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.

• 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?

Fear of Genre Hopping - Fairy Tales and Zombies?

You may or may not have noticed the updated 'Sample Chapters' page. I've included a link to Cinderella and Zombies, which is due to come out later this spring. This book is WAY outside my comfort zone. I didn't even think I liked zombies a year ago.

There's a scared little voice in the back of my head that keeps telling me that people aren't going to like Fairy Tales + Zombies. Or that the people who loved The Fairy Tale Trap are going to hate my zombie fairy tales and never read my work again. (Have no fear. I'm still working on The Fairy Tale Twist. I promise.)

But should I really let those concerns keep me from writing something new?

I hope to be the kind of author that readers want to be curious about. What will she come out with next? If my readers don't LOVE everything I write, that's okay

Maybe I'll write the time travel romance that keeps swimming around in my head. Maybe you'll hate it. If that's the case, I hope to have the kind of readers who will say, "She's better at fantasy. I'll stick with those."

I think I'll always keep coming back to YA fantasy. That's where my heart is. But I also want to branch out. I want to write stuff just for fun, because I hope other people will also think it's fun.

So. If you think there's a chance that you'll like Cinderella and Zombies, please read the sample chapters. If you like them, leave your email in the comments on the sample chapter page. When the book comes out, I'll email you a coupon for a discount on Cinderella. It's a thank you for trying something new.

Need a Story Idea? You Need a Creative Boost.

Getting good story ideas can be hard. Sometimes all you need is a creative boost. For me personally, I get my story ideas when the "creative well" is full AND I'm doing something boring (like trying to fall asleep, doing dishes, folding laundry, or waiting in line). So I have to make sure my creative well is always full to take advantage of the boring parts of my life.

Literary Agent Rachelle Gardner always gives good advice. She has a list of things you can do (when you're not writing) that will feed your book-writing later in her post: How to Become a Better Writer.

Routines for Writers is a great resource for any writer. Shonna Slayton has multiple posts on boosting creativity, including this one on Daydreaming. She gives a few methods to get the creative side warmed up.

Have you ever heard of the Rule of Twenty? Upstart Crow writes that your first 5 or 10 ideas may not be gold, but keeping trying.Creative riches lie ahead!

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. :(

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.

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.

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 from the 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...

Repost: How to Get Great Ideas and What to Do With Them

Each of us has a creative side. You wouldn't be reading this if you didn't. It's that little voice in the back of your head that throws out ideas. I call mine my Muse and I've talked about her before. (Yes, my Muse is a she.)

I was thinking about what makes my Muse "sing". Typically, if your creative voice is on, your cognitive, logical voice has to be turned off. If you're familiar with right-brain, left-brain research, this is exactly what I'm talking about. Your left brain has to take a back seat if your right brain is going to have any say. (Sometimes transition is pretty quick. There are exercises you can do to help with this.)

So how do you hand the microphone to your Muse? How do you turn off the left brain?
By doing something mundane, everyday, or mind-numbing. Sounds fun, right?

My Muse hates to be bored, so when the left-brain turns off, she steps forward and tries to make things interesting. (This is why TV usually isn't a great way for me to brainstorm. My Muse is already entertained.)

So if I need some good ideas, I have to do something like fold laundry, go for a walk, rake leaves, stare at a blank computer screen, or try to fall asleep. (Unsuccessfully. Usually. I do get some awesome dreams on occasion.)
It's darn inconvenient, but I get my best ideas as I'm drifting off to sleep. (A great reason to keep a notebook handy on my nightstand.) For example, last night I was trying to sleep while my husband was reading with the light on. And a voice came into my head. Not a literal voice, just words that had personality. And the personality wasn't mine. I had struck gold!

Unfortunately, my daughter had run off with my notebook. I didn't go and look for it and of course, I don't remember the whole thing. But I'd like to share my train of thought and the words that I do remember.

I was thinking about how to begin my story. I have a premise in mind and several scenes planned out, so I wasn't starting from nothing. My mind drifted to books that I love. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine is my favorite and it's young adult fantasy, just like Phantom. Ella Enchanted started just outside the story with the first-person narrator talking about something that happened before the story actually begins.

The other book I thought of was The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. I loved this series. It was the series I wish I had written. Anyway, the book starts with Percy (the main character, also in first person) talking directly to the reader. He tells us something about the main theme of the book and beautifully melds his world with ours.

So then I moved back to my book. I'm pretty sure I want to do first person. I write better characters and cleverer detail that way. I wanted to begin my books like Riordan and Levine did.

That's when my Muse sang. (Not literally. I'm not crazy.)

The words for the beginning of my story popped into my head. My memory only recalls bits and pieces, but here's what I have:

My school is haunted. They should have seen it coming, building a boarding school where a prison used to be.

That's all I remember. Sad, huh?

So let that be a lesson to you. It's always worth getting out of your nice warm bed to go get a pen and pad when an idea hits you. Make yourself do it. You won't be sorry.

Creativity Boost: Refueling and Refilling

I remember in high school, this used to be the toughest time of year. I felt draggy, like my spirit was just tired. I think everyone was feeling the same way. (Maybe that's why they started having Spring Break?)

So today's post is going to be about getting out of the slump: how to give yourself a creative boost and how to get to the good stuff your muse may be hiding in the corner.

Lilith Saintcrow wrote a blog post a while back about Changing Creative Fuel. Using your own life to get ideas is great, but it can become exhausting. Let go of fear and take a break to do something physical. They're good lessons we could all use.

Michael at Upstart Crow Literary posts about the Rule of Twenty. Basically, don't trust your first ideas. The creative gold is a little deeper, and you'll need to dig in order to find it.

Shonna Slayton always has good posts at Routines for Writers and her article on Purposeful Daydreaming is no exception. Make your down time work for you. She mentions making word clouds. Tried it. Loved it. Here's one I created for my WIP:

Holly Lisle wrote about using Timed Writing to Free Up the Subconscious in Writing. Always good stuff. She also offers a free PDF called Mugging the Muse.

And finally, the famous Rachelle Gardner has 11 Non-Writing-Related Ideas to help you become a better writer.