First of all, I would like to apologize for the long break. I have been getting ready for NaNoWriMo! So far, I made my first day's quota and I'm about to get started on day 2. If you are not doing NaNoWriMo, shame on you. Everyone should try. Worst thing that can happen is you don't make 50K, but you still have some writing done that you can save for later. There is no downside as long as you don't put too much pressure on yourself.
Word Wars:
NaNo is all about the word count. It is a great motivator - it gets you past that annoying rough patch where you want every word to sparkle and shine, so you never get past the first page of your project. It encourages you to spit out whatever is in your brain regardless of whether you actually use it later. Word Wars are a wonderful way to spark your creativity.
Find a friend (or several) who are doing NaNo. This is easy to do, because the NaNoWriMo boards are full of them. Pick a generic time (:30 after the hour, :45, ect) and get going. Post your results and share snippets. This can be done on a forum, over AIM, or even on Facebook. If you'd like to do some Word Warring with me, feel free to IM me at RaeDMagdon and challenge me. Of course, it doesn't matter who wins, no one really remembers or cares anyway. It's all about boosting your wordcount and sharing the results!
Websites
Also, I would like to give all of you NaNo-ers some references that I think will help you on your quest to write the Next Great Novel.
1. Language is a Virus www.languageisavirus.com
A great prompt site with lots of fun word games to get you typing away.
2. www.hollylisle.com
Check out this awesome author's website and read her treatises on style, plotting, and worldbuilding.
3. www.nanowrimo.org
This one is obvious. I cannot recommend the forums here highly enough.
4. www.oneword.com
Self-explanatory once you go there.
Software:
Now for the software. Against my better judgment, I purchased some writing/novel plotting software today that, despite my reservations, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE. I am sure that many of you have heard of the Snowflake Method, a system developed by Randy Ingermanson. It is based on the idea that you expand your novel's plot out like a snowflake until you have it down to the minute details. I was not a fan of the Snowflake Method, preferring to ride by the seat of my pants, but I have changed my tune since buying this software. I am enjoying it immensely so far and have come up with a bunch of different plot points that I had not thought of before! Check it out at www.advancedfictionwriting.com
The software is fairly expensive at $100 (I got it for $50 because I already owned the book Fiction Writing for Dummies). For ME it has been worth it, but only you can decide which writing software is the best for you to use, if any. I am still a huge fan of good ol' pen and paper/Microsoft Word.
Exercise:
I have discussed this before, but I'd like to re-share one of my favorite inspirational writing games. Take a poem (I like Christina Rossetti). Choose a vivid word from each line of the poem. If you really want to, you can skip a line, but not doing so makes the game more fun. Then, write a few paragraphs and include all the words you chose. It's that easy! It will stretch your imagination, and you get to use some very fun words. Great for getting started on a scene for your NaNo.
Showing posts with label writer's block. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writer's block. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
NaNoWriMo Approaches!
NaNoWriMo is coming faster than you think!
*Snerk* Ha, that's what she said. But anyway, here are some ways to come up with great ideas (besides trolling the NaNo forums, which ALL OF YOU SHOULD BE DOING).
1. Write about what scares you.
I'm serious. Write about what scares you, haunts you, or fascinates you. At the risk of sounding like a vampire Harlequin, find the dark desires inside of you and bring them out, even if you think you can't do it. Too embarrassed to write about sex or romance? Write erotica for NaNo. Think you could never tackle fantasy? Write a fantasy novel. Drool over stories with a love triangle, betrayal, or character death? Get angsty. Do what you think you can't and you will probably find that you can.
2. Get out a pen and paper.
Again, I'm serious. I know most of us writers are glued to our computers, but there's just something about the feel of a pen in your hand as it marks up a crisp white sheet of notebook paper that cannot be replicated by the tapping of keys. You can always type up your thoughts later.
3. Grab a friend.
Discuss plot with a friend. Role play with a friend. Goof off with a friend after drinking way too many Red Bulls (or maybe something stronger if you are old enough). Save the conversations if they take place online. If they take place in real life, carry a notebook with you and do your best to remember what was said. For online writers to talk to, go to the NaNo forums! There are tons of people there.
4. Write some stream of consciousness warm-ups
You can write anything you want ahead of NaNo except the actual novel, so do a few pages of stream-of-consciousness type writing for your favorite characters. It's a great way to find out what motivates them, how they speak, how they act, and who they are. Besides, you might come up with an excellent plot that way.
5. Break out the spreadsheet
Use Excel, Word, or a plain old piece of paper to graph, chart, or just plain list the scenes in your novel in any way you like. I still prefer pen and paper or just a plain old Word document, but some people have tons of cool word processing software that can organize it all pretty-like.
6. Play around on BabyNameGenerator. Or any other generator.
There are so many writing generators and prompts on the internet that it's not even funny. For some help getting started, visit www.languageisavirus.com It has all kinds of cool writing games to play.
Sorry if this post is slightly crazy, it's really early in the morning and I'm hyper for no reason.
And just for me, here's my To-Do List:
Original Fiction:
The Witch's Daughter (2000 more words to go!!!)
All The Pretty Things (NaNoWriMo)
Mirror, Mirror (seq. to TSS, WE, and TWD)
Lilith's Redemption
Sonata Form (seq. to Chopin)
Fanfiction:
What Happens In Provincetown (L&O/R&I)
It Happened One Night (L&O)
Sequel to Magnetic Resistance (L&O)
By Courier (L&O/DWP)
Twi-hate: The Descent Into Madness (L&O/Legally Blonde/Twilight)
Desperation (R&I, seq. to Denial)
Random Pairings I want to write at some point...
Something Kim/Shego (Kim Possible anyone?)
Something Mirandy (Devil Wears Prada)
Something Harley/Ivy (Batman)
.... yes, I am a pervert and a dork. I don't care. I'm also sure I've forgotten some projects on the lists...
*Snerk* Ha, that's what she said. But anyway, here are some ways to come up with great ideas (besides trolling the NaNo forums, which ALL OF YOU SHOULD BE DOING).
1. Write about what scares you.
I'm serious. Write about what scares you, haunts you, or fascinates you. At the risk of sounding like a vampire Harlequin, find the dark desires inside of you and bring them out, even if you think you can't do it. Too embarrassed to write about sex or romance? Write erotica for NaNo. Think you could never tackle fantasy? Write a fantasy novel. Drool over stories with a love triangle, betrayal, or character death? Get angsty. Do what you think you can't and you will probably find that you can.
2. Get out a pen and paper.
Again, I'm serious. I know most of us writers are glued to our computers, but there's just something about the feel of a pen in your hand as it marks up a crisp white sheet of notebook paper that cannot be replicated by the tapping of keys. You can always type up your thoughts later.
3. Grab a friend.
Discuss plot with a friend. Role play with a friend. Goof off with a friend after drinking way too many Red Bulls (or maybe something stronger if you are old enough). Save the conversations if they take place online. If they take place in real life, carry a notebook with you and do your best to remember what was said. For online writers to talk to, go to the NaNo forums! There are tons of people there.
4. Write some stream of consciousness warm-ups
You can write anything you want ahead of NaNo except the actual novel, so do a few pages of stream-of-consciousness type writing for your favorite characters. It's a great way to find out what motivates them, how they speak, how they act, and who they are. Besides, you might come up with an excellent plot that way.
5. Break out the spreadsheet
Use Excel, Word, or a plain old piece of paper to graph, chart, or just plain list the scenes in your novel in any way you like. I still prefer pen and paper or just a plain old Word document, but some people have tons of cool word processing software that can organize it all pretty-like.
6. Play around on BabyNameGenerator. Or any other generator.
There are so many writing generators and prompts on the internet that it's not even funny. For some help getting started, visit www.languageisavirus.com It has all kinds of cool writing games to play.
Sorry if this post is slightly crazy, it's really early in the morning and I'm hyper for no reason.
And just for me, here's my To-Do List:
Original Fiction:
The Witch's Daughter (2000 more words to go!!!)
All The Pretty Things (NaNoWriMo)
Mirror, Mirror (seq. to TSS, WE, and TWD)
Lilith's Redemption
Sonata Form (seq. to Chopin)
Fanfiction:
What Happens In Provincetown (L&O/R&I)
It Happened One Night (L&O)
Sequel to Magnetic Resistance (L&O)
By Courier (L&O/DWP)
Twi-hate: The Descent Into Madness (L&O/Legally Blonde/Twilight)
Desperation (R&I, seq. to Denial)
Random Pairings I want to write at some point...
Something Kim/Shego (Kim Possible anyone?)
Something Mirandy (Devil Wears Prada)
Something Harley/Ivy (Batman)
.... yes, I am a pervert and a dork. I don't care. I'm also sure I've forgotten some projects on the lists...
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Rae's 10 Rules of Writing
Just because I felt like it.
1. Write Every Day - (even a little bit). The more you write, the better you'll get. You'll have a novel before you know it.
2. Write What Interests You - If you're bored, your reader will probably be bored, too.
3. Learn And Steal From The Greats, But Always Be Original - A bit of a contradiction, but most of writing is balancing tried and true techniques with your own unique voice.
4. Great Writers Are Avid Readers - A bit of a spin-off of number three. If you don't read, how will you ever learn how to write?
5. Worry About The Grammar Later - Don't get so obsessed with making each sentence perfect that you never write more than one paragraph. You'll have time to make every word sparkle later, during the editing process.
6. Stretch Yourself - Write something all in dialogue. Write only using questions. Switch between first person and third person... hell, use second person. Write from the point of view of a chair. Who has sat in it? Maybe Benjamin Franklin! =D
7. Make Friends - If you help other writers and form a writing community with your friends, your work will improve as a result.
8. Learn to Critique - Extension of number seven. Learn to read with a critical eye. It will improve your own writing dramatically.
9. Know Your Characters - Great writers have great characters. They will lead the way when you are feeling stuck or uninspired.
10. Have fun - If you aren't having fun, you aren't doing it right. But even when you're not having fun, keep writing until you start again and try to find new ways to stay engaged.
1. Write Every Day - (even a little bit). The more you write, the better you'll get. You'll have a novel before you know it.
2. Write What Interests You - If you're bored, your reader will probably be bored, too.
3. Learn And Steal From The Greats, But Always Be Original - A bit of a contradiction, but most of writing is balancing tried and true techniques with your own unique voice.
4. Great Writers Are Avid Readers - A bit of a spin-off of number three. If you don't read, how will you ever learn how to write?
5. Worry About The Grammar Later - Don't get so obsessed with making each sentence perfect that you never write more than one paragraph. You'll have time to make every word sparkle later, during the editing process.
6. Stretch Yourself - Write something all in dialogue. Write only using questions. Switch between first person and third person... hell, use second person. Write from the point of view of a chair. Who has sat in it? Maybe Benjamin Franklin! =D
7. Make Friends - If you help other writers and form a writing community with your friends, your work will improve as a result.
8. Learn to Critique - Extension of number seven. Learn to read with a critical eye. It will improve your own writing dramatically.
9. Know Your Characters - Great writers have great characters. They will lead the way when you are feeling stuck or uninspired.
10. Have fun - If you aren't having fun, you aren't doing it right. But even when you're not having fun, keep writing until you start again and try to find new ways to stay engaged.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Aspirations
Every once in a while, you will read something that absolutely blows your socks off. If you're lucky, reading other people's writing inspires you and gives you a flood of new ideas, but more often than not, it just leaves you feeling like a horse's ass.
Sometimes, they are in your genre, and reading their work makes you think, "damn, they just took the craft I spent years developing to the best of my ability and made it 100 times better. Why on earth would anyone bother reading anything I write when this great writer is out there publishing new material?"
Sometimes, they are in a completely different genre, and reading their work makes you think, "oh God, now I have to abandon my humorous romantic comedy and write something dramatic and angsty if I ever want to have even the slightest chance of being as good as this person..." (These are the thoughts I'm having right now).
The sad truth is, there is always going to be someone who writes better than you. There, I said it. No matter how many years you spend writing, now matter how many books you sell, and no matter how many gallons of blood, sweat, and tears you collect (I don't really like that group except for 'Spinning Wheel'...), there is always going to be someone better.
This isn't just true of writing. This is true of musicians, artists, neurosurgeons, quilters, horseback riders, or anything else you can think of.
On the bright side, there is always going to be someone worse than you, too. Unfortunately, having a hundred people worse than you doesn't make up for that one person that's better. Sometimes it can be fun to have talented, professional colleagues to collaborate with, but once in a while, the green monster pops up, and you think, "dammit, why couldn't I have written that!"
It's frustrating, unhealthy, and ought to be dismissed from your mind (I know, easier said than done). Although I am still searching for a way to circumvent this envy as a musician, I have found one as a writer. Different people are in different moods for different things at different times. Even if someone writes the best crime fiction novel you have ever read, there are going to be people out there who want to read your romantic comedy. Maybe they just had a bad break-up and need something lighthearted. Besides, if only 'the best book in the world' was ever published, what would all the avid readers out there do with their time? There doesn't have to be just one winner.
My chorus teacher used to have a poster on the wall of her classroom that was really cheesy, but kind of inspiring at the same time. "The forest would be very quiet if no birds sang except the best." Bear with me and move the cheesy metaphor over to the writing world for a moment. The shelves of libraries, book stores, homes, and computer hard-drives would be very empty if no authors wrote except the best.
If you think no one could create a masterpiece half as good as the author of the book you just finished, look at the other books on the library shelf. There's going to be at least one other book that tops the one you just read. For every person that's better than you, there's going to be someone better than them, too, so really, we're all in the same boat together.
Somewhere in the world, someone is going to read your work at exactly the right moment and enjoy it immensely. It's always worth it to put your writing out there for that reason alone, but also because, as writers, we have to do it. We need to do it. We have to reach out and touch others (especially our fellow writers). Who knows, you might be the inspiration someone else is looking for (or maybe even the standard of excellence that tortures another writer).
... it's okay for you to feel a little smug about that. Really. Schadenfreude is a normal point on the large spectrum of human emotions.
Sometimes, they are in your genre, and reading their work makes you think, "damn, they just took the craft I spent years developing to the best of my ability and made it 100 times better. Why on earth would anyone bother reading anything I write when this great writer is out there publishing new material?"
Sometimes, they are in a completely different genre, and reading their work makes you think, "oh God, now I have to abandon my humorous romantic comedy and write something dramatic and angsty if I ever want to have even the slightest chance of being as good as this person..." (These are the thoughts I'm having right now).
The sad truth is, there is always going to be someone who writes better than you. There, I said it. No matter how many years you spend writing, now matter how many books you sell, and no matter how many gallons of blood, sweat, and tears you collect (I don't really like that group except for 'Spinning Wheel'...), there is always going to be someone better.
This isn't just true of writing. This is true of musicians, artists, neurosurgeons, quilters, horseback riders, or anything else you can think of.
On the bright side, there is always going to be someone worse than you, too. Unfortunately, having a hundred people worse than you doesn't make up for that one person that's better. Sometimes it can be fun to have talented, professional colleagues to collaborate with, but once in a while, the green monster pops up, and you think, "dammit, why couldn't I have written that!"
It's frustrating, unhealthy, and ought to be dismissed from your mind (I know, easier said than done). Although I am still searching for a way to circumvent this envy as a musician, I have found one as a writer. Different people are in different moods for different things at different times. Even if someone writes the best crime fiction novel you have ever read, there are going to be people out there who want to read your romantic comedy. Maybe they just had a bad break-up and need something lighthearted. Besides, if only 'the best book in the world' was ever published, what would all the avid readers out there do with their time? There doesn't have to be just one winner.
My chorus teacher used to have a poster on the wall of her classroom that was really cheesy, but kind of inspiring at the same time. "The forest would be very quiet if no birds sang except the best." Bear with me and move the cheesy metaphor over to the writing world for a moment. The shelves of libraries, book stores, homes, and computer hard-drives would be very empty if no authors wrote except the best.
If you think no one could create a masterpiece half as good as the author of the book you just finished, look at the other books on the library shelf. There's going to be at least one other book that tops the one you just read. For every person that's better than you, there's going to be someone better than them, too, so really, we're all in the same boat together.
Somewhere in the world, someone is going to read your work at exactly the right moment and enjoy it immensely. It's always worth it to put your writing out there for that reason alone, but also because, as writers, we have to do it. We need to do it. We have to reach out and touch others (especially our fellow writers). Who knows, you might be the inspiration someone else is looking for (or maybe even the standard of excellence that tortures another writer).
... it's okay for you to feel a little smug about that. Really. Schadenfreude is a normal point on the large spectrum of human emotions.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Borrowing Ideas...
Sorry I haven't updated a lot recently, but I've been preparing to go back to school. That involves seating auditions, so wish me luck! In other news, I've started posting my fanfic at The Academy and The Athenaeum, which will hopefully mean more readers. I am a total comment whore, so the more readers the better! Now, on to today's topic...
Today, I'm going to talk about "borrowing", a not-frequently-talked-about-but-very-frequently-used practice. It is an especially helpful tool for beginning writers. This might sound a little bit like "cheating", so you need to be extremely careful how you use this particular tool. Writers can steal, tweak, and publish each other's ideas, but unless you have original material to substitute for most of the stuff you stole, doing this is worthless.
1. Stealing an idea
Only one idea per work, please. Don't steal the entire concept of a novel or you'll be found out. Pick and choose carefully, and then try and use the idea in a completely different way than the original writer did. Most of the best basic ideas are hundreds of years old anyway and have been used so many times that no one author has a claim to them.
2. Stealing a word or phrase
I have done this, but usually for descriptive adjectives to use during sex scenes. If a particularly vivid image strikes me, I open a word document and copy down something similar (but not identical). Because I like to come up with my own ideas as well, I usually only "steal" one (or maybe two) metaphors or images per sex scene.
3. Using models
The best writers read good books. This is less of something you "steal" than something you "absorb". Pacing is difficult to learn unless you have read a lot of books. If I am struggling with a scene, and see another scene that resembles the idea I'm going for, I will occasionally "model" my scene on that one in terms of pacing, but I DO NOT steal any words or phrases from that scene. My thought process is more like -entrance two paragraphs - argument three paragraphs - rapid dialogue - first physical contact - self-deprecating inner dialogue - sex begins.... something like that. Also, I try to completely change the location, characters, and genre of the book. For example, if I am using pacing ideas from a romance novel, I'll put it in a fantasy world. If I'm stealing pacing ideas from an epic fantasy battle scene, I'll turn it into a courtroom drama.
The 'models' idea can actually be used for entire novels (or sections of novels), but this is tricky. In theory, you could copy down the entire ratio of scenes (filler - action - humor - plot development - sex - ect) that fill one of your favorite novels and try to achieve the same ratio.
This might sound very confusing, so if you have any comments (especially on the 'models' part of the article), please chime in. I'm probably going to expand on this topic, because this particular post is a hodge-podge of rambling information in no particular order.
Now, I have to go pack away my entire wardrobe for school. Ta-ta
Today, I'm going to talk about "borrowing", a not-frequently-talked-about-but-very-frequently-used practice. It is an especially helpful tool for beginning writers. This might sound a little bit like "cheating", so you need to be extremely careful how you use this particular tool. Writers can steal, tweak, and publish each other's ideas, but unless you have original material to substitute for most of the stuff you stole, doing this is worthless.
1. Stealing an idea
Only one idea per work, please. Don't steal the entire concept of a novel or you'll be found out. Pick and choose carefully, and then try and use the idea in a completely different way than the original writer did. Most of the best basic ideas are hundreds of years old anyway and have been used so many times that no one author has a claim to them.
2. Stealing a word or phrase
I have done this, but usually for descriptive adjectives to use during sex scenes. If a particularly vivid image strikes me, I open a word document and copy down something similar (but not identical). Because I like to come up with my own ideas as well, I usually only "steal" one (or maybe two) metaphors or images per sex scene.
3. Using models
The best writers read good books. This is less of something you "steal" than something you "absorb". Pacing is difficult to learn unless you have read a lot of books. If I am struggling with a scene, and see another scene that resembles the idea I'm going for, I will occasionally "model" my scene on that one in terms of pacing, but I DO NOT steal any words or phrases from that scene. My thought process is more like -entrance two paragraphs - argument three paragraphs - rapid dialogue - first physical contact - self-deprecating inner dialogue - sex begins.... something like that. Also, I try to completely change the location, characters, and genre of the book. For example, if I am using pacing ideas from a romance novel, I'll put it in a fantasy world. If I'm stealing pacing ideas from an epic fantasy battle scene, I'll turn it into a courtroom drama.
The 'models' idea can actually be used for entire novels (or sections of novels), but this is tricky. In theory, you could copy down the entire ratio of scenes (filler - action - humor - plot development - sex - ect) that fill one of your favorite novels and try to achieve the same ratio.
This might sound very confusing, so if you have any comments (especially on the 'models' part of the article), please chime in. I'm probably going to expand on this topic, because this particular post is a hodge-podge of rambling information in no particular order.
Now, I have to go pack away my entire wardrobe for school. Ta-ta
Monday, August 23, 2010
Rome Wasn't Built In A Day, Running, and Other Metaphors
Sure, there are some days where the words pour from your fingertips in a waterfall of creativity and prose, but those days are exceedingly rare. As Holly Lisle, one of my favorite writers (especially when she writes about writing), says in one of her helpful articles: novelists are the long-distance runners of the writing world. Unlike sprinters or milers, long distance runners have to have a lot of endurance. Speed isn't necessarily the most important skill. It's all about pacing yourself. It doesn't matter how fast you go, only that you reach the finish line.
Every writer works at their own speed. My personal writing speed is completely erratic. Sometimes I can barely get down a couple hundred words, and other times I glance down at the word count and realize I've done five thousand in only a couple of hours. Being a fast writer is definitely nice, but not necessary. In the end, it isn't important whether you write faster than a Harlequinn romance novelist with two books out every year or spend what seems like forever on the same gigantic fantasy novel.
Right now, I am not very inspired to finish The Witch's Daughter, maybe because of the rejection from Bold Strokes, and I really want to work on my newest project, which is about an FBI agent and a closeted politician (I posted an excerpt already). However, I'm not giving up.
In order to inspire myself, I posted the first two parts on the websites I submit to for some comments and feedback. That always makes me write faster. My fanfiction is proof of that. The more reviews I get, the faster I write. If you are ever stuck on a project (make sure it is one that you really DO enjoy and want to finish), I suggest posting it half-finished instead of waiting. Although many people hate being left at a cliffhanger, myself included, it can be a personal motivator. (If you are one of those people who can NEVER seem finish a project, however, don't heed that advice and wait until you finish, or you might end up with a lot of disappointed fans.)
Dividing my attention between multiple projects also seems to be an effective way to unclog the writing tubes when I feel like I will never finish my novel. Again, this technique is not the best one to use for beginners that have trouble finishing what they start. If you fall in to this category, the only advice I can offer is to slug through the mud until you get to the finish line. There's no shortcuts, no easy way around it. You just have to finish. The more projects you complete, the easier it gets.
Being a writer is a lot harder than most people think. It requires a lot of stamina, a lot of determination, and a thick hide. But it is also very rewarding to sit and stare at a full word document that means something to you... and will, hopefully, mean something to others.
On another note, Rome cannot be built without help. Today (or tomorrow, since it's late tonight), take the time to thank all the wonderful people in your life that read your work and help you while you're running the novel race. It will make both of you feel good, and maybe it will also garner you some extra support and inspiration.
Every writer works at their own speed. My personal writing speed is completely erratic. Sometimes I can barely get down a couple hundred words, and other times I glance down at the word count and realize I've done five thousand in only a couple of hours. Being a fast writer is definitely nice, but not necessary. In the end, it isn't important whether you write faster than a Harlequinn romance novelist with two books out every year or spend what seems like forever on the same gigantic fantasy novel.
Right now, I am not very inspired to finish The Witch's Daughter, maybe because of the rejection from Bold Strokes, and I really want to work on my newest project, which is about an FBI agent and a closeted politician (I posted an excerpt already). However, I'm not giving up.
In order to inspire myself, I posted the first two parts on the websites I submit to for some comments and feedback. That always makes me write faster. My fanfiction is proof of that. The more reviews I get, the faster I write. If you are ever stuck on a project (make sure it is one that you really DO enjoy and want to finish), I suggest posting it half-finished instead of waiting. Although many people hate being left at a cliffhanger, myself included, it can be a personal motivator. (If you are one of those people who can NEVER seem finish a project, however, don't heed that advice and wait until you finish, or you might end up with a lot of disappointed fans.)
Dividing my attention between multiple projects also seems to be an effective way to unclog the writing tubes when I feel like I will never finish my novel. Again, this technique is not the best one to use for beginners that have trouble finishing what they start. If you fall in to this category, the only advice I can offer is to slug through the mud until you get to the finish line. There's no shortcuts, no easy way around it. You just have to finish. The more projects you complete, the easier it gets.
Being a writer is a lot harder than most people think. It requires a lot of stamina, a lot of determination, and a thick hide. But it is also very rewarding to sit and stare at a full word document that means something to you... and will, hopefully, mean something to others.
On another note, Rome cannot be built without help. Today (or tomorrow, since it's late tonight), take the time to thank all the wonderful people in your life that read your work and help you while you're running the novel race. It will make both of you feel good, and maybe it will also garner you some extra support and inspiration.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Let's Talk About Sex
Sex is either extremely easy or extremely hard to write. I still have not figured out which. To some people, it comes naturally. I mean, there are only so many positions you can make love in, after all, and the general motions are usually the same. Writing them out isn't that difficult. On the other hand, in order to write a good sex scene, you have to be in the right mood, you have to have the right characters, the right location, the right words... you have to be inspired. Putting all that stuff together is hard work. Not to mention that we all feel embarrassment at some point when we imagine our mother reading what gets us going.
Here are the most common questions I get about sex scenes... *drum roll*
Qusetion: What word should I use for the female anatomy?
Short Answer: None.
Long Answer: It ALL depends on the scene and the characters. I can only tell you one way that I, as a reader, view certain words and their effect on me. Vagina completely turns me off. It reminds me of a trip to the gynecologist. Never, ever use this word or I will hit you. Pussy doesn't do it for me, either. Too cutesy. Try to use this word rarely or not at all. Cunt only turns my crank if used EXTREMELY sparingly, and only in BDSM scenes where dirty talk/control is one of the main elements. Once in a blue moon, I've seen it used well, but besides that... avoid that word, too.
Try describing specific parts of the landscape instead. It's a way to be more erotic! "Thrusting inside of the blonde/redhead/brunette" is better than "fucked her pussy/cunt/vagina". You might find that using a clever turn of phrase to AVOID a specific word will make your writing more erotic. Sorry if you are writing about a dude, but I have no suggestions for other words for 'penis'. They all make me giggle. I find penises highly amusing, but not erotic at all.
Question: When should I include my first sex scene?
Short Answer: Around the middle of the book.
Long Answer: Whenever you think it's right. Some romance novels start off with a sex scene. If you are writing a sequel, this will not seem strange at all (think Radclyffe and her webs of couples... the main couple usually bangs in the first chapter. The sexual tension is taken care of with whatever new couple she is hooking up, since she writes about multiple couples at once). Other romance novels don't add the sex scene until the very end. This can work, but building up to it is difficult, and you have less room to play. I advise going for it around the middle or 2/3rds of the way through. It just feels like a good spot to me.
Question: How long should my scene be?
Short Answer: As long as you want it to be
Long Answer: It varies. Factors that might influence your choice are the scene's location or its purpose in the book (yes, even sex scenes need to have some kind of purpose in the book...) Some of my favorite sex scenes are only a few paragraphs long. They have to have punch, though, for that length to work. Or you can go the long-winded route and make your sex scene take up an entire chapter (or two). This can be fun as well. Just go with it, and don't be afraid to experiment. It's fun!
Okay, that's about all I can write on this subject for now. I'll probably add to this topic tomorrow, it's a big one. (No sexual pun intended).
Here are the most common questions I get about sex scenes... *drum roll*
Qusetion: What word should I use for the female anatomy?
Short Answer: None.
Long Answer: It ALL depends on the scene and the characters. I can only tell you one way that I, as a reader, view certain words and their effect on me. Vagina completely turns me off. It reminds me of a trip to the gynecologist. Never, ever use this word or I will hit you. Pussy doesn't do it for me, either. Too cutesy. Try to use this word rarely or not at all. Cunt only turns my crank if used EXTREMELY sparingly, and only in BDSM scenes where dirty talk/control is one of the main elements. Once in a blue moon, I've seen it used well, but besides that... avoid that word, too.
Try describing specific parts of the landscape instead. It's a way to be more erotic! "Thrusting inside of the blonde/redhead/brunette" is better than "fucked her pussy/cunt/vagina". You might find that using a clever turn of phrase to AVOID a specific word will make your writing more erotic. Sorry if you are writing about a dude, but I have no suggestions for other words for 'penis'. They all make me giggle. I find penises highly amusing, but not erotic at all.
Question: When should I include my first sex scene?
Short Answer: Around the middle of the book.
Long Answer: Whenever you think it's right. Some romance novels start off with a sex scene. If you are writing a sequel, this will not seem strange at all (think Radclyffe and her webs of couples... the main couple usually bangs in the first chapter. The sexual tension is taken care of with whatever new couple she is hooking up, since she writes about multiple couples at once). Other romance novels don't add the sex scene until the very end. This can work, but building up to it is difficult, and you have less room to play. I advise going for it around the middle or 2/3rds of the way through. It just feels like a good spot to me.
Question: How long should my scene be?
Short Answer: As long as you want it to be
Long Answer: It varies. Factors that might influence your choice are the scene's location or its purpose in the book (yes, even sex scenes need to have some kind of purpose in the book...) Some of my favorite sex scenes are only a few paragraphs long. They have to have punch, though, for that length to work. Or you can go the long-winded route and make your sex scene take up an entire chapter (or two). This can be fun as well. Just go with it, and don't be afraid to experiment. It's fun!
Okay, that's about all I can write on this subject for now. I'll probably add to this topic tomorrow, it's a big one. (No sexual pun intended).
O Romeo, Romeo...
So, you want to add romance to your novel? Most people do. I've met a couple of writers (mostly males) who say: "but I'm writing a fantasy/sci-fi novel! I don't want to ruin it with romance!" You won't ruin it. Trust me. IF you do the romance right. In fact, if I had to classify myself as anything, I'd call myself a romance novelist. Some of my novels are epic fantasy/sci-fi adventures. I've got some smut out there, some YA novels... some courtroom drama/action/thrillers, ect. But ALL of them have romance at some point (and usually sex, either explicit or implied).
1. In order to write a good romance novel, you need strong characters. Characters are the building blocks of any novel, but they are extra important in a romance novel, because it's the interaction between the two characters that creates the tension and... release... ;D Avoid creating a standard boy-or-girl toy for your main character just so they have someone. The last thing someone wants to read about is a perfect lover. As with all characters, flaws give depth and color to a romantically involved pair.
2. Observe! Go back and reread your favorite romance novel (or any novel that has some romance in it, if you don't like pure romance). See what they author did and make a list of what you liked. If you are reading a new novel or short story that you dislike, try to figure out why and remember it. That's how good writers learn to write anything, romance or not. They read, see what works and what doesn't, and try to incorporate it into their own work.
3. Templates can be fun. As always, I advocate 'stealing' couples with a lot of chemistry and changing them around to make them your own. The Second Sister actually did not start as an Uber novel (Uber novels, for those of you who do not know, are lesbian romances placed in any time where the characters resemble the epic duo Xena and Gabrielle). I created Belle and Ellie on my own, although I changed Ellie's eye color from green to blue in order to match Gabrielle's description. Uber is great for beginners (and even those of us who are no longerbeginners), and you shouldn't feel bad for 'copying' another couple. Xena and Gabrielle are a template that was around long before the 1990s. The angsty warrior/protector and their redeeming, innocent lover is a volatile combination that has existed in literature for centuries. Besides, if you write an Uber, it's still original fiction, you can still publish it, and you get a ready-made group of fans in the Xena community! It's a good deal.
That said... Make sure your characters have enough originality so that people don't get bored. Add your own flavor, or the novel won't be worth reading. Even fanfiction writers do this. Every individual writer (and sometimes each individual universe belonging to a single writer) has a different 'flavored' version of their leading character(s).
4. Add conflict. There has to be something keeping your leading ladies (or dude(s), if you write straight/gay male romance) apart. No matter what point in the book the lovers fall in to each other's arms, there should be some looming, outside force conspiring to keep your characters from finding happiness. This can be a physical force such as a villain, or an internal force such as societal taboo (lesbianism? best friend's girl? feuding families?) or conflicting personality traits (one of your girls is afraid of commitment because of her dark past? One has other priorities like a child that require her attention?) You get the idea.
5. Decide how descriptive you want to get. Choose in advance how much of the 'action' you want to write out. In case you are very, very dense, I'm talking about sex. I can only say that deciding in advance is helpful. I also encourage writers to at least TRY to add some sex for fun, even if they "don't think they can write it". You can always fade to black and save that part in a secret file somewhere. No one else ever has to see it. But you might find that it enhances the novel. I'll make another complete post about writing sex scenes tomorrow, so this isn't the end of this subject!
1. In order to write a good romance novel, you need strong characters. Characters are the building blocks of any novel, but they are extra important in a romance novel, because it's the interaction between the two characters that creates the tension and... release... ;D Avoid creating a standard boy-or-girl toy for your main character just so they have someone. The last thing someone wants to read about is a perfect lover. As with all characters, flaws give depth and color to a romantically involved pair.
2. Observe! Go back and reread your favorite romance novel (or any novel that has some romance in it, if you don't like pure romance). See what they author did and make a list of what you liked. If you are reading a new novel or short story that you dislike, try to figure out why and remember it. That's how good writers learn to write anything, romance or not. They read, see what works and what doesn't, and try to incorporate it into their own work.
3. Templates can be fun. As always, I advocate 'stealing' couples with a lot of chemistry and changing them around to make them your own. The Second Sister actually did not start as an Uber novel (Uber novels, for those of you who do not know, are lesbian romances placed in any time where the characters resemble the epic duo Xena and Gabrielle). I created Belle and Ellie on my own, although I changed Ellie's eye color from green to blue in order to match Gabrielle's description. Uber is great for beginners (and even those of us who are no longerbeginners), and you shouldn't feel bad for 'copying' another couple. Xena and Gabrielle are a template that was around long before the 1990s. The angsty warrior/protector and their redeeming, innocent lover is a volatile combination that has existed in literature for centuries. Besides, if you write an Uber, it's still original fiction, you can still publish it, and you get a ready-made group of fans in the Xena community! It's a good deal.
That said... Make sure your characters have enough originality so that people don't get bored. Add your own flavor, or the novel won't be worth reading. Even fanfiction writers do this. Every individual writer (and sometimes each individual universe belonging to a single writer) has a different 'flavored' version of their leading character(s).
4. Add conflict. There has to be something keeping your leading ladies (or dude(s), if you write straight/gay male romance) apart. No matter what point in the book the lovers fall in to each other's arms, there should be some looming, outside force conspiring to keep your characters from finding happiness. This can be a physical force such as a villain, or an internal force such as societal taboo (lesbianism? best friend's girl? feuding families?) or conflicting personality traits (one of your girls is afraid of commitment because of her dark past? One has other priorities like a child that require her attention?) You get the idea.
5. Decide how descriptive you want to get. Choose in advance how much of the 'action' you want to write out. In case you are very, very dense, I'm talking about sex. I can only say that deciding in advance is helpful. I also encourage writers to at least TRY to add some sex for fun, even if they "don't think they can write it". You can always fade to black and save that part in a secret file somewhere. No one else ever has to see it. But you might find that it enhances the novel. I'll make another complete post about writing sex scenes tomorrow, so this isn't the end of this subject!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
How To End A Novel
Since I have already posted about how to begin a novel, here are some tips/guidelines for ending one on a high note. I am sure that you have all seen the "plot graph" before, but it's a good place to start anyway.
The first thing that I would like to mention about this picture is its deceiving proportions. The 'Resolution' and 'Falling Conflict' part of the line looks pretty big, right? Wrong. Once the CLIMAX happens, you want to get out of there as fast as possible without leaving your reader feeling cheated. The biggest event in your story has already occurred, and all that's left is the cool-down period. One or two scenes/chapters should wrap things up nicely. There is no need to drag the ending on forever. Get in, accomplish what you need to accomplish, and get out, just like clipping the beginnings and ends of scenes.
Another useful tip: unless you feel in your soul that it is absolutely necessary, I strongly advise against killing off your protagonist. Although the death of a hero can be extremely poignant, I recommend adding an 'expendable' sidekick/friend/wizardly guide/someone-likeable that you can redshirt in the final battle (for a Fantasy novel) or kill in some freak accident (for an angsty romance novel). Unless you have a very good reason for doing so, killing off your main character will only succeed in pissing off your readers.
Note: there is an exception to this rule. If you have written a godawful story/novel and want to move on, it is totally acceptable to end it (just for the sake of ending it) by killing all of your mediocre characters in some kind of fire or other natural disaster. Actually, doing this can be rather soothing for your frazzled nerves, and it will allow you to find some closure before moving on to your next project.
If you are writing a romance novel (or any novel with romance in it), for goodness sake, do NOT end the novel with the two main characters on the outs, even if you are planning a sequel so that they can fall back into each other's arms. Have them come together happily at the end. If you want to disrupt the relationship again in your sequel for more drama, feel free, but give the poor person who was kind enough to read your work a bone. Some more romance advice - do not have your characters constantly break up and make up. Once or twice is all right, but if it happens seven or eight times... it gets old. Fictional people in an on-off relationship are just as annoying as friends in real life that don't know when to let it stick or call it quits.
Writing a good ending is a little like cooking a complicated recipe. You want the right amount of left-over tension to make the reader want to buy your other books, but you want to leave the reader with a sense of peace after their journey with you. Do not endeavor to write your ending until you feel that the time is right. Also, you can write your ending WHENEVER the mood strikes, even if your novel is not finished yet. I usually pen my endings long before the middle of the book is finished. I find that they turn out better that way. Like your beginning, you will know when the time is right.
The first thing that I would like to mention about this picture is its deceiving proportions. The 'Resolution' and 'Falling Conflict' part of the line looks pretty big, right? Wrong. Once the CLIMAX happens, you want to get out of there as fast as possible without leaving your reader feeling cheated. The biggest event in your story has already occurred, and all that's left is the cool-down period. One or two scenes/chapters should wrap things up nicely. There is no need to drag the ending on forever. Get in, accomplish what you need to accomplish, and get out, just like clipping the beginnings and ends of scenes.
Another useful tip: unless you feel in your soul that it is absolutely necessary, I strongly advise against killing off your protagonist. Although the death of a hero can be extremely poignant, I recommend adding an 'expendable' sidekick/friend/wizardly guide/someone-likeable that you can redshirt in the final battle (for a Fantasy novel) or kill in some freak accident (for an angsty romance novel). Unless you have a very good reason for doing so, killing off your main character will only succeed in pissing off your readers.
Note: there is an exception to this rule. If you have written a godawful story/novel and want to move on, it is totally acceptable to end it (just for the sake of ending it) by killing all of your mediocre characters in some kind of fire or other natural disaster. Actually, doing this can be rather soothing for your frazzled nerves, and it will allow you to find some closure before moving on to your next project.
If you are writing a romance novel (or any novel with romance in it), for goodness sake, do NOT end the novel with the two main characters on the outs, even if you are planning a sequel so that they can fall back into each other's arms. Have them come together happily at the end. If you want to disrupt the relationship again in your sequel for more drama, feel free, but give the poor person who was kind enough to read your work a bone. Some more romance advice - do not have your characters constantly break up and make up. Once or twice is all right, but if it happens seven or eight times... it gets old. Fictional people in an on-off relationship are just as annoying as friends in real life that don't know when to let it stick or call it quits.
Writing a good ending is a little like cooking a complicated recipe. You want the right amount of left-over tension to make the reader want to buy your other books, but you want to leave the reader with a sense of peace after their journey with you. Do not endeavor to write your ending until you feel that the time is right. Also, you can write your ending WHENEVER the mood strikes, even if your novel is not finished yet. I usually pen my endings long before the middle of the book is finished. I find that they turn out better that way. Like your beginning, you will know when the time is right.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Write For Writing's Sake
If you want to be a good writer, you have to enjoy it. All of us have periods of difficulty with our art, but writing comes from the soul, and if you do not love what you are doing, you will not be able to create anything worth reading. Sometimes, we lose ourselves. This can be an isolated problem that only involves writing, or it can be an extension of problems in other parts of our lives. Writers often struggle with personal problems and let them seep into their projects. This can be helpful if you are trying to add emotion to your writing, but when it becomes counterproductive, it is important to remember that writing is about joy and need.
Write for writing's sake. Write because you need to. Write because you enjoy the act of writing. Do not write to be published. Do not write so that you will 'finish' a novel (although that is a great goal, it is not the MAIN reason you should write). Write because you love turning to a blank page in your notebook or opening a fresh word document. Write because you have a story to tell. Write because you need to, not because you think you should.
If you have lost the desire to write, work to rekindle that desire. It's kind of like maintaining a romantic relationship. You and your writing should have 'dates' to sit down and get some work done. Read books you love. Write scenes that are interesting to you. Set small, manageable goals. Even if you do not think that other people will be interested in what you have to say, write what speaks to you. Chances are that it will speak to someone else, too.
Write for writing's sake. Write because you need to. Write because you enjoy the act of writing. Do not write to be published. Do not write so that you will 'finish' a novel (although that is a great goal, it is not the MAIN reason you should write). Write because you love turning to a blank page in your notebook or opening a fresh word document. Write because you have a story to tell. Write because you need to, not because you think you should.
If you have lost the desire to write, work to rekindle that desire. It's kind of like maintaining a romantic relationship. You and your writing should have 'dates' to sit down and get some work done. Read books you love. Write scenes that are interesting to you. Set small, manageable goals. Even if you do not think that other people will be interested in what you have to say, write what speaks to you. Chances are that it will speak to someone else, too.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Write Wherever You Go
Hi guys, sorry I haven't been posting lately, but I am getting ready for a flute masterclass in Chicago. It is a five day long event that I am very excited to be attending, but somehow I have still found the time to work on my novel.
Some quick updates on me:
I have almost hit 50,000 words on The Witch's Daughter. Yay!
I have a fanfiction.net account now for Law and Order fanfics (and maybe some other stuff later). Look up Rae D. Magdon on www.fanfiction.net and check it out.
Now, a quick helpful post for all of you (and me) to think about...
It is always a good time to write. Well, maybe not always, but there are more available minutes in your day that you probably think. Because of this, I like to carry around a notebook (well, several notebooks that I rotate between because I am disorganized). On the rare occasions that I do not have a notebook, I usually find paper and a pen somewhere to write a few paragraphs on. They add up very quickly.
I know for sure that I will be writing at the airport today before my flight leaves, although I usually worry that someone will look over my shoulder and watch what I am doing. A lot of my first novel, The Second Sister, was penned in my high school math classes, as was the novella My Name is Brianna.
Who knows? I might even be able to jot down some quick thoughts in between note-taking blocks during my masterclass. When I'm not playing, of course!
Some quick updates on me:
I have almost hit 50,000 words on The Witch's Daughter. Yay!
I have a fanfiction.net account now for Law and Order fanfics (and maybe some other stuff later). Look up Rae D. Magdon on www.fanfiction.net and check it out.
Now, a quick helpful post for all of you (and me) to think about...
It is always a good time to write. Well, maybe not always, but there are more available minutes in your day that you probably think. Because of this, I like to carry around a notebook (well, several notebooks that I rotate between because I am disorganized). On the rare occasions that I do not have a notebook, I usually find paper and a pen somewhere to write a few paragraphs on. They add up very quickly.
I know for sure that I will be writing at the airport today before my flight leaves, although I usually worry that someone will look over my shoulder and watch what I am doing. A lot of my first novel, The Second Sister, was penned in my high school math classes, as was the novella My Name is Brianna.
Who knows? I might even be able to jot down some quick thoughts in between note-taking blocks during my masterclass. When I'm not playing, of course!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Follow The Call
The most effective way to banish Writer's Block forever is to listen to the call. Write what you want to write. Write what interests you. Write what haunts you. If an idea sticks in your head, use it, even if you are not sure other people will like it. If you lose interest in the novel you are working on and long to start another, sometimes it is wise to listen to that urge. Although it is a bad idea to abandon every project you start when the going gets rough, if you are truly bored with your current novel or story, it is better to write what you really want to write.
I was 'stuck' on, but not bored with, chapter seven of The Witch's Daughter. I have been reading a lot of Law and Order fanfiction recently (as evidenced by my previous posts), and I really wanted to write some Olivia/Alex romance. I fussed for a while, attempting to make headway on The Witch's Daughter, but it just wasn't coming. I abandoned the project for one night and wrote 2000 words of fanfiction. Afterwards, refreshed, I could go back to my novel and get some actual work done.
I usually end up working on two novels at the same time. This helps me keep my mind off of the huge list of 'planned' novels that I keep in my head. I also try to rotate my projects so that I am not working on two similar ideas at the same time. For example, I will work on one fantasy novel and one modern-day romance at a time, but not two books in the same fantasy series. It just creates confusion, and you cannot use your second novel to 'purge' the staleness of the other novel out.
That said, even if you get bored with a novel and decide to put it on hold/scrap it, DO NOT delete the material you have so far. You might be able to find a use for it later in a different project. I know that 10,000 words of The Witch's Daughter was written two and a half ago years before the novel took shape. Also, I have been able to use parts of a novel I wrote when I was 13-14 for all three of my Amendyr novels. You never know what you can use later. The country of Amendyr itself and its tyrant, the Queen, were created for that original novel.
It is hard to strike a balance between pushing through the slow parts of a novel and beating a dead horse, and only experience will truly tell you when to pause, when to scrap, and when to just slog through.
I was 'stuck' on, but not bored with, chapter seven of The Witch's Daughter. I have been reading a lot of Law and Order fanfiction recently (as evidenced by my previous posts), and I really wanted to write some Olivia/Alex romance. I fussed for a while, attempting to make headway on The Witch's Daughter, but it just wasn't coming. I abandoned the project for one night and wrote 2000 words of fanfiction. Afterwards, refreshed, I could go back to my novel and get some actual work done.
I usually end up working on two novels at the same time. This helps me keep my mind off of the huge list of 'planned' novels that I keep in my head. I also try to rotate my projects so that I am not working on two similar ideas at the same time. For example, I will work on one fantasy novel and one modern-day romance at a time, but not two books in the same fantasy series. It just creates confusion, and you cannot use your second novel to 'purge' the staleness of the other novel out.
That said, even if you get bored with a novel and decide to put it on hold/scrap it, DO NOT delete the material you have so far. You might be able to find a use for it later in a different project. I know that 10,000 words of The Witch's Daughter was written two and a half ago years before the novel took shape. Also, I have been able to use parts of a novel I wrote when I was 13-14 for all three of my Amendyr novels. You never know what you can use later. The country of Amendyr itself and its tyrant, the Queen, were created for that original novel.
It is hard to strike a balance between pushing through the slow parts of a novel and beating a dead horse, and only experience will truly tell you when to pause, when to scrap, and when to just slog through.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Stealing Ideas...
Yes, you can get away with it.
I just realized that one of my favorite novels of all time is actually based on the Law and Order universe. I purchased 'Conflict of Interest', one of my favorite novels, months ago, and have read it through several times, along with its sequel, 'Next of Kin'. Meanwhile, I had absolutely no idea that it was originally a fanfiction about one of my favorite TV shows: Law and Order - Special Victims Unit.
When I found a disabled fanfiction link and (finally) made the connection, I was floored. My brain just kind of... stopped. Seriously. How had I, a huge Law and Order fan, missed this? How had I not been able to recognize two of my favorite characters of all time in an original fiction novel?
The truth was, I did recognize them. At least, my soul did. I instantly bonded with the characters, perhaps because of their familiarity to me, even though I didn't put the pieces together until months after the fact. So, yes, you can get away with stealing characters, ideas, and whatever you want from other novels/TV shows/stories/poems/ect. It is actually a good idea.
Here is Rae's guide to stealing stuff.
1. Pick out what you like the most.
Pick a few character traits that you enjoy the most if you are stealing a character (we L&O fans all love Alex Cabot's sexy, sexy prosecutorial glasses). Pick the one jarring plot point that really tugs at your heart strings (unrequited love? Having to go against your own personal moral code for the greater good?). The other stuff, even if you like it, is just icing on the cake. You have to invent your own icing to cover the cake if you want to pass it off as your own. Okay, maybe I took that metaphor too far. It doesn't make a lot of sense, and now I'm hungry...
2. Hide it well
Once you have chosen the gems you want to steal, hide them well. Bury them so deep that no one will ever find them. Or, if they are not buried deep, at least disguise them cleverly enough that a reader will only feel satisfaction or amusement if they uncover them.
3. Never tell
Take your secret to your grave. Or, if you are Jae (author of Conflict of Interest), you can leave tantalizing clues and just not worry if you are discovered, because the book is original enough and well-written enough that you can get away with it. Which leads me to my last point...
4. Add enough original material so that no one will care if they find you out
Stealing some great characters or plot ideas isn't enough. You have to write a damn good novel to put them in. And that, my friend, will take work and some great ideas of your very own.
I just realized that one of my favorite novels of all time is actually based on the Law and Order universe. I purchased 'Conflict of Interest', one of my favorite novels, months ago, and have read it through several times, along with its sequel, 'Next of Kin'. Meanwhile, I had absolutely no idea that it was originally a fanfiction about one of my favorite TV shows: Law and Order - Special Victims Unit.
When I found a disabled fanfiction link and (finally) made the connection, I was floored. My brain just kind of... stopped. Seriously. How had I, a huge Law and Order fan, missed this? How had I not been able to recognize two of my favorite characters of all time in an original fiction novel?
The truth was, I did recognize them. At least, my soul did. I instantly bonded with the characters, perhaps because of their familiarity to me, even though I didn't put the pieces together until months after the fact. So, yes, you can get away with stealing characters, ideas, and whatever you want from other novels/TV shows/stories/poems/ect. It is actually a good idea.
Here is Rae's guide to stealing stuff.
1. Pick out what you like the most.
Pick a few character traits that you enjoy the most if you are stealing a character (we L&O fans all love Alex Cabot's sexy, sexy prosecutorial glasses). Pick the one jarring plot point that really tugs at your heart strings (unrequited love? Having to go against your own personal moral code for the greater good?). The other stuff, even if you like it, is just icing on the cake. You have to invent your own icing to cover the cake if you want to pass it off as your own. Okay, maybe I took that metaphor too far. It doesn't make a lot of sense, and now I'm hungry...
2. Hide it well
Once you have chosen the gems you want to steal, hide them well. Bury them so deep that no one will ever find them. Or, if they are not buried deep, at least disguise them cleverly enough that a reader will only feel satisfaction or amusement if they uncover them.
3. Never tell
Take your secret to your grave. Or, if you are Jae (author of Conflict of Interest), you can leave tantalizing clues and just not worry if you are discovered, because the book is original enough and well-written enough that you can get away with it. Which leads me to my last point...
4. Add enough original material so that no one will care if they find you out
Stealing some great characters or plot ideas isn't enough. You have to write a damn good novel to put them in. And that, my friend, will take work and some great ideas of your very own.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Conquer Your Fears
All artists are afraid at some point. Afraid of completing a project, afraid of putting all of themselves into their work, because... what if you fail? What if, after all the struggling and effort, it all comes to nothing? It is easier to not try at all. That way, you will never feel that crushing disappointment.
I struggle with this as a musician. Sometimes, I am afraid to practice as much as I could. If I do not succeed, then I can say: 'well, I didn't try my hardest... I might have won that competition/gotten that job/done better.' It can be easier to never actually achieve success than to strive for it and fail.
But you can't let that stop you. Even though it might be easier to say, "well, if I finished that novel, I could probably get published," you need to sit down and write it. And submit over and over and over again, even if you get a pile of rejections. Writers, like all artists, must develop thick skins.
The results are more than worth the sacrifice.
I struggle with this as a musician. Sometimes, I am afraid to practice as much as I could. If I do not succeed, then I can say: 'well, I didn't try my hardest... I might have won that competition/gotten that job/done better.' It can be easier to never actually achieve success than to strive for it and fail.
But you can't let that stop you. Even though it might be easier to say, "well, if I finished that novel, I could probably get published," you need to sit down and write it. And submit over and over and over again, even if you get a pile of rejections. Writers, like all artists, must develop thick skins.
The results are more than worth the sacrifice.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Characters
Characters can make or break a novel.
No matter how gifted a writer you are, no matter how amazing your plot is, if your characters are lifeless, your novel will fall flat. Here are some rules to follow while creating characters.
1. Give your characters flaws
Although most veteran writers already know this rule, it cannot hurt to restate it: give your characters realistic flaws. Flaws are what make us human, and although they are annoying in real life, they are interesting fodder for a novel. No one wants to read about a rocket scientist super model billionaire.
2. Make your main characters likable (or hatable)
Make the reader care about your character (if they're the good guy) or really despise your character (if they're the bad guy). Of course, there's always room for the shadowy guy in between who cannot decide if he's good or evil, but you should have at least one good, likable character that your audience can root for, even if they don't win in the end.
3. Plant "seeds" of yourself in your characters (or someone else)
I take tiny pieces of myself and my life and plant them in my characters. As I write about these characters, they tend to grow on their own and become something totally different than I envisioned. Gwen Caradoc and Ellie Kingsclere, the narrators in Chopin at 3:00 in the Morning and The Second Sister respectively, are most closely related to me. I think every main character I write about has at least one unique characteristic taken from me or someone I know well.
4. Try taking some notes
When you envision your character in your mind, what do you see? Can you describe them in one sentence? Can you describe them in a paragraph? Name one important memory from their past. What is their full name? What are the names of their parents? Where and when were they born? What are their thoughts on love? You can always look up character question sheets on the internet, there are plenty of good ones out there, but I prefer to go it alone.
5. Find your character's voice
Even if your novel is going to be in third person, I recommend writing a short monologue in first person for your main character(s). It will help you decide how your character talks and thinks, and these quirks can be useful for dialogue scenes later on. Although you certainly do not want to overuse them, zeroing in on a few common expressions or phrases that your main characters use can be useful. Imagine how their voice sounds in your head. When I was much younger and first creating characters of my own, I even tried to imitate their voices and record them on my computer. Although I deleted these files from embarrassment afterward, the process of making them was very useful.
6. You will discover new things about your characters as you write about them
I knew that my characters had begun to take on lives of their own when Gwen, who I created on Christmas Eve when I was twelve, decided that she was a lesbian, dumped the (admittedly dull) boyfriend I created for her, and chose to start dating her best friend Mandy. The characters were so real to me at this point that I had almost no say in this. Watching one of my characters choose her own romantic partner helped me come out to myself, which is probably why Gwen is my favorite character of all time, and the most like me.
Does this sound scary? It is, a little. Here's a hint: if you start losing control of your characters, DO NOT tell non-writers what is going on in your head, because they will think you are crazy. As long as you can separate fiction from reality, you're okay. Just keep it to yourself, or you might get some weird looks... I know from personal experience.
No matter how gifted a writer you are, no matter how amazing your plot is, if your characters are lifeless, your novel will fall flat. Here are some rules to follow while creating characters.
1. Give your characters flaws
Although most veteran writers already know this rule, it cannot hurt to restate it: give your characters realistic flaws. Flaws are what make us human, and although they are annoying in real life, they are interesting fodder for a novel. No one wants to read about a rocket scientist super model billionaire.
2. Make your main characters likable (or hatable)
Make the reader care about your character (if they're the good guy) or really despise your character (if they're the bad guy). Of course, there's always room for the shadowy guy in between who cannot decide if he's good or evil, but you should have at least one good, likable character that your audience can root for, even if they don't win in the end.
3. Plant "seeds" of yourself in your characters (or someone else)
I take tiny pieces of myself and my life and plant them in my characters. As I write about these characters, they tend to grow on their own and become something totally different than I envisioned. Gwen Caradoc and Ellie Kingsclere, the narrators in Chopin at 3:00 in the Morning and The Second Sister respectively, are most closely related to me. I think every main character I write about has at least one unique characteristic taken from me or someone I know well.
4. Try taking some notes
When you envision your character in your mind, what do you see? Can you describe them in one sentence? Can you describe them in a paragraph? Name one important memory from their past. What is their full name? What are the names of their parents? Where and when were they born? What are their thoughts on love? You can always look up character question sheets on the internet, there are plenty of good ones out there, but I prefer to go it alone.
5. Find your character's voice
Even if your novel is going to be in third person, I recommend writing a short monologue in first person for your main character(s). It will help you decide how your character talks and thinks, and these quirks can be useful for dialogue scenes later on. Although you certainly do not want to overuse them, zeroing in on a few common expressions or phrases that your main characters use can be useful. Imagine how their voice sounds in your head. When I was much younger and first creating characters of my own, I even tried to imitate their voices and record them on my computer. Although I deleted these files from embarrassment afterward, the process of making them was very useful.
6. You will discover new things about your characters as you write about them
I knew that my characters had begun to take on lives of their own when Gwen, who I created on Christmas Eve when I was twelve, decided that she was a lesbian, dumped the (admittedly dull) boyfriend I created for her, and chose to start dating her best friend Mandy. The characters were so real to me at this point that I had almost no say in this. Watching one of my characters choose her own romantic partner helped me come out to myself, which is probably why Gwen is my favorite character of all time, and the most like me.
Does this sound scary? It is, a little. Here's a hint: if you start losing control of your characters, DO NOT tell non-writers what is going on in your head, because they will think you are crazy. As long as you can separate fiction from reality, you're okay. Just keep it to yourself, or you might get some weird looks... I know from personal experience.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Slogging Through
To publish a novel, first you must finish it. Only Stephen King can submit a proposal for a novel before it is actually complete (and I'm sure that he outlines his books at the very least before submitting such a proposal).
Finishing a novel is much harder than starting one, and it is easy to get bogged down. Some writers hate beginnings, some writers hate endings, and some hate middles. Usually, my own novels are very strong in the beginning and end portions, but the middle is only a tenuous thread, easily breakable and usually tangled. Right now, I'm in the middle of The Witch's Daughter, and it's not the most exciting part of the book to write (although I hope that it will be exciting to read).
To motivate myself, I have spent time on the beginning and end of the novel as well, typing out pieces of the middle in between so that I don't get overwhelmed. My middles also tend to have the most sex scenes and romantic bits, because the end and beginning are usually more plot-focused. Sex scenes are a great way to distract myself from how much I hate writing middles. And boy do I hate middles!
So think of ways to spice up your middle if you find yourself stuck. Although my novels usually have sex, many novels do not, and there are plenty of other ways to keep the momentum moving forward. Introduce a new character, perhaps one that is not clearly good or evil, for the reader to wonder about. Insert a natural disaster, an attack, or an invasion. If you are writing in a modern-day setting, the attack can be a verbal one or some kind of fight. Have your protagonist injure themselves, have the villain make an appearance, write scenes in which a side-character becomes more prominent and begins acting mysteriously, reveal a secret about the protagonist's past. Just do something, or you will get bored with your writing, and when a writer is bored, the reader can tell. Stave off boredom at all cost by introducing the unexpected.
Although it can be tedious, plotting out your entire novel from beginning to end is also a great way to keep yourself on track. You can do this in several ways. First, write a summary. Try reading the jackets of a few books in your room to see what I mean. It should only be a few sentences that clearly state the main conflict of the book, introduce the protagonist, and leave you interested. You can choose to include your ending, or not. Then, use that paragraph to write a synopsis. You can even use this synopsis later to submit your novel to a publisher! A synopsis should be one page, single spaced, and outline all the scenes you want in your book. You don't have to finish your summary right away if some of the spots in your novel seem unclear. This is only the planning stage. You can add to or delete from this summary later. However, it will outline the spots that you need to focus on so that you can smooth them out.
These summaries are always written in the PRESENT TENSE. For example, my summary for The Second Sister begins: Eleanor Sandleford is thrown into a volatile situation when her father, Lord Roland, marries Lady Kingsclere. Although her new stepmother appears friendly, Ellie notices tension between her two stepsisters, Luciana and Belladonna.
You get the idea.
If you can't be bothered to write a summary when you get stuck, try doing an outline instead. Just use some bullet points to list scenes and characters that are important in your novel. You can organize this outline any way you like, and no one has to see it but you. Just make sure that you can understand what you mean when you go back and read it later. (I admit that I have occasionally referenced plot ideas in these quick outlines that I later forgot).
The most important thing to do is keep writing. Even if you feel like you're at a boring part, keep writing! You can always delete or brush up that part later if it seems sluggish or lugubrious. Just keep pushing forward, and eventually you will get to a more interesting part.
Finishing a novel is much harder than starting one, and it is easy to get bogged down. Some writers hate beginnings, some writers hate endings, and some hate middles. Usually, my own novels are very strong in the beginning and end portions, but the middle is only a tenuous thread, easily breakable and usually tangled. Right now, I'm in the middle of The Witch's Daughter, and it's not the most exciting part of the book to write (although I hope that it will be exciting to read).
To motivate myself, I have spent time on the beginning and end of the novel as well, typing out pieces of the middle in between so that I don't get overwhelmed. My middles also tend to have the most sex scenes and romantic bits, because the end and beginning are usually more plot-focused. Sex scenes are a great way to distract myself from how much I hate writing middles. And boy do I hate middles!
So think of ways to spice up your middle if you find yourself stuck. Although my novels usually have sex, many novels do not, and there are plenty of other ways to keep the momentum moving forward. Introduce a new character, perhaps one that is not clearly good or evil, for the reader to wonder about. Insert a natural disaster, an attack, or an invasion. If you are writing in a modern-day setting, the attack can be a verbal one or some kind of fight. Have your protagonist injure themselves, have the villain make an appearance, write scenes in which a side-character becomes more prominent and begins acting mysteriously, reveal a secret about the protagonist's past. Just do something, or you will get bored with your writing, and when a writer is bored, the reader can tell. Stave off boredom at all cost by introducing the unexpected.
Although it can be tedious, plotting out your entire novel from beginning to end is also a great way to keep yourself on track. You can do this in several ways. First, write a summary. Try reading the jackets of a few books in your room to see what I mean. It should only be a few sentences that clearly state the main conflict of the book, introduce the protagonist, and leave you interested. You can choose to include your ending, or not. Then, use that paragraph to write a synopsis. You can even use this synopsis later to submit your novel to a publisher! A synopsis should be one page, single spaced, and outline all the scenes you want in your book. You don't have to finish your summary right away if some of the spots in your novel seem unclear. This is only the planning stage. You can add to or delete from this summary later. However, it will outline the spots that you need to focus on so that you can smooth them out.
These summaries are always written in the PRESENT TENSE. For example, my summary for The Second Sister begins: Eleanor Sandleford is thrown into a volatile situation when her father, Lord Roland, marries Lady Kingsclere. Although her new stepmother appears friendly, Ellie notices tension between her two stepsisters, Luciana and Belladonna.
You get the idea.
If you can't be bothered to write a summary when you get stuck, try doing an outline instead. Just use some bullet points to list scenes and characters that are important in your novel. You can organize this outline any way you like, and no one has to see it but you. Just make sure that you can understand what you mean when you go back and read it later. (I admit that I have occasionally referenced plot ideas in these quick outlines that I later forgot).
The most important thing to do is keep writing. Even if you feel like you're at a boring part, keep writing! You can always delete or brush up that part later if it seems sluggish or lugubrious. Just keep pushing forward, and eventually you will get to a more interesting part.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Draw Inspiration From Your Life
Really good writers make you feel something. Somehow, they use their mystical writing powers to tap into your deepest, most primal emotions and draw them out. They do this by using echos of their own experiences - their own frustrations, their own troubles, their own joys - and inserting them into their writing.
This can be very frightening. Sharing your most intimate thoughts and feelings with a bunch of strangers is difficult. But your most powerful emotional ideas are probably also your most interesting ones. Although your internal censor is important for keeping a conversation on friendly, neutral territory, you do not need to keep your guard up when you are writing. In fact, it is important to knock that wall down.
Remember a time when you were totally happy. It could have been yesterday, or it could have been decades ago when you were much younger. Remember a time when you were consumed by guilt. How would you put those emotions on paper? Use experiences from your own life to put emotion into your writing. You do not need to keep the circumstances identical, just the emotions. It is a writer's job to be every character, to feel every emotion, to experience everything so that they can retell the experience.
There is a place where you need to draw the line. If you have a killer in your novel, no one expects you to go out and murder someone so that you know what it feels like. But reading autobiographies about murderers, imagining how someone might feel after committing a murder, and drawing upon your own experiences and amplifying them (were you ever angry enough that you wished someone were dead, even though you would never actually hurt them?) can create a startlingly accurate picture.
Personally, to express feelings of grief, guilt, self-hatred, and betrayal, I draw on my own experiences with my mother. Coming out to her was very painful and difficult. Although I certainly do not wish to repeat the experience, it is somewhat therapeutic to inject those experiences into my writing. It leaves more room inside of me for new feelings, better feelings. It's a little like sucking poison out of a wound.
Conveying the human experience, its pleasures and joys as well as its faults and limitations, is every writer's job.
This can be very frightening. Sharing your most intimate thoughts and feelings with a bunch of strangers is difficult. But your most powerful emotional ideas are probably also your most interesting ones. Although your internal censor is important for keeping a conversation on friendly, neutral territory, you do not need to keep your guard up when you are writing. In fact, it is important to knock that wall down.
Remember a time when you were totally happy. It could have been yesterday, or it could have been decades ago when you were much younger. Remember a time when you were consumed by guilt. How would you put those emotions on paper? Use experiences from your own life to put emotion into your writing. You do not need to keep the circumstances identical, just the emotions. It is a writer's job to be every character, to feel every emotion, to experience everything so that they can retell the experience.
There is a place where you need to draw the line. If you have a killer in your novel, no one expects you to go out and murder someone so that you know what it feels like. But reading autobiographies about murderers, imagining how someone might feel after committing a murder, and drawing upon your own experiences and amplifying them (were you ever angry enough that you wished someone were dead, even though you would never actually hurt them?) can create a startlingly accurate picture.
Personally, to express feelings of grief, guilt, self-hatred, and betrayal, I draw on my own experiences with my mother. Coming out to her was very painful and difficult. Although I certainly do not wish to repeat the experience, it is somewhat therapeutic to inject those experiences into my writing. It leaves more room inside of me for new feelings, better feelings. It's a little like sucking poison out of a wound.
Conveying the human experience, its pleasures and joys as well as its faults and limitations, is every writer's job.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Writing Demons
The Writing Demons have gotten ahold of me.
This is wonderful and frightening news, because I have been battling severe writer's block for the past few weeks. Oh, I got some words down, but they weren't heartfelt or engaging. When I scrapped the novel I had been working on (Mirror, Mirror) and started the novel I really wanted to write (The Witch's Daughter) by pulling out some old material from a folder on my hard drive, I unleashed a monster.
I spent all of last night writing like a maniac and got 10,000 words out all at once before collapsing into bed for a few hours of fitful sleep. I was busy most of today, but the writing demons haven't left. I'm exhausted. All my body wants to do is sleep, but my brain is still racing with ideas for my new novel. It is fitting in place perfectly with its two predecessors, The Second Sister and Wolf's Eyes.
I suppose I should make an important point about writing or something instead of just rambling about my late night. Remember: Write what you love. Even if you think no one else will like it. Even if you're in the middle of a novel you hate but feel obligated to finish. If it's not working, either change the novel so you fall in love with it again, or write a new one. Holly Lisle, one of my favorite novelists, says that writing is like stripping naked and dancing on the rooftops. I tend to agree with her. You are baring little bits of your intimate soul for anyone who chooses to pick up your book. But it's worth it. It's so totally worth it.
This is wonderful and frightening news, because I have been battling severe writer's block for the past few weeks. Oh, I got some words down, but they weren't heartfelt or engaging. When I scrapped the novel I had been working on (Mirror, Mirror) and started the novel I really wanted to write (The Witch's Daughter) by pulling out some old material from a folder on my hard drive, I unleashed a monster.
I spent all of last night writing like a maniac and got 10,000 words out all at once before collapsing into bed for a few hours of fitful sleep. I was busy most of today, but the writing demons haven't left. I'm exhausted. All my body wants to do is sleep, but my brain is still racing with ideas for my new novel. It is fitting in place perfectly with its two predecessors, The Second Sister and Wolf's Eyes.
I suppose I should make an important point about writing or something instead of just rambling about my late night. Remember: Write what you love. Even if you think no one else will like it. Even if you're in the middle of a novel you hate but feel obligated to finish. If it's not working, either change the novel so you fall in love with it again, or write a new one. Holly Lisle, one of my favorite novelists, says that writing is like stripping naked and dancing on the rooftops. I tend to agree with her. You are baring little bits of your intimate soul for anyone who chooses to pick up your book. But it's worth it. It's so totally worth it.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Knowing When To Stop
So, 23,000 words in to my third novel in 'The Second Sister' trilogy, I'm stuck.
Not just writer's block stuck. No, I can deal with that. Emotionally stuck. I just don't care about the novel I'm writing, and I'm only writing it because I want to tie up all the loose ends from the first two books in the series. So I have decided to scrap it. Now, this doesn't mean I'm deleting everything I've written. Deleting 23,000 words is a very bad idea. I might be able to use some of that material later, especially the romance scenes. But I'm not going to finish this book.
I always encourage my writer friends to finish the projects they start, especially friends that have trouble getting past the middle of their novels. But sometimes you just have to know when to quit. Writing is supposed to be about joy, discoveries, and emotions. When you are empty of joy, when you make no new discoveries, and when your only emotions are frustration and anger... it's time to work on something else.
So instead of writing the book about Snow White that I thought I would write, I'm going to write a version of Rapunzel with a new cast instead. I already have about 7,000 words from a few years ago that I really enjoyed working on, and I'll use that as my jumping off point. Remember my advice about saving everything? Follow it. You never know when you'll use it again.
Wish me luck, I'll need it.
Not just writer's block stuck. No, I can deal with that. Emotionally stuck. I just don't care about the novel I'm writing, and I'm only writing it because I want to tie up all the loose ends from the first two books in the series. So I have decided to scrap it. Now, this doesn't mean I'm deleting everything I've written. Deleting 23,000 words is a very bad idea. I might be able to use some of that material later, especially the romance scenes. But I'm not going to finish this book.
I always encourage my writer friends to finish the projects they start, especially friends that have trouble getting past the middle of their novels. But sometimes you just have to know when to quit. Writing is supposed to be about joy, discoveries, and emotions. When you are empty of joy, when you make no new discoveries, and when your only emotions are frustration and anger... it's time to work on something else.
So instead of writing the book about Snow White that I thought I would write, I'm going to write a version of Rapunzel with a new cast instead. I already have about 7,000 words from a few years ago that I really enjoyed working on, and I'll use that as my jumping off point. Remember my advice about saving everything? Follow it. You never know when you'll use it again.
Wish me luck, I'll need it.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Defeating Writer's Block
Writer's Block is the dragon that all heroic writers must face at some point in their lives - whether they want to publish or not. Writers of all levels, beginners to pros, must learn to defeat Writer's Block. The good news is that you are not alone. All of us have experienced the exact same feelings of helplessness and desperation that you have. And we can help each other.
Here are some quick and fast tips for defeating Writer's Block.
1. Shut up your internal censor.
You know that little voice inside your head? The one that tells you that you are a terrible writer and nothing you type out or write in your journal makes sense? Shut it up. One way to do this is by writing something that scares you. If you think you are very bad at poetry, write a poem even if you think you can't. If you are bad at love scenes, write a steamy, romantic, passionate scene. You might be surprised what you can do when you try.
2. Give yourself permission to fail.
This might seem self-defeating, but it works. Say to yourself, "I am going to write today, and if every word is not a perfect masterpiece, that's okay... as long as I'm writing." Not every sentence you write will be amazing, and that is okay. Not every sentence Shakespeare wrote was amazing, either, I'll bet. He just went back and fixed it later, or else the other sentences were so great that nobody noticed.
3. Set small, reasonable goals for yourself. Reward appropriately.
Instead of staring at a blank page and worrying about filling it, set a goal for yourself. "I am going to write 500 words at this sit-down. That is it." When you finish that goal, even if the words are not your best, reward yourself. Take a nice, hot shower. Eat a yummy popsicle. Go get a hug from your favorite person. Rinse and repeat.
4. Do writing sprints!
These are fun exercises that are great for the writer who is struggling. Sit down at your computer or open up a journal and check the clock. Write for 5, 10, or 15 minutes without stopping. Just keep going, even if it doesn't hang together quite right. You can always go back and edit later. For now, just get the words out.
5. Word prompts
There are several fun word and character prompts you can use to get yourself inspired. Put together a list of ten unrelated words, or use a word generator to come up with some. Then, try and connect all those words together. There are some great name and character generators on www.seventh-sanctum.com
6. Build a community
Show your work to others. Share it on www.fictionpress.com and find some reviewers. Post a little bit at a time. That way, with other people bugging you for more and a goal to work towards, you will have more motivation to write.
Happy writing!
