C. Swallow's Blog - Posts Tagged "editing"
Tips to succeed in writing
SHOW DON'T TELL
Telling: She was fat ~ BAD
Showing: Her belly was round and protruding ~ BETTER
FOCUS POINTS
Introducing 10 characters and their backgrounds, personalities and physique in just one chapter ~ BAD
Focusing on introducing one or a couple of characters in depth in one chapter ~ BETTER
QUALITY NOT QUANTITY
10,000 words of boring, over-explained details such as introducing settings, pasts, thoughts, 3 different plots etc basically overloading the reader with information~ BAD
2000 words of fast-paced intensity ~ BETTER
CONTENT
First chapters that are simply introducing everyone, the scene and the plot ~ BORING
First chapters that start with action and a fast-pace. The reader gets to see your best writing, and anticipates more ~ BETTER
All chapters in general are not in balance. E.g. you might have very-short chapters including very-long chapters, you might go back and forth between past and present consistently ~ ANNOYING
Similar length chapters with each chapter serialized like an episode from your favourite T.V. Series ~ BETTER
Ending the chapter with a resolution that doesn't seem to suggest anything else will happen soon ~ BORING
Chapters that end with cliffhangers and hints to what is to happen to keep the readers on their toes, anticipating what is to come ~ BETTER
Ending stories by killing the main character or every character, or blowing up the world ~ BAD
Ending stories with intelligent resolutions and plot-bombs to make it exciting. Resolving conflict to satisfy the reader and perhaps hint at future conflicts for sequels ~ BETTER
First and last sentences that lack lustre, intrigue or perhaps they state boring, useless facts, perhaps they start or end with a pointless scenario ~ BORING
Opening and ending sentences should have clear conflicts and or resolutions that leave the readers satisfied but also curious for more, while also being relevant to the plot. Try to get that adrenaline pumping in the reader so they have a reason to continue on with the story. In other words, start the chapter with a 'bang' and end it with an even bigger 'bang'! ~ BETTER
EDITING
Thirty-three hundred times editing 3 paragraphs ~ BAD
Twice slowly, or thrice more quickly editing a chapter (basically because the more you edit, the less it will probably flow better from when you first wrote it all out. Editing needs to be fixing errors, not over-debating how to phrase something twenty different ways and which way sounds best. Simple phrases are usually better anyway). If you can, ask a friend to read over it and ask for their opinion ~ BETTER
BLURBS
Long with twenty sentences explaining the whole plot and ten different characters ~ BAD
Short, maybe three or four sentences. Don't summarise the whole book. List the main character's name and an issue they may face and need to overcome ~ BETTER
PROFESSIONAL BOOK COVER
Amateur book covers equals amateur writing (at least to the average viewer scrolling through books deciding what to read) ~ BAD
A professional book cover tends to reflect the higher-quality innards of the book
eg.
Canva
Cover Apps ~ BETTER
GETTING NOTICED ONLINE
Updating very randomly and months apart ~ BAD
Updating at least once a week ~ BETTER
DELETING OLD WRITING
Discarding drafts, staring over brand new and erasing any form of practice writing ~ VERY BAD
Keep everything stored, for future use, even if you start a story over ~ BETTER
Telling: She was fat ~ BAD
Showing: Her belly was round and protruding ~ BETTER
FOCUS POINTS
Introducing 10 characters and their backgrounds, personalities and physique in just one chapter ~ BAD
Focusing on introducing one or a couple of characters in depth in one chapter ~ BETTER
QUALITY NOT QUANTITY
10,000 words of boring, over-explained details such as introducing settings, pasts, thoughts, 3 different plots etc basically overloading the reader with information~ BAD
2000 words of fast-paced intensity ~ BETTER
CONTENT
First chapters that are simply introducing everyone, the scene and the plot ~ BORING
First chapters that start with action and a fast-pace. The reader gets to see your best writing, and anticipates more ~ BETTER
All chapters in general are not in balance. E.g. you might have very-short chapters including very-long chapters, you might go back and forth between past and present consistently ~ ANNOYING
Similar length chapters with each chapter serialized like an episode from your favourite T.V. Series ~ BETTER
Ending the chapter with a resolution that doesn't seem to suggest anything else will happen soon ~ BORING
Chapters that end with cliffhangers and hints to what is to happen to keep the readers on their toes, anticipating what is to come ~ BETTER
Ending stories by killing the main character or every character, or blowing up the world ~ BAD
Ending stories with intelligent resolutions and plot-bombs to make it exciting. Resolving conflict to satisfy the reader and perhaps hint at future conflicts for sequels ~ BETTER
First and last sentences that lack lustre, intrigue or perhaps they state boring, useless facts, perhaps they start or end with a pointless scenario ~ BORING
Opening and ending sentences should have clear conflicts and or resolutions that leave the readers satisfied but also curious for more, while also being relevant to the plot. Try to get that adrenaline pumping in the reader so they have a reason to continue on with the story. In other words, start the chapter with a 'bang' and end it with an even bigger 'bang'! ~ BETTER
EDITING
Thirty-three hundred times editing 3 paragraphs ~ BAD
Twice slowly, or thrice more quickly editing a chapter (basically because the more you edit, the less it will probably flow better from when you first wrote it all out. Editing needs to be fixing errors, not over-debating how to phrase something twenty different ways and which way sounds best. Simple phrases are usually better anyway). If you can, ask a friend to read over it and ask for their opinion ~ BETTER
BLURBS
Long with twenty sentences explaining the whole plot and ten different characters ~ BAD
Short, maybe three or four sentences. Don't summarise the whole book. List the main character's name and an issue they may face and need to overcome ~ BETTER
PROFESSIONAL BOOK COVER
Amateur book covers equals amateur writing (at least to the average viewer scrolling through books deciding what to read) ~ BAD
A professional book cover tends to reflect the higher-quality innards of the book
eg.
Canva
Cover Apps ~ BETTER
GETTING NOTICED ONLINE
Updating very randomly and months apart ~ BAD
Updating at least once a week ~ BETTER
DELETING OLD WRITING
Discarding drafts, staring over brand new and erasing any form of practice writing ~ VERY BAD
Keep everything stored, for future use, even if you start a story over ~ BETTER
10 Simple Tips for Genius Fiction Writing
1. Never compare your writing to another’s. Remember, every author is different, they will write different and explain different and create different.
2. Writing is an art form. Throw your writing course out the window. This is fiction. This is about instinct. Passion. Creativity. Imagination. Not just formal structure, which comes last, of all things.
3. When you write, pretend you are looking on from a third eye, a stranger’s perspective. If the third eye can understand your writing, well done, now most people can understand it too.
4. Who’s your audience? Forget your audience. Forget about thinking of everyone’s tastes. Writing well isn’t about crowd pleasing. It’s about an idea, a concept, a character, a scene, a plot; painted into life with your use of words.
5. How to write well? Think of your passion and vivid image. Create said passion, said vivid image; with words. Do not over think. The very first thing that comes to mind, is usually right.
6. Editing; a once over will clear up most common errors. Waiting a short time and re-editing will cover the other 2% of errors missed. If you care about your writing you’ll read it slow and find these mistakes with ease. If you still have a ton of mistakes, you simply need to slow down.
7. Wrapping up a story isn’t just about tying up loose ends. You need to stick to your guns and write very carefully. Do not choose a ‘cop out’ ending that wraps things up easily. Now is the time to be complex and intriguing. Still have no idea how to end it? Perhaps there is no foreseeable ending in mind, because a sequel makes more sense!
8. Attention, attention! Why isn’t anyone reading my story? Hello, where are the many readers in the universe that haven’t check out my story? Well, what are the first things readers look at when choosing to read a book? Cover, blurb, first chapter. These three things must be top quality. Anything less and don’t expect readers to check out your work.
9. Be self critical but not too self critical. Is writing too hard? Not really. Everything in life, generally, is hard unless you stick through it and dedicate yourself to getting over inevitable obstacles. You will fail, you will suck, you will have a shit chapter every now and then, you will have shit grammar, shit design and then you will FIX it and you WILL get better.
10. The Writing Itch. Do you have the disease? If you can’t shake the need to write out a chapter or a scene or an idea or five novels at once, then you most obviously have the Writing Itch Disease. Congratulations, you’ll probably succeed. Don’t bother trying to write for fame or money. You’ll never get there if you don’t have the write intentions.
2. Writing is an art form. Throw your writing course out the window. This is fiction. This is about instinct. Passion. Creativity. Imagination. Not just formal structure, which comes last, of all things.
3. When you write, pretend you are looking on from a third eye, a stranger’s perspective. If the third eye can understand your writing, well done, now most people can understand it too.
4. Who’s your audience? Forget your audience. Forget about thinking of everyone’s tastes. Writing well isn’t about crowd pleasing. It’s about an idea, a concept, a character, a scene, a plot; painted into life with your use of words.
5. How to write well? Think of your passion and vivid image. Create said passion, said vivid image; with words. Do not over think. The very first thing that comes to mind, is usually right.
6. Editing; a once over will clear up most common errors. Waiting a short time and re-editing will cover the other 2% of errors missed. If you care about your writing you’ll read it slow and find these mistakes with ease. If you still have a ton of mistakes, you simply need to slow down.
7. Wrapping up a story isn’t just about tying up loose ends. You need to stick to your guns and write very carefully. Do not choose a ‘cop out’ ending that wraps things up easily. Now is the time to be complex and intriguing. Still have no idea how to end it? Perhaps there is no foreseeable ending in mind, because a sequel makes more sense!
8. Attention, attention! Why isn’t anyone reading my story? Hello, where are the many readers in the universe that haven’t check out my story? Well, what are the first things readers look at when choosing to read a book? Cover, blurb, first chapter. These three things must be top quality. Anything less and don’t expect readers to check out your work.
9. Be self critical but not too self critical. Is writing too hard? Not really. Everything in life, generally, is hard unless you stick through it and dedicate yourself to getting over inevitable obstacles. You will fail, you will suck, you will have a shit chapter every now and then, you will have shit grammar, shit design and then you will FIX it and you WILL get better.
10. The Writing Itch. Do you have the disease? If you can’t shake the need to write out a chapter or a scene or an idea or five novels at once, then you most obviously have the Writing Itch Disease. Congratulations, you’ll probably succeed. Don’t bother trying to write for fame or money. You’ll never get there if you don’t have the write intentions.
