Write Better: Tips and tricks

Who do I ask for help with my story?

To find these readers, first look at your own story. The people who vote and comment are people who have given you a chance to click on their usernames and open up a conversation. They may not always respond to you, but don't be shy. Some of your readers are happy to help if you wanted to know what they thought about XYZ.

Apart from that, advertise as wattpad suggests on twitter, the spot in the forum of the genre of your choice, go make friends in the genre's forum, etc. If you read other stories in your genre, take a look at some of the comments. If you see someone leaving messages that seem to be the kind of feedback you're looking for, politely message them, explain how you found them and why you love it if they would please take a look at your story and let you know what they think.

People who write in your genre.

Same as people who read your genre. These people tend to have a better, more in-depth knowledge about the subject matter of your story, so they can better assist you in polishing it. Unlike readers, these are writers. They've probably been where you are at some point. They get how difficult it can be to phrase something in just the right way, how challenging world building can be, give you some tips that helped them, etc.

You can find them on the forums at wattpad. Writers dominate the forums. Otherwise, you can find them in a quick search of stories. Again, I do not advise asking them to read your story. Be courteous and polite. Check out their works. Tell them what specifically you admire about them, and if you have a question- one question, not 'can you read my story?', ask it. From personal experience, I'm much more receptive to helping out a fellow writer when they sound genuine. More recently, I had a great person ask me how I plan out my stories, and I was happy to send them along a preview of the next chapter and several stages of it, so they see how it went from a 200 word blurb to a full-blown 3000 word chapter.

When people just ask me to read their stories, I largely ignore it. But when people seem to ask me for real help, I do my best to find time and help out when I can. Lots of writers will do the same. :)

Find other writers.

Broader than writers in your genre, the perk about finding other writers to help is that there are a lot of them all over the place. Sites like Scribophile and Critique Circle are good for fair exchanges of critiques, and there are so many other sites out there where you can find entire communities of people who are trying to get their story out there, just like you. And they all have resources and experiences they're happy to share to help you (and they themselves) grow!

Go to conferences.

If you have the time, transportation, and money, writers' conferences are always nice. You can often make some nice connections, get feedback, and hear from industry professionals about the writing world. It's not always practical or affordable, but keep an eye out for anything coming to your town or somewhere close.

A quick google search will find conferences.

Go to critique circles.

Again, this is one of those time/transportation issues. Critique circles can be really helpful, but depending on how old you are, what time they take place, and if there are any in your area, they just might not be something you can attend.

If you do find one, find out if it's right for you. Some critique circles are toxic. Some are the best thing you could ever have done.

If you're looking for a place to start looking, libraries are a good place. My local library has critique circle meetings and flyers, and even if they didn't, the librarians may have some suggestions for you.

Use yourself (and the internet).

Need help with your commas but you don't know who to turn to to edit them? Teach yourself! Go on the internet and read through a couple websites. There's information out there all over the place for you, and guess what? YOU CAN USE IT. Don't know what a comma splice is? You can find out! Want to know common cliches in romance so you don't make the same mistakes? You can find out!

Why "Don't ask family or friends. They love you too much." isn't entirely true.

It's not that you shouldn't ask family or friends for advice on stories. It's that you should ask more people than them. Their input is fine; their input is probably full of fluff. If this is all you have to start with, you can make it work.Just seek more opinions after theirs and you'll be fine.

Not because they're wrong or don't know what they're talking about, but because they may be holding back even if you tell them not to.

Heck, if your uncle or cousin or friend from school has knowledge about writing or what you're writing about, by all means, ask them for their input! If I had someone who worked with bears in my circle of friends, I would so ask them about bear behavior to see if the bears in Run Cold come across as realistic. Alas, I don't.