C. Swallow's Blog - Posts Tagged "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

The number one questions I seem to get as a writer, are, 'how do I start a story, where do I begin?' 'how do I continue a story?' 'I've written quite a bit but have no idea where to take the story next, what can I do?' 'I've run out of ideas, what can I do?' and 'I don't know how to construct a story at all, help me make a story?'

Here are my answers on how to successfully create a new world, from scratch! (For the fiction-writer, of course)

TO START A NEW CREATION...

An abstract concept to answer, but not too difficult when you focus your points.

Make a list of natural spaces you like to read about, city, forest, mountain, jungle, sea, island, space etc?

Make a list of the defining forces, will your story be set around reality, history, magic, fantasy, science-fiction, a dystopian world, a paranormal world?

What qualities does your main character have or do you have more than one protagonist? Are they fierce, scared, brave, gentle, quiet, loud, smart, naive, curious, adventurous?

What issues do you want them to face? A family struggle, a new friendship, a new romance, a magical object, a prophecy, an illness, a curse, an unknown identity?

This in general, should give you an idea of what your story is based around if you have no idea at the beginning.

NAMING CHARACTERS

Are you stuck on names? Googly a random-name-generator.

Do you want more meaningful names? Think of the number one quality of your character, and search names that mean that quality.

3 CHAPTERS IN... WHERE TO GO NOW?

Don't panic if you're overwhelmed about what is happening and what should happen next to progress the story. It can be daunting but it's not too hard. To overcome this, try these things.

Perhaps it's time to introduce a new character
Perhaps it's time to introduce the antagonist
Perhaps it's time to introduce a change of scenery, a change of plan for the main character/characters, for example from school, to a mission posed to them from an exterior source. If it's a mystery, perhaps they start to find clues. If it's a romance, perhaps they see prince-charming or have an encounter. If it's science-fiction, perhaps a new world is mentioned? A new law is created, or maybe someone goes missing?

A lot of this is easier when you have at least a general view of where you want the story to eventually lead in 20 chapters time.

10 CHAPTERS IN... WHERE TO GO NOW?

Perhaps you've stored up so many details, you can't remember them all. It's time to do a thorough-read over and edit once more. Make sure you catalogue all your details, you don't want to be the victim of creating your own plot holes when a character in the first chapter come back from a holiday ten chapters later with different coloured hair (Yes, I've done this so many times myself)

Perhaps your characters get over their first obstacle but now you have to think of the next obstacle.

How?

You might need some inspiration at this point if you 100% can not think of anything and you feel stuck.

Last resort; get a friend to read it, make sure it's online and you'll most likely get a few comments that can give you ideas or reassurance.

HOW DO I END THE STORY?

I hope at this point you aren't totally clueless about how to resolve things, but in case you are and you honestly have a few options but aren't sure which to take, try to think of it more simply.

Have a show-down. An intense confrontation. This is usually the climax. Something big will be revealed.

If you're planning a sequel, an easy way to end the story is have the huge reveal as the last line.

Readers will be dying to read the next book.

Personally, I don't understand how any story could have 'the end' at the 'end'. It's a world you've created, you have to imagine it exists now and when the story ends it doesn't mean the world is over. Unless you kill all the characters off or blow up the world, then damn you. I can't stand people who do that! But of course... totally up to you...

I googled some general definitions that will help you with serialisation

Definition of Serialise...

~ Publish or broadcast (a story or play) in regular instalments.
~ Arrange (something) in a series.

Definition of Progression...

~ the process of developing or moving gradually towards a more advanced state.

****

This is why you should serialise...

This concept in general means you will be able to structure your story like your favorite television series. It provides a good basis for how to successfully write online as it provides engagement, suspense and a desire in the reader to wait for each instalment.

****

This is how you should serialise...

Set a release day of the week. Have a specific meaning to each episode/chapter. For example, an action, a fight, romantic interaction, mysterious interaction, introductions of new characters, family interaction, friend/villain and protagonist progressions and/or digressions. Progressing the plot over time will become easier with each new interaction. End each episode/chapter with a reason to read the next. Cliff-hangers can be questions, foreshadowing, new discoveries, new identities, new plot twists etc.

****

This is what you will gain...

More readers. A steady follower base. A reason to write each week (due to the structure of serialisation). It will help you improve your writing over-time (make sure you give yourself time to go over and edit previous episodes/chapters)

****

Extra tips

Keep a digital (or hardcopy) page/journal of important facts, names, places, descriptions, plot ideas, twists and progressions to keep track of your story and where it is headed and if it’s on the right path (and if it’s not, you’ll have the tracking tools to keep an idea of where your story is headed). Don’t assume your story will go to plan with serialisation, as you write, if problems appear don’t give up. Sometimes issues with progression give you an opportunity to enhance your story and add in greater detail to get to your final goal.

****

How do I know this?

I may not be a professionally made author but I am successfully self-made. It’s my own advice that I’ve homed in over a ten-year period. I’ve been writing when I was 12 until the present day (I am now 22). I didn’t start off perfect, but I started off with passion. What got me through was persistence, writing because I am in love with writing and learning from my mistakes. (my next blog will be more about this)

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.