Elevating Your Craft in 2025

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I’m always looking for ways to improve as a writer. Sometimes, the information out there on the writing craft can be a little overwhelming. Actually, it can be a lot overwhelming. But there are small steps you can take that can make a big impact on your writing.

5 Tips to Improve Your Craft in 2025

Read Widely: This is a tough one for me, because I always naturally gravitate toward mysteries. But reading widely and intentionally has made a difference in my writing. Make a commitment to diversify your reading list by including genres outside your comfort zone and analyze the writing techniques used in works you admire.

Consider your dialogue tags: This is a small tweak that can make a big difference. Think about cutting back on tags (he said, she exclaimed) and replacing them with action beats.
Instead of: “I don’t want to go,” she said nervously.
Try: “I don’t want to go.” She twisted the hem of her shirt, her eyes darting to the door.

Vary Your Sentence Structure: Mix short, punchy sentences with longer, more complex ones to create flow and help with pacing.

Embrace Feedback and Criticism: Seek out constructive criticism from writing groups, beta readers, or professional editors. Learning to receive and apply feedback can make a huge difference to your writing.

Targeted Revision: Revision can seem like an insurountable task sometimes. To break it down, focus on one specific aspect during each revision pass (just description, just the subplot, just the dialogue).

These are just a few fairly easy ways to make your book better this year. What other tips can you add to the list?

Image by Robert1709 from Pixabay