Need a story idea? Fill in the blanks using the formula for the classic “What if?” premise. What if a ____ and a ____ went to _____ and ______. For practice, fill in the blanks based on your favorite sit-com or movie. This works well for creative writing teachers to fire up students’ imagination. The crazier the idea, the better.
If a paragraph is too long, it’s hard on the reader’s eyes. Break them up for visual appeal, even if in a technical sense it’s only one thought. It also helps keep the story moving.
Paragraphs should contain connected thoughts and have an introductory and closing sentence. Of course, this is not always easy to do when writing a novel, but essential for nonfiction. Jumping around too much in a paragraph will confuse your reader. A new paragraph is a signal that something has shifted.
Know your genres and sub-genres so you can categorize your book properly. This helps you get them into the hands of your target readers.It’s a total waste of time and often money to promote your book in venues where your readers aren’t involved. If you’re not sure, read popular books similar to yours to see how they’re defined, then follow suit.
When someone asks a question, be sure to punctuate with a “?” However, this can vary with narration. “He wondered whether the police had all the evidence” is a statement but “Did the police have all the evidence?” is a question.
There are several ways to say “said”, such as replied; asserted; stated; opined; declared, etc., but don’t overdo it; too much variety gets annoying as well. When expression is required, use substitutes to avoid adverbs, such as “he yelled” vs. “he said loudly.” The feeling behind it can also be described by how the character looks, his or her expression, or body language. Only a small portion of communicating is done via words.
Don’t slow down an action scene to describe the locale, whether it’s a room or city street. Do that in detail, long before the scene occurs, so the reader is already familiar with it. Then use a few keywords to trigger the image.
Your book’s interior should be formatted for readability. Both Create Space and Smashwords have “How To” documents you should read and follow. Poorly formatted books lose readers and mark indie writers as unprofessional. Learn how to do it correctly or hire someone to do it for you. Your readers will appreciate it.
Readers DO judge a book by its cover. Make sure yours looks professional. Put as much thought into your book’s appearance as you do your story. There are great books with awful covers and dreadful books with magnificent covers. Make sure your work is packaged the way it deserves.
(If you need a cover designer, I’m available. You can see samples of my work on my Pinterest site here.)
Write what you know, whether it relates to your hero’s job or where he lives. If you don’t, then learn the necessary details via research. Accuracy is essential if you want to maintain credibility as a writer. You’ll often be rewarded with new ideas and plot twists to enrich your story as well as have more confidence in its quality. Writing fiction is not about blindly making things up. It should ring with authenticity.
Marcha's Two-Cents Worth 