5 things a writer should know

This is the first in a series of fun articles I'm writing. It's called Fives, and is simply 5 things you might not know or might find interesting! I'll be posting 1 or 2 a week, so here's the first one: 5 things a writer should know...

5) Reading is important.It's something a lot of writers don't do, but it's one of the most important things. Reading gives you the tools to write - so how can you expect to be a good writer if you don't want to read?4) You don't have to be traditional.The old ideas of writing aren't as important as finding a voice you're comfortable with. And writing itself doesn't have to be traditional either. Want to write with someone else? Try a program like GoogleDocs or ZohoWriter for real-time collaboration!

3) Know the language.Knowing language doesn't mean having a degree in English. Rather it's understanding the tools, how things sound; if you want to write, you have to know how, after all.

2) Hook the reader.The beginning is your first impression on the reader; get it right. Often a reader looks at the first few paragraphs to see if the story interests them, so draw them in, keep them reading.

1) Stay true to the idea.When you're writing you should always be direct. If you're true to the idea, you're more likely to be original, and to connect with your reader. Why embellish? You'll only lose the impact.