Ian Dawson's Blog, page 15

Writing Tip of the Week: Gearing Up for NaNoWriMo 2022

In my last post, I talked about the upcoming NaNoWriMo November writing challenge, where you are tasked with writing 50,000 words in 30 days. While that may seem a bit overwhelming to some, let’s talk about ways to make the experience better and your success possible.

By the Numbers

If we do some quick math, 50,000 words in 30 days equate to around 1,667 words per day.

It’s always good to have some writing-based goal written down that you plan to accomplish each time you sit down to write. Some days you’ll burn through those 1,667 words in no time, and other times it will feel like your brain is struggling to come up with the next word to type. The key is attempting to reach this magic number each day.

You can keep track using a spreadsheet, copying and pasting each day’s work on your NaNoWriMo novel page or on a piece of paper. However you do it, seeing your progress is fun and encouraging. After some time, you won’t want to break the productivity chain.

Plan Ahead

With this writing challenge, knowing your story and where it’s going from start to finish is a good idea. Take the guesswork out of what you’re writing daily, and know before you go.

Whether you create a simple outline or a detailed one, have a plan in place and a general idea of where you want the story and main character to go throughout the story. You can always rewrite and change things later, but getting the story down and the word-count goal met is the primary focus.

Live in Reality

As humans, we have stuff to do. Work, family, shopping, sleep, etc. Plus, November has Thanksgiving and Black Friday toward the end of the month.

Life happens, and you will get busy and possibly not have time to hit the minimum word count for a day or two. Don’t worry about it. You can make it up another day. Remember that you have 30 days to reach 50,000 words, so give yourself some slack in the event things arise that prevent you from writing for a few days during the month.

Just remember to get back to it and keep writing.

Have Fun

The key to making this challenge a positive and fun experience is to enjoy the process. Be motivated to hop on the computer and write each day. It shouldn’t be a slog, feel like a punishment, or make you dread sitting down at the computer.

Don’t think of it as work. Think of this as a creative escape where the destination is 50,000 words of a story you enjoyed writing and bringing to life.

If you burn through 50,000 words early, keep going. Write, write, write.

What if I Don’t Make it?

Writing 50,000 words is a marathon. And like marathon runners, sometimes things can get in the way that prevents us from hitting our goal in the time we planned to complete it.

Again, life happens.

No matter how much you get done by November 30, I encourage you to keep writing. Even if you hit 50,000 words a week or two into December, you still have reached the goal.

Then, next year, try again. See what you can do to reach the goal sooner.

You can do it! Hit that 50,000-word goal no matter what!

Final Thoughts

All the suggestions above can be used for any writing project and help you map your pathway to success. While any big writing project can initially feel daunting, breaking it down into manageable chunks can keep your creative momentum going and ensure you cross the finish line.


Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!

Writers, Are You Ready for NaNoWriMo 2022?

November 1 is right around the corner and that means NaNoWriMo returns once again. If you’ve neve heard of it, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, an annual challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.

Are you up for the challenge? I’ll be participating this year, and I encourage all writers new and seasoned to join in.

Learn more and sign-up at the link below:

https://nanowrimo.org

The site offers lots of resources and tips to make your month a success.

You still have plenty of time to create and develop a story idea before NaNoWriMo begins. Start creating!

Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!

Writing Exercise: The Greatest Gift

Like most people, I enjoy getting presents on my birthday and holidays. Whether you receive them for traditional annual events or just because gifts are a nice gesture to give and receive.

Thanks, I Love It!

Make a list of the five best gifts you have ever received. It can be something you got when you were a kid, something special a relative or loved one gave you recently or something you gave to someone they loved.

Describe the moments leading up to opening the gift. Were you excited? Anxious? What did the wrapped gift look like? What was your initial reaction to the present? What did you do with it after you opened it? Do you still have it?

Take some time to really describe this gift-receiving/giving moment. Use the first-person POV to express your feelings in detail and be as descriptive as possible about the gift.

If you gave a gift that was loved by someone, still use the first person to describe how you felt about their response to the gift and why you knew they would love it.

Three I can think of from childhood are the original Nintendo, my new 10-speed bike, and our first family computer with a dot-matrix printer (1994).

BONUS: Thanks, I Hate It!

The same concept, but for a gift you received that you absolutely hated. Did you mask your dislike when you opened it? What did you do with it once the giver left? Do you still have it out of guilt?

Again, use the first-person POV to detail your feelings about the gift and describe the gift in detail.

If you gave a gift that was hated by someone, still use the first person to describe how you felt about their response to the gift and why you thought they would love it.

One that pops to mind: I got the parody game of MYST called PYST, and I wasn’t sure if it was a gag gift or a real one. I enjoyed MYST, so I was confused.

Final Thoughts

This is a great exercise to practice using first-person POV and describing internal and external emotions. And it’s always good to work on detailed descriptions of objects – like the gifts in this exercise – to give the reader a clear mental picture through words.

Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!

Reading Exercise: The First Chapter

Unsure of what book to start next? I’ve been there and have a quick solution to your literary dilemma.

Pick the three or four you’re most interested in and read the first chapter of each. Which grabbed you fastest and compelled you to keep reading?

Boom. You’ve found your next book.

Happy Reading, and I’ll see you next time!

Readers, How Do You Choose What Books You Read?

When walking down the aisles of a library or bookstore or looking at books online, what traits does a book need to pique your interest? With millions of books to choose from, I thought we could explore the possibilities of what gets us to pick up a book and want to read it.

Cover

We all know the cliché, but we often judge a book by its cover design. Does it grab you? Does it intrigue you? Are there elements on the cover that make you curious about the story? Does the 30% off sticker on the cover at Target get your attention?

If the cover is linked to the book’s film or TV adaptation, does that make you want to read it more or less?

Do faces or images draw you in?

Author

An established author’s name on a book’s cover, like the name of an A-list star on a movie poster, can make many readers more interested in reading than an unknown author. Do you gravitate toward a known author like Stephen King or James Patterson, or do you prefer to read books by new authors?

From my own experience, I often gravitate to familiar authors because I know their style and know there will be some aspect of the story I will enjoy just from their past books.

At the same time, readers can become so used to an author’s formula that they stray away from their works and seek other authors with a similar vibe to their writing. This is how I discovered Ronald Malfi’s books this summer when I wanted to read a horror novel other than Stephen King’s.

Back of the Book

You saw the cover, picked up the book, and flipped it over. In that brief series of paragraphs, was there something that hooked you and made you want to read more? How are the story and its characters presented in a basic form that makes you want to dig deeper?

Is this something you look at, or do you overlook this and trust your gut that the book will be good based on other factors?

Genre

“I’ll read anything that’s romance,” “If it’s fantasy, I’m in.” Are you more of a genre loyalist than a person married to a specific author’s work? Do you love to read anything and everything in a particular genre and weed out the great from the mediocre?

If you stick to one genre, do you notice what authors handle tropes and cliches better than others or authors that rise above these genre traits?

Topic

This is more toward non-fiction books. Do you have specific topics you lean toward, either history or current events? Are you interested in biographies, autobiographies, and the myriad of personalities they cover?

Do you tend to look for books on topics where you know you’ll agree with the author’s point of view or oppose their viewpoints?

Reviews/Media

If an author or their book is on every morning show or late-night talk show, does that make you want to read the book more? Does their presence on the small screen make their books better than others?

What about reviews? I’ve seen one-star reviews for books I love and five-star reviews for books I wasn’t impressed by. Do you use the objectivity of others to influence what you choose to read, or do you read what you want?

Word of Mouth

Have you read a book based on the recommendation of a friend or family member? Have you felt the unneeded pressure to like the book because a friend loved it so much?

Final Thoughts

Like movies, TV shows, and video games, everyone has personal preferences regarding what books they choose to spend their free time reading. How we choose those books and the criteria we use brings us to that moment of opening a new book that makes the activity all the more enjoyable.

So, how do you pick a book to read? Leave a comment and let me know!

Happy Reading, and I’ll see you next time!

Writing Exercise: What’s for Dinner?

Food. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, dessert, and snacks. We love to eat, and as writers, we need to know how to describe food so our readers can enjoy the meal we serve them through the written word.

The Exercise

Describe a meal in as much detail as possible using the five senses. Whether it’s coffee and toast or a three-course meal, give the reader a true sense of being there and experiencing the meal with you.

You can also describe the room's location, temperature, weather outside, or whatever helps convey the meal to the reader.

Bonus

Have some fun with it and…

• Describe in detail all your meals during the day.

• Describe all your lunches for a week.

• Go out to eat at a new place and describe the meal you get there.

• Go to a familiar restaurant, order something new, and write about it.


Happy Writing and Eating, and I’ll see you next time!

Writing Exercise: Favorite Halloween Costume

It’s October again, which means Halloween will be top of mind for millions over the next several weeks. One of the primary aspects of the holiday – other than candy – is dressing up in costume. And that’s where our writing exercise focuses today.

An Autobiographical Sketch

Pick a costume from your past or your child’s past. It’s even better if you have a photo of the costume available to use as a reference. Write a paragraph detailing why this costume was chosen, what you liked about it, and what the reception was from those who saw you in it. Be descriptive as possible. Make the reader feel like they are experiencing this Halloween costume and all its emotional connections with you as they read.

This can be either in the past or present tense.

Details Count

Once you’ve done that, it’s time to do some detail digging. We know from the initial paragraph how you chose the costume, but did you go into detail using the five senses?

Write a paragraph about how the costume felt, sounded when you walked, smelled – if it was store-bought, it might have had a plasticky smell from the bag it came in – and if you wore face paint or makeup, what that tasted like.

Drawing a picture with words is a great way to practice showing and not telling in your writing.

A Matter of Perspective

Finally, write a paragraph from your first-person perspective about your experience wearing the costume to school, work, or a party. How did you feel? How did others react? How did the environment change how you acted while in your costume?

If it was your kid’s costume or someone else’s, write from the third-person perspective about your initial reactions to seeing the costume and how the person acted within their environment.

But What If I…

If you don’t celebrate Halloween or dress up, no worries. You can do the same exercises, but imagine yourself in a costume you find and write a fictional account of your experiences.

Final Thoughts

Using details, showing and not telling, and using different POVs to tell a story, you can find new ways to engage your readers and give them fresh perspectives on familiar things.

Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!

Writing Exercise: Observing Dialogue

Writing dialogue. In fiction, it can be challenging to make characters sound human and, simultaneously, make sure what’s said moves the story or a character’s development forward. How people speak, what they say, and how they say it gives a writer ample opportunity for creativity. But how do you make sure your characters sound like people?

The Exercise

Part One

One way to familiarize yourself with creating natural-sounding dialogue is to listen to people in conversations. For this exercise, I’m asking you to eavesdrop on the people around you.

Go to a public place and observe two people or a group having a conversation. Transcribe the conversation as much as possible, making sure to keep what’s being said as pure as possible. Jot down what you can. You’ll notice how people speak in sentence fragments, pauses, and subtext.

Suppose you don’t feel comfortable doing this in public. In that case, you can use a conversation at work or between your kids or other relatives. Just remember that you are observing the conversation, not participating.

Don’t do it for too long, just enough to get something useful for part two.

**NOTE: Do not record the conversation. Many states have laws against recording others without their permission. Just to be safe, take notes. **

Part Two

Write a short story using the dialogue as a launching pad for creating the characters and the situation. The conversation doesn’t have to be where you heard it; you can have the couple in the coffee shop be astronauts on Mars. But stick with the dialogue you transcribed as close as possible.

Now, using that dialogue, continue the conversation. Where do things go next? Can you use what you heard and keep that tone and feeling with made-up dialogue?

Part Three

Once you finish the short story, have a trusted friend or loved one read it. Can they tell where the real conversation ends, and your made-up dialogue begins? This is a good test to see if you are on the right track to creating realistic dialogue.

Final Thoughts

While it can be a challenge, creating natural-sounding dialogue will help keep readers engaged with the story. Often when we write dialogue, we are in a room alone, speaking to ourselves or in our head. By observing and listening to real people interact, we can further our communication skills between our characters on the page.

Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!

Writing Tip of the Week: The Acknowledgements Page

While you probably wrote your novel by yourself, you probably had several people assist you along the way. If the book gets published - either through self-publishing or a mainstream publisher - there are even more people who become a part of the process.

It’s important to be gracious and thank those who helped take your novel from Word document to published media. An Acknowledgements page at the beginning or end of your book is a great way to give these unsung heroes the credit they deserve.

The last thing you want to do is be like Herman Munster:

https://youtu.be/uEjggWyG-WU

Let’s talk about how to create an Acknowledgements page.

Should You Have One?

If you did everything 100% yourself, you don’t need one. However, if you really think hard about it, you can probably think of at least three people who helped you along the way that made your book a reality.

If that’s the case, you should write one. Now, it doesn’t have to be very long. But giving credit where credit is due is always a nice gesture. Especially if you want help on future writing projects.

Who to Thank

As you brainstorm who should be in your acknowledgments, think if these possible people:

• Family and friends who offered support
• Anyone who read your manuscript and gave you feedback
• Your editor
• Your cover designer
• Your author photo photographer
• Your publisher
• Your agent
• Anyone who assisted with research for the book
• Any people who inspired you to write the book

If you had direct contact with them during the process, I would consider thanking them. If you want to go the extra mile and find out who the typesetter was for the book and thank them, go for it.

Make sure to briefly mention what they did for you on the project, too.

Do I Need Their Permission?

If they are a public person with a business that helped you out – like a cover artist or editor – let them know you plan to put them in the Acknowledgements. Make sure it’s okay with them. If it is, ask if you can put their website or other social media contact info after their name.

For friends or family, I would ask permission, too. Some people may ask you to just use their first name, and others may appreciate the thought but ask for their name to be left out.

Either way, respect their wishes.

If this is a good team, keep them happy for future projects.

Examples

Skim through the books on your shelf, at a bookstore, or at the library. See how different authors present their Acknowledgements Page. Here’s mine for my second novel, Midnight House:

Midnight House would not be where it is today without the assistance of my editor, Kathleen Brebes. Her notes and comments were a valuable resource that helped me polish and fine-tune the novel and its story over the past year.
Thank you, Kathleen!
I’d also like to give a huge thank you to my good friend and feedback partner, Kevin Klein. Kevin enjoyed my first novel, The Field, and I was excited to share the second novel in the series with him. His feedback and opinions helped make Midnight House an even stronger Young Adult novel.
Thank you, Kevin!
To my cover artist, Steven Novak, who once again took my ideas and brought them to life in another fantastic cover. Thank you, Steven, for your help and excellent work! Check out his work at http://www.novakillustration.com/
And to everyone else who asked how the second book was coming along, kept up the encouragement, and dealt with me disappearing to write and edit, thank you for all your support.
And thank you to everyone for reading Midnight House!

Final Thoughts

Everyone appreciates being acknowledged for the work they did. Whether your team members played a major or a minor role, taking the time to thank them in print is a great way to support and appreciate those who helped make your dream a reality.

Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!

Readers, Have You Ever Given Up on a Book?

I’m an avid reader. I love to read a variety of books. Fiction and non-fiction. Long books and short. Sometimes it can take a few chapters for me to get into a book, but usually, once things get moving, I’m in for the duration.

But sometimes, I hit a wall. For some reason, there are books that I can’t get into, and I can’t stay focused and can’t stick with the book. I have tried to read a handful of books more than once and still have trouble getting into them.

One this year was Gone with the Wind. I kept falling asleep while reading, which was never a good sign, and I had to give up.

Another was written by one of my favorite authors. I’ve started it about four times and can’t get past the first 50 pages without reaching for another book.

Okay, I’ll tell you what it is. It’s Stephen King’s The Stand. I’ve read dozens of King’s books, but I just can’t get into this one. Has anyone else had this problem? It is about as long, and I had no issues diving into that one.

So, why does this happen? I can’t be the only reader this has happened to. It’s weird when a book is no longer being read for enjoyment; it’s now an assignment.

Is it worth the multiple attempts to reread a book with thousands of books to read, or is it truly a fool’s errand?

Have any of you encountered this problem?

Have you had trouble getting into a book from an author you love?

Have you fought through the wall and finished the book, or given up and moved on to another book?

Leave a comment and let me know.

Happy Reading, and I’ll see you next time!