Tag Archives: indie writing tips

Today’s Writing Tip

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Using correct punctuation in dialog is essential, yet it is one thing I see done incorrectly as much as anything. For example, when someone asks a question, be sure to punctuate with a “?” I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve seen dialog that was clearly a question, yet didn’t employ a question mark.

Admittedly, there are times when this is not 100% clear.  “He wondered whether the police had all the evidence” is a statement, but “Did the police have all the evidence?” is a question. One way to figure it out, if you’re in doubt, is to say it out loud.

Today’s Writing Tip

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There are several ways to say “said”, but don’t overdo it; that gets annoying as well. In other words, if you get too creative, that’s another distraction. These should also be commonly used/familiar words such as “replied”, “answered”, “stated”, etc. Using a word like “opined”, while perhaps correct for the dialog, may be unfamiliar to your average reader. Depending on the story, there could be exceptions, but how many times have you seen that word at all, much less in a novel?

Using the correct synonym for “said” can also help you avoid adverbs. It’s much more efficient to say “he yelled” or “he hollered” or “he bellowed” than to say “he said loudly.”

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There’s a place in your story for description and there’s a place for action. When something intense is happening, such as a chase scene, you don’t want to slow down the pace by stopping to describe the locale. This is not to say the imagery isn’t important. However, one way to avoid interrupting the flow with descriptions is to tell your reader what that area looks like BEFORE the action begins, perhaps in a much earlier scene.

Then all you need to do is include a couple brief reminders, then let fly with the action.

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The appearance of your book’s interior is every bit as important as the cover.  It should be formatted for readability. This involves the cover page, copyright page, font, font sizes, spacing between lines, headers and footers, pagination, and chapter headings to name a few.

If you’re formatting the book yourself, there are numerous “How To” documents available that you should read and follow. At the most fundamental level, the main body of your story should be in a text that’s easy to read. These are usually a serif font such as Times New Roman or a similar one. Sans serif fonts such as Arial are not as easy to read.

For fiction, the first paragraph of a chapter or section is NOT indented, but subsequent ones are. Nonfiction often uses block paragraphs that are not indented, but have a double-space between them.

The space between sections is more easily identified with a divider of some sort whether it’s * * * or even a small graphic that represents your story. You can simply use a double space if you like in a print book, but for an ebook that doesn’t work due to the fact the pagination is not static, but adjusts to the ereader. This means that sometimes the new section will also be the next page and the reader won’t have that clue that it’s a new section. Remember that one of the worst faux pas’s is confusing your reader and throwing him or her out of the story.

Print books need, as a minimum, to have page numbers. Headers and footers with the title, chapter title, or author name are options.

The main thing to remember is that poorly formatted books lose readers and will also label you as unprofessional. This can be a tedious and frustrating job in which case you might want to find someone on Fivver or some other service to do it for you. Just make sure they know what they’re doing and thus do it correctly.

Today’s Writing Tip

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No matter what anyone tries to tell you or the old cliche may imply, readers DO judge a book by its cover. Especially in this day when anyone can publish a book and there is a plethora of pure, indie trash out there, nothing screams “amateur” and someone with a major ego trip than a canned or unprofessional cover. Most readers can spot them a mile away. The main one that comes to mind has a black square where you place your title with a photograph or some other graphic behind it.

In other words, make sure yours looks professional. Put as much thought, time, and money into your book’s appearance as you do your story. Don’t think that you have to spend a fortune. Many cover designers, including myself, will put one together for a very reasonable price. If you want to see some of the ones I’ve designed, you can see them on my Kalliope Rising Press website here.

The cover should represent your story, its theme, and/or main character as clearly as possible. This is not always easy, but is well-worth the thought. I’ve seen great covers that fronted for a lousy story and great stories fronted by a lousy cover. Do everything in your power to make them both the best. Your readers will appreciate it.

Today’s Writing Tip

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You’ve probably heard it over and over to “Write what you know”, whether it relates to your hero’s job or where he lives.  This is all well and good, but depending on your education and experience, what do you do when you get an idea where you main character is an archeologist, but you know precious little about it?

If you don’t know first hand, then learn via research. I have found research to be some of the most satisfying and enjoyable part of writing. It always provides additional ideas for plot twists and story details far beyond what I originally conceived.

Accuracy is essential if you want to maintain credibility as an author. Fiction or not, there are limits to what you can make up off the top of your head. Believe me, anyone who knows something about that particular profession, location, or whatever, is going to be on you like a duck on a June bug if you get it wrong. When a reader is rolling their eyes at your story, don’t think they’ll give you a favorable review much less ever become a fan and be back to check out your future work.

Even if your story is well-written otherwise, huge inaccuracies are unforgivable. It’s better to be a little vague than to get it wrong. But getting details spot-on are a bonus that give you credibility and respect as an author.

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Does your story take place somewhere you’ve never been? Of course if you have the budget, traveling there to check it out is the best case scenario. Furthermore, you can then write off the trip as a tax deduction as a business expense. However, since most authors don’t have that kind of income, there is a reasonably good alternative.

You can use Google Earth to visit vicariously! You’ll be surprised how well it will feed your imagination and enable more detailed descriptions that make a story come alive. It will feel as if you are there and thus convey that to your readers. When I was writing “The Terra Debacle: Prisoners at Area 51” you can bet that I have never been there, neither have I been to Brazil, where another part of the story takes place. However, I felt as if I had been there using Google Earth. I took a trip down the Amazon that really fueled my imagination writing those scenes.

Even if it’s some place you’ve been in the past, you can refresh your memory or bring it up to date in this way. Then be sure to use your imagination to add the other sensations such as what a place would smell like, the weather conditions, and so forth. It needs to feel real to you before it will to your readers.

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Yesterday I talked about the first type of analogy, metaphors. The other type is the simile. It’s easy to remember what a simile is since it is “similar” to something else where a metaphor compares two things that are entirely different.

Classic examples include: as white as snow; light as a feather; busy as a bee; as ugly as sin; hotter than hell; dark as night. Bear in mind these are only examples and blatant cliches. You can and must do better with some imagination. Resorting to these would not only mark you as an amateur but lazy and lacking creativity.

See how many you can come up with that are totally original, then record them in your writer’s journal.

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There are two types of analogies, metaphors and similes. Metaphors compare two entirely different things, such as comparing the stages of life to the four seasons. They make the reader think and provoke deeper, more philosophical insights that add depth to your story. They are often difficult to come up with, which is why they’re so valuable.

Often the best time to gather ideas is during times of meditation or contemplation, such as during a walk in the woods, visiting an awe-inspiring location such as a National Park, or somewhere you seldom go that stimulates your imagination.

This is when the advise noted a few days ago to keep a writer’s notebook is worth its weight in gold. You definitely want to have them on hand when you need them, which might not be for a while.

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Keep a notepad handy everywhere to jot down ideas, whether for a new story, plot twist, or vivid description. When inspiration strikes, don’t ignore it. You might think you’ll never forget it, but often such things are quite elusive. Don’t take a chance on losing a true gem–write it down!

These also come in very handy if you get stuck at some point and need an infusion of creativity. For example, short story contests or opportunities to contribute to an anthology come along on a fairly regular basis. If you already have a list of ideas, it won’t be as difficult to come up with one when the opportunity arises.