when you know the word you want, but can't quite think of it, but you know a similar word. DON'T use a thesaurus to find a bigger and/or different word. "...the wind rushing by, pick pocketing her words away." In this context, "thieving" still sounds better.

7: Opening lines are crucial, and really good opening lines are remembered for ages; like, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." A good number of people couldn't tell you what book that's from, but they know the line. "Bang! Bang! Bang! Whirr! Buzzz! Eroooon! Vrooom! Bang! Bang! Bang!" is not an opening line that will be remembered.

If I come up with more, I may post again. See you tomorrow.