7 Tricks to Keep Your Writing From Getting Boring

Time and time again it has been drilled into our minds to avoid cliches while writing. They aren't necessarily considered bad writing, it is just that many of us consider them overdone and not particularly interesting to read. The following SEVEN stylistic tips exist in order to help all of us make our writing even a tad bit more interesting for the readers. 

1. Synonyms

Sometimes, in order to drive a point home, you need to repeat yourself. However, sounding repetitive is one of the biggest NO's of writing. In order to prevent the readers from getting bored of reading the exact same thing over and over again, you can try and use synonyms. Repeat your thought but change the wording. Keep in mind though, do not overuse this tip. Otherwise, it will not save you.

Try replacing common words with their lesser-known counterparts or perhaps using word combinations.

2. Antonyms

You can get the same point across by using antonyms. Same way as the speed of something can be explained by being compared to something slower. Or the negative effects that something might have on people might be emphasized by pointing out the positive effects that something healthy can have on them.

This tip has its limitations but when used right it can prove to be really handy.

3. and 4.  Wordplay and metaphors

Keep the reader interested by including plays-on-words. This tip, however, works better with titles than with long text. Metaphors on the other hand not only help you avoid repetition, they also allow you to engage the reader. Metaphors are distant cousins of inside jokes so they are great for keeping the reader engrossed in your writing.

5. Use epithets to attract the reader

While many of us use them naturally in our writing, some people forget that such an option exists. An epithet is a descriptive term used for people, places or things in a way that helps the reader understand the characteristics of the subject. Think of it as the simplest form of character development or exposition as they provide the reader with enough information to use their own imagination to fill in the blanks.

6. Comparison

Useful in a lot more situations than you might think. The comparison can help scientific terms become more understandable to a non-enlightened reader or it can make something abstract or made up seem more real. Especially while writing fiction. The point here is to describe something unknown while comparing it with something that is more common.

Examples:

• X was the size of two double-decker buses stacked on top of each other.
• Like a small dog, he was all bark and no bite.

7. Humor

Make the reader smile. Actually, makeing your reader feel anything is a victory in its own but positive emotions tend to have a stronger impact. You want them coming back for more. When you find something funny, it doesn't mean that everyone else will as well. So using humor in writing is a trial and error situation. Just keep testing the waters. If it doesn't work right away, something else down the line will.

Book Tag: Fifty Bookish Questions

Hello, a wonderful stranger that stumbled upon this blog! Little did you know that this is actually a trap and now you can never leave! Muahahahaha. Just kidding. Or am I?

Since everyone and their grandmother are doing tags that look a lot of fun, I decided to try one myself. I believe I got these questions off of mylittlebookblog, who also got them from someone else. A long cycle of sharing. Anyway, let’s get to the questions.

1. What was the last book you read?

I believe it was Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo.

Review: https://mybookaddiction101.blogspot.com.ee/2017/08/crooked-kingdom-by-leigh-bardugo.html

2. Was it a good one?

Absolutely. I’ve been trying to get my best friend to read this duology ever since.

3. What made it good?

Diverse and relatable characters paired with spectacular storytelling.

4. Would you recommend it to other people?

Yes, although judging by the hype surrounding the book I feel like I might have been really late to this reading train.

5. How often do you read?

Every day although it’s not always books.

6. Do you like to read?

Live by the book and die by the book. Yesterday #WhyImPoor was trending on Twitter. Mine is because I spend my entire pay check at a book store.

7. What was the last bad book you read?

If by bad you mean a book I wasn’t that in to. Then perhaps it was Asylum by Madeleine Roux.

The review can be found here:
http://mybookaddiction101.blogspot.com.ee/2017/03/asylum-by-madeleine-roux-aka-that-time.html

8. What made you dislike it?

I found it to be really predictable and not particularly exciting.

9. Do you wish to be a writer?

At some point in my life, yes. I have tried on many occasions but so far have not finished a single full-length manuscript. I am good at short stories but talk myself out of anything longer than that. I still count it as good practice and am sure that eventually, I will reach my goal. Even if only prove to myself that I can.

10. Has any book ever influenced you greatly?

Yes. I try to take something from all of them, yet there were definitely those few that left a great impact.

11. Do you read fan fiction?

Yes. It is a habit. To become a good writer you need to read a lot. Fanfiction is a quick and simple fix especially to the younger me who couldn’t afford books and had already read everything that the library had to offer. In my years of going through fan fiction I can firmly state that if you bother looking, you can find true gems.

12. Do you write fan fiction?

I have given it a go at some point.

13. What’s your favourite book?

From the ones I have read, it must be The Name of the Wind. However, Six of Crows is a close second.

14. What’s your least favourite book?

The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Who Got Trapped in an IKEA Wardrobe by Romain Puértolas – perhaps the charm of this book got lost in translation but I could not even finish it.

15. Do you prefer physical books or ready on a device (like a kindle)?

Definitely physical books. I have yet to meet a book lover that has a different opinion on this matter.

16. When did you learn to read?

My memory does not go back that far. I was raised bilingual so such memories tend to be blurry. I know it took me a while to learn to love reading.

17. What is your favorite book you had to read in school?

It is a tie between Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and Werewolf by August Kitsberg.

18. What is your favorite book series?

By series I imagine more than three books, so that would be the Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

19. Who is your favorite author?

This is not even a fair question.

20. What is your favourite genre?

I am open to almost anything but have a strong preference for Fantasy.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Book: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Publishing date: January 17th 201

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 307

Goodreads: Link

Synopsis: 

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan’s unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope.

Review:

I have no idea what made me pick up this book. Was it the adorable cover that kept staring at me at the bookstore, or perhaps some unknown cosmic power, but I am glad I ended-up reading it. It was cute. It was funny. It was sad. To be truly honest, I was unsure of whether to write a review for this at all or not. It is not like there are a lot of other gorilla-narrated-books out there that I could compare this to. 

While reading I experienced many mixed emotions. Was I to laugh? Was I to cry? How come a seemingly cute and simplistic action of a gorilla made my heart clench? I questioned my own view on animals a lot, and I guess that was exactly the point. Most humans tend to look down on animals and doubt the capacity of their intelligence in comparison to our own. 

This book, being from the perspective of a gorilla, raises a lot of interesting points. Are the lives of animals too simplistic or perhaps we, humans, over complicate everything. If miscommunication between people can cause misunderstandings then it is safe to assume that our inability to communicate with animals causes us to mistreat them whether that is on purpose or not. That is what The One and Only Ivan reminds us of.

In conclusion, I think that this book is worth a read. Interestingly constructed and cleverly told - The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate is a touching story of friendship and finding a place of your own in the world.

List of Books I have read this year:
 https://mybookaddiction101.blogspot.com.ee/2017/08/books-read-in-2017.html

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Book: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Publishing date: September 27th, 2016

Publisher: Orion Children's Books

Pages: 536

Synopsys:

After pulling off a seemingly impossible heist in the notorious Ice Court, criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker feels unstoppable. But life is about to take a dangerous turn—and with friends who are among the deadliest outcasts in Ketterdam city, Kaz is going to need more than luck to survive in this unforgiving underworld.

Review:

Crooked Kingdom - a wonderful story about determination, perseverance, loyalty, and wit. A tale showcasing that no matter how many times life gets you down, you can always climb back up. I loved seeing all the characters battling their own demons and how through many struggles they still managed to have tiny victories. 

I loved the diversity in characters. The difference of their cultures, of their backgrounds. How no matter the differences people are still capable of finding common ground. Crooked Kingdom was refreshing in its unpolished character faults. How it shows that regardless of our backgrounds, none of us are immune to hardships. I found this fact strangely inspirational. Thinking - wow, if they could go through all of that, then I could get through everything life throws my way as well.

I would like to see this story continue. Perhaps a final book that could mend my heart after Crooked Kingdom so unceremoniously ripped it out. It will take me a while to recover from the 100 reasons this story gave me to cry. Every single tear shed was worth it though. A bittersweet price for a wonderful story.

*Spoilers ahead* Disclaimer: Might contain ranting.

Books Read In 2017

Here is a list of books I've had the privilege of reading this year. I did not include all the fanfiction I read for the simple reason of it being impossible to track. Some of these are children's books, so don't be surprised. The length and the target demographic don't really matter to me. You can learn from all of them. The list will be updated periodically up until the end of 2017. Here, in the actual order that I've read them:

Helpful Websites For a Writer

Sometimes, when you are on a roll or already in the editing phase, simplest of things can escape your mind. The following short list of websites exists in order to make your life much easier. Since these places exist you might at least utilize them to their full potential. They are free - well, for the most part, and quite easy to use.

WordCounter

The name itself is quite self-explanatory. But rather than just telling you your documents word count, it tells you which words you use most often and tell you how many times they appear. This is the perfect tool to combat repetition!

Tip of My Tongue

You know that horrible moment when you are trying to finish a sentence but the perfect word just keeps escaping you? So you sit there, minute after minute, running random syllables and sounds through your mind, trying to trigger the memory that would allow you to remember your desired word. Sometimes an epiphany hits and sometimes it doesn't. This website exists to help you out with remembering.

Readability

Use this website to measure how easy your text is to read. Not only does it grade your text but it also underlines the sentences you might want to take a second look at. Give it a try!

First Confession

As people, we tend to set standards of our own for every aspect of our lives. There are also times we break those standards even though we ourselves create them. This confession is a story of a time, I broke a standard I set for myself. This particular story is not one I thought I would ever reveal. But I have realized over time that as embarrassed of it as I am, I also find it as something I can look back on and laugh.

I pride myself as a book lover, however, my reading habits are not exactly common in most readers. Ages ago, one of those habits came back to bite. If my memory doesn't fail me, this story takes place when I was in fifth grade. This was the time for me when I first got into reading. I flew through giant books in a matter of hours, rather than days. Till this day I have no clue how I managed that. All that reading, of course, made the impressionable little me treat a favorite book as the gospel truth and demand friends to read them as well. After all, how could they possibly go on without the enlightenment?

One summer day after weeks and weeks of brainwashing, I had finally convinced my best friend to read a book that I loved so dearly. It took her about a week, an odd piece of memory that for some reason still exists, but after she was done I couldn't wait to fangirl over all of the parts that I loved. Bash all the characters I hated. We talked for a good part of an hour before she dropped a complete bomb on me. I do not recall her exact words but it went something like this:

"It is very interesting how They included an LGBT plot line."

Wait, what? I was SO confused. Now the words themselves hold no specific importance other than the fact that they are true to the actual event. The real point here is that I truly had no clue as to what she was talking about. I swear that at the time the book was my absolute favorite. Yet SHE knew more about it than I did. 

What happened is that I am and have always been an impatient reader. If I fall in love with a plot point, I sometimes have a tendency to skip over sentences or paragraphs - in my earlier years even chapters. Well, it turns out that in that horrible habit of mine, I missed an ENTIRE SUB-PLOT. To make matters worse, by that point I had read the book twice and still had no idea that part of it existed.

I was embarrassed. In that moment I pretended that I knew exactly what she was talking about. Even though I was lying through my teeth. It took me eight years to own up to that deed and admit the bluff to her. We laughed it off. She playfully made fun of me for a while but we have moved now. Sometimes that story still comes up at our get-togethers. We laugh. I blush. Then life goes on. 

I wish I could tell you that that experience had thought me an important life lesson. That I no longer skip boring parts. Yet that would be a lie. Although, I am proud to say that I have never since skipped an entire plot line. As small of a victory as that might seem to everyone else, it is one that I hold close to my heart.

That is all I have for today. Thank you for reading this confession.