START Your Book the Right Way

Before you even think to write, you have to START. “Well, duh,” you say, huh? Okay, I admit you have a point. You have to start anything to get the ball rolling. But I’m not talking about rushing into your idea all bewildered where half your notes end up in the trash. This tactic is efficient and effective. It applies the simplicity of the acrostic to the complexity of noveling and results in a firm foothold.

Spark the idea. The lucky thing about this step is that it generally happens all on its own. If you force an idea, it will probably lack the originality you so desire. Allow your thoughts to flow freely and they will undoubtedly reward you with a unique concept.

Think it over. Add events, characters and other major pieces that contribute to the beginning of your writing adventure. Don’t over think and start butchering your idea apart. Remain permissive and accept what comes to you.

Apply the details. Incorporate your subplots and minor characters while expanding the idea. Note: Your outline will become cluttered, but that’s not a problem. Plenty of your content will ultimately be cut, so having additional ideas never hurts.  

Research your field. No matter the topic or genre, be sure you have done your research. If you are hurling readers into the future (ie- Sci-Fi) it has to be believable to your otherwise primitive audience. Make sure your facts add up. Moreover, you should read similar stories to improve your understanding and expertise on the subject.

Time to write. Well, nearly. Set a schedule for writing and be sure it’s worked into your routine so your rough draft can actually be completed. This step is where many aspiring writers drop the ball. “It’s hard to find time,” and “I’m busy.” There’s no excuse. Your story won’t write itself. Find time.

That final step is certainly the hardest, but I’ll borrow a quote from my favorite little green man, Yoda. “Do, or do not. There is no try.” Using this template, you can surely START your novel and transform that spark of an idea into to a fully fledged rough draft.

View my archive and stay tuned for more on specific topics. If you’re looking for something but can’t find it, let me know and I’ll blog it!

7 Simple Edits

Lately, I’ve been an editing fiend so I thought, “What better time than now to share my editing tips?” Yes, you read the correctly, editing tips. Sure, writing tips are helpful for the first run-through or so, but editing is an entirely different animal. And while the material on how to become a better writer is endless, resources for editing are few and far between. So here you are writers! Seven helpful editing tips!

Ok, actually, before you even start editing, be sure you’ve done the following:

Created an outline. Written a rough draft and reread your product. Formatted your story based on preliminary changes for a solid foundation.

There yet? Good. Now you’re ready to edit.

1- Read Out Loud: This is a step that will help you catch missing letters or small words like “to” that you may have skipped over during the first run-through. It will also show you awkward wording since I’ll bet you’ll find it awkward to read.

2- Finding Flow: You can’t jump from A to Z, there’s a whole alphabet of letters to pass through first. Your writing will sound choppy if your transitions weren’t smooth. Take the time to patch them up. You’ll find yourself sliding through the plot as opposed to stumbling.

3- Repetition:  Thoughts get repeated. It’s a fact. You repeat yourself in writing. Just an avoidable truth. Whether its words or phrases, or even whole paragraphs, take into account where there’s repetition and take it out. There are exceptions, but that’s another post.

4- Show Don’t Tell: No one wants to read a lackluster story that answers everything for them. Paint a picture with your words! Lead readers down your carefully maintained trail, with excess information swept aside until you have them cornered in your woodland cabin. Alone. Terrified.  I mean…until they are absorbed in the narrative and forget it’s not real.

5- Trim the Fat: On your editing journey, you will come across many unnecessary words, sentences, scenes, or pages even that add nothing but evil filler to your tale. Cut them out. It will be alright. Your novel will not only forgive you, but thank you for making it better.  

6- Rinse and Repeat: Plain and simple. Once you’ve edited, you’ll probably feel the need to add new details and patch up your handiwork. Go ahead. Make some changes, reread and then edit again. And again. Sure, one more time.

7- Know When to Stop: Now stop it. You actually CAN edit too much. Unless you’re a professional editor, there are surely things you’ll miss. But before you hand your baby over, you can definitely polish your work to a shiny finish.

Leave a comment if you have specific editing questions or tips!

How to Start and Finish with a Bang!

Hoist anchor! There’s a reader on the line! Sure, the middle of your novel may be grand, but without a hook to catch readers, they’ll swim off to another, tastier story. There are plenty of books on the shelf as it is. OK. Enough with the finishing metaphor. My point is, if the opening of your story is bland, readers can only assume the rest will be too. Make it exciting. This rule holds true for the ending as well. What’s worse than reading a good book and it ending in the most predictable manner possible? Here’s a few simple do’s and don’ts to avoid a lackluster start and finish.

Do Use:

Action: As the saying says in the title: A Bang! Riveting action not only attracts readers to a story, but simultaneously leaves them wanting more. More is good.

Dramatic Dialogue: Plain dialogue won’t do. People don’t want to take part in mundane conversations, let alone read them. Be sure to use dialogue that is right in the thick of things.

Flashback / Flashforward: Timeskips can work wonders. Unless you say the time is different, readers won’t know you’ve employed this technique. It’s up to you, but I’m partial to keeping them guessing.

Symmetry: This is something that can be coupled with any of the other methods. I adore stories that have an equal weight about them. Whether it’s a cyclical or mirrored narrative, it works. 

Don’t Use:

Prologue/Epilogue: Some people swear by these. But I can’t find a literary device I detest more. If it belongs in the story, it doesn’t need external bookends. That is all.

Clichés: Please don’t start or end your novel with a cliché. Just don’t do it. See my previous rant as to why.

Description: You have an entire book to describe what’s happening. Make the reader’s entry and exit a thrill, not a bore.

Give-aways: Under no circumstances should you give-away important information too early or too late. Too early and you can kiss readers goodbye. Too late? Well they’ve already left.

With all that said, I hope you remember the golden rule: Keep it exciting. Oh and one more thing. This is easily the most important fact. Never. Ever—

Oh, reader on the line. Hang on.

Writing Tips: Structure

Before you write, you have a few structural things to consider. How will you present your story: Will it be linear or non-linear? Will there be flashbacks or time-skips into the future? Will the climax come in the thick of the plot or towards the end? Whose point of view will the story be told from? These are just a few questions you should be asking yourself.

To get on track, the best suggestion I can give is: Create an outline. Not only does an outline allow writers to review the plot but it also offers a means of reflection on how the story will flow together. Generally speaking, a well constructed plot requires an exposition (rising action), a climax and a dénouement (falling action). This shell is acceptable as is, but it can be improved by peppering the overall plot with counterpoints of action that both help and hinder the protagonist.

Here’s how I go about outlining:

I always start out simple. Where will the plot begin and where will it end.

After marking off these points, I move on to defining the climax.

Then, Insert the major events of your narrative as they happen in the rising and falling action segments.

Once on paper, or in a word doc, you can see how to move events around so they will suit the story better or leave your outline alone until further drafting. Personally, I like gradual rising and falling actions with the climax closer to the end. This inclination varies by writer, so don’t feel constricted to my structural preference.

Beyond the basic outline, I typically create a few others.  Outlines that detail the different character arcs and romance arcs. Once these are perfected to my liking as separate outlines, I can blend them together and viola! You have before you, a map of your story. Follow each point as you have planned and your tale will not only flow, but have a structural backbone to support several permutations of editing.

Writing Tips: The Dirty Dozen

Any writer worth their salt (hey, there’s one!) will instantly recognize this list as the dirtiest collection of overused phrases and concepts known as a clichés. Without a doubt, clichés emerge in all genres and styles of writing by accident, an unfortunate happenstance of the written word sometimes offers no other turn of phrase. I suppose, that is excusable. If done intentionally, I would hope the insertion was meant to be ironic; otherwise their very passing suggests a serious reconsideration of the source material. At least in this writer’s opinion (whose opinion is often snarky…You have been warned). Take careful note of their use so you can avoid the same pitfalls:

1. Mary / Gary Sue. I had to put this at the top because a flawless person can only be found in bad writing. Humans have flaws, so characters should too. I wish everyone would just accept that.

2. Everybody Dies / Lives. The culmination of a great story, no matter what medium, needs to have an original ending. The collective deaths or happily-ever-afters are just plain embarrassing.  

3. Villain Monologue’ing or Giving Hero Time to Escape. It’s ironic and comical in James Bond. It shouldn’t be used anywhere else. A well written villain does not allow for an easy escape nor do they detail their plans to the hero. It’s just bad for business.

4. It’s Been Done Before. This is something writers say. They fear the attempt of a story because the concept has been done before. Everything has been done before in some fashion. Take a chance and make it yours.

5. Friends Marrying Each Other. Two friends from a group getting together stretches this cliché enough. But when everyone marries each other…ugh…if you can’t tell…I’m shaking my head.

6. Bad Boy Can be Turned Good. For some reason this attracts all the ladies. But it’s not realistic. It makes for great emotional scenes, but take it as a red flag. People who are damaged need to work themselves out of the hole. The “bad boy” should too.

7. Damsel in Distress. Women are not all helpless flowers in need of saving. Period.

8. Calm Before the Storm. I’m not sure what storms these people have witnessed. Storms can take a while to build, but they can also be abrupt and violent. Avoid phrases like this that generalize.

9. It’s Quiet. A Little Too Quiet. I wonder what will happen next. Will someone jump out and startle me? I would have never guessed.  

10. The Orphan Hero. If you need to emotionally abuse or seclude your hero at their introduction in order to gain sympathy from readers, perhaps this isn’t your biggest problem.

11. Characters are Either Good or Evil. In life there is a gray area. There should be in writing. Characters can be loyal to a team, yes, but they can also play both sides, or switch sides. These alterations can make this age-old battle interesting.

12. Black as Night / Bright as Day. Redundant much? Description of places, people or things should be done in a manner that avoids obvious or worn-out ideas like this.

Some of these clichéd ideas can be executed well, but typically they just stink of a lack of creativity. Although this lists the twelve most shameful clichés a writer can use in my opinion, I’m sure each and every one of you has several of their own to add. Feel free to comment if you have a particularly irksome cliché you would like to share!  

How to Overcome Writer’s Block

You’re sitting silently in front of your writing nook, the backlight of your computer bathing the dark room in a heavenly glow. Hovering above the keys, your fingers are eager to begin typing out your thoughts, but an irritating sensation clouds your mind. A slight pain zips between your ears as if your train of thought has halted on the tracks before a wayward cow. You feel distracted. Drowsy, bored, frustrated even. These are classic signs of the onset of WB: Writer’s Block.

Don’t worry. You are not alone. All writer’s experience it. Whether you’re overwhelmed with a blockage for weeks or just troubled for a few hours, there are some surefire ways to overcome this creative obstruction.

Fight Fire with Fire: Feeling unfocused can be beaten by distracting yourself even further. Run errands to take a break from writing or reorganize your priorities on another project. Spending time away from your challenging task will allow your thoughts to flow easier.

Natural Inspiration:  As I noted in a previous post, you can take a walk in nature to clear your mind and find motivation from your backwoods neighbors. A staycation or vacation can also be included in this category as relaxation is paramount to generating new ideas.

Magnify the Problem: Instead of removing yourself from the situation, taking the block head-on can be just as effective. Ask yourself, Why am I stuck? What is the primary problem? Following this assessment, make an outline covering all facets of your current struggle. Now you can move forward with a clarified perspective.

Subconscious Solutions: Your inability to conquer the block is all in your head. Trust me. Counteracting this internal struggle can also be found within. Free-write without any direction for ten or fifteen minutes and see what comes out. Somewhere inside your answer will arise.

Writer’s block comes down to two solutions: removing yourself from the block or writing through the block. For writers just now facing this age old complication, try all of the options to see which helps you best. Seasoned writers will know whether they need external or internal inspiration. The bottom line is that writer’s block does not last forever. It is curable. It takes a healthy dose of determination and a renewed prescription for inspiration.

Writing Tips: Weather

When it comes to creating a believable setting for your narrative, weather actually plays a significant role in determining the location and its atmosphere. It’s fairly straightforward that a rainy day on a tropical island would be described categorically opposite to a sunny day in the tundra. Just as the lighting inside a room or its contents gives the reader a deep sense of their location in the story, external conditions function similarly but with an additional touch of symbolism.

Most writers would agree that weather is an integral piece of setting the scene. So much so, that in films or television, you may even become blind to the setup due to the expectation of weather. Quick-- what are the conditions in the climactic scene of Titanic? The opening sequence in LOST? Takes a minute or two to remember, doesn’t it? But once you recall the weather, I’ll bet you envisioned the rest of the scene down to minor details. Now I’ll direct your thoughts to how these decisions operate on a subconscious level.

Sun: Along with providing brightness to the landscape, this otherwise bland forecast can offer your reader with optimistic feelings and visceral connections to their own fair-weather memories.

Partial Sun / Cloudy: Not every day is perfect, even in an ideal location like the tropical island. Some locations may be overcast 9 out of 10 days (i.e. London, Seattle). Clouds can signify a looming conflict or confusion in addition to implying a transitional period.

Rain: It’s slightly cliché to set a depressing or end-game scene in the rain, but it does give emotional credibility to the situation. I am more partial to setting cheerful scenes in the rain for a juxtaposition of moods.

Stormy: This is quite an adaptable category. Storms could range from natural disasters to an every-day blustery gust or snow. Generally, Mother Nature’s storms are seen as a form of anger or fury, but it could also mirror an internal conflict.

Final Note: Time of day and the yearly shift in seasons offers another complex layer onto the weather your characters and readers’ experience. Be careful to note these climate deviations when painting your location to gain an extra dose of compelling realism.   

Natural Inspiration

“How do I solve this problem?” Road blocks arise in every aspect of life, but they are aggravatingly present in your most value projects. What you need is inspiration. However, inspiration can be difficult to find. More often than not nature allows me to access my muse in a manner that encourages productivity above all else. Whether it’s taking a walk to clear my head before work, or using the weather as a sketch tool for writing (future post alert!), the benefits of immersing yourself in the natural world can be directly seen in the rejuvenation of your personal or professional ventures.

As Henry David Thoreau says, “Nature is full of genius.” Whatever your challenges might be, nature is a free and diverse outlet for collecting motivation and thanks to seasons its wisdom is ever-changing. One of the greatest advantages of nature is that it offers separation from technology. Removing extraneous stimuli offers a clear mind to assess your tasks head-on. Allowing yourself to get lost in your surroundings can be inspiring in itself, so take a walk! You’ll be surprised by the increase in ideas you will experience by connecting with nature.

If you need more direction than just the suggestion of using nature as a source of inspiration, first exit your dwelling (be it your urban cubicle or suburban office) and locate a secluded area. This could be a park in the city or a scenic hike in the nearby wilderness—you could even do something as simple as walking around the block. Along your stroll be sure to have your cell phone on silent and focus solely on the dilemma you’re facing. Breathing deeply to maintain a calm state of mind will help with this exercise. Personally, I find pacing to be a good source of time-keeping, but whatever rhythm you’re comfortable with will work wonders to keep you on track. Lastly, let your thoughts flow to entertain your muse’s suggestions and even if something seems unorthodox to start, it may become a solid step towards finding your solution. Cleanse your thoughts and repeat. This practice is simple, but in difficult situations, simplicity is the key to success.  

Writing Tip: Say What?

Dialogue is something a lot of blossoming writer’s struggle with due to the variety of techniques and approaches. I find the possibilities for successful dialogue endless. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are many ways to create bland, unrealistic dialogue. There are a few basic rules to abide that will ensure your conversation is received as an authentic representation of the interaction.

1-      People do not speak in perfect grammar. Although you may be tempted to keep form and write the entirety of your dialogue as such, remember that you are trying to convey real people discussing a real topic. For practice, pay close attention in conversations to witness how inelegant and stylized human dialogue actually can be.

2-      Carefully emphasize the dialogue with descriptive words that explain how someone said something. Every utterance we speak has a tone or inflection that informs others how we are feeling. We do not strictly say our words. People whisper, shout, guess, explain, reprimand, etc., the list is endless.  

3-      When someone speaks, they also display their thoughts and emotions through actions. Some people move their hands constantly; others are very rigid and stoic. For most of us, the action directly relates to what we are saying. Pair the dialogue with appropriate gestures and movements that coincide with the words when necessary.

It should be noted that not every line of dialogue needs the aforementioned accoutrements. Some sentences are straightforward, lacking any verbal or physical emotion. In that case, just writing the line will suffice. Be sure to practice dialogue so you can get the gist of how to convey different meanings. You could even follow the expression map and focus on specific emotions that arise in conversation. Another option is writing down a real life discussion and see if you felt the same while having the talk as you do after reading it on paper (a variation of this exercise would be copying television or movie dialogue onto paper and assessing its effectiveness).   

Discovering which route works best will provide a practice outlet that ultimately leads to entertaining and believable dialogue.

Writer’s Sketch: Expression Map

Another great tool in the writer’s arsenal is creating unique, consistent characters. In order to keep these people behaving time and again in the same manner, you should first work on their basic emotions. For this exercise, focus on practicing varied expressions that will arise when writing. By all means, use a character you are currently studying from a published or original text (perhaps even your warm-up story if it’s the same character), you don’t need to create one for this matter.

When describing the person’s changing reactions, be as descriptive as the expression requires. But you don’t want to focus on their every wrinkle either. Remember: People don't always (or only) smile when they are happy. Perhaps your character has a glum outlook and refuses to smile—this must also be taken into account. Fill out the following for a quick warm-up exercise to your writing time period.

I’ll use a character that most people are familiar with so you can notice the subtle changes: Mickey Mouse.

Happy: Thumbing his suspenders, Mickey snickered a bubbly laugh and graciously received Donald’s birthday gift.

Sad: With his ears downcast, the cement sidewalk held Mickey’s attention, its monochromatic pattern reflecting the weight in his stomach.

 

Angry: Mickey furrowed his brow and nose together, sternly scolding his pup after discovering Pluto’s jowls covered in a ruby glaze from the missing cherry pie.

Scared: He gasped loudly and his hands shot upwards to cover his mouth before he lost his balance and stumbled backwards.

Surprised: Despite the flutter of his heart, Mickey beamed regretfully to erase the fright on his face before apologizing to the pedestrian he bumped into.

Flirtatious: Nudging his shoulder against Minnie’s, Mickey’s smirk curled playfully as he giggled.

Reviewing the above expressions you can see how a minute alteration in description or diction can paint the emotion clearly and concisely. Throughout his sketch Mickey adheres to his personality which would provide an excellent base for any story starring the famous mouse to grow from.

Since this is a short exercise, feel free to add more emotions to your list and practice with increased frequency for a stronger gasp on your characters.  

Starving Artist: How to Improve Your Writing

I love art. When you read the word “art”, I’m sure your brain triggers thoughts of painting, and sculpture, perhaps a trip to a museum. I don’t believe art is that exclusive. Art can be a masterfully written essay, a heartfelt song, a beautiful bedtime story as well as the aforementioned painting, sculptures and the like. Being an artist of the written word, I have a great appreciation for fellow artists no matter their trade.

Something I have always regretted is not expanding my knowledge and abilities in the arts. I wish I had learned to play an instrument. I wish I could paint the sunset.  However, there is something these varieties of art participate in that I believe my specialty can benefit from borrowing. Musicians improve their understanding of tone and melodies by practicing, some of the best practice every day. Visual artists often hone their skills with daily sketches. Writers need to adopt this discipline.

Writing a memoir, fictional story or recount of history (among others) cannot be accomplished overnight. It can’t be finished in a week. It is undoubtedly the art with the longest investment in the completion of a single task. For some writers, like myself, the prized project could take years, a decade even. So how do you improve your wordsmith abilities? Even writing a short story or piece of poetry could wrap you into another assignment. Taking a page out of the musicians and visual artists’ playbook, I propose writers practice their skills with fifteen to thirty minute vignettes.

From now on, the majority of my writing specific posts will entertain this desire. Using a random list of objects, people and places I will write a piece for the allotted time in a free-flowing manner, neglecting my usual craving to edit. This sort of practice is something I suggest for all writers. I hope at over time for this drill to become a daily staple and something writers can share with each other.