WRITING TIPS

I started playing chess in my early teens. Thought I’d be a chess master one day. Perhaps things didn’t pan out the way I’d wished to.

Regardless, I have no regrets since writing is my new found love. Though, in retrospect, I do feel chess has played a huge role in shaping me and my work today. It improved my focus which was never a forte. Concentration, memory, patience, perseverance, and gratitude are just a few more areas where chess helped me more than many other sports.

It might just be my obsession with analogies that got me thinking that writing is more than just words. It is a great game of chess and if you’d look at it from a chess player’s point of view, you’ll find a chessboard in every story. Like white spaces filled with black words. Or vice versa, if you write in dark mode.

I feel the parallels just don’t end at this eerie similarity. It probably is just the beginning.

An opening hook is decisive

The opening pieces in a chess game have no support. They’re pretty much on their own. A chess game with a poor opening move is a road to defeat. At the same time, a good opening move sets the tone of the game and gives a strong impression to the opponent.

Writing is no different. The title and the opening paragraph pretty much decides the fate of your story. If your hook doesn’t draw the reader in, they’ll probably drift soon.

Sometimes, taking a cue from the classic opening move of chess — King’s pawn 2 spaces — could help in creating good opening hooks in your writing. A strong statement that makes an assertive claim is a good technique to draw in the reader right from the beginning. Regardless of the reader’s opinion, whether they agree or disagree, a powerful opening hook, especially the one that builds tension is bound to keep the audience at bay.

Would repeating the same opening moves guarantee a similar response each time? Not really. It’s best to have a general knowledge of most opening hooks, not memorize it and let there be room for improvisation in order to keep the reader intrigued.

“An opening line should invite the reader to begin the story. It should say: Listen. Come in here. You want to know about this.”

— Stephen King

Don’t show your cards too soon. Keep them guessing.

What happens when you bring the Queen too early in the chess game? You may find yourself running away from threats due to the lack of other developed pieces. If the opponent is smart enough, he’ll quickly pounce on your queen and the game is pretty much sealed.

Writing is similar. It’s important not to give away the plot in the beginning. You’d run into the risk of being predictable and boring and if the reader realizes that, they’ll probably not bother reading.

Characters of your story are like chess pieces and you need to keep the reader in mind when writing them. Develop them in a staged manner, line by line, pose questions, withhold information and set red herrings if need be, before the main plot.

To get an upper hand over your opponent and the reader, you’ve got to control and be aware of the pace. Pacing is an overlooked part of the writing but it goes a long way in determining how well the story is received. And, this isn’t just for screenwriters or fiction writers only. Punctuation, formatting, spaces are important elements that dictate how your readers absorb the story. Shorter sentences are a good tool to increase the pace while longer ones or flashbacks help slow down the speed.

Reading is a supplement. Practicing is the best way to excel.

Observation is a great way to learn something. Good players study the greats of the game. The same holds true for writers as well. Reading the work of others exposes you to different writing styles, expands your vocabulary, lets you imbibe certain techniques and teaches you what works. But, it’s more of a supplement.

You can spend hours on chess, analyzing games, getting exhausted and still not improve much. A chess player can’t really win the battle unless he’s on the battlefield. Similarly, your writing skills won’t turn into magic by just reading.

Practice is the ultimate way to improve your writing. Even the best writers wrote shitty first drafts once. That’s how they got good.

Writing isn’t an innate gift and you’ve got to learn the craft, by doing. Just like protein shakes are a secondary that wouldn’t put you in shape unless you work out, writing is a muscle and without regular exercise, it won’t get stronger.

“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.”

— Louis L’Amour