Category Archives: Writing Tips

Today’s Writing Tip

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Read the type of novel you aspire to write. If you want to write a best seller, read best sellers. Your writing style is likely to assimilate high quality writing if that is what your brain is exposed to and thus programmed to think that way.

Reading poorly written stories can be instructive as well, since it’s easier to notice flaws in other author’s work as opposed to your own. However, if you really want to write well, you need to immerse yourself in high quality literature.

As an author you need to learn to not just read for the enjoyment but to study and learn from the masters. Take any particular scene or character who is well-defined and study what they did. Figure out why it works and then incorporation the technique into your own writing. Being an outstanding writer is not all about luck or talent. It takes study as well. Having a great idea is only part of the battle. You need to be able to convey it skillfully to your readers. Again, we’re back to the concept of showing versus telling.

Today’s Writing Tip

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Remember the journalistic cardinal rule of who, what, when, where, and why. Including these in the first paragraph of every new scene helps keep the reader connected to what’s happening and who is doing what.

If this isn’t clear, the reader can get confused and have to back-track to figure out what is going on. Any time this happens, it breaks their engagement in the story, which is not a good thing. Most books aren’t read in a single sitting. I suspect that most readers do like I do and will stop at the end of a chapter or scene. Thus, when picking it up again it’s helpful to immediately know what’s going on.

Pick up an action novel by someone like Michael Crichton or Tom Clancy sometime and check their opening paragraphs. They are skillful at this technique which is worth emulating.

Today’s Writing Tip

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Another way to keep timelines in order is to use a spreadsheet with the dates as column headers and lines for each scene or chapter. That way at a glance you can see what’s going on for different characters, who can be color coded.

This is particularly important with multiple viewpoints to make sure the story action is coordinated between characters. It’s not always easy to keep track of who is doing what and the last thing you need is to have something out of sequence.

The record keeping side of writing a novel is often a real nuisance when you just want to be creative. However, it usually pays off by saving you time in the long run.

Today’s Writing Tip

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Creativity resides in your right brain. Stimulating it doesn’t have to involve writing, yet can enhance those abilities. This can come through television, movies, going to a museum or pursuing other creative endeavors such as painting, playing an instrument, etc. I find that creating book trailer videos is a fun diversion that also comes in handy later.

It’s not like your brain has a limited capacity in this area. Even if you want to direct the bulk of your creative energy toward you work, you can find ideas and inspiration in other areas. Sometimes taking a break can be refreshing, especially if things are bogging down or especially if you get stuck.

Today’s Writing Tip

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One of the best parts of collaborating with another author on a story is the brainstorming, which typically has positive results. Like they say, two heads are better than one, and another person’s take on a character or situation is often great input, even if you don’t always agree.

Even if you don’t have an actual co-author, finding someone who’s interested enough in your story to brainstorm with you is fun and helpful. It’s even better if you need some help with technical aspects where their knowledge saves you from laborious research. Most individuals are flattered when you ask them for advice. I had a fascinating website chat conversation with a help desk one time about something I needed to know for my WIP. The guy was not only helpful, but clearly enjoyed helping me figure a few things out.

Today’s Writing Tip

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Be aware of the different types of story action. These can be physical, emotional, or mental. A variety of each gives depth to the story and helps keep your readers engaged. However, excessive use of one or the other can actually get boring.

For example, too much physical action can actually get boring after a while. I’ve read a few where I was saying, sometimes even aloud, “C’mon, already!” for either chase or fight scenes. It’s good to pause from time to time and visit what the character is thinking and/or feeling during this time, even if it’s only a sentence. You don’t want to stop the action, only add a dash of variety. The same goes for long soliloquies of introspection that can eventually bring the reader to a state of catatonia. And just how long can you sustain an emotional meltdown before it becomes maudlin?

Not to use an old cliche, but variety IS the spice of life. If you want your story to come off as real, include a three-dimensional view. Just remember that sometimes less is more. A well-placed sentence reflecting on the character’s reaction can work wonders.

Today’s Writing Tip

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Editing can be painful. As authors, our words are our children and can be hard to delete, even when we know a scene needs to go. One way to soften the blow is to cut and paste it into an “edits” file arranged by chapter. If you decide to put it back, it’s there.

If you eventually decide it really wasn’t needed, it’s a lot easier to zap that file when the final version goes to press. On the other hand, if you have a real blockbuster on your hands, at some point you may want to work them back in for an “expanded” version or literary “director’s cut” you release later.

Today’s Writing Tip

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We’re all familiar with spin-offs from major works, many of which start a trend in popular genres. Examples are Harry Potter and the Twilight series, which have inspired volumes and volumes of stories with a similar premise. Riding the wave of another author’s success must be done with finesse, however. It may have a similar theme, but needs to stand on its own merits. If it doesn’t have some originality and its own value, you just look lazy and incapable of coming up with an original idea.

I’ve seen some really cheesy imitations where I didn’t get past the first chapter. Some were poorly written, others simply unoriginal. We may read our favorite books more than once, but you don’t necessarily want to deal with a remake, kind of like when Hollywood does a remake of one of your favorite movies, that doesn’t quite cut it.

When you come up with an idea that’s similar to an existing work, put some serious creative effort into making it your own with a different twist. Originality and strong writing go a long way toward retaining and gaining fans.

Today’s Writing Tip

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Timelines are sometimes a real challenge, especially with parallel plot action. I’ve heard authors complain about time zones while I’ve had some situations in my science fiction with characters on entirely different planets or even traveling at relativistic or warp speeds in different timeframes!

Some stories require more precision than others with regard to what day or time it might be. If it doesn’t matter, then all you have to watch for, if you don’t write scenes in chronological order, is that they’re in the proper sequence. If you require more accuracy, one thing you can do is put the supposed date (or perhaps even the time) at the beginning of each scene, even if you erase it when you’re ready to go to press. Then you can tell at a glance if it’s in the proper place.

Today’s Writing Tip

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The general rule is to start your story with your main character. However, if this person’s importance fades later, you might want to make it a prologue if that scene is essential to the story.

This is something that relates to yesterday’s blog about when a minor character takes over the story. If he or she steps into the star role, you may need to introduce them in chapter one. If both your intended main and the minor character are both in the first chapter, this isn’t a problem. You just need to open with the main character’s POV. However, if the one taking over doesn’t come on the scene until later, it’s more of a challenge.

If anyone out there has encountered a similar issue I’d love to hear how you solved it.