DO: Feel Your Characters Like They’re Real
Let them breathe, stumble, hesitate. Let them make decisions that aren’t always wise. If your protagonist can predict everything or never falters, the story dies before it even begins. A character should feel like someone you’d bump into on the street—annoying, fascinating, flawed, and most of all, human.
DON’T: Write Like a Textbook
No one cares about a history lesson unless it’s soaked in sweat, blood, and the sound of footsteps echoing down an empty corridor. If you’re writing about a moment in history, let the dust sting the reader’s nose, let them feel the heat pressing against their skin. No one remembers cold facts, but they remember how something felt.
DO: Let Silence Speak
Not everything has to be said. Sometimes, a glance, a hesitation, or a half-finished sentence says more than a monologue. Trust your reader. They’ll pick up on the weight of an unsent letter or the pause before someone finally answers, “I’m fine.”
DON’T: Explain the Obvious
If your character is running through a burning house, don’t stop to describe how flames are hot. If they’re grieving, don’t have them think they’re sad—show them gripping a half-burnt letter, their breath catching on the words. The reader isn’t stupid. Give them pieces, and let them put the puzzle together.
DO: Keep the Stakes Personal
The world doesn’t have to end for the story to matter. A missed train, an unanswered letter, or a decision made two seconds too late can shatter a life. If your character cares, your reader will too. Make the stakes hit where it hurts.
DON’T: Make Everything Perfect
Messiness is real. Conversations are awkward, emotions are tangled, and people don’t always say what they mean. If your characters wrap up every argument neatly, your story will feel like a stage play instead of real life. Let there be wrinkles, hesitations, and loose ends.
DO: Let the Ending Linger
Not everything needs a grand conclusion. Some stories end with a sigh, a closed door, a realization that comes too late. And that’s okay. A great ending doesn’t just tie up loose ends—it leaves something behind, something that sits with the reader long after they’ve turned the last page.
Write like it matters. Because it does.
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