The research and study is going well. I've already learned a lot and I've noticed that my style is changing. I'm still taking classes online when I get the chance, but in the meantime...
It's time to start.
Yeah. The first scene. The big one.
Okay, so it's not quite so dramatic because I can (and probably will) change it a thousand times and then delete it before the final draft. It's part of the job description. I must kill my darlings.
But the first draft is a big step. It's intimidating. I'm staring at a blank page on my computer screen. How am I going to start this? Who is my main character? Where is she?
I want to do this as a Young Adult story, so my main character should probably in high school. And when I write books from solely a male point of view, things go badly. (I haven't finished a single one yet. They just fall apart like a bad batch of brownies.) So she's a teenage girl.
My first idea is that my character needs to be dealing with mundane things until her grandmother shows up and tells her that she's special. She can travel through time and she's needed so the balance of time can be restored.
But that's been done a few times in speculative fiction. Just a few.
So maybe I could change it up a bit. Maybe she could be approached by someone else. Maybe they help her out of a nasty situation and they give her a wonderful opportunity.
Yeah. I like that better.
And it might be a little more fun if my character has some idea of her abilities before the story starts.
And she needs a name. Time to hit the baby names websites...
Showing posts with label building and creating your novel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label building and creating your novel. Show all posts
June 23, 2014
July 30, 2013
Writing a Story is Like Learning to Cook
You know that moment, when you taste something amazing? Maybe you're at a restaurant, or it's one of your grandmother's famous recipes. When you finish eating, you look down at your empty plate and you think, "I have to eat this again."
There are ways to make this happen. You can keep coming to the restaurant, you can beg your grandma to make more, or maybe... just maybe... you can make it at home.
When that thought enters your mind, you have to assess your time, your talent in the kitchen, and how difficult the recipe will be. Do you have the patience? Can you figure out the ingredients? Will you ever be able to make something that tastes this great?
When you have complete control over what goes into the dish, maybe your creative side goes a little crazy. "You know, it could be really good with fresh mint... Ooh! Or basil!"
But you need to be careful. Too much creativity can get in the way of what you're really trying to achieve: yummy culinary goodness.
Weaving a good story is like nailing the recipe that has haunted you ever since you tasted it.
Like cooking, writing a story can be dangerous if you don't balance knowledge and creativity. You don't want to wind up with cheesy-banana trout. You want your readers to get joy from your book. You want make a book that's magical, the way other authors have done for you.
But if it's not fun, you're probably doing it wrong. When I stress out about a book, or do so much research my brain hurts, it comes out in my story. The characters get boring. The tension falls flat like an under-cooked souffle.
I'm still fairly new at this writing thing. Cognitive psychologists tell us it takes ten years before a writer reaches excellence. I've been going strong for about 6 now. And like my cooking skills, my writing is inconsistent. Sometimes I write something that would make my readers turn green. So I go back, I chop out the rough parts of the story, rearrange some key elements, and beef-up the personality of my characters. I find the weak spots and figure out what I can add to balance the story or make it richer.
The beauty of writing is: the reader doesn't see every draft.
My early draft work is a pile of failed attempts. Eventually, I get something I think is publishable, but there's always work involved that isn't seen by the rest of the world.
No matter what you want to get good at, there's work that goes on behind the curtain.
But if it's something you really want, and if you put in enough effort (and patience and sacrifice), you can make something worthwhile.
There are ways to make this happen. You can keep coming to the restaurant, you can beg your grandma to make more, or maybe... just maybe... you can make it at home.
When that thought enters your mind, you have to assess your time, your talent in the kitchen, and how difficult the recipe will be. Do you have the patience? Can you figure out the ingredients? Will you ever be able to make something that tastes this great?
When you have complete control over what goes into the dish, maybe your creative side goes a little crazy. "You know, it could be really good with fresh mint... Ooh! Or basil!"
But you need to be careful. Too much creativity can get in the way of what you're really trying to achieve: yummy culinary goodness.
Weaving a good story is like nailing the recipe that has haunted you ever since you tasted it.
Like cooking, writing a story can be dangerous if you don't balance knowledge and creativity. You don't want to wind up with cheesy-banana trout. You want your readers to get joy from your book. You want make a book that's magical, the way other authors have done for you.
But if it's not fun, you're probably doing it wrong. When I stress out about a book, or do so much research my brain hurts, it comes out in my story. The characters get boring. The tension falls flat like an under-cooked souffle.
I'm still fairly new at this writing thing. Cognitive psychologists tell us it takes ten years before a writer reaches excellence. I've been going strong for about 6 now. And like my cooking skills, my writing is inconsistent. Sometimes I write something that would make my readers turn green. So I go back, I chop out the rough parts of the story, rearrange some key elements, and beef-up the personality of my characters. I find the weak spots and figure out what I can add to balance the story or make it richer.
The beauty of writing is: the reader doesn't see every draft.
My early draft work is a pile of failed attempts. Eventually, I get something I think is publishable, but there's always work involved that isn't seen by the rest of the world.
No matter what you want to get good at, there's work that goes on behind the curtain.
But if it's something you really want, and if you put in enough effort (and patience and sacrifice), you can make something worthwhile.
May 1, 2012
How to Turn Your Brain into Mush/Write a Book in 8 Simple Steps
Any time my book comes up in everyday conversation, this inevitable question comes up: "So HOW do you go about writing a book?" (Sometimes it's phrased as: "I don't even know how to start writing a book.")
I'm not sure if they're just being polite, or if people genuinely want to know. So for all you just-polite people, you're about to get yours. Here's how I go about writing a book. Step-by-step.
1) The Idea
I don't know how I get my ideas for books. It's different every time. Sometimes it's sparked by a weird dream (that I have to flesh out and trim down and flesh out again).
Sometimes I have to think really hard with pen in hand until the idea comes.
But most of the time, my ideas come to me when I'm trying to fall asleep at night. They just pop into my head. And usually it's on a day when I didn't write.
2) Planning
I like to do a bit of planning. Sometimes it's as simple as writing a summary of how I imagine the story. Sometimes I go in-depth and plan scene-by-scene the first 1/3 of the story. (I don't like to go any further than that if I'm going into great detail because it kind of sucks the life out of the story.)
Whatever I plan, it's just a guideline. I don't have to stick to it. If I get a better idea as I'm writing, I go for it.
2b) Knowing the Story
This is part of the planning, but it doesn't go into the actual book.
I like to get to know my main characters.
And then I spend a little time building my world.
3) First Draft
I open up a document, imagine my opening scene, latch on to my character's voice, and I write.
This draft is always really crappy. Always. But it doesn't matter what goes on the page, because I'm probably not going to keep it anyway.
What I do get from the first draft is a sense of story, setting, character and character interactions, I get a few cool plot twists and I have a possible ending to my story.
What I don't have is an awesome, logical plot full of tension on every page. That comes during the...
4) Second Draft
This takes more time than all the other stages combined. It's a major overhaul, where I add new scenes and dramatically change the few scenes that I keep.
I make sure the main characters' goals, feelings, and motivations are clear; build setting that matters; and put in as much conflict as I possibly can.
After I build each scene on a notecard, I write: "And things get so much worse when..." These usually make great cliffhanger chapter-endings.
Oh, and the part that takes the most time... once the scenes are completely planned-out, I write the story. By hand.
I do this because the writing is so much stronger when I do it by hand. The voice stays with me, the descriptions are richer, the settings are more complete. I think I save myself from doing another draft by doing it by hand.
5) Critique
I send draft 2, one or two chapters at a time, to my critique group. They're wonderful and catch gaps in logic, unclear writing, typos, and thoughts on the overall story. I love my critique group.
6) Third Draft
I print out draft two and make line-by-line changes with a pen. Then I type up the changes.
7) Final Countdown
This is my final draft, where I read the book like I'm reading it for the first time. (Sometimes I read it out loud.) I do this to make sure the language flows, and I want to catch last-minute typos.
I also like to have a fresh reader go over the book at the same time.
(Note: Because Cinderella and Zombies is so short, I've combined steps 6 and 7.)
8) Prep for Publication
This entails getting my book cover ready, formatting, and putting the book up on Amazon and Smashwords.
Right now, I mostly do my own book covers. I have a friend who pretty much taught me how to make them. He's really good at getting clean, professional-looking images and I turn to him when I need help.
I use the Smashwords formatting guide, then make the necessary changes to put it up on Amazon.
To put it up for sale, I just follow the instructions on the site. They're very thorough.
So yeah... writing a book...it's a process. A regular, novel-length book can take anywhere from 5-9 months.
Any questions?
I'm not sure if they're just being polite, or if people genuinely want to know. So for all you just-polite people, you're about to get yours. Here's how I go about writing a book. Step-by-step.
1) The Idea
I don't know how I get my ideas for books. It's different every time. Sometimes it's sparked by a weird dream (that I have to flesh out and trim down and flesh out again).
Sometimes I have to think really hard with pen in hand until the idea comes.
But most of the time, my ideas come to me when I'm trying to fall asleep at night. They just pop into my head. And usually it's on a day when I didn't write.
2) Planning
I like to do a bit of planning. Sometimes it's as simple as writing a summary of how I imagine the story. Sometimes I go in-depth and plan scene-by-scene the first 1/3 of the story. (I don't like to go any further than that if I'm going into great detail because it kind of sucks the life out of the story.)
Whatever I plan, it's just a guideline. I don't have to stick to it. If I get a better idea as I'm writing, I go for it.
2b) Knowing the Story
This is part of the planning, but it doesn't go into the actual book.
I like to get to know my main characters.
- I do this in different ways, including: filling out a questionnaire about hopes, dreams, fears, and priorities
- having a "conversation" with the character using a blank word document
- or imagining my character in really random situations (Like: how would Ivy Thorn react if she were in The Hunger Games?)
And then I spend a little time building my world.
- For Fairy Tale Trap, I just read a bunch of versions of Beauty and the Beast.
- For Cinderella and Zombies, I researched castles and gunpowder.
- For other books, that have not/will not ever hit the shelves, I've done research on: small towns in Virginia, the Civil War, fluke worms, alcoholic drinks and customs, and different views on the afterlife.
As I research, my brain pulls out the elements I want to use in my book and eventually the setting(s) build themselves in my mind.
3) First Draft
I open up a document, imagine my opening scene, latch on to my character's voice, and I write.
This draft is always really crappy. Always. But it doesn't matter what goes on the page, because I'm probably not going to keep it anyway.
What I do get from the first draft is a sense of story, setting, character and character interactions, I get a few cool plot twists and I have a possible ending to my story.
What I don't have is an awesome, logical plot full of tension on every page. That comes during the...
4) Second Draft
This takes more time than all the other stages combined. It's a major overhaul, where I add new scenes and dramatically change the few scenes that I keep.
I make sure the main characters' goals, feelings, and motivations are clear; build setting that matters; and put in as much conflict as I possibly can.
After I build each scene on a notecard, I write: "And things get so much worse when..." These usually make great cliffhanger chapter-endings.
Oh, and the part that takes the most time... once the scenes are completely planned-out, I write the story. By hand.
I do this because the writing is so much stronger when I do it by hand. The voice stays with me, the descriptions are richer, the settings are more complete. I think I save myself from doing another draft by doing it by hand.
5) Critique
I send draft 2, one or two chapters at a time, to my critique group. They're wonderful and catch gaps in logic, unclear writing, typos, and thoughts on the overall story. I love my critique group.
6) Third Draft
I print out draft two and make line-by-line changes with a pen. Then I type up the changes.
7) Final Countdown
This is my final draft, where I read the book like I'm reading it for the first time. (Sometimes I read it out loud.) I do this to make sure the language flows, and I want to catch last-minute typos.
I also like to have a fresh reader go over the book at the same time.
(Note: Because Cinderella and Zombies is so short, I've combined steps 6 and 7.)
8) Prep for Publication
This entails getting my book cover ready, formatting, and putting the book up on Amazon and Smashwords.
Right now, I mostly do my own book covers. I have a friend who pretty much taught me how to make them. He's really good at getting clean, professional-looking images and I turn to him when I need help.
I use the Smashwords formatting guide, then make the necessary changes to put it up on Amazon.
To put it up for sale, I just follow the instructions on the site. They're very thorough.
So yeah... writing a book...it's a process. A regular, novel-length book can take anywhere from 5-9 months.
Any questions?
August 17, 2011
Finished a Book? Congrats! Now Do it Again.
Before I start, if you're not participating in WriteOnCon, why not?!
That said, I finished my book!
Roses and Mirrors has been done for a while. (This is the book about a sarcastic teenager that gets stuck in a fairy tale. You may have heard of her. Her name is Ivy Thorn and she is awesome.)
I jumped into the query process as soon as I was finished. I blogged about it not too long ago, about how I thrive on rejection and all that happy-sounding stuff. The truth is, rejection really is great. It's the gap of silence between sending the query and hearing a response that is absolutely maddening.
Seriously. And some agents tell you: If we decide to pass, you won't hear back from us. At all.
Really? REALLY? You can't send me a polite form rejection?! How will I know when to stop hoping for a reply? (I know, I'm pathetic.)
But I digress...
Now that I'm done with Roses and Mirrors, and it's been sent out into the world, I'm moving on. My next book is completely different. That's right, I've gone from fairy tales to zombies.
But before you roll your eyes and say, "I don't like zombies," you should know that this isn't true horror, it's not gross for the sake of gross, and it's not totally far-fetched. This is a character-based story with a strong, witty voice (if I do say so myself) about a guy who happens to struggle with zombism. (If that's not a word, I will take it upon myself to coin it and spread it around the world because it is an awesome word.)
So, I'm working on this book, and when I say "working on" what I really mean is nailing down my premise and researching and building structure so my novel has something to stand on. I'm geeking out over all the cool little facts on biology and pathogens and parasites and neurotransmitters and especially the way the brain works, but I know that very little of it will be in the actual book. Because, let's face it, most people are not as dorky as I am.
But I have to know this stuff. I have to know exactly how my zombies work, where they came from, and--most importantly--where their weaknesses are.
The toughest part about this process is having the ideas and possibilities swirl around in my head. I can't possibly use all of them and I'm not even sure which ones will work.
So my muse is a little crazy right now. My creative side takes a back seat while logical me builds a playground. Creative Muse gives input, but it's about as much input as a kid gives to his dad for how he wants his tree house to look. It still needs to be safe and functional.
That's right. No chocolate milk fountain. :(
That said, I finished my book!
Roses and Mirrors has been done for a while. (This is the book about a sarcastic teenager that gets stuck in a fairy tale. You may have heard of her. Her name is Ivy Thorn and she is awesome.)
I jumped into the query process as soon as I was finished. I blogged about it not too long ago, about how I thrive on rejection and all that happy-sounding stuff. The truth is, rejection really is great. It's the gap of silence between sending the query and hearing a response that is absolutely maddening.
Seriously. And some agents tell you: If we decide to pass, you won't hear back from us. At all.
Really? REALLY? You can't send me a polite form rejection?! How will I know when to stop hoping for a reply? (I know, I'm pathetic.)
But I digress...
Now that I'm done with Roses and Mirrors, and it's been sent out into the world, I'm moving on. My next book is completely different. That's right, I've gone from fairy tales to zombies.
But before you roll your eyes and say, "I don't like zombies," you should know that this isn't true horror, it's not gross for the sake of gross, and it's not totally far-fetched. This is a character-based story with a strong, witty voice (if I do say so myself) about a guy who happens to struggle with zombism. (If that's not a word, I will take it upon myself to coin it and spread it around the world because it is an awesome word.)
So, I'm working on this book, and when I say "working on" what I really mean is nailing down my premise and researching and building structure so my novel has something to stand on. I'm geeking out over all the cool little facts on biology and pathogens and parasites and neurotransmitters and especially the way the brain works, but I know that very little of it will be in the actual book. Because, let's face it, most people are not as dorky as I am.
But I have to know this stuff. I have to know exactly how my zombies work, where they came from, and--most importantly--where their weaknesses are.
The toughest part about this process is having the ideas and possibilities swirl around in my head. I can't possibly use all of them and I'm not even sure which ones will work.
So my muse is a little crazy right now. My creative side takes a back seat while logical me builds a playground. Creative Muse gives input, but it's about as much input as a kid gives to his dad for how he wants his tree house to look. It still needs to be safe and functional.
That's right. No chocolate milk fountain. :(
August 7, 2011
Get a Good Story Idea. And make it better!
It's time for a round of helpful links! (I know, I know. It's about time.) Continuing with the 'Building and Creating Your Novel' theme from my last post, here's what I found:
Agent Sarah Davies (of Greenhouse Literary) wrote A Recipe for Writing the Breakout Novel on Ingrid Sundburg's blog. She gives tips for making your story stand out from everyone else's. It needs to be different. Original. Your characters need to be vivid, unique, but not obviously constructed.
Building a Better Novel Premise is doable. Martina at Adventures in Children's Publishing wrote her query first, using it as a guide to make sure her story was an attention-grabber from the beginning. She also goes into the difference between a "good premise" and a gimick.
Middle Grade Weremonkeys. Agent Holly Root explains why she loves off-the-wall crazy ideas.
Agent Sarah Davies (of Greenhouse Literary) wrote A Recipe for Writing the Breakout Novel on Ingrid Sundburg's blog. She gives tips for making your story stand out from everyone else's. It needs to be different. Original. Your characters need to be vivid, unique, but not obviously constructed.
Building a Better Novel Premise is doable. Martina at Adventures in Children's Publishing wrote her query first, using it as a guide to make sure her story was an attention-grabber from the beginning. She also goes into the difference between a "good premise" and a gimick.
Middle Grade Weremonkeys. Agent Holly Root explains why she loves off-the-wall crazy ideas.
August 1, 2011
Writing a Novel that's Better (and maybe easier)
Wrapping up this series of posts on Creating and Building a Better Novel, I wanted to first share with you what two authors learned for themselves while writing the novel that got them published. (Because what writer wouldn't kill to know that?)
Author Holly Cupala did a guest post on The Other Side of the Story (great blog, by the way) on what she learned about writing. She asked questions and did research on other authors, but this post on What She Learned while writing her book Tell Me A Secret has some real gems in it.
On the same blog, Janice Hardy writes about what she learned while writing her first published book The Shifter and how it differed from her previous books.
And a couple of little tidbits that I think I worth reading: How to Avoid Pantser Pitfalls (in case you're not much of a plotter) and How to Create a Template so you don't keep having to adjust your margins and font and paragraphing for each book.
Author Holly Cupala did a guest post on The Other Side of the Story (great blog, by the way) on what she learned about writing. She asked questions and did research on other authors, but this post on What She Learned while writing her book Tell Me A Secret has some real gems in it.
On the same blog, Janice Hardy writes about what she learned while writing her first published book The Shifter and how it differed from her previous books.
And a couple of little tidbits that I think I worth reading: How to Avoid Pantser Pitfalls (in case you're not much of a plotter) and How to Create a Template so you don't keep having to adjust your margins and font and paragraphing for each book.
July 26, 2011
Good Story Ideas: Where do they come from?
Helpful writing tips and links have been sparse lately, and I apologize for that. I'm trying to redirect this blog so it has a piece of me in it. I want this blog to be helpful for writers, but I also want it to be MY blog. I'm still trying to find that balance. (Any feedback is appreciated.)
So, getting back that helpful stuff, I thought I'd blog about getting good story ideas.
I haven't been published yet, but I've already been asked The #1 Question Writers Get: "Where do you get your ideas?"
Um... I don't know. They just come to me.
Okay, okay. I've given it some thought. The first decent answer I came up with was: my story ideas come to me just like any idea comes to any person.
Inventors come up with incredible gadgets. Usually, when they answer The Idea Question, they talk about a problem they were having. Then, they'll say, "So I invented the doohicky-o-matic!"
So... you got your idea from a problem? Didn't the idea come AFTER you had the problem?
Seriously, I think that's how our brains work. We see a problem, and we try to come up with a solution. Some of us are better at it than others. (But is it possible that it just takes practice?)
When I want a story idea, I have to define my problem, with specifics. And no, the problem isn't just 'I need a story idea'. My problem is: I need a character that lacks something, in an interesting setting, with the potential for a lot of problems to happen around him/her while he/she struggles with her own problems. And it needs to be entertaining.
But how can your brain work with garbage like that?
Be more specific!
I want a 70,000-word YA novel with a spunky female protagonist who doesn't know what's good for her, who finds herself in a situation with a fantasy element in it.
Usually, the more specific I am, the faster the ideas come to me. I analyze each idea until I find one I'm excited to work on. (Because, let's be honest, sometimes my ideas aren't all that good.)
Of course, there are other ways I get ideas. I got my idea for Ivy Thorn because friends challenged me to approach writing from a different angle. I wasn't looking for a story idea then.
And I got my idea for my zombie book fromthe voices in my head a dream I had while I was awake. I wasn't looking for a story idea then, either.
So my Top 4 pieces of advice for coming up with good story ideas are:
1) Be specific with what you want
2) Read a lot
3) Try new things with your writing
4) When an idea does come, pick it apart to see if it has "great idea" potential. If it doesn't, keep trying.
More on story ideas to come...
So, getting back that helpful stuff, I thought I'd blog about getting good story ideas.
I haven't been published yet, but I've already been asked The #1 Question Writers Get: "Where do you get your ideas?"
Um... I don't know. They just come to me.
Okay, okay. I've given it some thought. The first decent answer I came up with was: my story ideas come to me just like any idea comes to any person.
Inventors come up with incredible gadgets. Usually, when they answer The Idea Question, they talk about a problem they were having. Then, they'll say, "So I invented the doohicky-o-matic!"
So... you got your idea from a problem? Didn't the idea come AFTER you had the problem?
Seriously, I think that's how our brains work. We see a problem, and we try to come up with a solution. Some of us are better at it than others. (But is it possible that it just takes practice?)
When I want a story idea, I have to define my problem, with specifics. And no, the problem isn't just 'I need a story idea'. My problem is: I need a character that lacks something, in an interesting setting, with the potential for a lot of problems to happen around him/her while he/she struggles with her own problems. And it needs to be entertaining.
But how can your brain work with garbage like that?
Be more specific!
I want a 70,000-word YA novel with a spunky female protagonist who doesn't know what's good for her, who finds herself in a situation with a fantasy element in it.
Usually, the more specific I am, the faster the ideas come to me. I analyze each idea until I find one I'm excited to work on. (Because, let's be honest, sometimes my ideas aren't all that good.)
Of course, there are other ways I get ideas. I got my idea for Ivy Thorn because friends challenged me to approach writing from a different angle. I wasn't looking for a story idea then.
And I got my idea for my zombie book from
So my Top 4 pieces of advice for coming up with good story ideas are:
1) Be specific with what you want
2) Read a lot
3) Try new things with your writing
4) When an idea does come, pick it apart to see if it has "great idea" potential. If it doesn't, keep trying.
More on story ideas to come...
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