Adam Croft's Blog, page 19

The most important thing your first novel can teach you…

… is how to write a novel.

When you sit down to write your first novel, it’s only natural for your attention to turn to all of the things that could happen after it’s done: publication, book tours, marketing, sales, the people you might meet, the new career you might have. And, in the middle of all this, it’s very easy for the most important aspect of your first novel to get lost.

Because really, the most important thing about your first novel is the fact that you are learning how to write a novel. All that other stuff is great, but it can be a distraction from the main point.

Don’t worry too much about anything when you’re writing your first book – if you’re going to make any major writing mistakes, now is the time to do it. It’s the time to learn about what works and what doesn’t, to find out where your strengths are and where you might need to put in more work. You learn about plotting and developing characters and how to tell a good story well.

Even if you’re not that thrilled with the book you end up with, you still will have learned plenty of valuable lessons. You’ll know more about what kind of writer you are and, when you come to write your second novel and your third, you’ll be able to put all of that into practice.

So for now, don’t worry about what comes after. Let yourself focus on the writing and concentrate on getting good at it. That way, what comes after is more likely to become a reality.

What else do you think writing your first novel can teach you?

Rewriting your novel draft – the basics

Yesterday we took a look at ways you can makes the process of writing your first draft easier and quicker. Today we turn our attention to what comes after that – rewriting your novel draft.

In many ways this is, I think, a lot harder than writing the first draft. It doesn’t really matter how awful your first draft is as long as there is a first draft. Rewriting is the bit where you have to make it not-awful, a much trickier task – particularly if the novel you’re working on is your first.

It’s important to note that there are two kinds of rewriting: structural rewrites and sentence rewriting. When it comes to rewriting your first draft, you’re probably going to be focusing more on the structural aspect of things.

This involves looking at the big issues relating to your novel, such as:

Does the plot work?
Would it be better if that bit happened before that other bit?
Would it be better from someone else’s point of view?
Does the setting (time and place) work?
Would there be more tension if Character X was related to Character Y?
Is the relationship between characters believable?
Does the story fit the genre?
Are there any gaping holes in the plot?
Is this or that scene really necessary?
Do you really need all that backstory?

You can probably tell from this list that structural rewrites can be painful. You often end up with a radically different book to the one you started with once you’re done – but it will hopefully also be a better book. In some cases, it might mean going right back to the beginning and writing the whole thing again, while in other cases you might be more focused on changing the order of events or subtly altering the way characters interact with each other.

A professional editor can also be useful for this sort of rewriting, particularly if you’re not used to the process; they should be able to identify areas of weakness and make suggestions that you can put into practice.

Then we come on to the line editing aspect of rewriting. It can be easy to focus on this aspect of the process rather than making big structural changes because it doesn’t seem quite as daunting, but it can still have a big impact on the kind of book you end up with.

It involves looking at issues such as whether your dialogue is believable, whether your sentences flow, whether your word choice is right, whether something could have more impact if you switched a few words around, your grammar and spelling and punctuation. In short, all those little things that can turn a good book into a great one.

How many rewrites your novel requires will depend on the kind of book you’ve written, how much experience you have and how many changes you’re making (and how big they are). It might well be one of the hardest aspects of writing a book, but it’s an essential one, and one that will hopefully make you a better writer as a result.

6 ways to speed up writing your first draft

There is a point during the writing of many first novel drafts where it seems as though you will never reach the end. The fun of writing your novel has started to wear off slightly as you find yourself mired in plot conundrums and awkward scenes that sound rubbish no matter what you do, but you’re not yet close enough to the end to get a final wind to help you down the home straight.

Sadly, this is the point where a lot of novels are abandoned. There are, however, things you can do to help you get through to the end of the draft. With this in mind, here are six ways you can speed up the writing of the first draft of your novel.

Write when there’s nothing else on your mind

Writing first thing in the morning might not always seem like the most appealing of things, especially when you’ve yet to have your breakfast and your eyes are still full of sleep. Likewise, writing when you get home from work after a long day can be all too easy to avoid.

However, these can be the best times of the day to write – when there’s nothing else on your mind. At the start of the day, you’ve not yet had time to fill your mind with the day’s clutter and tasks to do, leaving you with plenty of mental space to writing. And at the end of the day, all of your tasks should be done and there’s (hopefully) nothing to worry about until the next day, meaning that you have time free to dedicate to your writing. Don’t think about it, just do it.

Set a shared deadline

Deadlines can be useful for giving you a boost to the end of your first draft, but they can be even more useful when you’re not the only one aiming for the same deadline. If someone else you know is also writing a novel, give yourselves a deadline to work to – letting someone else down can be even worse than letting yourself down, so with any luck, having someone else in the same boat as you should spur you on.

Turn off your inner editor

This isn’t always easy, but if you want to get to the end of your first draft before the end of the century, you need to learn how to switch off your inner editor. It’s a great sign that you can spot ways to make your work better as you’re going along, but if you stop to fix everything, it’ll take forever to get to the end. Don’t worry about what you’re writing; as long as you’re writing, at this stage in the process it’s enough.

And if you have to, turn off your computer spellcheck until you’ve finished the draft so you can focus entirely on moving forwards rather than worrying about a couple of misspellings.

Take time off (from work)

Time off from your day job might not always be possible, but if it is, it could help you with your novel. A week off from your usual routine can give you the time and space you need to get things done, especially if you treat it like you would a work day – sit down to write at a reasonable time and keep going until the end of the day.

Sketch out problem scenes

I think every novel has at least a couple of problem scenes that are, for reasons largely unknown, pretty darn hard to write. Don’t worry about it during your first draft. If all you can manage is a brief sketch or few lines about what you want to include, don’t worry. You can fill in the blanks later.

Plan, plan, plan

Impulsive writing works for some people, but for many others, planning is essential to get to the end of a first draft. Knowing what you want to write can be hugely beneficial when it comes to getting words on the page, and the satisfaction of seeing your plan come to life is great for giving you the motivation you need to get to the end.

Does dramatic irony work in crime fiction?

It is a feature of many a play, film and GCSE essay question, but dramatic irony can also often be found in novels. It’s a common literary device, which the Encyclopaedia Britannica defines as “in literature, a plot device in which the audience’s or reader’s knowledge of events or individuals surpasses that of the characters.”

Something that raises an interesting debate is whether this technique can work in crime fiction. After all, if the readers know more than the characters in a crime novel, it runs the risk of the protagonist looking a bit thick and the readers left unsatisfied from knowing what was going on ages before the detective figures it out.

That said, given the twisty nature of many a crime fiction plot, dramatic irony could work pretty well with a bit of a twist of its own – making the reader think that they know more than the characters only to turn the plot on its head and come up with a surprise that changes everything.

This, I think, is one crucial source of tension in a lot of crime fiction: that juxtaposition between what the reader thinks they know and what they actually know. There’s a careful line to be drawn between making sure the reader has enough information to feel involved and intellectually engaged, and making sure that just enough information is withheld that the suspense still works and the plot can still spring a few surprises.

Dramatic irony can also have a short term use in crime fiction; giving readers information that the characters don’t have, such as about a looming dangerous situation that the protagonist is then thrust into completely unprepared, can work well, adding tension and suspense – but the outcome of that situation should still be something new for the reader as well as the character.

Dramatic irony does have useful, important uses in crime fiction, adding suspense and leading readers into a false sense of security, but the writer should never forget that in a way, the reader is uncovering the mystery alongside the protagonist. Too much information up front will only kill the thrill of it.

What do you think?

 

 

5 ways to make your writing group more beneficial

Joining a writing group can be a great help to our work – but how can we make our writing group meetings even more beneficial? Here are five ideas you might like to try.

Make time for writing during meetings. We all know that finding the discipline to write can be a challenge at times, so why not set aside time during your writing group meeting to get some words on the page? If other people are there, all doing the same thing, it can be a useful catalyst to get your head down and get writing.
Ask specific questions when seeking feedback. General feedback on your work is useful, but if there are specific things you’d like some advice on, don’t be afraid to ask. That’s what your writing group is there for. Ask them specific questions so they can help you as much as they can – just remember to return the favour.
Send material round in advance. It might sound like an obvious one, but you can get much more out of a group meeting if everyone has had chance to read the material under discussion before the meeting. Making a commitment to send stuff round a week in advance also gives you a concrete deadline to work towards.
Set challenges. It’s always interesting to see how different writers respond to the same challenge, so try setting your group tasks such as writing a sonnet on the same topic, or giving a sixty second pitch of a book you’ve all read to see how different people summarise the key points.
Pool your skills and resources. Everyone in your group will have skills and resources outside of writing – and that could be useful for all of you. If you’re all interested in independent publishing, for example, you could utilise different people’s skills to complete different aspects of the publishing process.

What are your tips for getting more out of your writing group meetings?

5 reasons writers should care about social media

We all know that we can use social media to help us market our books, but something that often gets lost in the middle of all the tweeting and Facebook giveaways is why we should actually care about social media – why, as well as going through the motions to try and boost our sales, we should be properly interested in it. Here are five reasons writers should are about social media.

Build a following and get noticed

First, and most obviously, social media is a way to help you build a following and get noticed. This is useful if you’re interested in independent publishing as it gives you a good base to work from when it comes to marketing. It can also be useful if you’re interested in traditional publishing deals; having a reader base as well as a good book can be a useful selling point.

Find out other people’s opinions about you

Social media is also a place where other people can share their opinions of you and your books. This can be useful for writers looking to get feedback on their work, but bear in mind that we shouldn’t just care about this aspect of social media for the ego boost it can sometimes bring – people don’t just write nice things on the internet, and it’s useful to know how you plan to deal with negative reviews and comments.

The impact might not always be positive

In a way, this is related to the above point: the impact of social media might not always be positive. This doesn’t just mean in terms of people’s response to you and your work, but also in the impact you manage to make. There are loads of social media sites out there. It would be pretty difficult to make a big impact on them all; taking the time to work out where your resources would be best directed is well worth the effort.

Water cooler chat for the homeworker

Another reason to care about social media is in the name – it’s social. And for writers, this is often a good thing. When you’re working from home as a writer, you end up spending a lot of time on your own. This can be great for getting words on the page, but not so great for getting new ideas and generally being around people. Social media gives you a chance to engage.

Shape opinion of you and your work

Social media can also shape people’s opinion of you and your work. This is obviously important in terms of the marketing activity you undertake, but it can also have an impact in a more general sense. For example, if your Twitter account is full of spelling errors and glaring grammar mistakes, it is likely to give people a certain impression of you – and not the one you’re looking for. Social media might not be the most formal medium there is, but as with anything else, quality counts. Especially for someone looking to prove they’re good at writing.

What type of crime fiction do you write?

The term ‘crime fiction’ covers an awful lot of ground. There are grisly novels about serial killers, intense psychological thrillers, good old fashioned crime capers – the list goes on.

I think, though, that we can divide crime fiction into three main strands. This isn’t the only way of defining it, of course, but it is one way of categorising the huge wealth of literary ground the genre covers.

First we have the ‘whodunit’, which is perhaps the most traditional style of crime fiction. There is a crime, there are suspects, there is a detective, there are clues and red herrings and there is an unveiling of the criminal at the end. Classic.

Then we have the ‘whydunit’, where we might well know who the murderer is from early on, but the tension of the book comes from finding out about why – a more psychological approach to proceedings. Then there’s the ‘howdunit’, which tests our detective skills when it comes to figuring out what seems to be a perfect crime.

I would argue that in reality, very few crime novels fit into just one of these categories. Most, probably, deal with all three aspects, although they might focus on one more than the others depending on the style of the writer and the story they want to tell.

I think this is what makes crime fiction so interesting – because it covers so much and deals with so many aspects not just of crime but of life, it is a genre that is very easy to make compelling. The puzzle of who committed a crime offers an intellectual challenge for readers, but they are also stimulated by the psychology of it and how everything fits together.

It all comes together to create an intoxicating package – crime is one of the most popular genres out there, and the range and interest it is able to offer have to be some of the big reasons why.

Do you plan your book shopping?

How do you go about your book shopping? And, as a writer, how do you think your readers go about their book shopping? When we talk about making book sales, we often talk in terms of general marketing: which demographic, which method of promotion, online or offline.

But we need to go slightly deeper than that, and consider whether a book purchase is planned or unplanned. Take Amazon purchases as an example. It was recently revealed that 48% of book sales on Amazon have been planned in advance.

Of course, that still means there are plenty of people out there who are making impulse purchases, but it also means that there is a large section of book buyers who know what they want to buy before they actually buy it.

This is something for all authors to take note of, but is perhaps particularly interesting for independent publishers who are responsible for their own marketing. It means that we need to make sure we have a good presence – that our books can be found by a means other than a random browse on Amazon.

We need to have a strategy in place so our books can be noticed and, hopefully, people will deliberately search for and buy them. This is why it’s so important for us to take time and care over our marketing; making sure we’re utilising all the avenues available to us so we have the best possible platform to work from.

And if you think about it, it makes sense. The more people who deliberately search for and buy your book, the more it will be noticed by (and, with any luck, bought by) people who are casually browsing. And the more of those people who buy it, review it and tweet about it, the more people who’ll find out about it and will go on to buy it deliberately. And so on.

So when you’re planning your marketing, don’t just think about all the places you can market your book – think about how people go about buying books as well. What do you think?

Random House causes controversy with digital imprint contracts

A few months ago, the publisher Random House set up two new digital imprints – Hydra, which focuses on science fiction, and Alibi, which has a focus on thrillers. The contracts that authors have been offered by these imprints have, over the past week or so, been causing some controversy.

A couple of the reasons for the contract controversy is that they don’t pay authors an advance for the work, and they require authors to pay for costs that are usually picked up by the publisher. The contracts also last for the life-of-copyright.

Random House has defended the contracts, saying that an author’s costs could well be significantly higher if they decided to self-publish their work.

It seems that this is a conflict that will rumble on for a while, but it perhaps boosts the case for self-publishing – if you’re going to have the responsibility and the cost related to publishing a book, you might as well have the control and the rights to it as well.

You can read more about this story here, and do let me know if you have any thoughts.

Getting the most out of your writing blog

A writing blog can be a valuable part of an author’s brand and marketing, but if you want it to be as useful as possible, you need to invest in it. This doesn’t necessarily mean spending money on it, but it does mean making an investment in time and attention so you can get the most out of it. Here are some tips to help you get started.

Define what ‘regular’ writing means to you

We’re always told that if we want our writing blogs to be successful, we need to make sure we update them regularly. I definitely subscribe to this view: it’s pretty hard to make your blog successful if there isn’t anything on it. But ‘regular’ writing could mean different things for different writers. Work out how many posts per week you have the time to write, and take into account issues such as how many ideas for blog posts you can think of in that time.

Take your time to build your presence

It’s said a lot, but it’s said a lot because it’s true: it takes time to create a successful, well-visited writing blog. It can take a while for your work to pay off, but it’s definitely worth building up a good back catalogue of blog posts (see another reason why below).

Consider your keywords and SEO

This one relates to the point above – a good back catalogue of blog posts can be useful for your SEO. Think carefully about the keywords and phrases you want to use on your blog and don’t forget to work them into your blog posts (but don’t force them to fit if they won’t go in – a well-written post is better than a keyword stuffed illogical ramble any day). Another tactic here is to make sure your blog is part of your main website so readers can easily find out more after reading.

Use it to develop your writing discipline

We all know that writing requires discipline, and your writing blog can be a good way to help you develop this. Writing blog posts regularly can help to get you into the mind-set you need when you’re writing your novel. When you’ve finished your blog post for the day, don’t let go of that discipline – stay with it and carry on writing something else straight after.