Forget About "Beautiful" Writing

That is a misnomer for what really counts with readers

Beautiful writing

Ok. If I read one more post that says, “this is such beautiful writing,” I am going to lose my lunch. Sorry to be so detailed, but, actually, details are what makes for what people call “beautiful” writing. It’s not that complicated.

I could write a hypothetical story about losing my lunch, like, for instance:

When I was eight, I was bullied for the uncool, baby-pink baloney I carted around in a lunch box with Donnie Osmond on the cover. The kids taunted me, yelling out“Baloney Girl” and, overcome with disgust, I raced to the girl’s bathroom and vomited away the remnants of my shame. My empty stomach was preparation for my future eating disorder that had nothing to do with my anatomy, and everything to do with my psyche.

Now, this is truly scatological, but it does what a story should do, it paints a picture for the reader using details and description.

My students often tell me they get alarmed when they see yet another post lauding someone’s “beautiful” writing. Hearing that phrase used, makes them think that they can never measure up. And it’s not true. It comes down to trusting your voice, working with words to make an impact (like I talk about in my book Writing That Gets Noticed) and using specific details and description in their essays that paint a picture. Added bonus if you can also use metaphors sparingly but effectively.

When I’m editing my student’s work, I don’t throw around hyperbole, instead I give specific advice. I say why a word change works and why, and I suggest places where they can add more detail and description, so the reader feels as if they are in a movie. Even better if it shows a clue to character or moves the story forward in some way. That’s how you immerse a reader into the story.

Whether it is a memoir or a novel, as an author and widely published writing coach who teaches for Writer’s Digest and NYU, I can share some tips on how to make the most of your story.

Build in Obstacles

My students for my Writers Digest class Getting Started in Writing, share the synopsis of their novels with me in our first assignment. My first question is: what are the obstacles? What is keeping the main character from getting what he/she/they want or needs?

To keep your reader riveted to the page, you must challenge your character at every turn by thrusting him or her into the most difficult predicaments you can dream up.

For example, just having a character in love with another character who isn’t available isn’t enough. What else can you throw at them? Maybe they have been diagnosed with an illness? Maybe the other person is not what they seem? Maybe life throws them a major curveball (they have to move to another country, they will lose their business). You should have at least three obstacles in mind. With no struggle or challenge, there is no story, nothing for the reader to care about.

Where Does the Story Go?

A story needs to have a narrative arc (a beginning, middle, and end). The best character arc reveals an inner transformation, not just a change in circumstances.

So, what kind of journey is your character going on (whether emotionally, mentally, physically, or even spiritually)? Ask yourself what the character wants, what keeps the character from getting it, and what will happen if the character gets what he/she/they want? Force your characters to act and react to the events they encounter for the most dramatic arc. Let those events reveal your character’s flaws and weaknesses by how they react to them. Let every challenge build new ways of coping and learning that show a transformation in your character at the end. 

Lots of the authors and novelists I talk to for my podcast Freelance Writing Direct share advice on craft, and now for my paid subscribers, I’m sharing additional clips just for them in this issue (such as from Minna Dubin/Mom Rage, and Amy Jones, Editor-in-chief of Writer’s Digest).

So what else does a story need to do to get a reader’s attention? Take it one step at a time.

Start By Increasing the Tension

Here’s how you can do it. Begin the story by introducing several aspects of