Tip 1 Just do it!
Okay, that’s not very helpful, but I mean it. Every time you write you learn something about writing…and about your writing in particular.
Tip 2 Read it out loud.
Seriously.
Reading aloud lets you understand the flow of the words as they’ll sound in the heads of other people. And what a difference it can make. Words that flow on the page can sound clunky and awkward (and sometimes repetitive) when you have to say them aloud.
It’s definitely worth the embarrassment. And I imagine it’s what actors do all the time.
Tip 3 Don’t start at the beginning
What I mean by this is that many writers begin right at the beginning. The I got out of bed and went to the toilet sort of beginning. The bit that then goes For my breakfast I had [list cereals, etc as appropriate].
Yawn City.
Start with things happening, even if that means starting a fifth of the way through. You only have a few lines or pages in which to grab hold of the reader and make them want to read on. So save your adjectives for later and dive straight into the heart of the story. Make us feel for the characters early on.
Tip 4 Don’t get hung up on planning
If you can plan stories, great. If you can’t…don’t worry. Make it up as you go along. Enjoy surprising yourself.
Writers often have no idea when there stories are going until they get there. (I tend to fall into that category.) However, that’s part of the fun!