Thursday, September 16, 2010

Writing Techniques for Novelists



Writing a novel is challenging at the best of times. There are some techniques that will make this process a little easier. Not all techniques work for all people, so it's important to experiment with these and other techniques to find what works for you.

Some popular techniques are:
  • Daydream. Imagine that you are truly in the place and time of your novel, and put yourself inside the scene you're creating. Pretend that you are the people in your novel. How would you react?
  • Walk around with a journal, and use it frequently. When you hear an interesting bit of conversation, visit a stunning location, or otherwise see anything that you might want to eventually include in your novel. Real life can be a powerful inspiration for creative fiction.
  • If applicable, draw maps and sketches to represent please and places in your novel. If you're not much of an artist, use the written word to describe what you want your readers to see. Make detailed character backgrounds, and keep them in a binder. That way, you can refer to them frequently while writing.
  • If at all possible, read books or watch movies relating to the places and people you're writing about. If your story takes place in Paris, watch movies that take place in Paris. If you're writing a fantasy and having to create your own world, watch some fantasy movies to get a feel for fantastical worlds.
  • Act it out. This may sound a little silly, and make you look a little eccentric, but it works. Take your daydreaming to the next level, get up, and truly participate in your scenes, at least as much as you can. You maybe don't want your neighbour seeing you prance around the living room shouting out lines, but for discovering what works and what doesn't, sometimes acting is the way to go.
Use whatever gets you writing. There is no such thing as a technique that is too amateur, or just for poets, or science fiction writers, or whatever. If a technique helps you write, then it's the right technique for you.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Tips for the Aspiring Novelist

Writing a really good novel takes work. It can be a difficult and frustrating process, and it’s easy to get stuck at a particular point. It is important to keep the creative juices flowing. Though there are many ways in which to re-energize yourself and get that novel finished, I find five tips to be of particular use.

Make Writing a Habit

I am most wide awake in the morning, so I try to write as much as possible before lunch. And I do this every day, so it’s become a habit for me. If you want to write and finish a novel, you have to sit down and write, and you have to make a habit of it. Consistency is the key to success in many endeavors, including creative writing.

Pick the time of day when you are at your best; it doesn’t have to be the morning. Try to be as energized as possible, so eat something, and maybe go for a walk. The fresh air may help to kick start your creativity. Then sit down and write, hopefully for an hour or more. However, if you can only manage fifteen minutes, then don’t feel too bad about it. Fifteen minutes is better than nothing.

Play Some Appropriate Music

Music is a wonderful way to stir my own creativity, and it’s the same for many writers. Try choosing music appropriate to whatever it is that you’re writing. If you’re trying to compose a medieval novel, perhaps some folk or bardic music might suffice. Use upbeat music for those scenes that have a little more action. Choose music that you enjoy, and your writing will benefit from it.

If there are lyrics in the music you play, make sure you’re not listening to your favorite. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be tempted to sing along instead of writing. If you must listen to music with lyrics, use something that you can tune out, if necessary.

Take Advantage of Plot-Storming

Plot-storming is exactly like brainstorming, except that you’re focusing on the plot of your novel. If you’re unsure about where your plot’s going, what your characters should be doing, or how to formulate your story, take a break from writing, and try plot-storming. Take a paper and pen, sit down where you can be alone and quiet for a time, and get to work.

When I plot-storm, I use bubbles. I write down key thing I’d like to see happen in my novel, draw little bubbles around them, and then try to figure out how to connect these things. When I’ve done that, I collect my notes and write myself a decent plot summary. It’s okay for this plot to change over time, but having a general idea of where my story is going makes the writing of it just that much easier.

Switch off the Television While Writing

In my experience, having the television on while trying to write is not only a distraction, but it actually stifles creativity. Most of the shows on TV these days don’t do much to promote creative thinking, so you’re better off without the distraction.

If you really feel you must use television as background noise, at least choose a high quality show or movie that actually stands a chance of enhancing your creativity rather than shutting it down completely.

Reading to Write Creatively

Read. This final tip is as simple as that. Read everything you can get your hands on, no matter the genre. Read fiction, non-fiction, newspapers, letters, or anything else you come across. You will be amazed at the inspiration that can be found in the written words of others. Besides, it gives you something to do while facing writer’s block.

Writing a novel can be a long and arduous path, and getting started is not always easy. But, with a little perseverance and patience, and armed with the basics of writing a novel, you can finish your own great work of fiction.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Being a Professional Writer: Getting Started

It seems everyone wants to be a writer these days. From children to teenagers to adults, many people have this dream of someday writing and publishing a great work. Being a professional writer is not an easy path, and getting started can be more difficult still. Every writer, including myself, started with a dream of becoming a professional, but not all achieve this dream.

Why Do You Want to be a Writer?

This is by far the most important question when it comes to deciding to pursue a career in professional writing. If the answer is money, glory, or fame, then you’re better off finding another vocation. The money for the majority of writers isn’t stellar, at least from my point of view. Certainly, unless you’re a bestselling author, the money isn’t any more than what most careers would pay.

As for glory … the majority of writers will never achieve any kind of fame or glory. Becoming a household name is a dream that all writers and authors have, but few will ever actually attain. For many, writing is a thankless job. Accolades are few and far between.

Why would anyone want to be a writer? For the joy, of course. For the pure love of writing. To really do well when it comes to professional writing, you have to have a passion for it. I do. I love to write, I feel compelled to write. This compulsion drives me to write every day, whether it’s a chapter in a novel, an article that I’m paid for, or simple an entry in my journal. I have to write even if I’m encountering writer’s block.

If you love to write, if you need to write as much as you need to breathe fresh air, then perhaps writing is the career for you.

What Do You Want to Write?

Many aspiring writers would like to publish a novel. This is a wonderful goal, especially if you have a passion for fiction writing. However, for those who wish to write as a full-time job, focusing exclusively on fiction writing may not be the best way to make a living.

If you really want to make money, and use your writing skills at the same time, then consider freelance writing. You can get started on the Internet. There are many sites out there that will pay you to write, either through upfront payments for your articles, or residual earnings. Here are my two favourites:
  • HubPages (pays through revenue sharing)
  • Constant Content (paid per purchased article)
There are others, such as Demand Studios, Associated Content, and WiseGeek. For most of them, you write short articles, and get paid through whatever method that site offers. There is a considerable amount of money to be made, assuming you write well, and you diversify when it comes to subject matter. Don’t limit yourself to only one site, but give them all a try and see which ones you like.

There is also money to be made in ghostwriting, short stories, editorials, e-books, and non-fiction books. Explore all these possibilities. This is not to say that you shouldn’t also write a novel. It simply means that if you want to eventually have a full-time income from your writing, you may have to get a little more creative.

To have a career as a professional writer, you have to write. This may sound like I’m telling you that you have to breathe to live, but it’s a point that bears mentioning. There are many people who would love to make money from writing, but they simply do not ever get started. Find ways to motivate yourself, have faith that you are a writer in your heart, and never give up.

If you truly want to be a professional writer, then you will find a way. I did. You can too.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Writing a Novel: Breaking the Rules of Grammar

We all learned the rules in school. Write in complete sentences. Don’t end a sentence with a preposition. These are the two most common rules that I’m asked about, usually by aspiring writers who have the voices of English teachers or professors still ringing in their ears.

When you’re writing fiction, and especially when you’re writing an entire novel, you want it to be believable. Let’s face it, very few people speak according to the rules of grammar. It would be difficult to create a truly enrapturing story if you insisted on being grammatically correct.

Using Complete Sentences When Novel Writing

Most high school students are taught not to use sentence fragments. I was taught not to use sentence fragments. And true, when writing a professional-sounding non-fiction work, it is a good idea to avoid sentence fragments, for the most part. But we’re not talking about non-fiction. We’re talking about the creativity inherent in writing a novel.

Novels are an expression of thoughts and feelings, both of the author and of the characters he or she creates. And these characters should at least strive to reflect reality to some extent, even in the most fantastical stories. In reality, very few people speak in full and complete sentences all of the time. And most people, myself included, think in sentence fragments.

This is not to say that you should go nuts and write a novel entirely composed of sentence fragments, for a novel written in such a way would cause most readers to choose another book. But if a sentence fragment sounds right, and it fits into the story you are weaving, then most novelists will tell you to go ahead and use it.

Can I End a Sentence in a Preposition When Writing a Novel?

If we were in a classroom, I would have to tell you that you must never end a sentence in a preposition (except, of course, for the exceptions to that rule). Creative writing tends to follow different rules than conventional writing. When people speak and think, they often end sentences in prepositions, especially the word ‘with.’ If a character thinks and speaks in a way that means you have to end sentences with prepositions, even if it’s totally unacceptable grammatically, then I’d tell you to go with it.

Most of the rules of grammar apply as strictly to creative writing as they do to other forms of writing. However, a novel should draw the reader in, and keep him or her captive until the end of the story. This can sometimes be best accomplished by employing a style of writing that may not be grammatically correct. It may not be easy for those just getting started to dismiss the strict rules of grammar, but it’s not called creative writing for nothing.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Writing a Novel: Where to Start

It seems that everyone wants to write a novel these days. The thought of seeing your own book in print is irresistible to some. However, many aspiring novelists simply do not know where to begin, and they need some tips for writing a novel. It’s not always as easy as picking up a pen and paper, at least in my opinion. In fact, writing a novel does not necessarily begin with writing at all.

Reading to Write Creatively

Writing is easy. Writing well is an art. In order to write well, you have to read, and read a lot. Not just one or two novels, but dozens, preferably hundreds, including the classics. Deciding on what genre you are most interested in writing, and start (but certainly don't stop) there. Some fiction genres are:
  • Science fiction;
  • Fantasy fiction;
  • Crime fiction;
  • Historical fiction; and
  • Romantic fiction.
There are many other genres to choose from, such as literary fiction, adventure, or mystery fiction. But don’t limit yourself to simply reading one genre. Books are often crossovers. For example, I tend to write books that are classified as fantasies. However, they have elements of romance as well. Many romance books are historical in their setting. Read a variety of books, without limiting yourself to a certain genre, and absorb the style and tone of each book. They’re all very different, and they all have something to teach (even the poorly-written ones).

Keeping a Journal of Your Creative Thoughts

Many people keep journals, myself included. Journals and diaries are a good way to express thoughts and feelings. In the case of preparing to write a novel, they’re also a wonderful way to keep track of the odd stray thought or idea.

Carry a journal of some kind with you wherever you go. You never really know when you’ll be able to use that bit of dialogue that you thought up while having dinner with friends. It’s also a good place to take notes about places you go and people you meet. At some point during one of your long writing sessions, you might just find a use for these notes.

Keep a pen with you at all times. I know from personal experience how annoying it can be to have the journal and no pen during a moment of inspiration.

Being Your Own Audience

When you do eventually start to write, try to think like a reader. By this point, you should have read enough books to be able to do that. Try to decide if you would want to read a book just like the one you’re writing, or if you’d pass it by. If you can honestly say that it’s worth the read, then you might just have a winner on your hands.

When Writing a Novel, You Have to Write

Novels don’t write themselves. They are written word by word, chapter by chapter, until they’re completed. If you want to write a novel, you have to sit down and write. You’ll have to plough through writer’s block, deal with interruptions, and wrangle your characters into doing whatever it is they’re supposed to in order to get to the end of the novel. If you don’t sit down and commit yourself to your project, it just will never happen.

Write something everyday. It may be a chapter, it may be only a paragraph, but if you want to be a writer, you have to get into the habit of writing. It’s far too easy to let one day slip past, and that day becomes a month, and before you know it, you’ve let that half-finished novel sit on the shelf (or in the computer) for a year. I’ve actually done this, twice. It’s not a good way to write a novel.

If you really want to write a novel, or be a professional writer of any kind, then do it. Don’t just think about, don’t just talk about it (or you risk irritating you friends and family), but do it. Don’t worry about getting published, and don’t worry about spelling mistakes, grammar, or getting you idea across at first. You can edit and revise to your heart’s content later, and getting published is a headache that is best put off until the thing is done.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Writer's Block and How to Avoid It

Experiencing writer’s block can be a horrible feeling; I know this from personal experience. Almost all writers will, at some point, have that moment where writing seems impossible. Sometimes, an amateur writer will even give up on writing completely, discouraged and unwilling to continue. This truly is a shame, and unnecessary for those who truly desire to write.

Before you find yourself sprawled on your living room floor and soaking the carpet with your tears, take a moment to consider what writer’s block really is and how it can be combated, perhaps even avoided, in the first place.

What is Writer’s Block?

Writer’s block is not a mental disorder, though sometimes it does feel that way, even to those people who write for a living, myself included. Writer’s block is really self-doubt and confusion. It’s that moment when a writer just seems to implode, not for any external reason, but because their own negative thoughts just seem to take over.

A writer experiencing writer’s block may have many thoughts running through their head. Some of these are more damaging than others. In the recent months, I have caught myself with dwelling on many negative thoughts immediately before writer’s block sets in.
  • I am not a writer, I’m just doodling on the paper.
  • I absolutely do not deserve to be successful.
  • Who would want to read this anyway?
  • I can’t submit this until it’s perfect. Since it’s not perfect, and never will be, why bother?
  • Even if I do finish it and submit it, it’s only going to be rejected anyway.
All of these thoughts lead immediately to writer’s block. If you catch yourself thinking these, it’s time to start avoiding writer’s block.

Tips for Avoiding Writer’s Block

There are many different methods for avoiding writer’s block, and everyone has methods that work for them. It would be impossible for me to detail each method here. Therefore, I’ll focus on the tips and methods with which I, personally, have had great success.
  • Write through it. When writer’s block is sneaking up on me, I work very hard to just keep writing. Maybe what I’m writing at that moment will be just gibberish, but continuing to write often helps me to fight off writer’s block.
  • Write something else. Personally, I always have multiple projects in the works. A novel (maybe two), a non-fiction book, dozens of article ideas, and whatever else pops into my head. So, when in danger of hitting writer’s block, I switch projects. It usually helps to give me a little extra boost of creative energy exactly when I need it.
  • Do something else. I will admit that there are times when writing is just not going to happen. In this case, I go for a walk to clear my head, come back, and deliberately do not write. Usually, I pull out a good book, and settle down for a long read. Usually, by the time I’m finished reading, the writing part of my brain has reengaged, and I’m able to write again.
  • Write everyday. This is an absolute must for me, because it keeps the creative juices from slowing down to a crawl. Even on days when I’m too busy to write, I force myself to take a few minutes and write at least a few paragraphs. That way, I feel as if I did accomplish something, even if it wasn't much.
There are a dozen other ways to avoid or combat writer’s block, and every writer will have their own methods. The four tips above are my personal methods, and they work for many others I know as well. However, it is important that each writer use a technique that works for them. Ultimately, overcoming writer’s block is a matter of simply writing, by whatever method works for you.