Beth Greenslade's Blog, page 40

Plan The Perfect Novel With These 10 Steps

We all know that when it comes to writing, the key is in the planning. While it can be good to try and get your story down as quickly as possible, if you don't spend some time mapping out your novel, considering your concept, and fleshing out your characters, you could end up finding that you lose momentum and inspiration before you get to the end.

All authors are individuals and have their unique ways of working and there isn’t one solution that will suit everyone in terms of a specific approach. However, there are some broader points that are worth paying attention to ensure you have a robust plan that should see you through each stage of the writing process and ensure that your first draft is as good as it could be. So what are the steps you should take to create a solid novel plan?

Pinpoint the central concept 

You need to have a crystal clear idea of what it is that is at the heart of your story. Don’t even attempt to start writing until you know this. You should be able to explain the concept in your book in a sentence or two.

Learn who your reader is

The better you understand your reader, the easier it will be to write a book that appeals to them. So spend some time finding out what kind of people will buy your book.

Create your blurb

Writing your book blurb can be a great piece of work to do now as it will help you sum up the plot of your book and learn how to make it sounds as exciting as possible. Your blurb can be something that changes as you write your book but getting this written now means you’ll have it to look back on as you develop your story.

Develop your characters

Don’t just have a vague idea of who will appear in your story. Spend some time now working on who your characters are and their backstories. The better you know your characters, the easier they will be to write. 

Build your world

Having a vivid picture of the world where your story unfolds can help you write it more naturally and easily throughout. It’s also a good idea to consider the rules of your world, to make sure they are consistent and make sense for your story. 

Start your research

If your book demands research, getting the bulk of it done now will help you feel more confident as you write and will ensure there aren’t any inconsistencies or glaring errors that go unnoticed and could cause problems later down the line

Map out your story structure

Before you begin writing your novel there are some choices you must make. Decide whose point of view you will write the story from, whether it is set in the past present, or future, and whether it will only be told from one person's perspective. Once you know this you can then create a timeline of events which will form the outline of your story and ensure that you have a beginning, middle, and an end, 

Create chapter outlines

Chapter outlines are helpful as they will ensure that you have a wet fleshed out story and won’t run out of material halfway through.

Create a timeline

A timeline will ensure that you remain consistent when writing your book and can be useful to refer back to. It will also ensure there are no clashes or problems that could poke holes in your story. 

Write!

The last thing to do is start writing. Planning your novel is all well and good but if you spend too much time in the planning stages you’ll never get on with it, so know when enough is enough. 

If you follow the above steps you’ll have a robust plan, so now it’s time to start writing!

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Using A Readability Score Test For Your Writing

One thing that all writers need to keep an eye on is how readable their writing is. Whether you are writing a book, a blog post, or an article, if it’s hard to read your words, this could lead to frustration and confusion for the reader. 

Readability scores can be a great way of making sure that your writing flows. Your writing should be easy and natural. if the language you use is too difficult for your readers to understand or your sentences too long-winded they’ll struggle to enjoy your work. 

The best kind of writing is accessible and effortless to read and using a readability score can help you determine whether yours is on point.

There are lots of different programs out there that can help you ensure that your writing is more readable. A readability score will present you with a number that indicates how easy or difficult it is for the average person to read your work. To determine the score the program will look at various features such as sentence length, the language you’ve used, repetitive words and phrases, and syllable density. More sophisticated programs will allow you to set your reader. For example, your text might be aimed at a knowledgeable, academic audience, in which case the score can make allowances for that. 

A readability score will allow you to see what level of reader will be able to keep up with your text. It’s important to note that the average reading age in the USA is around 12 years old. 

A good readability report will highlight places in the text where your language is too academic or your word choice poor or your sentences too long. Some will even make helpful suggestions of how you can fix your content to make it more readable and as you click through you can improve your text bit by bit, which, in turn, should make your score jump up. 

Poor readability and the reader

If your score indicates that your text is very advanced this will usually mean that an average audience will have some difficulty following it. However, if your target audience is readers who are more knowledgeable and have expertise in the subject areas you cover or are very academic, this may not be too concerning. Do bear in mind the even the most advanced audiences appreciate clear, shot sentences and being able to absorb the information they read relatively easily. 

A poor readability score will usually mean:

You are using a lot of jargon

Your sentences are too long

Your language and word choices are too advanced

Putting your writing to the test with a readability score can be a helpful way to ensure that your readers will enjoy it and won’t be left feeling confused. So the next time you are writing anything, why not run it through a readability program to help ensure you die your writing the best chance of resonating with your readers.

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Is It Time You Boosted Your Writing Skills?

It’s very easy for writers to only focus on getting their project complete. For many of us, it’s getting that novel finished.

While this is all well and good, the most experienced writers know that it is through a combination of learning and writing that you will produce the best result. Taking time to develop your writing skills is important. Instead of dedicating every spare second to progressing your latest writing project, it’s a good idea to dedicate some time each week to brush up on your skills. 

With that in mind, we’ve listed some of the most important ways you can boost your writing skills and become a more accomplished and successful writer in the process. So where to begin?

Appraise your current skills

Are you a grammar whizz? Do you understand how to successfully structure a plot? Do you know how to develop your characters? Do you have a great vocabulary? Take a moment to consider what you find easiest and hardest about the writing process. Once you ascertain where you are at, you will know which areas to work on. You could choose to find a course or a book that hones in on that particular area and spend some time studying.

Make learning new skills fun

To keep your skills sharpened you are going to have to do some work, but there is no reason why you can’t make it fun to do so. Try keeping a journal to help note down ideas and any events or exchanges, but also use this as a way to note your writing journey and check-in with yourself. Writing daily is a great practice to get into too. If nothing of note happened in your day then exercise your creative and imaginative skills by taking a mundane situation and turning it into something far more exciting. 

Keep a notebook of one-liners

Sometimes you think of the perfect way to describe something, or you come across a word that’s particularly evocative, or you hear a snippet of conversation that is really powerful or funny. Have a notebook to hand all the time so when these thoughts pop into your head or these conversations are overheard you’ll be able to note them down and soon you have a measure trove of great lines which you can insert into your stories whenever you want to. 

Give and receive feedback

Another useful way to become a more skilled writer is by asking for feedback. Sometimes we are blind to our weak spots and by regularly receiving constructive criticism we can note what comes up and focus on improvements. Giving feedback can also help train your critical eye so you are more likely to spot any errors or inconsistencies in your own work. 

Learn how to be influenced

All artists steal from other artists, the key is learning how to do so masterfully and respectfully. So don’t be afraid to be influenced by another writer’s work, and always keep on reading but make sure that you learn how to use other writer's work in your own without just plagiarising. 

Challenge yourself

To keep up your motivation for learning you need to challenge yourself. Doing the same practices over and over again will become dull and monotonous so remember to switch it up from time to time. By setting yourself creative challenges you can make learning enjoyable.

These tips can help any writer learn how to boost their skills and improve your writing. Do you have any tips to share about how to stay on top of your game? Share them with us here!

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Alternative Resources For Researching Your Book

If your book requires research (and most good books do), you might find that you end up using the same tired old resources again and again.

Not only can this get a little dull, but you also might be missing out on some of the most interesting and useful places to discover exciting facts and fascinating tidbits of information that could really make your book shine.

Doing a quick Google search can be helpful if you are trying to find concrete information, dates, specific facts, locations, and so on. In fact, Google is a hugely important resource and will naturally be your go to when doing book research. However, if you want to think outside the box, you might want to try some alternatives. 

Here are some reliable resources that can be helpful in assisting you with your book research when Google simply doesn’t come up with the goods.

Library Databases

Libraries are massively underused resources and can be awesome places to discover books on every topic under the sun. Not only that but they also have databases that are full of useful, insightful, and unusual information. Some of the kinds of databases you can access via your local public library include:

agricultural 

legal

career and vocational

medical

historical including historic maps

encyclopedias

scientific journals

Newspaper Archives

You can also access newspaper archives via your library which are fantastic for idea inspiration or to get a feel for the time period you are setting your story in. Newspaper archives can unearth a wealth of fascinating information and are great for fact-checking too.

Used Book Sites

Used book websites are excellent because they are where you can unearth gems of books that have long since gone out of print. Not only can you find some really unusual titles, but you can also hunt for specific books you require that Amazon and big bookstores no longer sell. 

Google Scholar

Google Scholar is an impressive teach engine where you can find peer-reviewed articles and bibliographies. It has a wealth of information that can be useful when trying to back up claims in your writing and is an ideal resource for writers.

Museum And Gallery Archives and National Archives

Museum archives are fascinating places where you can discover what lurks beneath the displays locked away from the public eye. Most museums can’t showcase everything they have all at once, but they will often digitize their collections for people to browse at their leisure. National archives are brilliant because they are gone to one of a kind historic documents that may prove invaluable to your story. 

By choosing these resources for your research you can come up with truly exciting ideas and create a richer, more exciting piece of work. 

What are some of the other places you like to use to do research for your book? Let us know!

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Had A Bad Book Review? Here’s How To Handle It!

Getting a bad book review can feel like a serious kick in the teeth. The worst can knock your confidence and having you doubt your writing ability. It can be really difficult to handle a bad book review, but learning how to do so will make your life as a writer so much easier.

So here’s how to do it. 

Don’t be lured into an argument

The worst thing you can do is respond to the person who has left you the bad review. Doing so will make you seem petty and bitter. Even if the review is really harsh, everyone is entitled to their opinion. If you suspect foul play you can always contact Amazon and ask them to remove it. But they will only do so if the review is abusive or you can prove it’s fraudulent. 

Understand that it happens to everyone

Go have a look at some of the most famous, successful, multi million pound making books and look at their reviews - they’ll be more than a handful of one star ones. The sooner you realise that everyone gets bad reviews from time to time, the better. 

Choose to laugh

Laugher is the best medicine and being able to laugh it off can be the easiest way to get over a bad review. Some of them really are quite funny after all!

Search for constructive criticism and if there isn’t any - dismiss it as opinion

If there is constructive criticism there, use it and appreciate it. Constructive criticism is of value and worth taking into consideration. If therein none then it’s probably just down to an individuals personal taste and so you should take comfort in the fact that you simply can’t please everyone. 

Know that bad reviews make your good reviews more believable

If you only had 5 star reviews, your book would look suspiciously good. As we’ve already stated, no  book can please everyone, so if you have a few negative reviews dotted in amongst the good ones, it will make your book seem more credible. 

Keep on writing

Don’t let a negative review stop you from creating. Even if it has dampened your spirits try hard to just write through it. The more you write, the sooner that bad review will feel like a distant memory. 

Name a character after the reviewer in your next book…and let them meet an unfortunate end

If your negative review really stung then why not take revenge in the best way and make them subject to a grisly end in your next book? 

By using the above tips to help you, you can become a master at handling bad reviews. We know they can feel harsh, but the sooner you pick yourself up and dust yourself off the better!

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

The post Had A Bad Book Review? Here’s How To Handle It! appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Publishing Your Book In 2021

If you are hoping to publish your book this year, it’s important to understand all the steps that you need to go through to get it over the finish line.

Over the last few years, the publishing industry has changed, and being aware of those changes, as well as the top techniques and tips you should consider to help ensure your book reaches readers will ensure it stands a good chance of success.

So what are the things you must do?

Chose your publishing route

There are lots of different ways you can publish your book and you must decide which you are going to focus on early on as each can require different approaches and methods to get you there. Self publishing and traditional publishing are completely different journeys. So looking the pros and cons of each and decide which route is right for you. 

Edit and format professionally

Don’t scrimp on the editing process. You can edit your book and format it to the best of your ability, but before publishing you have to enlist the help of professionals. When it comes to getting assistance, take your time and do your research to ensure you find a good fit for your work.

Get useful feedback

Feedback at every stage of the writing process is important, so don’t wait until you are wedded to every word before you ask for others opinions. When asking for feedback be clear about what you want, but don’t give yourself too easy a ride. Choose professional people who will be honest but constructive. Those who you know will just massage your ego whatever you produce won’t really help you in the long run. 

Create a title and cover that will boost sales

Your title and your cover have a major influence on sales so choose ones that will convert. Researching popular titles in your genre for inspiration can help. Choose something that creates an impact, is unique, isn’t too wordy and also reveals something of the theme or plot of your work.

Create a strategic launch plan

Your launch plan should be through and detailed. Take time to create a step by step plan which starts well before your book publish date to ensure the process is smooth and you’ve put all the groundwork in o launch from the best possible place.

Marketing as a long game

Your marketing plan needs to be creative, in-depth and something that explores every possible avenue. Lots of marketing strategies might not pay off right away, but by seeing marketing as a long game you’ll see that you have lots of work to do, but that the opportunities to market your book will never end!

By following the above, you’ll get from your rough first draft all the way through to seeing those sales roll in. So now you know how, what are you waiting for? Take those first steps to publishing success today!

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

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How To Believe In Yourself As A Writer

When it comes to being a productive, efficient, and happy writer, self-belief is key. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done as there is a lot going against us. With the odds of becoming a successful writer being abysmally low, the idea of being rejected and receiving negative reviews leaving us running scared, and of course, that pesky inner critique constantly telling us that we are not good enough, it’s no wonder that many writers feel afraid of sharing their work. Others feel like they should give up altogether.

However, we need to change our perspective and our attitude because writers are always going to write, and why waste years of your life doing something you love yet torturing yourself every step of the way? All writers should make an effort to practice being positive and confident, being their own biggest cheerleader instead of their own worst enemy.

It’s not easy, but it can be done. 

We all feel like fakes and frauds and phonies. Ever successful writers reveal that they often suffer from imposter syndrome and feel as though they will get ‘found out’ at any moment. But writers must realize that they are good enough and realize that they are doing something brave, amazing, and incredibly honest - and they should be proud of themselves for it.

So how do you believe in yourself as a writer? It’s not easy, but some things that can help might be:

Having a positive mantra

Create a positive mantra for yourself that you use every day to boost your confidence and remind yourself why you are doing this.

Starting the day by free writing

Clear your head and get rid of all the gunk by free writing every morning or before every writing session. 

Having a writing schedule that you stick to

Dedicate yourself to your writing schedule, and you will always feel as though you are making progress.

Dedicating time to learning

The more you learn about the craft of writing, the better you will get and the more confidence you will have. 

Reading reviews of famous books

Even the most popular books in all the world get mixed reviews, read the best and the worst of them and take solace in the fact that no one can like everything.

Joining writing forums or a writing group

Get support from your peers by joining a writing group to help you make progress and have a shared experience.

Get feedback early

Early feedback will help you improve your work before you are too ‘into’ it. You will also be more used to feedback and criticism if you expose yourself to it early, which will help lessen the burn later down the line. 

By doing the above, we can hope to start believing in ourselves, our talent, our perseverance, our bravery, and in doing so, find a new appreciation for our work and our skill. Writing is never going to be a completely smooth and hassle-free journey, but learning how to navigate obstacles and feel positive is so important. So always strive to believe in yourself - doing so can change the way you think about your writing and bring so much more joy to the craft. 

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

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Finding Little Windows To Boost Your Writing Productivity

When it comes to finding the time to write for many of us, it can be tricky. Some are lucky enough to be able to dedicate vast chunks of time to writing every day. While we know how good it is to keep those creative cogs turning and to write as frequently as possible, for those of us juggling busy day jobs and an action-packed home life, it can be a real struggle to carve out any writing time at all.

However, we all must take responsibility for finding the time to write. If it is our passion, if there is something inside of us that keeps niggling, keeps reminding us that we have an important story to tell. It is up to us to find those little windows in our day where we can set aside some time to shape our stories, create our characters, and progress in our writing goals and dreams. 

Those who simply cannot give up entire days, afternoons, or even hours to write - do not despiar!. Little and often works well, and if you try the below, you'll find those slices of time all add up. 

So here are some ways to find more time to write:

Work breaks

It’s important to take breaks from your job now and again, and studies have shown that taking a break and focusing on something different for a while at regular intervals throughout the day is actually beneficial to your productivity. So when you’ve got a 10-minute break coming up, or longer for your lunch, why no spend some of it writing as much as you can. Even if you focus for 5 - 10 minutes, twice a day, you can train your brain to be super productive in that time. 

Waking up early

Even if you are an early bird already, set your alarm 10 minutes earlier - it’s not going to make a massive difference to how tired you are, and in those dawn minutes, you can write undisturbed. 

Travel time

Whenever you have to take a train journey, a plane journey, or are the passenger in a car, you can use that downtime to make some progress with your writing. Travel time is ideal for getting your laptop or notebook out, developing your ideas, and making progress with your story. 

Before dinner

If you live with a partner or friend, let them take over dinner duties a few nights a week and use that time to do some writing. Even if you live by yourself, you could have a couple of ‘cheat’ meals that you pre-prepare or are super fast to cook so that you free up some time to get that word count up!

Before Bed

Going to bed ten minutes later shouldn’t do you any harm, and you can use this little window of time to write. This is an ideal time to keep up to date with a writer’s journal, note down your thoughts and experiences or anything that comes to mind and clear your head before bed.

After exercise

Exercising is a great way to help you feel energized and refreshed and can also be an ideal opportunity to come up with some new creative ideas. So after your workout, why not spend ten or so minutes writing and see if this is a productive time for you to be creative and make some progress. 

The truth is that there is time in the day to set aside for writing; you just need to find those windows of opportunity to do so. So next time you are despairing at your slow writing progress, why not try some of the above, just for a week or two, and see what a difference it makes to your work?

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

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Why You Should Use Your Ancestry For Inspiration

When it comes to writing what you know, many writers are unsure how personal to go. Writing about experiences is one thing, but writing about our family, particularly when it comes to digging up the past, can feel far more daunting and potentially damaging too. 

However, we all have families. Whether our family life is good or bad, exploring our ancestries and the complexities of family life in our creative work can be so beneficial to both our readers and ourselves. In doing so, we can learn so much about ourselves and create powerful stories that are full of humanity. Ones that our audiences can really resonate with help create a sense of belonging and understanding between the writer and reader, connecting them to past, present, and future and embarking on an important journey together. 

In these uncertain times, stories about humanity are more important than ever. It is human connection evoked through stories that can help inspire, motivate and give courage. Discovering our heritage, learning about our culture and exploring where we came from can be deeply empowering and benefit both writer and reader from an emotional clarity to create meaningful connections to others as well as to places and times gone before us too. 

If we look to our ancestors for inspiration for our writing, we might come across some incredible stories—generations who have survived wars, environmental disasters, diseases, plagues, pandemics. We can investigate different professions they had, interesting journeys they took, and the challenges they overcome to survive. By researching our history, we can make amazing, inspirational discoveries that reveal where we came from and what’s in our blood. Translating that to the page will create great drama and tension, and real human connection, which is so important if you hope your readers will resonate with your story. 

You don’t have to take what happened in the past and write it exactly; you can add creative flair, drama, tweak personas, and so on to make your work of fiction, well, fictional. But the history of our family lines can provide such exciting inspiration that it is well worth investigating your ancestry to uncover some fantastic characters to bring to life on the page. 

Of course, writing about your family should be done with care. Some members of your family may need to be consulted and may feel sensitive about the past. However, learning about family history can also bring families closer together. Providing you consult those involved and try to agree on how you should present your story, you may find that doing so is a positive experience for all of you.

So next time you are stuck for inspiration, why not delve into the past and do some research around your ancestry? You may just strike gold. 

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

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Are You Sticking To Your New Year Writing Resolutions? Get More Willpower Now!

At the end of every year, many authors take stock. We look back over the past 12 months and consider how effective and productive we’ve been. Whether we are pleased with what we’ve found or a little disappointed, the end of the year is usually a time for writers to create new goals and resolutions going forward. We tend to promise ourselves we will write more and do far bigger and better things in the months to come.

You might have promised yourself you’ll hit your daily word count, or you’ll get up at 5 am to write. However, two weeks in and you are already struggling to find the motivation to stick to whatever it is you have promised yourself. Other, more pressing matters get in the way, you get distracted, you lose focus and soon enough we are stuck in the same tired old apathetic rut like we were before. 

However, the good news is that it doesn’t need to be this way! Willpower is something that you need to practice if you want to get more of it. Willpower is an extremely coveted prize. It helps us resist those temptations and distractions in order to achieve longer-term goals. 

So how do you get more of it?

The easiest way to get more willpower is to think of it like a muscle. The more you use it, the bigger and stronger it will become. To increase your willpower you need to start off small. If you try to deny yourself everything all the time, you’ll actually find it harder to stick to. Same as if you try and lift the heaviest weight at the gym first off you’ll do yourself an injury and never return. 

Research indicates that willpower tends to be stronger if you are working toward goals you have set for yourself. If you’re making the sacrifice for another person, it is harder to remain determined.

So if you are lacking willpower, here are some top tips to help you.

Take on a litter at first, and increase over time. Small achievable goals are best, then once you have achieved these smaller goals, move the posts a fraction, and so on.

Make a plan. If you set yourself up for success you’ll find it much easier to stick to your guns. So if you are trying to get up early to write, get your coffee mug out for the morning, charge your laptop and set up your writing space, and get a good night’s sleep to give yourself the best chance of going through with it when your alarm starts beeping. Planning your writing day is also important and means you won’t have time or space to get distracted or make impulsive and unhelpful decisions. 

Avoid temptation. If you know there is something that is going to get in the way of your writing goals try to tackle this head-on. But also work out how to make allowances too. If you don’t want to sacrifice Friday drinks with the girls then don’t, but find ways to carve out time elsewhere so it feels deserved and fair without cutting yourself off from the other things you love completely. Minimize distractions when you write such a turning your phone and closing social media accounts and announcing to your nearest and dearest that you don’t want to be disturbed. 

Get rest and stay healthy. Our physical health has a massive impact on how motivated we are to do things. Make an effort to stay healthy and get enough rest. If we are tired and lacking in energy this is going to have a massive impact on our levels of motivation too.

Increasing your willpower takes a little work, but it’s so worth it to help us stick to our writing goals. So if you haven’t managed to stick to your New Year writing resolutions, never fear! Use the tips above to increase your willpower and you’ll soon be back on the right track -good luck!

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

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