Having excellent writing skills is a must for anyone who aspires to be a successful author. While anyone can write, writing a narrative that leaves an impact and grabs the attention of the audience is very difficult. An author not only needs to maintain their writing style, but they also have to make sure they use correct grammar and structure. Literary agents and publishers are very picky when it comes to signing up new authors with their labels, so if an author lacks writing abilities, the chances of them getting that acceptance slip are very difficult.

To help any aspiring author out, here are some rules that everyone should follow to minimize the risk of getting it wrong. Keep these rules in your mind while writing your next novel and see the difference.

Be Careful of the Length

The best way to make sure that your message is being conveyed correctly and you aren’t writing messily is by controlling the length of your sentences. Overly long sentences can be confusing and complex, which makes them unattractive to readers. Many times, they have to go back over the same sentence just to understand what is being said. While long sentences aren’t necessarily bad, it is always better to write shorter sentences. A good sentence should have 10 to 15 words as it makes it easier for the reader to understand while keeping the flow straight.

Make it a Statement

Each sentence should have a purpose and a meaning behind it. Every sentence should make a statement that is clear and concise. Even more importantly, the sentence should support the previous one, connect with it and overall maintain the flow. This is important because a paragraph consists of a group of statements that are clear in the meaning and easy to read.

Writing Your Paragraphs Right

Make sure that the paragraph you write does not have more than 200 words nor has less than 100 words. However, you can always make any necessary changes if you are introducing a new character or if something new is happening in the story. If you are introducing a new idea, make some changes to the setting, add a timeline change or, if a new character is speaking, you can always make changes to the paragraph structure as is fit for your story.

Avoid the Unknown

One thing that you need to be exceptionally careful of is never using a word whose meaning you don't know. The biggest downfall of aspiring and upcoming authors is that they try to sound intelligent by using words they don’t understand. If you are unsure of the meaning of any word, refrain from using it. Look any special word up before adding it to your story because it will leave a bad impression on the editor or the literary agent if you use a word out of context.

Try to use concrete language rather than vague language as it adds unnecessary ambiguity to the story and frustrates the audience rather than entices them. Avoid jargon and use appropriate words for readers so that they can understand what is going on and form a connection. Try to keep the narrative simple and written in an active voice so that it is easier for readers to digest the story and enjoy it.