Today, we're going to discuss repetition, especially where it fits in with details while writing your scene.
I'm sure you've read it before. I'm sure you've written it before. Heck, I certainly have!
You write a beautifully descriptive sentence about a character's actions. Then, you explain it.
Don't know what I'm talking about? Here's an example:
Wanda fiddled with her pen. She looked from me to the bundle of fur in my arms and finally rested her eyes on the dusty ceiling fan. "You found it, huh?" she said skeptically.
You've already shown us through Wanda's actions and her words that she's skeptical about the story the protagonist has told her. Repeating this skepticism by writing, "she said skeptically" is redundant.
Why shouldn't we explain details in our writing?
1) It's Unnecessary: You've just shown us through action and dialogue that a character feels a certain way. No need to beat us over the head with the emotions.
2) Showing is Better Than Telling: We've heard it since the fifth grade, folks. Show don't tell. If you can show through stage direction and action how a character feels, why would you instead choose to tell your readers? It's so much more real and immersive when they're involved in the scene.
3) It Insults the Reader: When you repeat information twice in the same paragraph - sometimes in the same sentence! - you're basically telling the reader that they're too thick to understand from your subtle actions what your characters are feeling, so you're going to write it down in plain English for them to grasp. Your readers are smart. You are smart. No need to repeat what's already been conveyed.
So the next time you're editing or even writing your scene, try not to explain what's happening. If you're properly conveying stage action and details as they unfold organically from your characters, there's no need to go back through and tell us that Benji feels slighted, Amanda is frustrated, and the entirety of Wisconsin is hip-deep in snowfall.
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
What The Sun Taught Me (AKA: writing characters who aren't like you)
In my spare time I write content for a free environmental awareness Zine in my town. The pages are small (about the size of a greeting card) and so rarely require over 200 word submissions.
Though this means I'm not saddled with the burden of a 1,000 word essay every month, it is difficult to write content to fit within a 200 word maximum.
Another added dilemma comes in the form of themes. This month, with a theme of the Summer Solstice, I am writing a Sun Affirmation and a Yoga Sun Salutation Sequence. Sounds interesting, right? The only problem is: I'm allergic to sunlight.
When the sun's rays touch my skin, it inflames and breaks out in a hive-like rash that both feels like molten lava is trapped under my skin and like an army of tiny men with pitchforks are stabbing me repeatedly. I try to stay out of direct sunlight most of the time, and when I have to be in the sun, I usually feel like I'm going to vomit.
However, I know that I am in the minority. Most people love the sun. They love the warmth and the light and the general euphoria that comes with the fact that it's not raining or snowing or the apocalypse.
So, how in the world could I buck up my general avoidance of the large glowing star in the sky into adoration? How could I put aside my personal feelings and put myself in the shoes of others?
Research.
The first thing I did was read up on all the scientific reasons we need the sun to survive. It gave me a new look at the thing I'd grown to know as a hindrance. I had a new admiration for just how much the sun does on this Earth, and you know what? I started liking the sun, too.
Now, I'm not going to go out and bask under the rays for the rest of the day (that would hurt) but I did gain enough information and empathy to write the pieces required of me for this month's issue.
What does this story mean for you?
Well, eventually in your writing career, you will write a character that doesn't share all your same likes and dislikes. You'll write someone of another religion, or someone who dislikes the taste of chocolate, or someone who only wears the color green. It's your job as a writer to research and empathize with the type of person that has values that may not necessarily line up with your own. Not only will you write a fully-rounded and believable character, but you'll expand your own knowledge in the process.
So, go ahead. Give your protagonist a weird quirk or get inside your antagonist's head for awhile. See the world from their perspective and understand why they like or dislike a certain thing. When you research it for a moment, you may find things you were never aware existed.
Though this means I'm not saddled with the burden of a 1,000 word essay every month, it is difficult to write content to fit within a 200 word maximum.
Another added dilemma comes in the form of themes. This month, with a theme of the Summer Solstice, I am writing a Sun Affirmation and a Yoga Sun Salutation Sequence. Sounds interesting, right? The only problem is: I'm allergic to sunlight.
When the sun's rays touch my skin, it inflames and breaks out in a hive-like rash that both feels like molten lava is trapped under my skin and like an army of tiny men with pitchforks are stabbing me repeatedly. I try to stay out of direct sunlight most of the time, and when I have to be in the sun, I usually feel like I'm going to vomit.
However, I know that I am in the minority. Most people love the sun. They love the warmth and the light and the general euphoria that comes with the fact that it's not raining or snowing or the apocalypse.
So, how in the world could I buck up my general avoidance of the large glowing star in the sky into adoration? How could I put aside my personal feelings and put myself in the shoes of others?
Research.
The first thing I did was read up on all the scientific reasons we need the sun to survive. It gave me a new look at the thing I'd grown to know as a hindrance. I had a new admiration for just how much the sun does on this Earth, and you know what? I started liking the sun, too.
Now, I'm not going to go out and bask under the rays for the rest of the day (that would hurt) but I did gain enough information and empathy to write the pieces required of me for this month's issue.
What does this story mean for you?
Well, eventually in your writing career, you will write a character that doesn't share all your same likes and dislikes. You'll write someone of another religion, or someone who dislikes the taste of chocolate, or someone who only wears the color green. It's your job as a writer to research and empathize with the type of person that has values that may not necessarily line up with your own. Not only will you write a fully-rounded and believable character, but you'll expand your own knowledge in the process.
So, go ahead. Give your protagonist a weird quirk or get inside your antagonist's head for awhile. See the world from their perspective and understand why they like or dislike a certain thing. When you research it for a moment, you may find things you were never aware existed.
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
The Balance of Mystery
You're writing a mystery novel. Even if no corpses or cops show up in your novel, it's a mystery novel nonetheless.
Why do I say this?
Because every good novel is at its core, a mystery. The tension of an hidden affair, an alien ship hanging over the backyard swimming pool, or a set of rare and valuable records vanishing - they're all full of tension. And the main goal of tension is to keep readers guessing. When they keep guessing, they keep flipping the pages.
Your job as a writer is to keep the mystery alive by laying clues down, but not solving them until the climax of the story.
So remember, even if you're writing for children, a literary romance, or a sci-fi stumbler, you have to keep the mystery alive to keep readers engaged.
Why do I say this?
Because every good novel is at its core, a mystery. The tension of an hidden affair, an alien ship hanging over the backyard swimming pool, or a set of rare and valuable records vanishing - they're all full of tension. And the main goal of tension is to keep readers guessing. When they keep guessing, they keep flipping the pages.
Your job as a writer is to keep the mystery alive by laying clues down, but not solving them until the climax of the story.
So remember, even if you're writing for children, a literary romance, or a sci-fi stumbler, you have to keep the mystery alive to keep readers engaged.
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
The Writer's Blessing
I'm not religious, but this seemed so very fitting for this week. I hope you have a wonderful writing week and feel free to spread the Writer's Blessing around!
Photo credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/476326098069733776/
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
On The Art of Pacing a Scene
Pacing is one of those illusive elements of the writing craft. You don't want to forge ahead at such a breakneck pace that your readers are gasping, but you also don't want to bore them on such a long amble that they put your book down and move on to the next one.
It seems like some writers are naturally blessed with the ability to perfectly pace a scene. They know when to slow down, when to speed up, and when to make time stop and hang in midair.
If you're not naturally blessed with pacing genius, how in the world is it something you can develop? This week, I'll share with you a few examples of ways to get your pacing under control.
First, my ultimate and overarching advice is to urge you to read. Read in your favorite genre, read outside it. Read anything you can get your hands on - whether it's a newspaper article or a five volume novel. Reading allows you to learn the pacing techniques of other writers firsthand. Some will be spot-on, others way off, and more still somewhere in the middle. If you read them all, you learn what works, what doesn't, and how to fix that in your own piece.
The second piece of advice is to understand your scene. If you're writing a romantic scene or a developmental moment in the plot, you'll want to slow down. If you're writing a chase scene with the killer, or a heated argument, you'll want to turn the pace up a notch.
Understanding what each particular moment in your novel needs is crucial. After you've identified, however, you then need to know what to do to get the desired slowing or quickening pace you're after.
Here are some ideas:
If you're slowing down - 1. Back up. Give readers descriptive passages of the setting, the characters, and what's happening. It's like panning the camera wide in a movie. We're able to see more of the surroundings so the shot can stay on the screen longer. There's more to hold our attention. 2. Get in their heads. Make sure you check in with your main character or other characters in the room and get their feelings, thoughts, and ideas on the page. This can be used to break up dialogue or to give readers a moment to digest the new plot information with the character.
If you're speeding up - 1. Get in the thick of it. Focus on the here and now in the scene. This is not the time for your protagonist to notice how long McFarlan Street is or to think back on the girl he met last night. Adrenaline is high, things are happening, and that's what your character and your reader care about right now. 2. The senses matter. Allow us to taste the blood of a split lip. Let us hear the roar of the approaching train. Give us the smell of the burning fuse. These concrete sensory images bring readers closer to the scene, and when you highlight the right sense with the right piece of information, the tension soars and your pace quickens.
One final snippet of advice: Write with your scene in mind. If you're in the middle of a fight scene, stick to short sentences - yes, even fragments. Strengthen your verbs and ditch all adjectives and adverbs - yes, all of them - to keep things moving.
On the flip side, for a slow scene, use longer, more fluid sentences and paragraphs. You can get away with more details and more adjectives and adverbs (though please try to cut as many as you possibly can. Remember the advice of the great Stephen King, "The road to hell is paved with adverbs".)
Above all, make sure you picture your scene while you're writing. If you're in tune with your characters while you write, they usually reveal the details, thoughts, senses and verbs you need at that given time. Remember, all you need to be a great writer is within you. You simply have to uncover it.
It seems like some writers are naturally blessed with the ability to perfectly pace a scene. They know when to slow down, when to speed up, and when to make time stop and hang in midair.
If you're not naturally blessed with pacing genius, how in the world is it something you can develop? This week, I'll share with you a few examples of ways to get your pacing under control.
First, my ultimate and overarching advice is to urge you to read. Read in your favorite genre, read outside it. Read anything you can get your hands on - whether it's a newspaper article or a five volume novel. Reading allows you to learn the pacing techniques of other writers firsthand. Some will be spot-on, others way off, and more still somewhere in the middle. If you read them all, you learn what works, what doesn't, and how to fix that in your own piece.
The second piece of advice is to understand your scene. If you're writing a romantic scene or a developmental moment in the plot, you'll want to slow down. If you're writing a chase scene with the killer, or a heated argument, you'll want to turn the pace up a notch.
Understanding what each particular moment in your novel needs is crucial. After you've identified, however, you then need to know what to do to get the desired slowing or quickening pace you're after.
Here are some ideas:
If you're slowing down - 1. Back up. Give readers descriptive passages of the setting, the characters, and what's happening. It's like panning the camera wide in a movie. We're able to see more of the surroundings so the shot can stay on the screen longer. There's more to hold our attention. 2. Get in their heads. Make sure you check in with your main character or other characters in the room and get their feelings, thoughts, and ideas on the page. This can be used to break up dialogue or to give readers a moment to digest the new plot information with the character.
If you're speeding up - 1. Get in the thick of it. Focus on the here and now in the scene. This is not the time for your protagonist to notice how long McFarlan Street is or to think back on the girl he met last night. Adrenaline is high, things are happening, and that's what your character and your reader care about right now. 2. The senses matter. Allow us to taste the blood of a split lip. Let us hear the roar of the approaching train. Give us the smell of the burning fuse. These concrete sensory images bring readers closer to the scene, and when you highlight the right sense with the right piece of information, the tension soars and your pace quickens.
One final snippet of advice: Write with your scene in mind. If you're in the middle of a fight scene, stick to short sentences - yes, even fragments. Strengthen your verbs and ditch all adjectives and adverbs - yes, all of them - to keep things moving.
On the flip side, for a slow scene, use longer, more fluid sentences and paragraphs. You can get away with more details and more adjectives and adverbs (though please try to cut as many as you possibly can. Remember the advice of the great Stephen King, "The road to hell is paved with adverbs".)
Above all, make sure you picture your scene while you're writing. If you're in tune with your characters while you write, they usually reveal the details, thoughts, senses and verbs you need at that given time. Remember, all you need to be a great writer is within you. You simply have to uncover it.
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Tips for Reading Your Work to an Audience
This weekend I'll be reading at a poetry open mic in my town. As I prepare the poems I'm going to read, I though I'd share with you a few snippets of important info to keep in mind when you do a poetry reading aloud to an audience.
1. Slow Down: It's easy to get caught up in the adrenaline of the moment and race through your poem or short story. But remember, the crowd is gathered to hear your work. They want to be able to absorb and contemplate the beginning, middle, end, and every piece of metaphor and imagery you toss their way. If you speed through your poem, they won't be able to appreciate what you've created. So, take a deep breath and read slowly. You will undoubtedly think that you're reading much too slow for anyone to stay interested. Trust me, this is the correct speed.
2. Make Eye Contact: There's nothing that says amateur like reading your poem, line for line, without ever once making eye contact with the assembled crowd. Not only does it seem awkward, but it bars your listeners from making a connection with you, which means they won't feel connected to your poetry either.
3. Find Your Rhythm: Much like musicians, writers spend hours deciphering the mood of a poem. Read your poetry out loud. Find the correct cadence for each piece (which will be dictated by whether the work is serious, humorous, narrative, lyrical, or a combination of two or more styles). You can even write notes in the margins of your poem to remind yourself when to pause, speed up, and change your tone of voice.
Ready for your own poetry reading? Do a little homework by watching famous poets read their work aloud. Many are readily available on YouTube. Here are a few of my favorites:
Check out Billy Collins reading four poems: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTxpQCY7df8&nohtml5=False
And if you're into slam poetry, this one by Lily Myers is amazing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQucWXWXp3k&nohtml5=False
Above it all, though, just relax. The people gathered there do indeed want to hear your point of view and your ideas. Stay confident, stick to what you practiced and the performance will be over before you know it!
1. Slow Down: It's easy to get caught up in the adrenaline of the moment and race through your poem or short story. But remember, the crowd is gathered to hear your work. They want to be able to absorb and contemplate the beginning, middle, end, and every piece of metaphor and imagery you toss their way. If you speed through your poem, they won't be able to appreciate what you've created. So, take a deep breath and read slowly. You will undoubtedly think that you're reading much too slow for anyone to stay interested. Trust me, this is the correct speed.
2. Make Eye Contact: There's nothing that says amateur like reading your poem, line for line, without ever once making eye contact with the assembled crowd. Not only does it seem awkward, but it bars your listeners from making a connection with you, which means they won't feel connected to your poetry either.
3. Find Your Rhythm: Much like musicians, writers spend hours deciphering the mood of a poem. Read your poetry out loud. Find the correct cadence for each piece (which will be dictated by whether the work is serious, humorous, narrative, lyrical, or a combination of two or more styles). You can even write notes in the margins of your poem to remind yourself when to pause, speed up, and change your tone of voice.
Ready for your own poetry reading? Do a little homework by watching famous poets read their work aloud. Many are readily available on YouTube. Here are a few of my favorites:
Check out Billy Collins reading four poems: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTxpQCY7df8&nohtml5=False
And if you're into slam poetry, this one by Lily Myers is amazing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQucWXWXp3k&nohtml5=False
Above it all, though, just relax. The people gathered there do indeed want to hear your point of view and your ideas. Stay confident, stick to what you practiced and the performance will be over before you know it!
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Fiction vs. Nonfiction - What's the Difference?
In my writer's group, we're a diverse bunch. There are literary fiction novelists, flash fiction scribes, essayists, poets, memoirists, writers for children, and international writers. The only way we're able to critique each other's work is by the fact that we understand and respect the rules and guidelines of each particular genre.
This got me thinking. What if my blog readers wanted to join a diverse writer's group? (One that doesn't say in the description, "We're a group of YA novelists helping each other on the way to publication", not that there's anything wrong with that. In fact, if you're a YA novelist, you should join them. However, if that's not readily available around you, check out a diverse group, they're awesome.)
So, long story short, we're going to talk about the main difference between Fiction and Nonfiction.
This is great if you're critiquing the work of others, if you're a nonfiction writer with a novel idea, or a fiction writer ready to tackle the scientific explanation of worm holes.
What is the main difference between Fiction and Nonfiction?
Fiction poses questions, whereas nonfiction answers questions.
Yes, it really is that simple.
Think back to your high school days with all those giant textbooks. They often included bold headers throughout the chapter saying something like:
Why is the sky blue?
How does Carver embody minimalist style?
What is an integer?
The paragraphs of text that followed those headers would answer the question and explain why the answer was that way.
However, this is not the case in fiction. In fiction, whether it's a short story, novella or novel, the best writers simply present us with a question.
Harper Lee posed the question of how innocence is destroyed, as well as the impacts of racism.
F. Scott Fitzgerald posed what facilitates the decline of the "American Dream".
Mary Shelley posed the question of what are the tolls in the pursuit of knowledge.
Being a fiction writer means that through your work, you uncover a question for the reader to ponder and create their own answers for. A nonfiction writer has the question predefined and uses their writing to provide answers for that problem.
It's the ultimate boiling down of the term, show don't tell, to a thematic level.
(Special Note: Memoir and other creative nonfiction [think David Sedaris and Elizabeth Gilbert] has shifted more to a fiction "pose the question, don't answer it" mentality in this post-modern time. So, if you're writing a memoir that reads like fiction, but is merely recounting factual events, please follow the thematic guidelines for fiction writing. It'll be so much more successful.)
This got me thinking. What if my blog readers wanted to join a diverse writer's group? (One that doesn't say in the description, "We're a group of YA novelists helping each other on the way to publication", not that there's anything wrong with that. In fact, if you're a YA novelist, you should join them. However, if that's not readily available around you, check out a diverse group, they're awesome.)
So, long story short, we're going to talk about the main difference between Fiction and Nonfiction.
This is great if you're critiquing the work of others, if you're a nonfiction writer with a novel idea, or a fiction writer ready to tackle the scientific explanation of worm holes.
What is the main difference between Fiction and Nonfiction?
Fiction poses questions, whereas nonfiction answers questions.
Yes, it really is that simple.
Think back to your high school days with all those giant textbooks. They often included bold headers throughout the chapter saying something like:
Why is the sky blue?
How does Carver embody minimalist style?
What is an integer?
The paragraphs of text that followed those headers would answer the question and explain why the answer was that way.
However, this is not the case in fiction. In fiction, whether it's a short story, novella or novel, the best writers simply present us with a question.
Harper Lee posed the question of how innocence is destroyed, as well as the impacts of racism.
F. Scott Fitzgerald posed what facilitates the decline of the "American Dream".
Mary Shelley posed the question of what are the tolls in the pursuit of knowledge.
Being a fiction writer means that through your work, you uncover a question for the reader to ponder and create their own answers for. A nonfiction writer has the question predefined and uses their writing to provide answers for that problem.
It's the ultimate boiling down of the term, show don't tell, to a thematic level.
(Special Note: Memoir and other creative nonfiction [think David Sedaris and Elizabeth Gilbert] has shifted more to a fiction "pose the question, don't answer it" mentality in this post-modern time. So, if you're writing a memoir that reads like fiction, but is merely recounting factual events, please follow the thematic guidelines for fiction writing. It'll be so much more successful.)
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Why We Write (AKA An Explanation for Non-Writers with Questions)
It's been a busy week for me: meeting new people, explaining that I'm a writer, trying to answer their questions when they ask what I write.
Sure, it's easy enough to tell someone about your current project, but if you're like me and you write in a variety of genres (novels, short stories, poetry, nonfiction) and also for a variety of readers (children, teens, adults), chances are the questions get deeper, especially when you're talking to a non-writer.
So how do you explain to others exactly what you write without going into a twenty minute long explanation of all you can do?
I've found a simple way to do just that. Now, it won't stop questions from the most determined person, but it seems to be an alright explanation for most people.
Why We Write:
We write to describe something new and unusual in a simple and attainable way. Or, to describe something simple and commonplace in a new and unusual way.
What exactly does this mean?
It's easiest to explain with poems. Have you ever written or read a beautiful poem about washing the dishes or dusting the TV set that made you in awe of how someone could describe something so everyday in a beautiful way that made you never look at dishes or dusting the same way? I have. That's describing something commonplace in a new way. And it's definitely needed.
On the flip side, there are situations that are unique to a subset of our population that not all of us experience in our lives. Genre fiction, like fantasy, sci-fi, and mystery are great examples of this. Fantasy writers have to introduce you to the characters of their world and the rules of their setting. This is something none of us have ever experienced before, since the author is setting up the world from scratch. However, they must do their writing in a way that makes even the most outlandish idea possible for readers to understand. In that way, they explain something new and unusual in a simple way so we don't get lost. And it's definitely needed.
So, the next time you find yourself, drink in hand, speaking with someone about what you do, feel free to use this explanation to help people understand your drive to write.
[Special Note: I'm not sure if this idea came from a famous writing quote or from a previous professor of mine. However, if you ever find the origination of this idea out there on the internet, link me in. I'm sure whomever described it first did a better job than I, and I'd love to see that!]
Sure, it's easy enough to tell someone about your current project, but if you're like me and you write in a variety of genres (novels, short stories, poetry, nonfiction) and also for a variety of readers (children, teens, adults), chances are the questions get deeper, especially when you're talking to a non-writer.
So how do you explain to others exactly what you write without going into a twenty minute long explanation of all you can do?
I've found a simple way to do just that. Now, it won't stop questions from the most determined person, but it seems to be an alright explanation for most people.
Why We Write:
We write to describe something new and unusual in a simple and attainable way. Or, to describe something simple and commonplace in a new and unusual way.
What exactly does this mean?
It's easiest to explain with poems. Have you ever written or read a beautiful poem about washing the dishes or dusting the TV set that made you in awe of how someone could describe something so everyday in a beautiful way that made you never look at dishes or dusting the same way? I have. That's describing something commonplace in a new way. And it's definitely needed.
On the flip side, there are situations that are unique to a subset of our population that not all of us experience in our lives. Genre fiction, like fantasy, sci-fi, and mystery are great examples of this. Fantasy writers have to introduce you to the characters of their world and the rules of their setting. This is something none of us have ever experienced before, since the author is setting up the world from scratch. However, they must do their writing in a way that makes even the most outlandish idea possible for readers to understand. In that way, they explain something new and unusual in a simple way so we don't get lost. And it's definitely needed.
So, the next time you find yourself, drink in hand, speaking with someone about what you do, feel free to use this explanation to help people understand your drive to write.
[Special Note: I'm not sure if this idea came from a famous writing quote or from a previous professor of mine. However, if you ever find the origination of this idea out there on the internet, link me in. I'm sure whomever described it first did a better job than I, and I'd love to see that!]
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Grabbing Readers by the Throat
I finished writing a new novel earlier this month. After letting it sit a week or so, I started rereading it, revising, and sending preliminary drafts out for critique to my writing group.
Now, you must know that the idea for this novel came to me years ago - when I was only a junior in high school. However, all the pieces didn't click together until now, when the book came rushing out of my fingers and pounded in the keys of my laptop.
When I started writing just a few months ago, I began with a sentence (like all of us do). Let's call that Sentence A.
However, when I looked over my notes, I found another beginning sentence I'd written back in high school. This is Sentence B. Not only was it completely different, but it started me almost two chapters prior in the day than what I wrote in Sentence A.
So, naturally, I decided I'd play out what happened between Sentence B and Sentence A. Five thousand words of exposition later, I had a first and second chapter cluttering up the most important part of my novel - the beginning.
It's not like that information is bad, or not useful, or even boring. Things happen. Important characters are introduced. The world is set up.
But it isn't the RIGHT information. It's not the stuff that readers need to know about the protagonist and the inciting incident right from the very first page.
In fact, one of the women in my writing group said, "It's not like Sentence B didn't grab me. It did. It took me by the hand. But Sentence A grabs me by the throat and doesn't let me go."
The strange part about all of this is that I knew that Sentence A was better. I knew that I had to start my novel there all along.
And you know too.
You know when you read through your draft that that verb is too flowery or that sentence isn't right. You know when your protagonist's monologue that stretches for three pages is way too much dialogue and not enough action. You know that you had to start with Sentence A rather than Sentence B.
That's the beauty of being a writer. All you need is within you. You can feel the self doubt creeping in, whispering "that doesn't work." You hear it, even subconsciously, and it puts this seed inside you that makes you show your work to others and ask, "Hey, what do you think of Sentence B?"
Every time (if they're not lying to save your feelings), your readers and critiquers, and yes, your agents, know that you should cut Sentence B and all that precedes it.
The power lies within you. The hard part is learning to listen to it.
The reward, however, is great. I'd much rather grab a reader by the throat and have them tearing through my novel than lead them timidly by the hand.
Now, you must know that the idea for this novel came to me years ago - when I was only a junior in high school. However, all the pieces didn't click together until now, when the book came rushing out of my fingers and pounded in the keys of my laptop.
When I started writing just a few months ago, I began with a sentence (like all of us do). Let's call that Sentence A.
However, when I looked over my notes, I found another beginning sentence I'd written back in high school. This is Sentence B. Not only was it completely different, but it started me almost two chapters prior in the day than what I wrote in Sentence A.
So, naturally, I decided I'd play out what happened between Sentence B and Sentence A. Five thousand words of exposition later, I had a first and second chapter cluttering up the most important part of my novel - the beginning.
It's not like that information is bad, or not useful, or even boring. Things happen. Important characters are introduced. The world is set up.
But it isn't the RIGHT information. It's not the stuff that readers need to know about the protagonist and the inciting incident right from the very first page.
In fact, one of the women in my writing group said, "It's not like Sentence B didn't grab me. It did. It took me by the hand. But Sentence A grabs me by the throat and doesn't let me go."
The strange part about all of this is that I knew that Sentence A was better. I knew that I had to start my novel there all along.
And you know too.
You know when you read through your draft that that verb is too flowery or that sentence isn't right. You know when your protagonist's monologue that stretches for three pages is way too much dialogue and not enough action. You know that you had to start with Sentence A rather than Sentence B.
That's the beauty of being a writer. All you need is within you. You can feel the self doubt creeping in, whispering "that doesn't work." You hear it, even subconsciously, and it puts this seed inside you that makes you show your work to others and ask, "Hey, what do you think of Sentence B?"
Every time (if they're not lying to save your feelings), your readers and critiquers, and yes, your agents, know that you should cut Sentence B and all that precedes it.
The power lies within you. The hard part is learning to listen to it.
The reward, however, is great. I'd much rather grab a reader by the throat and have them tearing through my novel than lead them timidly by the hand.
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Space, The First Frontier for Writers. (AKA, another super-late post, Sorry!)
Sorry for the radio silence this week, guys. Chalk it up to another super late post tally.
To make it up to you, I can only offer this one simple image that I think we can all relate to. It pretty much sums up this week for me:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/476326098070182263/
Want more where that came from along with witty motivation and cool idea starters? Check me out on Pinterest!
To make it up to you, I can only offer this one simple image that I think we can all relate to. It pretty much sums up this week for me:
Want more where that came from along with witty motivation and cool idea starters? Check me out on Pinterest!
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Novel Tips: A Blog on Writing
This week I'd like to share with you another resource that you can use to grow your knowledge in the craft and help make your book ready for publication.
When I lived in Wisconsin, I had a writing mentor named Laurel Yourke. That's right, the same Laurel Yourke who wrote the 2000 book on writing: Take Your Characters to Dinner.
If you were to ask her now, as I have, what she thinks of that book, she'll implore that you never read it and don't even look it up. Like what's so true for many of us, she hates the mention of a work she did so long ago that she would do completely differently if she was allowed to rewrite it in the present.
I know I have the same problem. I take a look at the first novel I wrote at age 12 and grimace. How could I think that was good writing? How could people encourage me to keep writing after they read that slop?
The point is, they did encourage me. And I never could have arrived where I am today without them, Laurel included.
In respect for her, I won't tell you to read her 2000 book on writing (which I linked above, by the way), but I will suggest that you take a few moment and peruse her blog. It's main audience is for those who write novels - but there's awesome craft tips on there any writer would be grateful for.
She does a format much like myself - a post each week - so don't be afraid to rustle deep within the archives. It's all golden there.
Here's the link one more time. It's titled Novel Tips. http://noveltips.blogspot.com/
When I lived in Wisconsin, I had a writing mentor named Laurel Yourke. That's right, the same Laurel Yourke who wrote the 2000 book on writing: Take Your Characters to Dinner.
If you were to ask her now, as I have, what she thinks of that book, she'll implore that you never read it and don't even look it up. Like what's so true for many of us, she hates the mention of a work she did so long ago that she would do completely differently if she was allowed to rewrite it in the present.
I know I have the same problem. I take a look at the first novel I wrote at age 12 and grimace. How could I think that was good writing? How could people encourage me to keep writing after they read that slop?
The point is, they did encourage me. And I never could have arrived where I am today without them, Laurel included.
In respect for her, I won't tell you to read her 2000 book on writing (which I linked above, by the way), but I will suggest that you take a few moment and peruse her blog. It's main audience is for those who write novels - but there's awesome craft tips on there any writer would be grateful for.
She does a format much like myself - a post each week - so don't be afraid to rustle deep within the archives. It's all golden there.
Here's the link one more time. It's titled Novel Tips. http://noveltips.blogspot.com/
Thursday, March 3, 2016
I Believe, I Believe, I Believe! (AKA Weak Words You Need To Cut Now)
You may think that your editing ceases with punctuation and passive voice. Think again. There are many writer pitfalls that are acceptable in the real world, but not so in fiction. Take a look at my compilation of weak words and phrases you need to cut from your writing right NOW to take it to the next level.
(P.S. don't know what I mean when I say passive voice? Check out this previous post.)
#1: I feel/ I believe/ I think
Reason: It Kills Tension
These are extraneous words we use in dialogue so we don't sound too arrogant on a day to day basis. Women especially have problems over using these words in writing because we're taught not to be "bossy" by our society. However, the best and most tense fiction is bossy. The reader picked up your book because they want you to be the boss of your story and to share that story with them.
Solution:
If you had: "I believe that's an excellent point"
Change it to: "That's an excellent point."
Note: The only acceptable reason I feel/ I believe/ I think should enter your word count is if it's in dialogue and it is used for characterization. So, if you're making an insecure character who is unsure about sharing her thoughts, having her constantly say I feel/ I believe/ I think would make sense. Just make sure it's done enough that it doesn't seem like a sloppy mistake.
#2: Very
Reason: Useless
Prolific author Florence King once said, "“Very” is the most useless word in the English language and can always come out. More than useless, it is treacherous because it invariably weakens what it is intended to strengthen. For example, would you rather hear the mincing shallowness of “I love you very much” or the heart-slamming intensity of “I love you”?" (http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/341956-very-is-the-most-useless-word-in-the-english-language) That sums it up nicely. "Very" not only is completely unnecessary for your fiction, but it may even lower its quality.
Solution:
You can simply cut "very" from your piece entirely like Ms. King suggests or pull out your thesaurus. Did you write "very afraid"? Switch it to "terrified". How about "very large"? Change it to "enormous".
#3: Really
Reason: Useless
So there might not be a quote with this one, but "really" falls under the same trap. It's vague and, quite frankly, doesn't serve a purpose.
Solution:
Rather than writing: "Amanda really did well in the spelling bee."
Write: "Amanda did well in the spelling bee."
Same impact, better execution.
#4: People
Reason: Vague
Could anything be more unspecific than "people"? With all the shapes, sizes, genders, races, ethnicities, and smells we come in, why confine yourself to the vaguest of vague pronouns? You can do better.
Solution:
See your scene and your characters. Rather than writing, "A person walked past the window" say "A squat man walked past the window" or "A weeping child that smelled of porridge walked past the window".
I can hear you protesting already, "I used the word 'people' because that person isn't a main or supporting character, they're just passing through." After I ask you to seriously consider why you even have this tidbit of info in your scene if that's the case (seriously. Think...), I would still implore that "people" is unacceptable. Write, "a girl walked past the window." Or "a shadow passed the window." Resorting to "people" is like saying "Shakespeare had a thing on his desk." A thing? A THING? What thing? It's distracting in its vagueness. Your readers deserve more.
Now that you're armed with the tools to cut out tension killers, as well as vague and useless words, get back to it. After you're confident seeking them out in finished work to destroy them, it'll become second nature not to use them in your first drafts as well.
(P.S. don't know what I mean when I say passive voice? Check out this previous post.)
#1: I feel/ I believe/ I think
Reason: It Kills Tension
These are extraneous words we use in dialogue so we don't sound too arrogant on a day to day basis. Women especially have problems over using these words in writing because we're taught not to be "bossy" by our society. However, the best and most tense fiction is bossy. The reader picked up your book because they want you to be the boss of your story and to share that story with them.
Solution:
If you had: "I believe that's an excellent point"
Change it to: "That's an excellent point."
Note: The only acceptable reason I feel/ I believe/ I think should enter your word count is if it's in dialogue and it is used for characterization. So, if you're making an insecure character who is unsure about sharing her thoughts, having her constantly say I feel/ I believe/ I think would make sense. Just make sure it's done enough that it doesn't seem like a sloppy mistake.
#2: Very
Reason: Useless
Prolific author Florence King once said, "“Very” is the most useless word in the English language and can always come out. More than useless, it is treacherous because it invariably weakens what it is intended to strengthen. For example, would you rather hear the mincing shallowness of “I love you very much” or the heart-slamming intensity of “I love you”?" (http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/341956-very-is-the-most-useless-word-in-the-english-language) That sums it up nicely. "Very" not only is completely unnecessary for your fiction, but it may even lower its quality.
Solution:
You can simply cut "very" from your piece entirely like Ms. King suggests or pull out your thesaurus. Did you write "very afraid"? Switch it to "terrified". How about "very large"? Change it to "enormous".
#3: Really
Reason: Useless
So there might not be a quote with this one, but "really" falls under the same trap. It's vague and, quite frankly, doesn't serve a purpose.
Solution:
Rather than writing: "Amanda really did well in the spelling bee."
Write: "Amanda did well in the spelling bee."
Same impact, better execution.
#4: People
Reason: Vague
Could anything be more unspecific than "people"? With all the shapes, sizes, genders, races, ethnicities, and smells we come in, why confine yourself to the vaguest of vague pronouns? You can do better.
Solution:
See your scene and your characters. Rather than writing, "A person walked past the window" say "A squat man walked past the window" or "A weeping child that smelled of porridge walked past the window".
I can hear you protesting already, "I used the word 'people' because that person isn't a main or supporting character, they're just passing through." After I ask you to seriously consider why you even have this tidbit of info in your scene if that's the case (seriously. Think...), I would still implore that "people" is unacceptable. Write, "a girl walked past the window." Or "a shadow passed the window." Resorting to "people" is like saying "Shakespeare had a thing on his desk." A thing? A THING? What thing? It's distracting in its vagueness. Your readers deserve more.
Now that you're armed with the tools to cut out tension killers, as well as vague and useless words, get back to it. After you're confident seeking them out in finished work to destroy them, it'll become second nature not to use them in your first drafts as well.
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Cutting Out the Excess for Success
I've been thinking a lot about excess. It all started this past Thanksgiving. As many faithful blog readers know, I moved from Wisconsin to North Carolina this year, and Thanksgiving was the first holiday we had the chance to celebrate in our new home.
However, if you follow me on Pinterest you also know that I've been a dedicated vegan since 2014. So, needless to say, Turkey Day being the killing and eating of turkeys rather than a day to celebrate their individuality really put a damper on my mood to begin with. Then, I learned that my family was planning to serve not one but TWO 15+ pound turkeys, plus a spiral ham and five pounds of pulled pork barbecue. When only 10 out of our 11 guests ate meat, and two of them were children, this seemed like a ludicrous amount of food (not to mention the 12 sides and 5 types of desserts) to feed less than a dozen people for one meal.
I kept asking, "Why do we need so much? Why can't we do with one turkey or one type of pork instead of causing so much waste and death?" And the only answer I ever got was, "Because it's Thanksgiving."
Directly after Thanksgiving follows Christmas, where again the talk of giant amounts of food reigned supreme. More turkeys, pork tenderloin, beef brisket, potatoes and stuffing and green beans and cheesy mac, one yellow cake, one cheesecake, one gluten free pudding cake, two pies, three different kinds of sugar cookies and four other types of candies and cookies were made and served to not 11 people, but 6.
And directly following dinner, there were presents - mounds and mounds of things we really didn't need to survive, which filled two black garbage bags of torn wrapping paper and ribbons all destined for the landfill.
Something within me shifted this past holiday season. For New Years I made a personal resolution (separate from my writing resolution, which you can find here) to cut back on how much trash I produce and to really think about the food I consume and waste.
I urge you to do the same, if not in your life, then at least in your writing. As I write my new novel, I've employed a minimalist mindset to my words. Why use three words to describe something you can say in one? Why use two scenes to farther the plot when condensing them is possible and allows for a faster tone of pace for your novel, ratcheting up the tension?
If you think about it, what do all your favorite books have in common?
They keep you interested!
The plot moves and the characters sizzle and the tension keeps you wound tight into the pages like the curly ribbon on a Christmas present.
One way you can achieve this same interest is by cutting back the excess in your work. Take out dialogue tags that aren't needed. Use only one simile in this paragraph rather than two. The concept applies to every aspect of the craft.
I've found that cutting back the excess in my life and only keeping what functions or what makes me really happy has helped me to relax more and be more creative. I no longer feel like I'm wasting time or things. I no longer have anxiety that I need to clean and tidy and straighten all the time because there are fewer things that can get out of place.
Why wouldn't you want the same feeling for your novel?
So, the next time you write - condense, condense, condense - and the next time you throw a party, how about cutting out one excess meat option just for me and animals :)
However, if you follow me on Pinterest you also know that I've been a dedicated vegan since 2014. So, needless to say, Turkey Day being the killing and eating of turkeys rather than a day to celebrate their individuality really put a damper on my mood to begin with. Then, I learned that my family was planning to serve not one but TWO 15+ pound turkeys, plus a spiral ham and five pounds of pulled pork barbecue. When only 10 out of our 11 guests ate meat, and two of them were children, this seemed like a ludicrous amount of food (not to mention the 12 sides and 5 types of desserts) to feed less than a dozen people for one meal.
I kept asking, "Why do we need so much? Why can't we do with one turkey or one type of pork instead of causing so much waste and death?" And the only answer I ever got was, "Because it's Thanksgiving."
Directly after Thanksgiving follows Christmas, where again the talk of giant amounts of food reigned supreme. More turkeys, pork tenderloin, beef brisket, potatoes and stuffing and green beans and cheesy mac, one yellow cake, one cheesecake, one gluten free pudding cake, two pies, three different kinds of sugar cookies and four other types of candies and cookies were made and served to not 11 people, but 6.
And directly following dinner, there were presents - mounds and mounds of things we really didn't need to survive, which filled two black garbage bags of torn wrapping paper and ribbons all destined for the landfill.
Something within me shifted this past holiday season. For New Years I made a personal resolution (separate from my writing resolution, which you can find here) to cut back on how much trash I produce and to really think about the food I consume and waste.
I urge you to do the same, if not in your life, then at least in your writing. As I write my new novel, I've employed a minimalist mindset to my words. Why use three words to describe something you can say in one? Why use two scenes to farther the plot when condensing them is possible and allows for a faster tone of pace for your novel, ratcheting up the tension?
If you think about it, what do all your favorite books have in common?
They keep you interested!
The plot moves and the characters sizzle and the tension keeps you wound tight into the pages like the curly ribbon on a Christmas present.
One way you can achieve this same interest is by cutting back the excess in your work. Take out dialogue tags that aren't needed. Use only one simile in this paragraph rather than two. The concept applies to every aspect of the craft.
I've found that cutting back the excess in my life and only keeping what functions or what makes me really happy has helped me to relax more and be more creative. I no longer feel like I'm wasting time or things. I no longer have anxiety that I need to clean and tidy and straighten all the time because there are fewer things that can get out of place.
Why wouldn't you want the same feeling for your novel?
So, the next time you write - condense, condense, condense - and the next time you throw a party, how about cutting out one excess meat option just for me and animals :)
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
BONUS POST: Where Are You Taking Me? (AKA the "But When" method)
Here it is, the bonus post. Earlier today we talked about setting in this post and right now, we're going to do a short rundown on plot.
One of the biggest reasons agents and publishers turn down beautifully written work is because the characters don't go anywhere or do anything. There's no external conflict. Nothing HAPPENS. What all this boils down to is - there's no plot.
Often, the easiest time to see whether or not plot exists is when you're writing a query. Here, you have a scant three sentences - a single paragraph if you're pushing it - to tell an agent why they should take on your book in their limited roster. Ideally, you should be able to summarize the main plot line in your novel in a single sentence.
When you do this exercise, it's very easy to discover if you've got plot or if it's sorely missing. If your sentence reads something like this, you may be in trouble:
Peasant Gretchen wants more than anything to be a knight, even though she's a woman, so she sets out on a quest to prove her bravery.
Okay, we know this story is about Gretchen, a peasant with lofty goals, but we know little about the conflict she will face. This story could easily get lost wandering in circles in the enchanted forest.
Instead, employ the "but when" method. Take a look at this plot line:
Peasant Gretchen wants more than anything to be a knight, even though she's a woman, so she sets out on a quest to prove her bravery, but when a dragon attacks her home, leaving her father crippled, she must decide between following her dreams or doing what is best for her family.
Now, we know the character: Gretchen the peasant.
We know her deepest desire: To be a knight.
We know the inciting incident: A dragon attacks Gretchen's home.
We know the conflict: She must decide between going home to help her crippled father or committing to becoming a knight.
What we also know is that a plot line exists - at least the beginnings of one - and most likely agents and readers will want to read more to figure out how this conflict resolves.
Try the "but when" method with your own novel in progress and see if you've got a plot worthy of publication or if you're still meandering around the same safe enchanted shrub.
One of the biggest reasons agents and publishers turn down beautifully written work is because the characters don't go anywhere or do anything. There's no external conflict. Nothing HAPPENS. What all this boils down to is - there's no plot.
Often, the easiest time to see whether or not plot exists is when you're writing a query. Here, you have a scant three sentences - a single paragraph if you're pushing it - to tell an agent why they should take on your book in their limited roster. Ideally, you should be able to summarize the main plot line in your novel in a single sentence.
When you do this exercise, it's very easy to discover if you've got plot or if it's sorely missing. If your sentence reads something like this, you may be in trouble:
Peasant Gretchen wants more than anything to be a knight, even though she's a woman, so she sets out on a quest to prove her bravery.
Okay, we know this story is about Gretchen, a peasant with lofty goals, but we know little about the conflict she will face. This story could easily get lost wandering in circles in the enchanted forest.
Instead, employ the "but when" method. Take a look at this plot line:
Peasant Gretchen wants more than anything to be a knight, even though she's a woman, so she sets out on a quest to prove her bravery, but when a dragon attacks her home, leaving her father crippled, she must decide between following her dreams or doing what is best for her family.
Now, we know the character: Gretchen the peasant.
We know her deepest desire: To be a knight.
We know the inciting incident: A dragon attacks Gretchen's home.
We know the conflict: She must decide between going home to help her crippled father or committing to becoming a knight.
What we also know is that a plot line exists - at least the beginnings of one - and most likely agents and readers will want to read more to figure out how this conflict resolves.
Try the "but when" method with your own novel in progress and see if you've got a plot worthy of publication or if you're still meandering around the same safe enchanted shrub.
How to Craft An Engaging Fantasy World
Sorry about the radio (or blog) silence last week, faithful scribes. I had my wisdom teeth and a molar removed and lost track of my regular life for a little while.
However, I'm back! And for your patience, I'm doing two posts this week to make up for it. The Bonus Post will follow this post shortly, so keep your eyes peeled.
Now, to get down to the real reason you're here. Do you love fantasy novels?
I sure do. I remember falling in love with them as a middle schooler when I read a plethora of fantasy and magical realism novels. Some of my favorites that still stand out to this day include:
The Skull of Truth by Bruce Coville
Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
The Wayside School books by Louis Sachar
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
...and many many more that I read and that are no doubt stuck back there in my subconscious, guiding me everyday.
Have you ever coveted the ability of these books and others to stick so strongly in the minds of readers? How do these authors make everything so vivid, so readers never want to leave the lands they've discovered there? What makes a novel worth reading again and again?
Characterization, plot, and description all have a little something to do with it, but especially in the fantasy genre, setting reigns key. So, today, I'm going to share with you a few ways to improve your fantasy world and make it more engaging so readers are immersed and never want to leave.
1. Draw a Map: You've probably seen maps in the front or back of epic fantasy novels (think LOTR) to help characters know where everything is placed and how it fits together. Maps are especially important if your characters are going journeying through the land and the reader needs to keep track of many locations and cities. However, maps are also great for stand-alone novels that take place in a single town. You don't have to be an artist, a simple, sloppy stick-figure map is great so you can look back at it and remember where the grocery store is, the blacksmith, and especially how to get back to the enchanted sword the protagonist buried in chapter 6.
2. Write a Bible: The best story worlds are so engaging because there are clear rules that the characters must follow or there will be consequences. Now, you can't have consequences if you don't first know the rules of your own world. Sit down and write a bible for your land. What are the steadfast rules that cannot be broken? Who has magic and who doesn't? Why? Explore every possibility back to the Old Testament where wars were waged and won and lost to shape the world your protagonist inhabits now. One word of warning, though; if you write your bible before your begin your first draft, make sure you're flexible to changing it. Some rules might be tweaked or made more rigid in the writing process and you'll need to be able to change your bible to fit accordingly. You can do this because YOU are the god of this fantasy world. YOU make the laws. No one will come and smite you unless you do it yourself.
3. Info Dump: After you've drawn your map and written your bible, go ahead and open a new blank page. Info dump all over the place there. Tell us the history of this holy site and all the smells, feels, and sights of your protagonist's bedroom. Get all the exposition out of the way here, too. Really go nuts. Now that you've gotten it out of your system, open a completely different blank page and begin your first draft for your novel. Allowing yourself to have that info dump moment allows you as the writer to get familiar with the fantasy world and its characters before you bring readers into the mix. Now, you can pick and choose sparingly which details you're going to include where - so the story unfolds naturally and the reader meets and acquaints himself with your world in due time. You'll be able to write more freely because you won't be worried about forgetting some detail or leaving out too much because you've got it all saved in a separate document that will never see the light of day.
4. Steal From the Real World: If you're writing a novel with integrated fantasy elements or magical realism, this is a no-brainer. Your story could be set in Indiana or Scotland or some other real tangible place. Go ahead and steal that. Even if you're writing an epic fantasy in a new world of your creation, think of places you've been that may give you concrete details from our real world. The supermarket, for example, or the doctor's office. Maybe you have a favorite stream in your hometown your protagonist goes to think by. Steal from the real world because it gives readers something familiar to relate to. However, even if you are basing your setting in a real world place, remember that you're writing a fantasy novel. Go ahead and infuse the fantastical. Make up a new and interesting coffee shop where the cups float to you when your order's ready. Have dragons and rainbow colored goats walking the London streets. Take from the real world and the usual and make it something amazing.
So, that's it! My steadfast rules to helping flesh out a fantasy world. Even if you don't employ them all, using just one or two will help you to better understand your world and its rules and history. It will help you write better, deeper material, even if you're writing a picture book. It may also help you to uncover avenues of adventure you'd never thought of before.
Before long, yours could be the next book causing people to stay up way past their bedtime, engrossed in your world.
However, I'm back! And for your patience, I'm doing two posts this week to make up for it. The Bonus Post will follow this post shortly, so keep your eyes peeled.
Now, to get down to the real reason you're here. Do you love fantasy novels?
I sure do. I remember falling in love with them as a middle schooler when I read a plethora of fantasy and magical realism novels. Some of my favorites that still stand out to this day include:
The Skull of Truth by Bruce Coville
Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
The Wayside School books by Louis Sachar
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
...and many many more that I read and that are no doubt stuck back there in my subconscious, guiding me everyday.
Have you ever coveted the ability of these books and others to stick so strongly in the minds of readers? How do these authors make everything so vivid, so readers never want to leave the lands they've discovered there? What makes a novel worth reading again and again?
Characterization, plot, and description all have a little something to do with it, but especially in the fantasy genre, setting reigns key. So, today, I'm going to share with you a few ways to improve your fantasy world and make it more engaging so readers are immersed and never want to leave.
1. Draw a Map: You've probably seen maps in the front or back of epic fantasy novels (think LOTR) to help characters know where everything is placed and how it fits together. Maps are especially important if your characters are going journeying through the land and the reader needs to keep track of many locations and cities. However, maps are also great for stand-alone novels that take place in a single town. You don't have to be an artist, a simple, sloppy stick-figure map is great so you can look back at it and remember where the grocery store is, the blacksmith, and especially how to get back to the enchanted sword the protagonist buried in chapter 6.
2. Write a Bible: The best story worlds are so engaging because there are clear rules that the characters must follow or there will be consequences. Now, you can't have consequences if you don't first know the rules of your own world. Sit down and write a bible for your land. What are the steadfast rules that cannot be broken? Who has magic and who doesn't? Why? Explore every possibility back to the Old Testament where wars were waged and won and lost to shape the world your protagonist inhabits now. One word of warning, though; if you write your bible before your begin your first draft, make sure you're flexible to changing it. Some rules might be tweaked or made more rigid in the writing process and you'll need to be able to change your bible to fit accordingly. You can do this because YOU are the god of this fantasy world. YOU make the laws. No one will come and smite you unless you do it yourself.
3. Info Dump: After you've drawn your map and written your bible, go ahead and open a new blank page. Info dump all over the place there. Tell us the history of this holy site and all the smells, feels, and sights of your protagonist's bedroom. Get all the exposition out of the way here, too. Really go nuts. Now that you've gotten it out of your system, open a completely different blank page and begin your first draft for your novel. Allowing yourself to have that info dump moment allows you as the writer to get familiar with the fantasy world and its characters before you bring readers into the mix. Now, you can pick and choose sparingly which details you're going to include where - so the story unfolds naturally and the reader meets and acquaints himself with your world in due time. You'll be able to write more freely because you won't be worried about forgetting some detail or leaving out too much because you've got it all saved in a separate document that will never see the light of day.
4. Steal From the Real World: If you're writing a novel with integrated fantasy elements or magical realism, this is a no-brainer. Your story could be set in Indiana or Scotland or some other real tangible place. Go ahead and steal that. Even if you're writing an epic fantasy in a new world of your creation, think of places you've been that may give you concrete details from our real world. The supermarket, for example, or the doctor's office. Maybe you have a favorite stream in your hometown your protagonist goes to think by. Steal from the real world because it gives readers something familiar to relate to. However, even if you are basing your setting in a real world place, remember that you're writing a fantasy novel. Go ahead and infuse the fantastical. Make up a new and interesting coffee shop where the cups float to you when your order's ready. Have dragons and rainbow colored goats walking the London streets. Take from the real world and the usual and make it something amazing.
So, that's it! My steadfast rules to helping flesh out a fantasy world. Even if you don't employ them all, using just one or two will help you to better understand your world and its rules and history. It will help you write better, deeper material, even if you're writing a picture book. It may also help you to uncover avenues of adventure you'd never thought of before.
Before long, yours could be the next book causing people to stay up way past their bedtime, engrossed in your world.
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Three Ways to Improve Stale Dialogue
There's a couple of bird feeders out my window by my desk. All day I stare out and watch the hierarchy of birds congregate.
First, the feeders are mostly taken over by chickadees and finches. Mourning doves flutter from the trees to the ground, catching and plucking seeds and nuts cast out of the feeders. Then, the cardinals wake and they take over, scaring away all but the bravest and most camouflaged small birds. But, as we learned from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, there's always a bigger fish...I mean bird.
A giant woodpecker flutters in during the hottest part of the day and scares every bird - even the bullying cardinals. He's so big, he has to hang from the bottom of the feeder and lift his head up and around to get to the seeds.
This hierarchy is fascinating (and sometimes distracting) to watch. However, it also reveals a lot about character. The little birds line up along the bird feeder pole, waiting for an open perch. They peck at each other and squawk to get the other birds to move out of the way. Sometimes, there are even mid-air fights for perches.
Of course, you've always got your quiet mourning doves at the base of the feeders, eating contentedly from the ground.
All this witnessing of wild birds got me thinking about dialogue. It is arguably one of - if not the - most important aspect of fiction writing. Dialogue allows you to characterize your main and sub characters. It reveals setting and plot and red herrings. It can do it all -- including go horribly, horribly wrong.
If dialogue is stale and uninteresting, chances are people are going to put down your book and agents won't offer representation.
No one wants that. So, here are three ways to improve your dialogue and make it more dynamic and interesting:
1. Sub-context: Using sub-context is one of my favorite dialogue hacks. Basically, you make the conversation about what isn't said. So, your characters could be discussing a family trip they're planning, but the conversation is actually about how dysfunctional the family is and how absent the father has always been.
Ex:
Sam: I'm glad you're actually going to make this camping trip. That's a first in, what, six years?
Dad: It's the first time you've planned something interesting.
Sam: Niagara Falls, sharp shooting practice, crystal caves - those weren't interesting?
Dad: How about we stick to the important stuff this time? A real RV. Running water that isn't from a waterfall. Being together.
Sam: If we don't kill each other before this is over.
2. Make it funny: Humor is one of those illusive but essential parts of novels. Agents always say they want it, readers crave it, but it's difficult to nail. However, humor can really punch your dialogue to the next level. Usually, it works best if one of your characters is the sarcastic one-liner. Think Han Solo in Star Wars. It keeps things interesting and gives the other characters ideas off which to springboard important plot information.
Ex:
Bodhi: I can't believe Sir Hangnon turned Minen into a pig.
Josh: It fits him.
Rocky: If only he kept the snout when he came back. It would have helped him keep his long nose out of our business.
3. Shut your characters up: Believe it or not, there's more information conveyed by what isn't said than by what is. Readers are perceptive because this is most often the type of dialogue we experience in real life. Humans keep their emotional cards close to their chests and they rarely say everything that they mean. Your characters should do the same. So, rather than revert to stale dialogue, try having your characters emote through action.
Ex:
Hannah: See? Carving pumpkins wasn't so bad. Now we just have to do the other one for the second stoop-
Gill: I've really got to get going.
Hannah traced her fingers over the side of the pumpkin. She sighed, then laid the plastic carving tool on the table and picked up her purse.
Most importantly, never use dialogue to tell your reader anything. Dialogue is a tool meant to show, and that's when it's at its most magical. Allow your characters to speak freely, and to hold back what they might want to say instead. It allows your reader to uncover the character naturally without being told what to feel and who to believe.
It also makes the story much more interesting - think of the misconceptions that could come about from things left unsaid. Think of the mid-air fights for feeder perches. Dialogue reveals the inner most depths of a character, and when done correctly, allows for insanity to ensue.
First, the feeders are mostly taken over by chickadees and finches. Mourning doves flutter from the trees to the ground, catching and plucking seeds and nuts cast out of the feeders. Then, the cardinals wake and they take over, scaring away all but the bravest and most camouflaged small birds. But, as we learned from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, there's always a bigger fish...I mean bird.
A giant woodpecker flutters in during the hottest part of the day and scares every bird - even the bullying cardinals. He's so big, he has to hang from the bottom of the feeder and lift his head up and around to get to the seeds.
This hierarchy is fascinating (and sometimes distracting) to watch. However, it also reveals a lot about character. The little birds line up along the bird feeder pole, waiting for an open perch. They peck at each other and squawk to get the other birds to move out of the way. Sometimes, there are even mid-air fights for perches.
Of course, you've always got your quiet mourning doves at the base of the feeders, eating contentedly from the ground.
All this witnessing of wild birds got me thinking about dialogue. It is arguably one of - if not the - most important aspect of fiction writing. Dialogue allows you to characterize your main and sub characters. It reveals setting and plot and red herrings. It can do it all -- including go horribly, horribly wrong.
If dialogue is stale and uninteresting, chances are people are going to put down your book and agents won't offer representation.
No one wants that. So, here are three ways to improve your dialogue and make it more dynamic and interesting:
1. Sub-context: Using sub-context is one of my favorite dialogue hacks. Basically, you make the conversation about what isn't said. So, your characters could be discussing a family trip they're planning, but the conversation is actually about how dysfunctional the family is and how absent the father has always been.
Ex:
Sam: I'm glad you're actually going to make this camping trip. That's a first in, what, six years?
Dad: It's the first time you've planned something interesting.
Sam: Niagara Falls, sharp shooting practice, crystal caves - those weren't interesting?
Dad: How about we stick to the important stuff this time? A real RV. Running water that isn't from a waterfall. Being together.
Sam: If we don't kill each other before this is over.
2. Make it funny: Humor is one of those illusive but essential parts of novels. Agents always say they want it, readers crave it, but it's difficult to nail. However, humor can really punch your dialogue to the next level. Usually, it works best if one of your characters is the sarcastic one-liner. Think Han Solo in Star Wars. It keeps things interesting and gives the other characters ideas off which to springboard important plot information.
Ex:
Bodhi: I can't believe Sir Hangnon turned Minen into a pig.
Josh: It fits him.
Rocky: If only he kept the snout when he came back. It would have helped him keep his long nose out of our business.
3. Shut your characters up: Believe it or not, there's more information conveyed by what isn't said than by what is. Readers are perceptive because this is most often the type of dialogue we experience in real life. Humans keep their emotional cards close to their chests and they rarely say everything that they mean. Your characters should do the same. So, rather than revert to stale dialogue, try having your characters emote through action.
Ex:
Hannah: See? Carving pumpkins wasn't so bad. Now we just have to do the other one for the second stoop-
Gill: I've really got to get going.
Hannah traced her fingers over the side of the pumpkin. She sighed, then laid the plastic carving tool on the table and picked up her purse.
Most importantly, never use dialogue to tell your reader anything. Dialogue is a tool meant to show, and that's when it's at its most magical. Allow your characters to speak freely, and to hold back what they might want to say instead. It allows your reader to uncover the character naturally without being told what to feel and who to believe.
It also makes the story much more interesting - think of the misconceptions that could come about from things left unsaid. Think of the mid-air fights for feeder perches. Dialogue reveals the inner most depths of a character, and when done correctly, allows for insanity to ensue.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
How to Integrate More Detail and Imagery In Your Scenes
I used to be so good at including strong imagery and detail in my scenes. Perhaps as I age, I take these aspects in a scene for granted, just as I know the smell of my quilt at night or the sweat of a faux leather couch in summer. It just seems common place.
However, it's these common place elements that create concrete settings for your readers.
Today, I'll share with you a little technique I've started using so I make sure not to forget to add these all important details.
It's actually quite simple:
For every new scene, write down these five things:
What can my character see?
What can my character hear?
What can my character touch?
What can my character taste?
What can my character smell?
It's so rudimentary, it's almost like the worksheets they used to give us in first grade when we were still learning how to identify our own feelings. But I promise you that if you take the time for each new place and setting to write down a few things for each category, you'll feel more confident as a writer, and you'll have a better sense where your characters are standing.
Let's say you have a conversation between a father and his daughter's new boyfriend taking place in the garage. Now, this scene could probably go down with little information and be just fine. Let's say the only thing your reader knows of the space is that the floor is cement and the family car is parked inside.
Can the scene be written well with this little detail?
Of course. But if you want to add layers of depth to your writing and make your reader feel immersed, consider the advantage of concrete detail.
For example:
Your characters can see an old neon Budweiser sign flashing on and off in glowing red light.
They can hear the father lighting his pipe with a suction sound.
They can touch the unfinished walls and the metal tools that are cool due to the fall weather.
They can taste the tobacco and the crispness of fall leaves coming through the open garage door.
They can smell used oil and the citrus scent of the father's grease cutting hand soap at the sink.
Now, it's important I point out here that you don't need to use all five of the senses to achieve a realistic and immersive scene. In fact, it's better that you don't overwhelm your reader with a million little comments about the setting and take away from the dialogue and stage action.
You may choose to include the sensory elements that best characterize the father in this situation or that are most glaringly obvious to the boyfriend.
So, the boyfriend will probably hear and make note of the father's pipe and the suction sound it makes while he lights it because it causes an uncomfortable lull in conversation. He'll probably also notice the Budweiser sign flashing like a warning light in a sinking submarine. He may even smell the citrus soap under the reek of tobacco.
He will most likely not include the taste sense, and if he does include touch, it will be subtler than the other elements already presented.
Remember too as you write that these details should be splattered through the text as the scene progresses rather than as an "info dump" or "exposition" at the very beginning when the duo enters the garage.
All it takes is a little detail to ratchet your scene up another notch. Try it in your next piece of writing and see how much you learn about the place and characters within it just from the senses they experience.
However, it's these common place elements that create concrete settings for your readers.
Today, I'll share with you a little technique I've started using so I make sure not to forget to add these all important details.
It's actually quite simple:
For every new scene, write down these five things:
What can my character see?
What can my character hear?
What can my character touch?
What can my character taste?
What can my character smell?
It's so rudimentary, it's almost like the worksheets they used to give us in first grade when we were still learning how to identify our own feelings. But I promise you that if you take the time for each new place and setting to write down a few things for each category, you'll feel more confident as a writer, and you'll have a better sense where your characters are standing.
Let's say you have a conversation between a father and his daughter's new boyfriend taking place in the garage. Now, this scene could probably go down with little information and be just fine. Let's say the only thing your reader knows of the space is that the floor is cement and the family car is parked inside.
Can the scene be written well with this little detail?
Of course. But if you want to add layers of depth to your writing and make your reader feel immersed, consider the advantage of concrete detail.
For example:
Your characters can see an old neon Budweiser sign flashing on and off in glowing red light.
They can hear the father lighting his pipe with a suction sound.
They can touch the unfinished walls and the metal tools that are cool due to the fall weather.
They can taste the tobacco and the crispness of fall leaves coming through the open garage door.
They can smell used oil and the citrus scent of the father's grease cutting hand soap at the sink.
Now, it's important I point out here that you don't need to use all five of the senses to achieve a realistic and immersive scene. In fact, it's better that you don't overwhelm your reader with a million little comments about the setting and take away from the dialogue and stage action.
You may choose to include the sensory elements that best characterize the father in this situation or that are most glaringly obvious to the boyfriend.
So, the boyfriend will probably hear and make note of the father's pipe and the suction sound it makes while he lights it because it causes an uncomfortable lull in conversation. He'll probably also notice the Budweiser sign flashing like a warning light in a sinking submarine. He may even smell the citrus soap under the reek of tobacco.
He will most likely not include the taste sense, and if he does include touch, it will be subtler than the other elements already presented.
Remember too as you write that these details should be splattered through the text as the scene progresses rather than as an "info dump" or "exposition" at the very beginning when the duo enters the garage.
All it takes is a little detail to ratchet your scene up another notch. Try it in your next piece of writing and see how much you learn about the place and characters within it just from the senses they experience.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Market: Ekphrastic Challenge - Rattle Magazine
Many of you know I am an artist as well as a writer. In fact, many pieces of writing inspire me to create art and many pieces of art inspire me to write a short story or poem.
If you find yourself in the same boat, may I suggest a relatively new market from Rattle, a poetry magazine.
If you go here you can read the guidelines for their monthly Ekphrastic Challenge.
Basically, each month they post a new image of photography or artwork and ask poets to craft poems that are inspired by them. The artist picks their favorite and it is published, and an editor also picks their favorite and it is published.
It's also a fantastic writing prompt to get your muse going on a sluggish creative day.
So, head over to Rattle poetry and see if this month's image inspires your writer brain. If you happen to get a poem out of it, why not submit?
If you find yourself in the same boat, may I suggest a relatively new market from Rattle, a poetry magazine.
If you go here you can read the guidelines for their monthly Ekphrastic Challenge.
Basically, each month they post a new image of photography or artwork and ask poets to craft poems that are inspired by them. The artist picks their favorite and it is published, and an editor also picks their favorite and it is published.
It's also a fantastic writing prompt to get your muse going on a sluggish creative day.
So, head over to Rattle poetry and see if this month's image inspires your writer brain. If you happen to get a poem out of it, why not submit?
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Mastering the Slight of Hand
Writers often have to be many different people when they're in writing mode. There's your creator hat, your editor hat, your researcher hat...the list goes on and on.
Today, I am going to ask you to don yet one more personality. The Magician.
Being a magician when you write is very important for one essential aspect of a good story: the slight of hand.
With this method, you introduce important plot information in one hand, but as the magician, you distract the reader's attention with your other hand. It's the good old, "look what's happening here and don't be distracted by the curtain to my right."
When the slight of hand is played correctly, it plants the seed of information in your reader's mind without causing them to focus on it and figure out the plot way before your protagonist does. It keeps the story from become too linear, predictable, and boring.
What's great about slight of hand is it doesn't only need to be utilized while giving giant clues into the major plot of the novel. Slight of hand can also give great depth to characterization of both major and minor characters. It can also be used to describe setting and time period.
Let's look at an example:
Plutonimus, your main character, is a banking man at Crooney Credit by day and a Slim City drag queen by night. However, the reader doesn't know the drag queen character in the book is Plutonimus until later in the narrative. To plant the seed of information in your reader's mind, slight of hand will be a great ally.
In this scene, Plutonimus is getting lunch with his coworker from Crooney.
In this example, the reader is focused on the conversation between Plutonimus and his coworker. They're worried over what the consequences will be for the protagonist's mistakes. However, there are two slights of hand in this scene as well.
First, the pink fork. With an array of colored cutlery in his reach, Plutonimus selects what would be considered a strange color for a man in his profession to gravitate towards. Sure, he could have simply grabbed without looking, and that's what Gregor undoubtedly thinks, but our narrator makes a point of saying the fork was pink. So we know he chose the color consciously.
Then, though he works and banks at Crooney Credit, Plutonimus hands Gregor a pen from Slim Street Banking. Is this simply a pen a customer of his left behind on his desk? Of course not. This is where Plutonimus puts his drag queen earnings so he can keep his second job a secret from his daily life.
So, as you can see, slight of hand not only adds depth and interest to a scene, but it also allows you to reveal info early in the story without being so transparent and giving everything away.
It's a method employed in mystery and thriller novels for decades, but there's no reason YA, MG, inspirational, women's lit, and fantasy shouldn't have it either.
The next time you write, remember to bring your magician's hat along and create some slight of hand magic.
Today, I am going to ask you to don yet one more personality. The Magician.
Being a magician when you write is very important for one essential aspect of a good story: the slight of hand.
With this method, you introduce important plot information in one hand, but as the magician, you distract the reader's attention with your other hand. It's the good old, "look what's happening here and don't be distracted by the curtain to my right."
When the slight of hand is played correctly, it plants the seed of information in your reader's mind without causing them to focus on it and figure out the plot way before your protagonist does. It keeps the story from become too linear, predictable, and boring.
What's great about slight of hand is it doesn't only need to be utilized while giving giant clues into the major plot of the novel. Slight of hand can also give great depth to characterization of both major and minor characters. It can also be used to describe setting and time period.
Let's look at an example:
Plutonimus, your main character, is a banking man at Crooney Credit by day and a Slim City drag queen by night. However, the reader doesn't know the drag queen character in the book is Plutonimus until later in the narrative. To plant the seed of information in your reader's mind, slight of hand will be a great ally.
In this scene, Plutonimus is getting lunch with his coworker from Crooney.
"Why in the world would you approve that home loan?" Gregor asked, sliding his tray further down the line.
I selected a pink plastic fork from the rainbow colored cutlery bucket. "They seemed like they understood the repercussions of taking on such a large sum-"
"If I said I understood what it meant to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge, would you sign off on my suicide note?"
I shrugged, considering it.
Gregor groaned. "Give me a pen."
I pulled a Slim Street Banking pen from my pocket and clicked it open. I extended it toward him, then pulled it back. "How were they supposed to know he was going to lose his job, huh? How do you plan for that?"
"You don't take on a loan you can't repay." Gregor snatched the pen from me.
In this example, the reader is focused on the conversation between Plutonimus and his coworker. They're worried over what the consequences will be for the protagonist's mistakes. However, there are two slights of hand in this scene as well.
First, the pink fork. With an array of colored cutlery in his reach, Plutonimus selects what would be considered a strange color for a man in his profession to gravitate towards. Sure, he could have simply grabbed without looking, and that's what Gregor undoubtedly thinks, but our narrator makes a point of saying the fork was pink. So we know he chose the color consciously.
Then, though he works and banks at Crooney Credit, Plutonimus hands Gregor a pen from Slim Street Banking. Is this simply a pen a customer of his left behind on his desk? Of course not. This is where Plutonimus puts his drag queen earnings so he can keep his second job a secret from his daily life.
So, as you can see, slight of hand not only adds depth and interest to a scene, but it also allows you to reveal info early in the story without being so transparent and giving everything away.
It's a method employed in mystery and thriller novels for decades, but there's no reason YA, MG, inspirational, women's lit, and fantasy shouldn't have it either.
The next time you write, remember to bring your magician's hat along and create some slight of hand magic.
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
What To Do When You Hate Your Novel
This being my first post of the new year, I wanted to say something really positive. But I've heard from a lot of my writer friends lately that they've been in a funk. That novel they've been working on that seemed so promising and lovely...now they hate it.
Literally, hate it.
Like, think of it and groan. Look over a terrible paragraph or two and cry. Want to chuck your laptop out the window, kind of hate.
They think, why has this happened, it was going so well? Great, now I've wasted four months of my life on this thing that sucks.
I've been there. I've thought those same thoughts. The thing to remember is, this happens to all of us. As creative people, we doubt ourselves. This is beneficial because it stops us from doing something crazy - like quitting our careers and trying to write the next great American novel on a mountain in Tibet. It is also the driving force behind revision - because we want our work to be the best it can be, which means it needs to be better than the draft I wrote the first time around.
However, self-doubt can also be crushing. It can make you hate your work for really no reason whatsoever. Maybe your own voice annoys you. Maybe you can't riddle out the meaning of a scene. It's so frustrating that soon, you tell yourself you've never been an artist at all. You suck at writing and you should stop writing this novel right now.
What I'll tell you, faithful blog reader, is exactly what I tell my friends when they're in this funk. This is entirely normal behavior, but please, take a break.
First, you need to know that most every writer goes through this - especially with long materials like novels. Sooner or later, you will hate it - either from reading and rereading it too many times or out of frustration with your muse, but it will happen.
Now, it's important that you don't then delete the whole thing, burn your hard drive and spend all your savings on a new car you don't need. What you must do is set writing down for a moment and take a break. Go to the coffee shop for a few hours. Lock yourself in your room and reread Harry Potter. Go sky diving. Take a month or two and travel and meet new friends. Take a year and don't worry about writing.
If you're truly meant to write - if it's something you MUST do - you will always come back to it, and it will be waiting for you. Because, at this point, writing has chosen you as much as you have chosen it.
However, if writing truly does give you unneeded stress and torture, perhaps it hasn't chosen you after all. Perhaps you're not meant to be tortured by it.
For most of us who do the research on blogs and internet videos about the craft, and for those of us who've lost sleep pounding away at the keys in a fit of sheer elation, we're stuck in the writing life forever. Embrace it. But sometimes you can embrace it too strongly and smother the poor thing. This is when you need to take a break. Whether it's an hour or two years, do what you have to do to love writing again.
I promise it's worth it.
Just don't - whatever you do - delete your hard drive in a fit of rage.
Literally, hate it.
Like, think of it and groan. Look over a terrible paragraph or two and cry. Want to chuck your laptop out the window, kind of hate.
They think, why has this happened, it was going so well? Great, now I've wasted four months of my life on this thing that sucks.
I've been there. I've thought those same thoughts. The thing to remember is, this happens to all of us. As creative people, we doubt ourselves. This is beneficial because it stops us from doing something crazy - like quitting our careers and trying to write the next great American novel on a mountain in Tibet. It is also the driving force behind revision - because we want our work to be the best it can be, which means it needs to be better than the draft I wrote the first time around.
However, self-doubt can also be crushing. It can make you hate your work for really no reason whatsoever. Maybe your own voice annoys you. Maybe you can't riddle out the meaning of a scene. It's so frustrating that soon, you tell yourself you've never been an artist at all. You suck at writing and you should stop writing this novel right now.
What I'll tell you, faithful blog reader, is exactly what I tell my friends when they're in this funk. This is entirely normal behavior, but please, take a break.
First, you need to know that most every writer goes through this - especially with long materials like novels. Sooner or later, you will hate it - either from reading and rereading it too many times or out of frustration with your muse, but it will happen.
Now, it's important that you don't then delete the whole thing, burn your hard drive and spend all your savings on a new car you don't need. What you must do is set writing down for a moment and take a break. Go to the coffee shop for a few hours. Lock yourself in your room and reread Harry Potter. Go sky diving. Take a month or two and travel and meet new friends. Take a year and don't worry about writing.
If you're truly meant to write - if it's something you MUST do - you will always come back to it, and it will be waiting for you. Because, at this point, writing has chosen you as much as you have chosen it.
However, if writing truly does give you unneeded stress and torture, perhaps it hasn't chosen you after all. Perhaps you're not meant to be tortured by it.
For most of us who do the research on blogs and internet videos about the craft, and for those of us who've lost sleep pounding away at the keys in a fit of sheer elation, we're stuck in the writing life forever. Embrace it. But sometimes you can embrace it too strongly and smother the poor thing. This is when you need to take a break. Whether it's an hour or two years, do what you have to do to love writing again.
I promise it's worth it.
Just don't - whatever you do - delete your hard drive in a fit of rage.
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