Conclusion
By this point, I hope you have started your novel and realized that you can write a book. Here are a few final tips.
You need a basic knowledge of grammar, but writing a novel is much different from writing a paper for class. You don’t have to worry about proper or “professional” grammar. Write as you speak. If you were writing an informal letter to a friend would you use a colon? Probably not.
“That” should not be a major part of your story. Can you use “which” instead or eliminate the word all together?
Don’t forget to write as you speak. If you can’t find the words, think of how you would explain/describe the same thing to a friend.
I hope this information has been helpful to you. I wish you happy writing and many sales!
Showing posts with label writing class. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing class. Show all posts
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Character Outline
Here's the outline I promised in yesterday's post:) I hope it helps you to better understand your characters. Please, don't feel like you have to answer every question. I never do. Actually, I've only used an outline on a few characters. The rest ... I just knew and didn't need to ask.
1. What is the character’s name?
2. How old are they?
3. Who were their parents?
4. Where were they born? Did anything unusual happen?
5. Where do they live?
6. Are they single?
7. Do they have a job? What is it?
8. What was their childhood like? Are there any brothers or sisters? What is the relationship with siblings?
9. What kinds of relationships does the character have? What kinds of friends? Enemies? Why?
10. Does the character have any bad habits? Sexual appetites?
11. Describe the physical appearance of the character. Skin color? Height? Weight? Physique? Tall or short? Fat or thin or muscular?
12. Hair color? Eye color?
13. Do they have an accent? What kind?
14. How do they walk? (strut? swagger? etc)
15. Does the character have any disabilities? Distinguishing marks? Tattoos? Disfigurements? Why? How did they get these scars?
16. What kind of jewelry or ornamentation does the character wear? Rings, earrings, necklace, medallion or piercing?
17. What class of person is this? Wealthy or poor? Honest or rogue? Soldier or leader? Merchant or laborer? Teacher or student? Highborn or lowborn? Educated or ignorant? Rational or superstitious? Religious or skeptical?
18. What kind of clothing does the character wear? Fancy or plain? Expensive or cheap? Elegant or simple? Describe the clothes.
19. What kind of weapons does this character carry? Why? What do these weapons accomplish? How much training has your character had in the use of these weapons?
20. What powers or abilities does this character have?
21. What’s their best quality?
22. What’s their worst quality?
23. What does your character believe? What does he or she know? What does he or she need to know?
24. What is this character’s weakness? Fatal flaw?
25. What are they afraid of?
26. What makes them angry?
27. What do they dislike?
28. What do they like most?
29. What do they want?
30. What do they need?
31. What do they most need to learn? What do they most need to say? To whom?
32. What’s their worst fear?
33. Do they have any regrets?
34. Do they have any special talents or abilities?
35. What do they dream about?
36. If they could do one thing with their life what would it be?
37. What is the problem? Why is it his or her problem? Why does this problem hurt?
38. What is the essential emotional problem that this character must face and resolve?
39. What one word best sums up their personality?
1. What is the character’s name?
2. How old are they?
3. Who were their parents?
4. Where were they born? Did anything unusual happen?
5. Where do they live?
6. Are they single?
7. Do they have a job? What is it?
8. What was their childhood like? Are there any brothers or sisters? What is the relationship with siblings?
9. What kinds of relationships does the character have? What kinds of friends? Enemies? Why?
10. Does the character have any bad habits? Sexual appetites?
11. Describe the physical appearance of the character. Skin color? Height? Weight? Physique? Tall or short? Fat or thin or muscular?
12. Hair color? Eye color?
13. Do they have an accent? What kind?
14. How do they walk? (strut? swagger? etc)
15. Does the character have any disabilities? Distinguishing marks? Tattoos? Disfigurements? Why? How did they get these scars?
16. What kind of jewelry or ornamentation does the character wear? Rings, earrings, necklace, medallion or piercing?
17. What class of person is this? Wealthy or poor? Honest or rogue? Soldier or leader? Merchant or laborer? Teacher or student? Highborn or lowborn? Educated or ignorant? Rational or superstitious? Religious or skeptical?
18. What kind of clothing does the character wear? Fancy or plain? Expensive or cheap? Elegant or simple? Describe the clothes.
19. What kind of weapons does this character carry? Why? What do these weapons accomplish? How much training has your character had in the use of these weapons?
20. What powers or abilities does this character have?
21. What’s their best quality?
22. What’s their worst quality?
23. What does your character believe? What does he or she know? What does he or she need to know?
24. What is this character’s weakness? Fatal flaw?
25. What are they afraid of?
26. What makes them angry?
27. What do they dislike?
28. What do they like most?
29. What do they want?
30. What do they need?
31. What do they most need to learn? What do they most need to say? To whom?
32. What’s their worst fear?
33. Do they have any regrets?
34. Do they have any special talents or abilities?
35. What do they dream about?
36. If they could do one thing with their life what would it be?
37. What is the problem? Why is it his or her problem? Why does this problem hurt?
38. What is the essential emotional problem that this character must face and resolve?
39. What one word best sums up their personality?
How to get your novel started Part 4
This is going to be a very long post.
Writing your book
By now you should have your book planned. You should have a working outline and at least some idea of a title. We’ll be discussing:
How to create memorable characters
Setting and description
Transitions
Transitions
Transitions are the key to making your writing flow. They’re what makes your book “readable.” Transitions are words and short phrases which are normally found at the first of a sentence. They are to ensure that the reading experience is smooth and effortless. (Don’t use them too often though, or your editor will kill you. Seriously, they have a dungeon for people who use these words too much.)
Here are some examples:
Furthermore
On the other hand
So
For example
Otherwise
Because
Afterwards
Then
And
But
Basically
Later
While
In the meantime
Nevertheless
Equally
Apart from
Indeed
In fact
In conclusion
While writing, try to use transitions often to help readers follow your train of thought. Notice I used the words “and” and “but”? Forget what you learned in school about never using these words at the start of a sentence. One shows that a further supporting statement is about to be made and another shows that an opposing statement is about to be made. And if anyone doesn’t like it, tell them to see me. Ha. Ha. This goes back to writing like you speak. (As long as every sentence doesn't begin with "and or "but.")
Writing with Flair
Of course, like I’ve already said, the best thing you can do to add flair is to write like you speak. A straight-forward conversational style will ensure that your work reads well. If you’re a good conversationalist, then you’ll probably be a good writer.
Writing this way is also the quickest way to get your book finished. I mean, how many times are you speaking to someone and pause for weeks in between? Never right? If you know what to say, you have less trouble finding how to say it.
Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind as you write:
Try to avoid clichés. These are tired phrases like “he ran like the wind” or “she wiped the floor with him.” They are often seen as lazy writing, simply because they have been used so much. They’re a little bit like the tomatoes you left in the fridge for too long, they’ve lost their freshness. (And could possibly be growing mold.)
Vary the length of your sentences. This is to avoid monotony. You also need to suit the pace and tone of what you’re writing. If you’re writing an action sequence, for example, your sentences should be shorter and more precise. Just like the uppercut your character is about to throw.
In particular avoid long, long, long, long, sentences with lots of commas. Use full stops.
Besides length, vary your sentence construction. Normal sentence structure is subject-verb-object. To maintain pace and readability, it’s best to maintain this most of the time. But sometimes it’s alright to change things around a little.
Avoid repeating a word within a sentence or two. Unless you’re doing this deliberately for effect, it is unpleasant to read. You also don’t want to go overboard trying to avoid using the same word again. For instance, don’t call a cow a bovine quadruped to avoid using the word “cow” again.
Avoid using a long word when you could use a short one instead. Use the longer one if it’s the only one appropriate. This has nothing to do with the intellect of your readers, so don't be offended. Writing simply flows better if it isn't bogged down with lots of loooooong words. I hate to read something where the author obviously threw in a bunch of big words just to make themselves or their point seem more important.
Use adjectives and adverbs sparingly. Adjectives are describing words like hot or cold. Adverbs normally end in “ly” and tell how something is done. (Poorly or splendidly.) For example, instead of saying a vast amount of water, say an ocean. Or instead of she yelled at the top of her lungs, she screamed.
Avoid using old-fashioned words. Even for comic effect. Words like quoth and perchance should only be found in Shakespeare.
Keep punctuation simple. All you should need for the most part are full stops, a few commas, and question marks. When writing for a general audience, most people could give a rip if you know how to properly place a colon or a semi-colon. Some people even find them distracting.
Use figures of speech to bring your writing to life. The best known figures of speech are metaphors and similes. If you can do this with an original flare, it will help the reader to see the character or situation in a whole new light.
With a simile, the comparison should be explicit. No, I don't mean raunchy. A comparison is obviously made.
I like to give unusual similes. Like someone growing on you like a fungus.
Metaphors are used more artfully. They are often referred to as imagery. These figures of speech should evoke vivid images in the reader’s mind.
Here is an example from Red, book one in my Werewolf Hunter Series.
The beautiful summer day had begun to turn as ugly as my mood. Through the doors to the balcony, dark clouds could be seen gathering. Technically, it was still spring, but when the temperature reached nearly eighty degrees every day, I called it summer. That’s the only thing about Florida I wasn’t fond of; I did not deal well with the heat. But, you can’t have everything, and living in the middle of nowhere, with almost no neighbors, I was probably surrounded by some of God’s best art work. As I walked out onto the balcony, surrounded by deep red roses, I marveled at the fact that there were people who did not believe in the existence of a higher power. I watched the storm clouds rumble and swirl, looking like a bruise mingling with the blue of the sky. I had the urge to get a blank canvas and some paint. Yes, God existed, and he was an artist. In my opinion, anyone who doubted that need only watch one sunset. Every day the countryside around me was painted with the same masterful hand in a slightly different portrait.
The first few rain drops began to fall around me, making the roses look like bobbing little red heads as the rain bounced from their petals. I closed my eyes, tilted back my head and let the rain wash away the bad memories.
No, this book isn’t about religion. Lilith just happens to mention her belief in God during this segment. The question is, could you see the rain bouncing off those roses? Could you picture the storm spreading across the sky?
Another quick note: Don’t work too hard to come up with figures of speech. It isn’t worth it. Besides being a waste of time, if the comparison you make isn’t completely obvious, the result could be unintentionally comical.
Similes and metaphors should be used sparingly. But if you come up with a few good ones along the way, they can help to make your words more easily understood and make your book more fun to read.
Tips specifically for fiction writers
Characterization
Characterization goes hand in hand with conflict. These are probably THE most important parts of the story. After all, you can’t have conflict without characters. The reason people enjoy fiction is because at some level we are able to identify with one or more of the characters. You start to put yourself in their shoes and keep reading to see how they work things out.
And if you had characters without a conflict, you’d have a really boring book. Think back to one of those cheesy old scenes in a black and white movie where two characters run toward each other across a field of wildflowers. Boring right? Who are these idiots and why aren’t they having an allergy attack from all the pollen? If everything worked out right and bad things never happened to good people, it would make an extraordinarily dull read.
Everybody wants and occasionally has strokes of good luck. But we also have setbacks. That’s just part of life. And though readers do read to escape reality, you shouldn’t leave it completely behind. Everything doesn’t always go right and this should be true for your characters.
If everything is always perfect in the lives of your characters, readers won’t be able to identify with them and won’t be the slightest bit interested in what happens to them.
Most truly great fictional characters have been flawed in some way. All of them have problems (conflict) and work to overcome them. For fiction to be successful, it is essential to have characters who have flaws as well as strengths and who experience conflicts and failure as well as success.
Character and conflict interweave to form the plot.
Example: Werewolf Hunter Series – Red
Lilith Mercury is a werewolf Hunter who is not exactly human. Marco Barak is an alpha werewolf looking to change people’s perceptions of his kind, and snag a new alpha female in the process. After a passionate encounter in his club one night, Lilith can no longer deny her attraction to the wolfman. Her job is to kill him, but it breaks her heart to think of causing him harm. Once The Wizard Council agrees to hear Marco’s proposal for the enactment of the werewolf code, things might change, not only for werewolves, but for Lilith. Soon they will both discover that anything worth having is worth fighting for.
PLOT SPRINGS FROM CHARACTER
So, how are you supposed to create these memorable characters from which your plot develops? First, you need to get to know them and I suggest doing so before you start writing. You need to know what makes them tick, their strengths and weaknesses, background, hobbies, etc.
Picture someone in your mind, a character perhaps. Not a celebrity or someone you know, but someone you’ve made up. If you don’t have anyone in mind, then make someone up right now. I’ve found that it’s easier to write in response to a question, so I've got an exercise to help you develop your character.
The exercise will follow this section in the next post.
If you do this exercise, by the time you get to the end, you should feel like you’re getting to know this character. Some of the questions may not apply to your character and that’s fine. This is just to help you get an idea of who they are. You don’t have to know the answer to every question and some of them will even be answered as you write the story.
Now think of a problem this person would want to avoid more than anything. It could be based on their worst fear or their dislikes. Think how the person involved would attempt to resolve the situation. What would they do and what would be the consequences of their actions?
The better you know the characters, the easier the outline and the story will be to write. If you are familiar with your character’s personalities and backgrounds, any one of these can be used to create conflict.
Creating well-rounded life-like characters is important. You might want to complete the questionnaire for all of the characters in your book.
Keep in mind that for your book to be successful, the main character or characters must also be someone readers will find likeable, at least on some level.
Here are some more ideas for creating likeable and memorable characters.
1. Show their softer side – have them do something kind.
2. Make them the underdog – people always root for the underdog, so make the odds stacked against them.
3. Put them in big trouble – the more trouble your character is in, the more the audience will be drawn in.
4. Make them good at what they do – even if they are an assassin, let them take pride in it. (maybe even be the best in the business)
5. Give them a dark past – this could tie into their regrets. We’ve all done things that we regret, having this in a character also makes them easier to identify with.
6. Give them a sense of humor – this not only makes the story easier to read, but makes the characters more believable. They don’t have to be a comedian, they just need to not always take themselves so seriously.
7. Give them flaws – real people cannot identify with perfect people. Give them a drinking problem or a fear of heights … something to overcome.
8. Give them someone to love – it could be a lover or their child, or even their dog. But everyone, no matter how bad they may be, needs someone to love. Yes, this applies even if you’re not writing a love story.
9. Let them have something in common with the reader – this could be a nosy neighbor or a boss who’s a jerk. Just as long as it’s something that a lot of people can identify with.
10. Make them rebels – this goes along with being the underdog, just do it with attitude.
Of course, you don’t need to use all of these for every character, but you should use some to make the characters easy to identify with and realistic.
Show, don’t tell
I didn’t invent this phrase. It’s used in lots of writing classes. And it’s probably the best piece of advice I can give you.
Don’t just tell them what’s going on in a scene. Describe it. Show it to them. Try to think of your novel as a movie. Rather than just telling your audience what happens, show it to them in a few vividly portrayed scenes.
Show scenes through the eyes of a viewpoint character.
Don’t include asides which can only come from the author.
Have as much dialogue and action as possible.
Keep reportage and reminiscence (flash backs) to a minimum.
Write most of your story in the character’s presence.
Avoid having characters tell one another about events – if it’s important show it happening instead.
Why the words you choose are so important
People don’t just want to see your world. They want to hear it, feel it. They want to take in the sights, taste the food, hear the music. They want to be able to feel the changes in temperature and observe the animals.
If you can’t describe the place like you’ve been there, the reader will know the difference. They can only get as deep into the story as you do.
Setting and description
Try to include these in the dialogue. Blend them into the narrative. Avoid a three page description of a dirt road. (Seriously, I read that once.) Rather than stop a story in its tracks to provide a full description of the setting, give a few well chosen details and let the reader fill in the rest for themselves.
The character outline can be found in the next post:) I may have to do that one tomorrow.
Writing your book
By now you should have your book planned. You should have a working outline and at least some idea of a title. We’ll be discussing:
How to create memorable characters
Setting and description
Transitions
Transitions
Transitions are the key to making your writing flow. They’re what makes your book “readable.” Transitions are words and short phrases which are normally found at the first of a sentence. They are to ensure that the reading experience is smooth and effortless. (Don’t use them too often though, or your editor will kill you. Seriously, they have a dungeon for people who use these words too much.)
Here are some examples:
Furthermore
On the other hand
So
For example
Otherwise
Because
Afterwards
Then
And
But
Basically
Later
While
In the meantime
Nevertheless
Equally
Apart from
Indeed
In fact
In conclusion
While writing, try to use transitions often to help readers follow your train of thought. Notice I used the words “and” and “but”? Forget what you learned in school about never using these words at the start of a sentence. One shows that a further supporting statement is about to be made and another shows that an opposing statement is about to be made. And if anyone doesn’t like it, tell them to see me. Ha. Ha. This goes back to writing like you speak. (As long as every sentence doesn't begin with "and or "but.")
Writing with Flair
Of course, like I’ve already said, the best thing you can do to add flair is to write like you speak. A straight-forward conversational style will ensure that your work reads well. If you’re a good conversationalist, then you’ll probably be a good writer.
Writing this way is also the quickest way to get your book finished. I mean, how many times are you speaking to someone and pause for weeks in between? Never right? If you know what to say, you have less trouble finding how to say it.
Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind as you write:
Try to avoid clichés. These are tired phrases like “he ran like the wind” or “she wiped the floor with him.” They are often seen as lazy writing, simply because they have been used so much. They’re a little bit like the tomatoes you left in the fridge for too long, they’ve lost their freshness. (And could possibly be growing mold.)
Vary the length of your sentences. This is to avoid monotony. You also need to suit the pace and tone of what you’re writing. If you’re writing an action sequence, for example, your sentences should be shorter and more precise. Just like the uppercut your character is about to throw.
In particular avoid long, long, long, long, sentences with lots of commas. Use full stops.
Besides length, vary your sentence construction. Normal sentence structure is subject-verb-object. To maintain pace and readability, it’s best to maintain this most of the time. But sometimes it’s alright to change things around a little.
Avoid repeating a word within a sentence or two. Unless you’re doing this deliberately for effect, it is unpleasant to read. You also don’t want to go overboard trying to avoid using the same word again. For instance, don’t call a cow a bovine quadruped to avoid using the word “cow” again.
Avoid using a long word when you could use a short one instead. Use the longer one if it’s the only one appropriate. This has nothing to do with the intellect of your readers, so don't be offended. Writing simply flows better if it isn't bogged down with lots of loooooong words. I hate to read something where the author obviously threw in a bunch of big words just to make themselves or their point seem more important.
Use adjectives and adverbs sparingly. Adjectives are describing words like hot or cold. Adverbs normally end in “ly” and tell how something is done. (Poorly or splendidly.) For example, instead of saying a vast amount of water, say an ocean. Or instead of she yelled at the top of her lungs, she screamed.
Avoid using old-fashioned words. Even for comic effect. Words like quoth and perchance should only be found in Shakespeare.
Keep punctuation simple. All you should need for the most part are full stops, a few commas, and question marks. When writing for a general audience, most people could give a rip if you know how to properly place a colon or a semi-colon. Some people even find them distracting.
Use figures of speech to bring your writing to life. The best known figures of speech are metaphors and similes. If you can do this with an original flare, it will help the reader to see the character or situation in a whole new light.
With a simile, the comparison should be explicit. No, I don't mean raunchy. A comparison is obviously made.
I like to give unusual similes. Like someone growing on you like a fungus.
Metaphors are used more artfully. They are often referred to as imagery. These figures of speech should evoke vivid images in the reader’s mind.
Here is an example from Red, book one in my Werewolf Hunter Series.
The beautiful summer day had begun to turn as ugly as my mood. Through the doors to the balcony, dark clouds could be seen gathering. Technically, it was still spring, but when the temperature reached nearly eighty degrees every day, I called it summer. That’s the only thing about Florida I wasn’t fond of; I did not deal well with the heat. But, you can’t have everything, and living in the middle of nowhere, with almost no neighbors, I was probably surrounded by some of God’s best art work. As I walked out onto the balcony, surrounded by deep red roses, I marveled at the fact that there were people who did not believe in the existence of a higher power. I watched the storm clouds rumble and swirl, looking like a bruise mingling with the blue of the sky. I had the urge to get a blank canvas and some paint. Yes, God existed, and he was an artist. In my opinion, anyone who doubted that need only watch one sunset. Every day the countryside around me was painted with the same masterful hand in a slightly different portrait.
The first few rain drops began to fall around me, making the roses look like bobbing little red heads as the rain bounced from their petals. I closed my eyes, tilted back my head and let the rain wash away the bad memories.
No, this book isn’t about religion. Lilith just happens to mention her belief in God during this segment. The question is, could you see the rain bouncing off those roses? Could you picture the storm spreading across the sky?
Another quick note: Don’t work too hard to come up with figures of speech. It isn’t worth it. Besides being a waste of time, if the comparison you make isn’t completely obvious, the result could be unintentionally comical.
Similes and metaphors should be used sparingly. But if you come up with a few good ones along the way, they can help to make your words more easily understood and make your book more fun to read.
Tips specifically for fiction writers
Characterization
Characterization goes hand in hand with conflict. These are probably THE most important parts of the story. After all, you can’t have conflict without characters. The reason people enjoy fiction is because at some level we are able to identify with one or more of the characters. You start to put yourself in their shoes and keep reading to see how they work things out.
And if you had characters without a conflict, you’d have a really boring book. Think back to one of those cheesy old scenes in a black and white movie where two characters run toward each other across a field of wildflowers. Boring right? Who are these idiots and why aren’t they having an allergy attack from all the pollen? If everything worked out right and bad things never happened to good people, it would make an extraordinarily dull read.
Everybody wants and occasionally has strokes of good luck. But we also have setbacks. That’s just part of life. And though readers do read to escape reality, you shouldn’t leave it completely behind. Everything doesn’t always go right and this should be true for your characters.
If everything is always perfect in the lives of your characters, readers won’t be able to identify with them and won’t be the slightest bit interested in what happens to them.
Most truly great fictional characters have been flawed in some way. All of them have problems (conflict) and work to overcome them. For fiction to be successful, it is essential to have characters who have flaws as well as strengths and who experience conflicts and failure as well as success.
Character and conflict interweave to form the plot.
Example: Werewolf Hunter Series – Red
Lilith Mercury is a werewolf Hunter who is not exactly human. Marco Barak is an alpha werewolf looking to change people’s perceptions of his kind, and snag a new alpha female in the process. After a passionate encounter in his club one night, Lilith can no longer deny her attraction to the wolfman. Her job is to kill him, but it breaks her heart to think of causing him harm. Once The Wizard Council agrees to hear Marco’s proposal for the enactment of the werewolf code, things might change, not only for werewolves, but for Lilith. Soon they will both discover that anything worth having is worth fighting for.
PLOT SPRINGS FROM CHARACTER
So, how are you supposed to create these memorable characters from which your plot develops? First, you need to get to know them and I suggest doing so before you start writing. You need to know what makes them tick, their strengths and weaknesses, background, hobbies, etc.
Picture someone in your mind, a character perhaps. Not a celebrity or someone you know, but someone you’ve made up. If you don’t have anyone in mind, then make someone up right now. I’ve found that it’s easier to write in response to a question, so I've got an exercise to help you develop your character.
The exercise will follow this section in the next post.
If you do this exercise, by the time you get to the end, you should feel like you’re getting to know this character. Some of the questions may not apply to your character and that’s fine. This is just to help you get an idea of who they are. You don’t have to know the answer to every question and some of them will even be answered as you write the story.
Now think of a problem this person would want to avoid more than anything. It could be based on their worst fear or their dislikes. Think how the person involved would attempt to resolve the situation. What would they do and what would be the consequences of their actions?
The better you know the characters, the easier the outline and the story will be to write. If you are familiar with your character’s personalities and backgrounds, any one of these can be used to create conflict.
Creating well-rounded life-like characters is important. You might want to complete the questionnaire for all of the characters in your book.
Keep in mind that for your book to be successful, the main character or characters must also be someone readers will find likeable, at least on some level.
Here are some more ideas for creating likeable and memorable characters.
1. Show their softer side – have them do something kind.
2. Make them the underdog – people always root for the underdog, so make the odds stacked against them.
3. Put them in big trouble – the more trouble your character is in, the more the audience will be drawn in.
4. Make them good at what they do – even if they are an assassin, let them take pride in it. (maybe even be the best in the business)
5. Give them a dark past – this could tie into their regrets. We’ve all done things that we regret, having this in a character also makes them easier to identify with.
6. Give them a sense of humor – this not only makes the story easier to read, but makes the characters more believable. They don’t have to be a comedian, they just need to not always take themselves so seriously.
7. Give them flaws – real people cannot identify with perfect people. Give them a drinking problem or a fear of heights … something to overcome.
8. Give them someone to love – it could be a lover or their child, or even their dog. But everyone, no matter how bad they may be, needs someone to love. Yes, this applies even if you’re not writing a love story.
9. Let them have something in common with the reader – this could be a nosy neighbor or a boss who’s a jerk. Just as long as it’s something that a lot of people can identify with.
10. Make them rebels – this goes along with being the underdog, just do it with attitude.
Of course, you don’t need to use all of these for every character, but you should use some to make the characters easy to identify with and realistic.
Show, don’t tell
I didn’t invent this phrase. It’s used in lots of writing classes. And it’s probably the best piece of advice I can give you.
Don’t just tell them what’s going on in a scene. Describe it. Show it to them. Try to think of your novel as a movie. Rather than just telling your audience what happens, show it to them in a few vividly portrayed scenes.
Show scenes through the eyes of a viewpoint character.
Don’t include asides which can only come from the author.
Have as much dialogue and action as possible.
Keep reportage and reminiscence (flash backs) to a minimum.
Write most of your story in the character’s presence.
Avoid having characters tell one another about events – if it’s important show it happening instead.
Why the words you choose are so important
People don’t just want to see your world. They want to hear it, feel it. They want to take in the sights, taste the food, hear the music. They want to be able to feel the changes in temperature and observe the animals.
If you can’t describe the place like you’ve been there, the reader will know the difference. They can only get as deep into the story as you do.
Setting and description
Try to include these in the dialogue. Blend them into the narrative. Avoid a three page description of a dirt road. (Seriously, I read that once.) Rather than stop a story in its tracks to provide a full description of the setting, give a few well chosen details and let the reader fill in the rest for themselves.
The character outline can be found in the next post:) I may have to do that one tomorrow.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
How to get your novel started Part 3
Ideas for your book.
By now you should have decided what you want to write about. Maybe you even have a title in mind. But if you don’t right now, don’t worry about it.
Let’s get right to it. If you’re going to write a novel, you need a plot. The plot is what keeps us turning the pages. However, you can’t just throw together any series of events and expect it to keep people interested.
A plot must meet two major requirements.
1. The events must be linked in some way. They don’t necessarily have to be predictable, but they should follow a logical order. And of course, they should be significant in some way to the lives of your characters.
2. Readers must care about how the events in the story are going to turn out. If your story doesn’t grab the reader’s attention and make them want to turn the page, they aren’t going to keep reading. A good plot creates characters readers can identify with and care about. It also puts those characters to the test.
There are four basic components to every plot.
Characters
Conflict
Crisis
Change
Well, obviously you need characters. Ideally you should have two or more characters readers can relate to and care about. Otherwise, they won’t keep turning the pages.
Conflict is probably the most important thing in the story. Because without conflict, there is no story. Conflict is the force that drives fiction.
Conflict normally gives rise to crisis. This is the dramatic high point in the story and the point everything else revolves around.
Finally, there has to be change. If your characters are not changed by the experience then why should we read about it and more importantly, why are you writing about it?
Whatever you chose as your conflict should be significant. If this is not the most dangerous or challenging aspect of the character’s life thus far, then why should anyone care?
Simply start with a character, give them a problem and show what happens when they try to solve it.
Brainstorming
Set aside about 15 minutes to work on this. (This is my favorite writing exercise.)
Choose your topic and write it in the middle of the page or you can start in columns if you like. Write down any ideas that are relevant to your subject. My brainstorm for my first book looked like a storm. Ha. Ha. Ha. But from that storm came my first book and many sequels.
This leads to your outline
Why do you need an outline?
1. It will help you to cover all the topics you meant to include. This will keep you from getting to the end and realizing you left out a key point.
2. An outline can also help you determine which order or the best order to cover topics. (Remember what I said in Part 1, this is only a guideline. You don't have to follow it strictly.)
3. By creating an outline, you will save a lot of time in the writing itself.
Outline your book first and write it second.
Decide the number of chapters your book should have. (These numbers are only a rough "average." This is to give you a basic idea of your goal.)
Average
Literary Novel 36-44
Fantasy 35-40
Horror 35-40
Kids 9-12 12-15
Young Adult 18-20
Sci-fi 30-32
Mystery 28-32
Romance 18-24
How many pages per chapter? My chapters are typically 10 pages long. This is mostly just so I can keep up with where I’m at and know when to start a new chapter.
Writing Exercise #2
Freewriting. Close your eyes and point to three random words. Next, write about them for five minutes. Begin writing anything inspired by these three words. Relax and don’t analyze. Just write what comes to mind. Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or punctuation. Just keep writing until the time is up.
Rose
Apple
Reindeer
Shark
Spider
Princess
House
Book
Elf
Cheese
Horse
Skull
Witch
Lingerie
Candle
Fish
Dead Body
Forrest
Black hat
Severed Head
Star
Wrinkles
Flowers
Baby
Acid
Moon
Vampire
Done? Put down your pen and read what you’ve written. This is just to show you that you can write. I’m sure you’ll notice some grammar and punctuation errors, but how many people are impressed with their ideas? This is a good exercise to get your creative juices flowing.
I don’t believe in writer’s block. There is no such thing. But life does happen. This can help you focus on your writing again instead of whatever else you might have on your mind.
Now, take these random thoughts from our brainstorming activity and start putting together your outline.
Your outline doesn’t have to be long. It can be only one page or it can fill up a whole notepad. It all depends on what you want to cover.
In between now and the next section, continue to work on your outline. Within one week you should have your book pretty much planned.
By now you should have decided what you want to write about. Maybe you even have a title in mind. But if you don’t right now, don’t worry about it.
Let’s get right to it. If you’re going to write a novel, you need a plot. The plot is what keeps us turning the pages. However, you can’t just throw together any series of events and expect it to keep people interested.
A plot must meet two major requirements.
1. The events must be linked in some way. They don’t necessarily have to be predictable, but they should follow a logical order. And of course, they should be significant in some way to the lives of your characters.
2. Readers must care about how the events in the story are going to turn out. If your story doesn’t grab the reader’s attention and make them want to turn the page, they aren’t going to keep reading. A good plot creates characters readers can identify with and care about. It also puts those characters to the test.
There are four basic components to every plot.
Characters
Conflict
Crisis
Change
Well, obviously you need characters. Ideally you should have two or more characters readers can relate to and care about. Otherwise, they won’t keep turning the pages.
Conflict is probably the most important thing in the story. Because without conflict, there is no story. Conflict is the force that drives fiction.
Conflict normally gives rise to crisis. This is the dramatic high point in the story and the point everything else revolves around.
Finally, there has to be change. If your characters are not changed by the experience then why should we read about it and more importantly, why are you writing about it?
Whatever you chose as your conflict should be significant. If this is not the most dangerous or challenging aspect of the character’s life thus far, then why should anyone care?
Simply start with a character, give them a problem and show what happens when they try to solve it.
Brainstorming
Set aside about 15 minutes to work on this. (This is my favorite writing exercise.)
Choose your topic and write it in the middle of the page or you can start in columns if you like. Write down any ideas that are relevant to your subject. My brainstorm for my first book looked like a storm. Ha. Ha. Ha. But from that storm came my first book and many sequels.
This leads to your outline
Why do you need an outline?
1. It will help you to cover all the topics you meant to include. This will keep you from getting to the end and realizing you left out a key point.
2. An outline can also help you determine which order or the best order to cover topics. (Remember what I said in Part 1, this is only a guideline. You don't have to follow it strictly.)
3. By creating an outline, you will save a lot of time in the writing itself.
Outline your book first and write it second.
Decide the number of chapters your book should have. (These numbers are only a rough "average." This is to give you a basic idea of your goal.)
Average
Literary Novel 36-44
Fantasy 35-40
Horror 35-40
Kids 9-12 12-15
Young Adult 18-20
Sci-fi 30-32
Mystery 28-32
Romance 18-24
How many pages per chapter? My chapters are typically 10 pages long. This is mostly just so I can keep up with where I’m at and know when to start a new chapter.
Writing Exercise #2
Freewriting. Close your eyes and point to three random words. Next, write about them for five minutes. Begin writing anything inspired by these three words. Relax and don’t analyze. Just write what comes to mind. Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or punctuation. Just keep writing until the time is up.
Rose
Apple
Reindeer
Shark
Spider
Princess
House
Book
Elf
Cheese
Horse
Skull
Witch
Lingerie
Candle
Fish
Dead Body
Forrest
Black hat
Severed Head
Star
Wrinkles
Flowers
Baby
Acid
Moon
Vampire
Done? Put down your pen and read what you’ve written. This is just to show you that you can write. I’m sure you’ll notice some grammar and punctuation errors, but how many people are impressed with their ideas? This is a good exercise to get your creative juices flowing.
I don’t believe in writer’s block. There is no such thing. But life does happen. This can help you focus on your writing again instead of whatever else you might have on your mind.
Now, take these random thoughts from our brainstorming activity and start putting together your outline.
Your outline doesn’t have to be long. It can be only one page or it can fill up a whole notepad. It all depends on what you want to cover.
In between now and the next section, continue to work on your outline. Within one week you should have your book pretty much planned.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Viewpoint - What it is and how to use it
Viewpoint - This is the point of view from which the story is told. Some people intuitively understand how to do this and others don’t. If you don't, there's no reason to panic. Anything can be learned. With the exception of flying like Superman. I don't recommend that. But writing from different perspectives? Totally do-able. Here are a few examples.
Omniscient viewpoint
While Jane dreamed of Luis, Shawn was back at the university looking for his secret stash of marijuana. - From Necromancer by Tracey H. Kitts
When writing in omniscient viewpoint, the author can go from character to character. Omniscient viewpoint was popular among 19th century writers and is often associated with literary fiction. You can go into the minds of any or all of the characters if you choose to. It’s not often used in modern fiction because the style is normally slow and doesn’t aid in reader identification with the characters. However, if done properly it can be very effective.
First person
I was looking forward to the end of another hot, miserable summer night as I drove home that evening. Hopefully, the local police would be able to cover up the night’s work without too much difficulty. God forbid they should be inconvenienced. I was only called out at eleven thirty at night to hunt down a rouge werewolf, but hey, why should anyone else lose sleep? - From Red, Lilith Mercury Werewolf Hunter, Book One
First person is a limited viewpoint. The story is described through the eyes of the main character. This has the advantage of encouraging readers to identify with the character concerned, and become emotionally involved in the story. It also helps create atmosphere and suspense.
In first person viewpoint, readers are shown the thoughts and feelings of the “I” character, and nobody else’s. There also can’t be any narration by the author.
First person is very good at getting the reader to identify with the character. It’s also good for humor and irony. One of the drawbacks, however, is that you can only show events which directly involve one character. This might limit some of your plot ideas.
Another drawback is that a single narrative voice could get old by the end of a long novel. But, good writers can do this and pull it off.
First person is becoming increasingly popular in modern fiction.
Third person limited
This is probably the most commonly used point of view. Harry Potter was told from this perspective. No one is referred to as “I” everyone is either “he” or “she.” The writer has greater flexibility with this style. You can skip from a scene in New York to one in Florida. However, every scene is still shown from the perspective of a viewpoint character.
Multiple viewpoints
This is a variation of limited viewpoint. In a multiple viewpoint story, each scene is still shown from a limited viewpoint – usually third person. Different chapters and sometimes scenes use different viewpoint characters.
If you use this approach, you will have to work hard to ensure that regular viewpoint changes don’t cause readers to lose interest. Also, look out for accidental "head popping." No, that's not a kung-fu move. It's when a writer switches too quickly from one character's thoughts to the next. When I say quickly, I mean from one sentence to the next, without warning. There are many examples of this online if you really want to look for it. However, as you read over your story, head popping can be easy to spot. When you suddenly don't know who's telling the story (whose viewpoint you are using) then you've most likely head popped.
Now is the time to decide which viewpoint you want to use in your novel and use it consistently in every scene.
Omniscient viewpoint
While Jane dreamed of Luis, Shawn was back at the university looking for his secret stash of marijuana. - From Necromancer by Tracey H. Kitts
When writing in omniscient viewpoint, the author can go from character to character. Omniscient viewpoint was popular among 19th century writers and is often associated with literary fiction. You can go into the minds of any or all of the characters if you choose to. It’s not often used in modern fiction because the style is normally slow and doesn’t aid in reader identification with the characters. However, if done properly it can be very effective.
First person
I was looking forward to the end of another hot, miserable summer night as I drove home that evening. Hopefully, the local police would be able to cover up the night’s work without too much difficulty. God forbid they should be inconvenienced. I was only called out at eleven thirty at night to hunt down a rouge werewolf, but hey, why should anyone else lose sleep? - From Red, Lilith Mercury Werewolf Hunter, Book One
First person is a limited viewpoint. The story is described through the eyes of the main character. This has the advantage of encouraging readers to identify with the character concerned, and become emotionally involved in the story. It also helps create atmosphere and suspense.
In first person viewpoint, readers are shown the thoughts and feelings of the “I” character, and nobody else’s. There also can’t be any narration by the author.
First person is very good at getting the reader to identify with the character. It’s also good for humor and irony. One of the drawbacks, however, is that you can only show events which directly involve one character. This might limit some of your plot ideas.
Another drawback is that a single narrative voice could get old by the end of a long novel. But, good writers can do this and pull it off.
First person is becoming increasingly popular in modern fiction.
Third person limited
This is probably the most commonly used point of view. Harry Potter was told from this perspective. No one is referred to as “I” everyone is either “he” or “she.” The writer has greater flexibility with this style. You can skip from a scene in New York to one in Florida. However, every scene is still shown from the perspective of a viewpoint character.
Multiple viewpoints
This is a variation of limited viewpoint. In a multiple viewpoint story, each scene is still shown from a limited viewpoint – usually third person. Different chapters and sometimes scenes use different viewpoint characters.
If you use this approach, you will have to work hard to ensure that regular viewpoint changes don’t cause readers to lose interest. Also, look out for accidental "head popping." No, that's not a kung-fu move. It's when a writer switches too quickly from one character's thoughts to the next. When I say quickly, I mean from one sentence to the next, without warning. There are many examples of this online if you really want to look for it. However, as you read over your story, head popping can be easy to spot. When you suddenly don't know who's telling the story (whose viewpoint you are using) then you've most likely head popped.
Now is the time to decide which viewpoint you want to use in your novel and use it consistently in every scene.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
How to get your novel started Part 2
As promised in the last post, today we're going to go over several reasons why many people think they can't write a book. We'll also go over some questions I feel it's important to ask yourself. It's always good to have a clear idea where you want to go with both your book and your future. I'll also discuss a couple of writing myths and finally, we'll get to your first writing exercise.
In case you missed the first post, here's the link:
http://traceyhkitts.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-to-get-your-novel-started-part-1.html
Why do you want to write a book?
For a lot of people the answer is money. It’s true that some people can make a lot of money in this business. Like J.K. Rowling for example, author of the Harry Potter books. But did you know that when Rowling wrote her first book she was a single mom living on welfare? If that’s not inspiring I don’t know what is.
Do you want to eventually do this for a living or just on the side?
If you’re looking to make a living at writing, no matter how good your work is, you need to be able to write quickly. Say you earn only a few thousand dollars from the royalties off one book. If you could write four books a year, and market them well, you’re potentially talking about a good chunk of change.
But don’t overlook the fact that writing a book will (hopefully) bring with it the prestige of being called a published author. If you write a book about your profession, people will take you seriously. If you (for example) are an artist and write a book about painting, people will look to you as an expert in the field.
Don’t underestimate the satisfaction of writing your own book.
There’s certainly not a shortage of ideas out there. And a lot of people are intimated by that fact. No, the world doesn’t need another epic sci-fi novel or another story about vampires. It needs your epic sci-fi novel or your story about vampires.
Putting your unique spin on a story is what makes it yours and not just a copy of what’s already been done. Sure, if you’re going to write high fantasy there is a certain formula you’re expected to follow. You’ll probably need some elves, dwarves, and a hero on a quest. But aside from that, the story can be completely and uniquely your own.
If you’re thinking of writing a romance then you’ll need to plan on a happy ending. That doesn’t mean that everything is perfect by the end of the book, but you should end it on a positive or upward note. I also want to add that the main characters (hero and heroine) should have roughly the same life span by the end if you're writing a paranormal. The thought of one dying while the other is immortal is depressing and unappealing. If you're writing a series, at least end the books with hope for a HEA (Happily Ever After) in the future. That is of course, if we're talking about romance.
Right now I want everyone to write down the reason you haven’t written a novel before now.
I'm serious. Take a minute, and do this for yourself. Think it over and continue when you've finished.
The biggest mistake that people make is thinking that writers aren’t people just like everyone else. I know writers of all ages, races, and religions, in all parts of the world. And they’re just as human as you and me.
Hopefully, by the time you’ve finished this course you’ll understand that almost anyone who is willing to put forth the time and effort can write a book.
A lot of people think they don’t have anything to write about.
Sure you do. We’ve all experienced different things in life and those different things have influenced us well … differently. You could write about anything. It doesn’t have to be fiction. You could write about: Getting married, having a baby, volunteer work, how to get a date, how to survive being a broke college student, buying a house, buying a car, painting a picture, photography, grooming your dog. The list is endless.
Another excuse to not write is that everything has already been done.
That’s true. But it hasn’t been done by you.
How many of you said you don’t have time to write?
Most people do have busy lives, I’m one of them. You probably have a full-time job and a family to take care of. Maybe you could write early in the morning while everyone else is asleep or late at night? Some people even take a note pad to work and scribble down ideas on their lunch break. (I've done that in the past.)
If you want to write a book badly enough, you can make the time for it. They say that the average adult watches 7 hours of television a day. Couldn’t you spare just one for writing? Seven hours a day adds up to 49 hours a week! If you spent that much time on your writing there’s no telling what you could accomplish.
You also never know when you’ll get an idea. I keep note pads and pens everywhere.
Determine your best time to write and stick to it as much as possible. A schedule works well for many people. However, don't get upset when your plans get messed up. This happens almost every day with me, but I keep on writing.
The next excuse I hear a lot is “I’m no good at writing.”
You don’t have to make straight A’s in English to be an effective writer. Yes, you need to be literate and there’s nothing wrong with having several grammar and/or reference books handy. But the one thing you need to remember most is to write like you speak.
People enjoy books that they can really get into. And they can get into something that is on their own terms. Unless you’re trying to write something along the lines of literary classics, this will work for you.
(I’ll give examples of my work, first person vs. third and so on. I'll post this information tomorrow.)
I wouldn’t know where to start.
Many people are scared off of the project just by the size of the work ahead. A typical novel is 70,000 words or more. The key to writing a book is to break it down into manageable sections. This is where creating an outline will come into play.
Please, don't freak out when you hear the word "outline." I am not talking about one your English teacher would approve of. Ha. Ha. My outline often consists of post-it notes slapped into a manila folder. Seriously. When I say I'm not a planner, I mean I'm not obsessive about my plan. Sure, I do obsess, just not over the outline. My obsession is with the finished product.
Maybe you know what you’d like for each chapter to cover, maybe you don’t. It doesn’t matter. I never know what each chapter will be about. I have a list of points I want to cover within the book and I do so. I may add to those as I go, but the basic points are what forms my plot and that’s what I put on my outline.
Think of your outline as a guideline. If you think of something else you’d like to include, then change your outline to reflect it. (Slap another note in the folder.) The story will eventually start to tell itself. Don’t stifle that creativity. Just be sure it all makes sense.
People wouldn’t take me seriously.
The best thing you can do is don’t tell people what you’re doing. That way they can’t put you down or discourage your ideas. That might sound harsh, but it’s true. You’ve got to believe in yourself and very few other people will, at first. Maybe wait until after you’ve written the book to tell people.
When I started writing I told my husband and one close friend. The two people I knew would understand and encourage me. I told the more difficult people in my life after the fact. And the even more difficult people after I’d landed a contract.
I’m too young/too old to write a book.
Don't be silly. If you're an adult, you're not too young. If you're still breathing, you're not too old. Simple as that. Although, I'm sure there are many teens who could write a book, this is just a general answer to a question/complaint I've heard often. I'd like to add I think it's cool when someone who has lived a long life writes a book. Even if the book isn't about their life, they have so much experience to share. Actually, sharing it as fiction protects the guilty. Ha. Ha. Ha.
I’ve got a short attention span.
Well, good news, you’re not expected to write a book in one sitting. If you can stay focused for a few minutes or a few hours at a time, that’s all it takes.
I can’t get motivated.
If you keep thinking like that, you’ll never even start. Set small goals, like a page or two a day or even less if you need to. Once you see that you can accomplish smaller goals, you’ll not only feel better about your abilities, but it will take your mind off of the big goal: Writing a full-length novel.
Now that that's out of the way, I'd like to mention a few writing "myths." I call them myths because even though many people believe in these things, they are not a proven fact.
Myths debunked
There is no such thing as writer’s block.
But, life does happen. That's right, I went there. For more of my thoughts on the subject, check out my post Writer's Block? All you need is a good hammer.
http://traceyhkitts.blogspot.com/2011/11/writers-block-all-you-need-is-good.html
Getting published by an epublisher is easy.
Seriously? Who started this one? It is just as difficult to be published by an epublisher as it is a traditional NY publisher. Standards are not lower, despite popular belief. However, new epubs do spring up all the time and many do not turn out good quality books. What I'm referring to here are the tried and true, legit epublishers that work hard and are good at what they do. If they are legit, they have standards.
Yes, there's a lot of info in this post. Now, we're going to move on to something very important. You need to be clear (at least in your own mind) when it comes to what exactly your book is about.
What do you want to write about?
Determining genre is crucial. Remember what I said in Part 1 about why a sci-fi, paranormal, comedy, romance might not be a good thing? Why is genre so important?
For one, you need to know who your audience is. Who do you think will likely purchase this book? Are you offering a valuable service or advice (self-help) or are you providing entertainment (fiction)?
Also, the bookstore needs to know which shelf to put you on and an editor or representative who communicates with distributors needs to have an easy way of telling them what you write. (Example, if I say horror or Stephen King, everyone knows what I’m talking about.)
Another quick note on romance. This isn't just because I write romance, but because the rules for this genre are different in many ways. And believe it or not, it is harder to write. I mention this here because as you determine genre (and begin to plan your story) you should have some general idea of how it will end.
If you write romance, you cannot kill off the hero or heroine – You will be crucified. Think once more about what I mentioned before. Are you willing to write a HEA?
Writing Exercise #1
Think of a topic. Any topic. Now list ten questions you’d like to ask about the topic. Once you’ve picked your topic and written your questions, try to arrange them in a way that would logically form an article, if you were going to write one.
Time yourself. You’ve got 20 minutes.
Asking questions and arranging them in some sort of order can be very effective in outlining your ideas. The same technique can be used with fiction. Which leads to brainstorming.
More on brainstorming later.
In between now and next week I want you to think about what you want to write. What genre will your story be?
Next we’ll start generating ideas for your book and work on our outline.
In case you missed the first post, here's the link:
http://traceyhkitts.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-to-get-your-novel-started-part-1.html
Why do you want to write a book?
For a lot of people the answer is money. It’s true that some people can make a lot of money in this business. Like J.K. Rowling for example, author of the Harry Potter books. But did you know that when Rowling wrote her first book she was a single mom living on welfare? If that’s not inspiring I don’t know what is.
Do you want to eventually do this for a living or just on the side?
If you’re looking to make a living at writing, no matter how good your work is, you need to be able to write quickly. Say you earn only a few thousand dollars from the royalties off one book. If you could write four books a year, and market them well, you’re potentially talking about a good chunk of change.
But don’t overlook the fact that writing a book will (hopefully) bring with it the prestige of being called a published author. If you write a book about your profession, people will take you seriously. If you (for example) are an artist and write a book about painting, people will look to you as an expert in the field.
Don’t underestimate the satisfaction of writing your own book.
There’s certainly not a shortage of ideas out there. And a lot of people are intimated by that fact. No, the world doesn’t need another epic sci-fi novel or another story about vampires. It needs your epic sci-fi novel or your story about vampires.
Putting your unique spin on a story is what makes it yours and not just a copy of what’s already been done. Sure, if you’re going to write high fantasy there is a certain formula you’re expected to follow. You’ll probably need some elves, dwarves, and a hero on a quest. But aside from that, the story can be completely and uniquely your own.
If you’re thinking of writing a romance then you’ll need to plan on a happy ending. That doesn’t mean that everything is perfect by the end of the book, but you should end it on a positive or upward note. I also want to add that the main characters (hero and heroine) should have roughly the same life span by the end if you're writing a paranormal. The thought of one dying while the other is immortal is depressing and unappealing. If you're writing a series, at least end the books with hope for a HEA (Happily Ever After) in the future. That is of course, if we're talking about romance.
Right now I want everyone to write down the reason you haven’t written a novel before now.
I'm serious. Take a minute, and do this for yourself. Think it over and continue when you've finished.
The biggest mistake that people make is thinking that writers aren’t people just like everyone else. I know writers of all ages, races, and religions, in all parts of the world. And they’re just as human as you and me.
Hopefully, by the time you’ve finished this course you’ll understand that almost anyone who is willing to put forth the time and effort can write a book.
A lot of people think they don’t have anything to write about.
Sure you do. We’ve all experienced different things in life and those different things have influenced us well … differently. You could write about anything. It doesn’t have to be fiction. You could write about: Getting married, having a baby, volunteer work, how to get a date, how to survive being a broke college student, buying a house, buying a car, painting a picture, photography, grooming your dog. The list is endless.
Another excuse to not write is that everything has already been done.
That’s true. But it hasn’t been done by you.
How many of you said you don’t have time to write?
Most people do have busy lives, I’m one of them. You probably have a full-time job and a family to take care of. Maybe you could write early in the morning while everyone else is asleep or late at night? Some people even take a note pad to work and scribble down ideas on their lunch break. (I've done that in the past.)
If you want to write a book badly enough, you can make the time for it. They say that the average adult watches 7 hours of television a day. Couldn’t you spare just one for writing? Seven hours a day adds up to 49 hours a week! If you spent that much time on your writing there’s no telling what you could accomplish.
You also never know when you’ll get an idea. I keep note pads and pens everywhere.
Determine your best time to write and stick to it as much as possible. A schedule works well for many people. However, don't get upset when your plans get messed up. This happens almost every day with me, but I keep on writing.
The next excuse I hear a lot is “I’m no good at writing.”
You don’t have to make straight A’s in English to be an effective writer. Yes, you need to be literate and there’s nothing wrong with having several grammar and/or reference books handy. But the one thing you need to remember most is to write like you speak.
People enjoy books that they can really get into. And they can get into something that is on their own terms. Unless you’re trying to write something along the lines of literary classics, this will work for you.
(I’ll give examples of my work, first person vs. third and so on. I'll post this information tomorrow.)
I wouldn’t know where to start.
Many people are scared off of the project just by the size of the work ahead. A typical novel is 70,000 words or more. The key to writing a book is to break it down into manageable sections. This is where creating an outline will come into play.
Please, don't freak out when you hear the word "outline." I am not talking about one your English teacher would approve of. Ha. Ha. My outline often consists of post-it notes slapped into a manila folder. Seriously. When I say I'm not a planner, I mean I'm not obsessive about my plan. Sure, I do obsess, just not over the outline. My obsession is with the finished product.
Maybe you know what you’d like for each chapter to cover, maybe you don’t. It doesn’t matter. I never know what each chapter will be about. I have a list of points I want to cover within the book and I do so. I may add to those as I go, but the basic points are what forms my plot and that’s what I put on my outline.
Think of your outline as a guideline. If you think of something else you’d like to include, then change your outline to reflect it. (Slap another note in the folder.) The story will eventually start to tell itself. Don’t stifle that creativity. Just be sure it all makes sense.
People wouldn’t take me seriously.
The best thing you can do is don’t tell people what you’re doing. That way they can’t put you down or discourage your ideas. That might sound harsh, but it’s true. You’ve got to believe in yourself and very few other people will, at first. Maybe wait until after you’ve written the book to tell people.
When I started writing I told my husband and one close friend. The two people I knew would understand and encourage me. I told the more difficult people in my life after the fact. And the even more difficult people after I’d landed a contract.
I’m too young/too old to write a book.
Don't be silly. If you're an adult, you're not too young. If you're still breathing, you're not too old. Simple as that. Although, I'm sure there are many teens who could write a book, this is just a general answer to a question/complaint I've heard often. I'd like to add I think it's cool when someone who has lived a long life writes a book. Even if the book isn't about their life, they have so much experience to share. Actually, sharing it as fiction protects the guilty. Ha. Ha. Ha.
I’ve got a short attention span.
Well, good news, you’re not expected to write a book in one sitting. If you can stay focused for a few minutes or a few hours at a time, that’s all it takes.
I can’t get motivated.
If you keep thinking like that, you’ll never even start. Set small goals, like a page or two a day or even less if you need to. Once you see that you can accomplish smaller goals, you’ll not only feel better about your abilities, but it will take your mind off of the big goal: Writing a full-length novel.
Now that that's out of the way, I'd like to mention a few writing "myths." I call them myths because even though many people believe in these things, they are not a proven fact.
Myths debunked
There is no such thing as writer’s block.
But, life does happen. That's right, I went there. For more of my thoughts on the subject, check out my post Writer's Block? All you need is a good hammer.
http://traceyhkitts.blogspot.com/2011/11/writers-block-all-you-need-is-good.html
Getting published by an epublisher is easy.
Seriously? Who started this one? It is just as difficult to be published by an epublisher as it is a traditional NY publisher. Standards are not lower, despite popular belief. However, new epubs do spring up all the time and many do not turn out good quality books. What I'm referring to here are the tried and true, legit epublishers that work hard and are good at what they do. If they are legit, they have standards.
Yes, there's a lot of info in this post. Now, we're going to move on to something very important. You need to be clear (at least in your own mind) when it comes to what exactly your book is about.
What do you want to write about?
Determining genre is crucial. Remember what I said in Part 1 about why a sci-fi, paranormal, comedy, romance might not be a good thing? Why is genre so important?
For one, you need to know who your audience is. Who do you think will likely purchase this book? Are you offering a valuable service or advice (self-help) or are you providing entertainment (fiction)?
Also, the bookstore needs to know which shelf to put you on and an editor or representative who communicates with distributors needs to have an easy way of telling them what you write. (Example, if I say horror or Stephen King, everyone knows what I’m talking about.)
Another quick note on romance. This isn't just because I write romance, but because the rules for this genre are different in many ways. And believe it or not, it is harder to write. I mention this here because as you determine genre (and begin to plan your story) you should have some general idea of how it will end.
If you write romance, you cannot kill off the hero or heroine – You will be crucified. Think once more about what I mentioned before. Are you willing to write a HEA?
Writing Exercise #1
Think of a topic. Any topic. Now list ten questions you’d like to ask about the topic. Once you’ve picked your topic and written your questions, try to arrange them in a way that would logically form an article, if you were going to write one.
Time yourself. You’ve got 20 minutes.
Asking questions and arranging them in some sort of order can be very effective in outlining your ideas. The same technique can be used with fiction. Which leads to brainstorming.
More on brainstorming later.
In between now and next week I want you to think about what you want to write. What genre will your story be?
Next we’ll start generating ideas for your book and work on our outline.
Friday, November 25, 2011
How to get your novel started - Part 1
You have to make a commitment to put time and effort into creating a written work. But that doesn’t mean you have to be a slave to your keyboard. The best writers are the ones who also have experienced life and you can’t do that behind a computer. At the very least, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you completed a novel, and at best, your life may be changed forever.
Please don’t let the prospect of writing a work of novel-length fiction scare you. If you dwell on it, you can talk yourself right out of your dream. I will guide you step by step through the process of forming your ideas. I’ll share some of my own tips and techniques which anyone can learn and apply.
So, who am I to tell you all this? My name is Tracey H. Kitts. I have been writing stories pretty much since I could write. My first novel was published in August, 2007 with New Concepts Publishing. Since then I have had 15 full-length novels, 3 novellas, and 1 short story published. My books were released first as ebooks. The majority of my stories have also been released in print form as well.
Now 2007 may sound very recent to you for me to be teaching a writing class. The truth is I’m not new to writing; it's something I've always done for my own entertainment. However when I decided to write my first novel I completed books one and two in my werewolf hunter series in 3 months. That includes the time it took me to self-edit the work. What’s more, it only took me five months to find a publisher. I may not be a household name yet, but I’m doing what I love.
The purpose of these posts (or class if you want to call it that) is to help you achieve similar or maybe even greater results. However, you can’t get there until you learn to organize your ideas. That’s what I’ll help you do. For a complete bio on me and information about my books, you can check me out at http://www.traceyhkitts.com/.
You can find my books through my website, http://www.ellorascave.com/, http://www.newconceptspublishing,com/, Amazon, or many other ebook retailers.
I’ll start by giving you a brief overview of what you can expect from this class.
I’ll share with you some of the direct and indirect benefits of writing a book.
I’ll debunk some common myths about writing and show you how you can write a book.
You’ll learn how to create an outline for your ideas.
You’ll learn how to brainstorm effectively to generate new ideas.
By the end of this course, you should have all you need to start writing your novel!
Also, don't worry about the fact that I write romance. This course is for everybody. It's not about how to write romance; it's about how to get your novel started, no matter what your book is about.
We'll discuss genre later on and why a clear determination of genre is so important. You may think that a sci-fi, paranormal, comedy, romance is the greatest thing since sliced bread. But trust me, your editor will not.
This post is to give you all a general overview of what will be covered. Naturally, I'm bound to add more as we go:) It's what I do. Ha. Ha. Ha.
If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments.
In the next installment we'll discuss (among other things) why so many people think they can't write a novel. I'll also give you your first writing exercise. Doesn't that sound exciting?
Please don’t let the prospect of writing a work of novel-length fiction scare you. If you dwell on it, you can talk yourself right out of your dream. I will guide you step by step through the process of forming your ideas. I’ll share some of my own tips and techniques which anyone can learn and apply.
So, who am I to tell you all this? My name is Tracey H. Kitts. I have been writing stories pretty much since I could write. My first novel was published in August, 2007 with New Concepts Publishing. Since then I have had 15 full-length novels, 3 novellas, and 1 short story published. My books were released first as ebooks. The majority of my stories have also been released in print form as well.
Now 2007 may sound very recent to you for me to be teaching a writing class. The truth is I’m not new to writing; it's something I've always done for my own entertainment. However when I decided to write my first novel I completed books one and two in my werewolf hunter series in 3 months. That includes the time it took me to self-edit the work. What’s more, it only took me five months to find a publisher. I may not be a household name yet, but I’m doing what I love.
The purpose of these posts (or class if you want to call it that) is to help you achieve similar or maybe even greater results. However, you can’t get there until you learn to organize your ideas. That’s what I’ll help you do. For a complete bio on me and information about my books, you can check me out at http://www.traceyhkitts.com/.
You can find my books through my website, http://www.ellorascave.com/, http://www.newconceptspublishing,com/, Amazon, or many other ebook retailers.
I’ll start by giving you a brief overview of what you can expect from this class.
I’ll share with you some of the direct and indirect benefits of writing a book.
I’ll debunk some common myths about writing and show you how you can write a book.
You’ll learn how to create an outline for your ideas.
You’ll learn how to brainstorm effectively to generate new ideas.
By the end of this course, you should have all you need to start writing your novel!
Also, don't worry about the fact that I write romance. This course is for everybody. It's not about how to write romance; it's about how to get your novel started, no matter what your book is about.
We'll discuss genre later on and why a clear determination of genre is so important. You may think that a sci-fi, paranormal, comedy, romance is the greatest thing since sliced bread. But trust me, your editor will not.
This post is to give you all a general overview of what will be covered. Naturally, I'm bound to add more as we go:) It's what I do. Ha. Ha. Ha.
If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments.
In the next installment we'll discuss (among other things) why so many people think they can't write a novel. I'll also give you your first writing exercise. Doesn't that sound exciting?
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Writer's Block? All you need is a good hammer.
First, I'd like to say that I don't believe in writer's block. Really. I believe that life happens. We've all got bills to pay. Most of us have children to take care of, pets, and God knows what else. Thinking about all of those things often leaves little time for creativity.
In this post, I'll share a few tips that have never failed to help me when I'm having trouble concentrating. These are just a few short "tricks" that work for me. In the next few weeks, I'll be offering a writing class here on my blog. I'll answer questions that are posted in the comments, so help me spread the word:)
This class will be all about How To Get Your Novel Started! So many people have asked me how to start that I actually put together a class from all my emails. I figured, why not share that information with everyone else? So, get ready. There will be more to come.
In the meantime, here are a few ideas to help spark your creativity.
This is my favorite. Take out a dictionary. Close your eyes and point to 3 words. Write them down. Now, give yourself 5 minutes to write a paragraph that includes all 3 words. I've started novels this way! (And actually sold them to publishers where they went on to sale very well.)
Something else really simple, listen to music. Beethoven and R&B are my favorites, but everyone has their own "sound" of inspiration.
The third thing that helps me most often is a Baby Name Dictionary. I'll read through (or point at random) and then read the meaning of the name. Often times I can come up with a character's whole personality just by knowing their name.
I hope these tips were helpful! Tune in for more in a few days. I'm hoping to start the writing class after Thanksgiving!
In this post, I'll share a few tips that have never failed to help me when I'm having trouble concentrating. These are just a few short "tricks" that work for me. In the next few weeks, I'll be offering a writing class here on my blog. I'll answer questions that are posted in the comments, so help me spread the word:)
This class will be all about How To Get Your Novel Started! So many people have asked me how to start that I actually put together a class from all my emails. I figured, why not share that information with everyone else? So, get ready. There will be more to come.
In the meantime, here are a few ideas to help spark your creativity.
This is my favorite. Take out a dictionary. Close your eyes and point to 3 words. Write them down. Now, give yourself 5 minutes to write a paragraph that includes all 3 words. I've started novels this way! (And actually sold them to publishers where they went on to sale very well.)
Something else really simple, listen to music. Beethoven and R&B are my favorites, but everyone has their own "sound" of inspiration.
The third thing that helps me most often is a Baby Name Dictionary. I'll read through (or point at random) and then read the meaning of the name. Often times I can come up with a character's whole personality just by knowing their name.
I hope these tips were helpful! Tune in for more in a few days. I'm hoping to start the writing class after Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Have you ever wanted to write a book?
I'll be teaching a class in September about How To Get Your Novel Started.
Have ideas but don't know where to start? This 4-week course will point you in the right direction. By week 4 you should have a working outline and be ready to start your novel.
Classes start Sept. 4 and will meet on Thursdays 6:30-8:00 p.m.
The course is $80 per person. To sign up for class please call 850-263-7876 between the hours of 5-7 p.m. and leave a message including your name and contact information. Or send an email to tracey h kitts @ yahoo.com with the subject line CLASS.
If you're in the Northwest Florida/Lower Alabama area and you'd like to write a book then this is the class for you.
See you there!
Have ideas but don't know where to start? This 4-week course will point you in the right direction. By week 4 you should have a working outline and be ready to start your novel.
Classes start Sept. 4 and will meet on Thursdays 6:30-8:00 p.m.
The course is $80 per person. To sign up for class please call 850-263-7876 between the hours of 5-7 p.m. and leave a message including your name and contact information. Or send an email to tracey h kitts @ yahoo.com with the subject line CLASS.
If you're in the Northwest Florida/Lower Alabama area and you'd like to write a book then this is the class for you.
See you there!
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