Beth Greenslade's Blog, page 114

Merging Your Fiction Writing With Real Life Experiences

We are always told to ‘write what we know’ but what does that really mean? If you don’t have any desire to write an autobiography or can’t see how a book about your everyday experiences or the past is going to knock the socks off your reader, how do you use what you know, what you have experienced, and what you are passionate about, in your writing work?

Keep your eyes open

Magical, unusual, beautiful and horrifying things happen all around us all the time. Keep your eyes and ears open to them and soon you’ll start to notice things that you can use in your writing to make it more believable, exciting and unique. Next time you go for a walk or sit on a bus, really look at everything, immerse yourself in the moment - and make sure you bring a notebook so you can capture everything that strikes you there and then.

Say yes to more things

It’s hard to have real life experiences worth writing about if you never do anything or go anywhere. Sitting inside on your sofa or staring for hours on end on your computer screen will get you nowhere. So make a real effort to be a yes person and you’ll find your life becomes richer, more exciting and more unusual - all of which are excellent fuel for a great story.

Be brave

Doing things that push you, that take you outside your comfort zone and that scare you a little will help you find inspiration in your real life experiences. Those things that make us nervous, make our palms a little sweaty, make us get butterflies are usually the things that make for good stories. So the more you are willing to take a leap of faith and to have the courage to simply go for it, the more fuel you will have to merge these experiences into your work.

Talk to people

OK so you might not have a great many stories of your own, but the more you talk to people the more you will learn about them, their lives and the tales they have to tell. You never know when someone might tell you something beautiful, interesting or hilarious so always open yourself up to people of all ages and from all backgrounds. Learn what you can from the. Gather stories and use them to influence your work. The more people you meet the more likely you are to find those with great stories and can use them as the basis for many of your rich and interesting characters too.

Research your past

Talk to your relatives about your history, ask them to share their stories and really explore your memories of what it was like growing up. The places you’ve lived in, the holidays you went on as a child, how you felt on your first day at school. You have a whole life’s worth of experiences in your past, so take your time to think of them and see how they could influence your writing.

Immersing your real life experiences in with your creative writing can be a wonderful way to explore your past, to really get in tune with the world, and to create some meaningful, beautiful, real writing that feels true to you and will connect deeply with your readers.

So next time you sit down to write, think about how you can use your past, your present and the people you meet each day to help make your writing even more special and unique!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post Merging Your Fiction Writing With Real Life Experiences appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

What Are The Secrets Of A Successful Writer?

Sometimes this whole writing business seems a little unfair. We do our best and yet time and time again we hear about another unheard of an indie author whose book suddenly started snowballing and has now landed a major publishing deal.

Now I don’t want to sound bitter, we should support our fellow authors after all, but when you feel as though you are putting your heart and soul into your writing work, it can feel more than a little disheartening when things only ever seem to move slowly.

So what is it that successful writers do that unsuccessful ones don’t? We can’t deny that sometimes it feels as though it’s just a case of luck, or about writing the right book at the right time, or perhaps having enough spare cash to really create a great marketing campaign. But that’s just not always the case. There are certain things we can all do to give our books the best chance of success, and if we really ask ourselves truthfully, we know that we probably could do more.

So what is it that makes a writer more likely to be successful?

They build a platform

If you want to be a successful writer you have to build a following, you need fans, you need loyal customers who will buy your books, who will talk about them, who will share them with others and write you great reviews. You need to invest so much time and energy into doing this - and often it’s boring and daunting and not what you thought would be part of your ‘author’ role. But if you can build followers and a reputation, you are so much more likely to get somewhere with your book.

They try everything

There is so so much you can do to market your book. Successful authors try it all, and each time they try something new they give it their all. They write blogs, the keep up to date on social media, the build email lists, they write to bloggers asking for reviews, they keep sending their book to publishers, the approach libraries and local radio, they do giveaways and book tours and so much more, and then they do it all again.

They evolve.

Successful writers never think they know it all. They keep improving with every piece that they write. They are always on the lookout for new ways to learn and get better at their craft, they study and experiment and respect that fact that there is always more to do.

They don’t cut corners

Be it the editing stage, book cover design or any piece of marketing they must do, successful writers will never take a short cut. If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing right after all. It’s so easy to get impatient and just want to get our books out there, but if we aren’t willing to make them the best they can be then we are doing ourselves and our readers a disservice.

They know their readers

Great writers bother to get to know their readers. They delve in deep. They want to know everything about what makes them tick, why they like to read what they do, what will make them react emotionally and engage with a book. Knowing your readers is so important and shows that they are important to you. Without readers, a writer cannot be successful.

They make sacrifices

Successful writers understand that writing is a tough business and they make sacrifices because of it. They are willing to sacrifice that fun night out with their friends to stay in and finish that chapter. They are willing to not buy that new pair of shoes to keep saving for a professional editor to look at their work. They make writing their priority.

They write

Successful writers write. They don’t give up. They keep writing because they believe that one day it will all be worth it because they have to. Successful writers don’t just write a page and then forget about it for three months, they push themselves, they stick to their schedules and even after being rejected 42 times they still keep writing because, after all, they know that’s what they were born to do.

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post What Are The Secrets Of A Successful Writer? appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How To Generate New Article Ideas

As a freelance writer, it can often be hard to continuously come up with new ideas.

Finding inspiration and always having a steady stream of fresh content is one of the freelance writers biggest challenges. You can’t keep regurgitating the same tired old story, and to keep your job interesting and those paychecks coming in you to need to always be one step ahead when it comes to winning story pitches to ensure that you’ve always got work going on, and to make your job more fulfilling too!

So how can you make sure you consistently come up with new article ideas? Here are some useful things to try.

Get new hobbies. Writing about what you are passionate about is the ideal job. While, as a freelance writer, you can’t always pick and choose, if you are able to land a gig writing about what you love, it’s pretty much the best job in the world!

So, if you are feeling stuck for new ideas, why not try some new hobbies and see whether you develop an interest in them? These days there are publications for just about anything, so if you suddenly develop a taste for fly fishing or collecting antique dolls or whatever, you can use your  new found skills, interest and knowledge and pitch article ideas to the publications that cover those topics.

Join a class. The same goes for joining a class. The more expertise you can offer on something the more likely you are to be seen as an authority on the subject, and therefore the more likely it is that an editor will go for your idea. So learn a new skill and then come up with some article ideas about it, pitch to the relevant publications and see how it goes.

Read everything. Try to read as much as possible, from newspapers to online blogs. There is a whole wealth of information out there and the more you read the more you are likely to get inspired with ideas of your own.

Research new trends. Try to keep your ear to the ground and find out what is on the horizon as the next big new trend in your chosen subject. If you can be one of the first to start writing about something that’s just on the cusp of catching on, your article stands a good chance of being published and widely shared.

Take a different stance. You don’t always have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to article writing. If you are interested in a subject that has already been written about it, that’s OK - just try to find a different angle or a unique point of view and people will still find value in that.

Go bigger and better. Another trick is to take an article but go bigger and better with it. So someone has written a piece about the 10 best restaurants in the city you live in, well you do the 20 best restaurants, or better still,  get more specific and write about the 10 best fish restaurants, the 10 best budget restaurants and so on. If you can exceed and improve upon what someone else has done, your piece becomes immediately more worthy.

Think local. Figure out how bigger stories affect what’s going on in your local community. By keeping your articles local and specific you are zoning in on a niche and specific audience - and are more likely to see your work in print.

Above all else always think about your reader. Who are you trying to reach, what information are you trying to give them, how do you want them to react? Make sure all your pieces are useful and engaging - they need to offer something to your reader otherwise what is the point in writing them in the first place? If you always keep this in mind, you can’t go too far wrong!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post How To Generate New Article Ideas appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

The Harsh Writing Advice You Need To Hear

We spend a lot of time telling our fellow writers to go easy on themselves. After all, we are often our own worst critics and enemies. We can be so self-critical that sometimes it stops us writing altogether, and it’s important to do everything we can to support and encourage one another, and try not to let that happen.

However sometimes it’s important to hear the cold hard truth, and while it may seem harsh, often the best pieces of advice are not the ones we want to hear, but the ones we need to.

Every writer, even the most fantastic talented of us all, will receive criticism from time to time, and let’s not forget the rejection that is almost a rite of passage for writers. But the truth is perhaps because writing is so tough, that’s what makes us keep fighting, stay motivated, and strive to reach our goals - because, let’s face it, the payoff is well worth it.

So here is some harsh but true writing advice that every writer should listen to.

Your first draft is terrible. No one writes a perfect first draft. If you aren’t willing to put the work in to fix it then why bother in the first place?

Sometimes you think you are way better than you are. Every writer has moments where they think they are the best thing ever, characters that they fall in love with who everyone else thinks are boring, and parts of their story they think are great when actually they really, really aren’t.

You probably won’t be rich. Don’t write to get rich or become famous. You’ll probably spend much of your life severely disappointed.

You will almost certainly be miserable. Writing is lovely, stressful and tough. But if you can get through the hard times there are almost always great rewards at the end.

You may lose friends/ sleep/ sanity. When you really get into writing sometimes it can take over your whole life. Are you prepared to make the sacrifice?

There are no rules. You may think that you understand the rules but really when it comes to writing anything goes!

If you don’t read, you probably won’t be a very good writer. Always make time for reading, it’s our number one research tool.

If you study the craft you will get better. Writing is an art form sure, but it’s also a science, and a craft. Always be open to learning new things and practice as much as you can - it’s the only way to get better.

Sometimes people will know better. Your book is your baby, but sometimes people will give you constructive criticism. Learn how to appreciate it and take it. You might not like it, but sometimes listening to other people can really turn your book around.

You will never write anything that will please everyone. There will always be someone who thinks your story is rubbish. Learn to accept it. You can’t win ‘em all after all.

So there you have it. Sometimes the truth hurts. But the good news is, after all that, if you still want to keep going, well then it’s safe to say you are a real writer for sure!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post The Harsh Writing Advice You Need To Hear appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

What Makes A Great Book Cover?

When it comes to self-publishing one of the most important (and exciting) decisions you’ll have to make is what to do about your book cover.

I can’t underestimate how crucial it is to put serious time and thought into considering how you want your book cover to be. No matter how incredible your story is, the number one thing that is going to initially attract potential readers is your book cover - it’s a book's number one marketing tool.

Think about what attracts you to a book, you first need to notice it, it needs to stand out, be eye-catching and also tell its own story. A book cover must intrigue and excite. If yours can do that then you’ve passed the first hurdle of getting someone to buy your book.

Now the most important thing to stress is that unless you are a designer or completely at ease with programmes such as Photoshop, and know how to design a cover in the specific format/ dimensions that are necessary, it really is better to leave designing your book cover to the professionals.

There are plenty of reputable book cover designers out there, and just because you are handing this responsibility over to them doesn’t mean you won’t get a say or be able to share your ideas and explain how you would like the cover to be.

The first thing to do is to check out the competition, head to a local bookstore and browse the books there, paying particular attention to the ones in your genre. What do you like and dislike about the books your see there? Make notes and take pictures of your favourites. It’s also a good idea to kill two birds with one stone and look at how they have outlined their stories on the back cover - the more you research and understand how to summarise your story and make it sound intriguing and enticing in just a paragraph or two, the better chance you have of really getting across what your book is about.

So what are the elements that make a good book cover?

Clear font

Make sure the title of your book is in a font that is clear and easy to read, your title should also be big enough that people can read it easily without having to pick up the book to see what it says. Your author name can be more discreet - when you are famous it's a good idea to make your name bigger too so people can easily identify the author - until then however just have your name clearly stated on the book, but don’t make it so large that it dominates. Don’t use more than two different fonts on your cover as this will also be distracting

Eye-catching images

Your book cover should include images that grab the readers attention. Try to be surprising, creative, and unique. Don’t use cheap clip art or your personal artwork (unless you happen to be an incredible artist) - doing so will make your book immediately seem unprofessional which is very off-putting to readers.

Stay true to the story

Your book cover should instantly give a sense of what readers can expect from the story inside. Make sure that you carefully think about what you want your cover to portray. If it’s a mystery, make it seem mysterious, if it’s a horror make it dark and foreboding, if it’s a romance keep it light and whimsical. You need to attract the right kind of reader and first impressions count so make sure your cover makes it clear what kind of book yours is.

Making decisions about your book cover is an exciting time, but it is crucial to the success of your book that you don’t take these decisions lightly. Take your time, get second opinions and make sure you are completely happy with your book cover design before you finalise anything, as once you sign off on it there is no going back!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post What Makes A Great Book Cover? appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Excellent Strategies For Revising Your First Draft

When you finally finish the first draft of your book it can feel like a massive weight has been lifted from your shoulders. You got there! You did it! You achieved your goal!

The feeling of elation and excitement usually lasts approximately until you start re-reading said draft and discover that while you might have managed to type enough words to form a book, the actual content still needs a serious amount of work.

Revising your first draft can seem daunting, and often we worry that we might just have to go back and start all over again. In fact, some authors find the revision and editing process so difficult that they give up on their books altogether.

Let’s make sure this doesn’t happen to you.

While we’re not saying that revising your book will be easy, or that you don’t have to do it in the first place. If you plan carefully and apply the following excellent strategies, it will make this part of the book writing process feel a lot less stressful.

So what can you do to help yourself when it comes to revising your first draft?

Get into the right frame of mind.

If you are anything like me when you re-read your first draft your opinions of it are likely to swing from a slightly delusional ‘this is the best book anyone has ever written, ever’, to a mocking/ defeatist/ downright cruel ‘I can’t believe I thought I could do this, this writing makes me cringe, I am embarrassed for myself and should burn/delete this and then go and live in a hole.’

Neither of these opinions is helpful, nor are they likely to be true. It’s super unlikely that your first draft is going to win any awards, similarly, there is no reason to think that it is the worst thing anyone has ever done.

Try to embrace the doubt and go easy on yourself. Your book needs work, and that’s what the editing stage is for. Approach it with a positive and realistic mindset and you’ll be able to cope with the mammoth task of revising so much better.

Be thorough

Accept that the editing stage takes time and effort. Listen to your doubts and instincts and carefully read every single word. Make sure that each one counts, that each one carries weight, that each one is necessary. It’s time-consuming, sure, but if you do it right then you are so much more likely to be thrilled with your end result.

Break it down into chapters, and work backwards

If you work backwards you are less likely to miss errors and inconsistencies because you’ll be taking each chapter as it comes. Working from front to back means it is more likely you’ll slip into a comfortable reading pattern instead of carefully considering each sentence. Edit your book chapter by chapter and it will feel so much more manageable.

Look out for the important stuff.

Pay attention to the structure of your novel (no, it’s not too late to change it), the pace, how your characters develop, the detail, the key actions and turning points, the denouement and resolution. Write down the key points and actions in your novel and graph when they happen - this will give you a good idea if your story flows well and remains exciting and well-paced throughout.

Read aloud and then listen back

One of the most helpful things you can do is read each chapter aloud and then play it back to yourself. This will really help you to spot weaknesses  in your sentence structure, grammar and punctuation and highlight any words you repeat, any parts where the pace slows and where the dialogue doesn’t seem right. Playing it back will help you to understand your story in a different way, and you can get friends, partners and relatives to listen to it too and give you feedback that way.

Never stop trying to improve

When it comes to fiction writing there are always lessons to be learned so make sure you are constantly trying to improve and study the craft. You might suddenly learn something new or be inspired to try something different which could take your story to a whole new level.

If you can get into a positive mindset and see the editing stage as an amazing opportunity to make your book the best it can be you are far more likely to be willing to put the time and effort into revising you first draft that is required to make it shine!

If you do you’ll get that feeling of elation back in no time at all.

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post Excellent Strategies For Revising Your First Draft appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

What To Do When You Feel like Giving Up

No one ever said that writing was easy, and as writers and authors, we know better than anyone that writing requires dedication, determination and perseverance even when we feel like we are getting nowhere at all.

If you’ve been writing for a while, you’ll no doubt have had low moment, ones where you just can’t think how to get over a writing hurdle, where you feel overwhelmed by the amount of work you have to do, where you feel you aren’t good enough and you just can’t bring yourself to sit down and get on with it anymore.

In short, we’ve all felt like giving up once in a while.

It’s important, however, during these moments of despair, to keep on writing, This may be easier said than done, but there are ways that you can help yourself to get over it more quickly. So next time you feel like giving up, try some of these:

Take a walk

Sometimes you end up spending hours cramped over your desk, having consumed so much coffee you don’t know what’s going on. Doing something simple like taking a walk in the fresh air, somewhere beautiful, having a good stretch and getting a little exercise is all you need to clear your head and make you feel ready to sit down and start work once more.

Seek advice

If you are suffering from a writing problem why suffer alone? We wouldn’t with any other difficulty we face so why do we feel as though we must work through our writing problems all by ourselves? A family member or friend, a fellow writer, a mentor, or an online group - you can easily find people who will be willing to help you and encourage you if you are stuck with your writing, and will help you figure a way forward.

Try a new project

If you are finding yourself losing interest in a particular writing project, set it aside for a while and work on something else. The key here is to keep writing, make that a priority above all else and you might find that when you return to your previous work you look at it with a fresh pair of eyes and can see how to make it work once more.

Remember everyone fails

Take solace in the fact that it is rare a writer won’t feel full of self-doubt and crippling hopelessness at some point during their career! It’s easy to find stories of multiple rejections, of writers struggles, of times where even the most famous and successful authors wanted to give up - but remember that they didn’t, and neither should you.

Get to the root of the problem

Sometimes we can feel so overwhelmed by our writing problems we can’t clearly see what they are. It might be that there is just one specific thing you need to change or rework or figure out and then suddenly that doom-like cloud will be lifted. So next time you feel lie giving up really search for the root of the problem and then tackle it head on.

Step away

Sometimes you need to detach yourself from your writing and gain some perspective in order to see it in a new light. This is particularly helpful if you find yourself feeling negative about your writing. Step away, leave your project for a while and go back to it when you are feeling more positive. Learning to manage and regulate your emotions and look at your work objectively and with a clear head can be so helpful.

Know what motivates you

Understanding your writing motivation can be so helpful when you feel like giving up. It might be that you need to reward yourself, it might be that you need to join a writing group so you have the support of others, it might be that you need to simply remind yourself of why you love writing in the first place. Read over old work you are proud of, remind yourself of your previous success and use these to keep you motivated.

Stay positive!

It’s so easy to get into a cycle of negativity when it comes to writing. If you feel yourself full of self- doubt, try to break the cycle as soon as possible. You aren’t helping yourself by being negative. be open to learning and improving for sure, but try to change your behaviour, complement yourself, big yourself up, become a fan - more than anything we need to believe in ourselves so try to stay positive and suddenly things will seem a whole lot better!

Remember, we’ve all felt like giving up at one point or another, but think about how many writers have regretted persevering? Don’t be a writer that ends up full of regret because you gave up - keep writing, stay positive and soon you’ll be back on track!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post What To Do When You Feel like Giving Up appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How To Scare Your Readers

Scaring your readers isn’t necessarily about writing a full-blown horror story. In fact, whatever the genre of book you are writing and whatever your story is about there is probably room to inject a little fear into your book from time to time!

‘But why on earth would I want to scare my beloved readers?’ I hear you cry...

Scaring readers is akin to making them laugh or cry, or getting them angry or making them nervous - essentially it is all about getting them to react. If a reader feels something from your book they are more likely to become emotionally engaged with it, to care what happens and to be unable to put the darn thing down.

There are many ways in which you can try to scare your reader from obvious gruesome horror to a subtle sense of the uncanny that sends shivers down one's spine but the reason why remains unnervingly unclear.

However you want to do it, the point remains that it is well worth doing. So if you are thinking about trying to scare your readers here are some of the ways you can:

Create a haunting atmosphere

Atmosphere plays a big part in scaring your reader. Really concentrate on the character's senses, what can they see, smell, hear? Zoning in on these creates an impression of alertness which puts the reader on edge. An atmosphere that is unsettling and uneasy or just downright creepy will also frighten the reader and prepare them for frightening events ahead.

Build up tension and anticipation

You know that ‘peeking through your fingers’ feeling that you can’t help but do when watching a scary film? Well, you need to evoke that same sense of unbearable tension for your readers. Slowly build up to the point, adding layer upon layer of atmospheric detail until they know that whatever the character is about to do/ say/move towards next is going to be where their terrible fate comes to the fore.

Give the impression that nothing is certain and nothing is safe

Readers don’t want to feel as though the know exactly what will happen next as then turn each page. Get them on the edge of their seats by giving the impression that no one is really safe. Of course, an alternative technique is to lure them into a false sense of security only to crush them early on - this way throughout the rest of your book they’ll feel as though they can’t quite relax.

Give them knowledge but deny your characters that knowledge

Your readers know that there is someone lurking in the upstairs wardrobe, your characters, however, remain blissfully unaware…for now. Letting readers have privy to certain kinds of (terrible) information can really turn up the fear factor as they read on knowing that the inevitable horror awaits.

Understand what frightens people

Scaring your readers is all about understanding and acknowledging what really scares people. People have many fears and you can explore these in different ways in your book. The fears could be emotional such as losing a child in a mall or physical such as falling down stairs or losing a limb. Think about the different fears people have and see how you can write them into your story for dramatic effect.

Scare yourself while you’re writing it

If you ain’t scared it is unlikely your readers are going to be. Sometimes scaring your readers means going out of your comfort zone yourself and thinking about what really gets your hairs standing on end or a chill running down your spine - tap into that and use it and you’ll find writing scarily starts to become natural.

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post How To Scare Your Readers appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How To Plan Your Writing

Good writing is usually writing that is well planned. However liberating and wonderful it can feel to simply sit down and just write if you want to create a well-crafted story with just the right mix of elements to make it work, then you need to plan your writing time to ensure you stay on track and focused.

The dangers of not planning your writing are extensive. You are more likely to give up, you are more likely to come unstuck and find yourself up against obstacles or parts of the plot that can’t be figured out, you may suddenly realise you haven’t written in months, and, even if you do finish, the end result could need far more work than if you had simply spent a little time planning your writing in the first place.

So it might be all well and good agreeing that we need to plan our writing, but what exactly is involved in doing so? What does a good writing plan looking like?

When it comes to how to plan your writing there are no hard and fast rules, and every writer is different and will find different things useful for them. However, there are certain things you can do to make developing a plan much easier and more effective too.

Let’s take a look at some of them:

Make writing a choice you make

Before you even start to think about creating a writing schedule you need to put yourself in the right frame of mind. By really focusing on the fact that writing is a choice, it’s your choice and it’s something you choose because it is important to you, you’ll start off feeling positive and in control of your writing.

Make writing a habit you can’t break

The more you write the more it will feel like an integral part of who you are and what you do. Try to write every day until it feels as natural as having a shower or eating breakfast. If you can’t fit writing into your daily schedule make sure you try to commit to it as a routine. Even if you are only able to write for 30 minutes every three days, as long as you dedicate and prioritise that each and every time it will start to feel like a habit and a routine.

Set writing goals

Writing goals mean that you always have something you are working towards so make sure you set achievable yet challenging goals for your writing and reward yourself when you get there.

Break down writing tasks

Often if you start a mammoth writing project such as writing a book, for example, the amount of work you feel you have to do can get overwhelming pretty quickly. Try to break down big tasks into smaller and more manageable pieces of work and then simply tackle each one as a standalone piece of work so you don’t get into a panic about how much you have to do!

Give yourself deadlines

When it comes to planning your writing if you don’t give yourself deadlines you are so much more likely to procrastinate, get distracted and put your writing off altogether. Giving yourself deadlines will help you stick to your goals and achieve what you set out to achieve.

Be reasonable

Remember, nothing always goes exactly to plan so be reasonable and forgiving with yourself when things don’t quite go your way. If you have a little slip-up, simply recognise it and then get back on track as soon as possible!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post How To Plan Your Writing appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How To Create A Useful Outline For Your Story

Research and planning are crucial to any story, and before you even begin you should already have an outline written down. An outline acts as the roadmap for your story, keeps you on the straight and narrow and assures you that you can reach the end of your journey without suddenly becoming unstuck.

Now, we acknowledge that some writers are fiercely against outlining their stories - they feel this stifles their creativity, that it restricts them, and they worry that without taking deviations and off-road adventures their writing won’t be as good as it could be.

An outline, however, doesn’t have to restrict writers. Rather it should be a useful way of ensuring that a story is going to work, and it is up to the writer to follow the outline when they need to, but also give themselves the flexibility to veer from it when a creative idea strikes!

So how do you write a useful outline for your story? Let's take a look.

Write down your premise

The best way to start your outline is to craft your premise. This essentially is your idea for your story. Write down everything you’ve got so far about how you intend the story to unravel.

Brainstorm ideas

Once you have your premise down, now it is time to brainstorm some ideas. Try not to censor yourself during this stage, just let every idea come out and scribble it down. Once you have done this you can start to pull them together, see if there is a theme emerging for your book, and try to put the ideas in a roughly chronological order.

Flesh out your characters

Now it’s time to focus on your characters and get to know them even better. Focus on each character, one at a time. Describe their physical appearance, then get down to the nitty-gritty. How do they speak, what scares them, how to they walk, what makes them unusual? Interview each character and get to know them inside out.

Focus on setting

Try now to create the world that the story takes place in. Start to build locations and settings where you know lots of action will take place. Describe them in as much detail as possible. What kind of places are they, what emotions do they evoke from your characters, what do they notice, hear, and smell when they are there?

Write your chapter outlines

By now you should have a pretty good idea of your story, your characters and the world in which they live. So now it’s time to put that knowledge into practice and write your chapter outlines. Briefly sketch out what happens in each chapter, and when you have done so, sit back and take stock. Does each chapter end on a mini cliffhanger? Are all chapters necessary? Does your story seem like it will be fast paced enough? Go back and change things where necessary until you feel as though you chapter outlines do your story justice. Work out any difficulties until you are confident your story is going to work.

Get writing!

Once you have your outline you can get to work! Remember your outline is there as a guide to help keep pushing you forwards, it’s not set in stone - so if you find yourself going off on a tangent - that’s OK, you can always revise and adjust your outline as you go.

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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