Chris Baty's Blog, page 79

How to Rescue an Unlikeable Character

Have you been faced with the dilemma of having an unlikeable character? It can be tempting to kill them off, but before you do, read this! Today, NaNoWriMo Young Writer Patience Parrott offers some helpful hints on how to smooth out those rough edges:

Has anyone ever told you that they didn’t like your character?

That’s probably the most depressing comment a writer can get on their story, and also one that seems almost impossible to fix. How are you supposed to just revamp the character at the core of your story?

One good way to go about this is to find some fresh test readers. Ask them for specifics. Ask them whether or not they like your character, and why. Printing out a little worksheet for them to fill out with questions you’d like answered (ex., were there any places where the MC felt out of character, what did you like/dislike, etc.) can work wonders as a source for accurate, smart reviews on your characters.

Once you know what’s wrong, what do you do? How do you fix that, exactly? What if you’re not sure HOW to fix the problem? 

For example: someone says your character’s way of talking is boring, or seems to dislike your character’s very personality. Do you just… give up and set your draft aside? Do you rewrite your character completely? Do you blindly make all the recommended changes with no regard for the havoc they might wreck?

Sometimes it’s tempting just to throw those glum edits away with the handy excuse: ‘They just don’t know my character yet’.

But what if I told you that your character isn’t a character? What if I said that they are a human being? What happens when a human is unlikeable, and wants to change?

It actually does happen. There are some very unlikeable people out there, and sometimes they’re mature enough to realize that and take action on it.

As a personal example, I used to struggle with self-control issues. So, I picked up a book from the library called The Anger Solution. My sister, who wanted to be a better conversationalist, chose the popular book How to Talk to Anyone.

Self-help books. There’s the solution, plain and simple. People who want to enhance their conversational skills read books on how to talk to others. People who want to become better at something read books, blogs, whatever, on every topic from seeming professional to dating tips. When people want to do and be better, they seek information on how to get better.

Instead of learning things the hard way and viewing our people inside the pages as changeable creations, why not use expert advice not just on ourselves, but on our characters?

Quick Fixes for Unlikeable Characters:

Do your character’s conversations feel bland and scripted? Why not try a conversation-themed book to spice up their dialogue?

Is your character in a place of leadership, and yet still somehow feels utterly non-influential? I recommend Compelling People by John Neffinger.

Maybe you don’t know what makes your character unlikable. How to Win Friends and Influence People is really great for that sort of scenario, and is almost guaranteed to boost a character’s likability. After all, if you think about it, readers are really just friends for your character to win over.

No matter what stops your character from becoming a powerhouse of likability, self-help books are a great way to help them out. Treat your story people like actual people! Help them improve. You can do it!

Patience Parrott is a sixteen-year-old dystopian author who enjoys creating ‘worst case scenarios’ and identifying viable ways to take over the world (and sometimes the universe, depending on her mood). She frequently attempts to add romance to her novels, much to the chagrin of her mother and certain best friends, who like to claim that it’s 'nothing like that’. Patience enjoys experiencing new things, being different people, and living her dreams inside of her novels. She hopes that others will find the same freedom and adventure that she did inside the pages of her latest works! 

Top photo by Philip Veater on Unsplash.

Naps, Hooks, and Cookies: How to Tackle the Editing Process

Whether you wrote a collection of short stories this May to celebrate Short Story Month, or whether you finished a draft of a novel during our last Camp NaNoWriMo session, editing is the next step of the writing process. Today, NaNoWriMo novelist E. L. Johnson offers some advice on how to fall in love with the editing process… or at least, how to learn to live with it:

Hello Writers!

So, you’ve written a novel. You’ve gotten to know your characters, you’ve created story lines and navigated your way around plot holes to come out the other side. Now it’s time to edit.

Here are my tips on how to tackle the editing process:

1. Take a Break.

Take the month off, seriously. You’ve spent time getting close to your story, now you need to step away from it. Do the dishes, reorganize your closet, spend time with your friends, and binge watch a TV show. In short, do anything and everything but spend time looking at your novel.

Once you’ve taken a break and hopefully a well-deserved nap, it’s time for…

2. The Big Picture

Make an outline of your story, scene by scene. If outlines don’t help, try writing out the synopsis (people hate doing it, but it will be helpful in the long run).

Here you should figure out what doesn’t work. Go over the big overarching plot. Refer to your outlines or synopsis and restructure your scenes so they make sense.

3. Characters

Do you have too many characters? Or three characters named Sarah? Are they essential to the plot or can you cut out or merge two? Too many characters can confuse the reader.

Consider your characters’ voices. Do they all talk the same? Are they very polite and sound like they’re from the 19th century when they should be talking about spaceships or the Watergate scandal? Give your characters unique voices.

4. Build the Tension, Keep the Pace

Think about tension and pacing. Does your first chapter end with a cliffhanger? Make sure your chapters flow and connect well to each other. Do you need long descriptions if it’s a car chase? If you’ve got a dramatic scene then shorter, choppier language can build the tension.

5. The Nitty Gritty

By this time your writing is solid. The story flows, the characters aren’t all named Sarah, and you can spend some time on the nitty gritty details.

I’m talking line by line analysis—where you read every single line and check that it works. Fix the language you use. Check for typos and grammar mistakes.

Look for certain words you use again and again. Do a search for passive words like ‘was’, and ‘were’; thinking words like ‘wondered, thought, pondered,’ and empty modifiers like ‘really’, ‘very’, ‘extremely’.

Show, don’t tell. You’ll hear this time and again. Take a close look at your writing. Show me the depth of your main character’s despair, don’t just tell me ‘he was sad’.

6. Reading Time!

Print it out and read the story. Use that red pen!

Fix the story and give it to a friend to read, or your publisher, editor or agent. Take any criticisms of the story on board, but above all, remember that you are the author and this is your work. You don’t have to agree with everyone.

Once you’re ready, take a few days off and read it again, out loud.

Bring it to your local writers’ circle and read a few pages, get others’ input. Share your story with a few trusted folks in return for a coffee or cookies. People will do a lot for cookies, especially homemade ones.

And when you can’t stand to look at it anymore, you’re done. It’s time to put it out there in the world.

Remember, you’re a writer. You’ve got this!

E.L. Johnson is a novelist with too many history degrees. Fleeing the colonies to study medieval history, she arrived in England and discovered a love of crumpets and cream teas. Now working in London, she writes during her commute and gets paid to tweet, when she’s not singing on stage or running a book club. Johnson’s first historical fantasy novel, Wolf’s Blood, began as a NaNoWriMo project. Published by Azure Spider Publications, it is available now on Amazon. Read her book or follow her on Twitter.

Top photo by andrea di on Unsplash.

6 Tips to Help You Break All the Rules of Writing

It can be easy to lose steam when you’re working on a long writing project. Today, NaNoWriMo participant Lolita shares some thoughts on how to stay passionate about your novel by breaking all the rules:

I’ve often heard the advice that before you start writing, you should know the end already. You should have bullet points or boxes to tick for everything that happens. That you shouldn’t repeat words like “said” too much. My advice is: forget all the ‘should’ and ‘shouldn’t’s’.

I wrote my first two drafts by hand before I typed the second draft on the laptop, making changes as needed until it became my third draft. My thoughts flowed better from pen to paper than from hands on the keyboard (and still do). My first draft was written without bullet points or boxes to tick; there was no end in sight.

I just wrote because it felt good and because I enjoyed myself. 

1. Write because you want to, not because you have to. 

If you have a passion for something, then it’s not work, it’s play. And that’s the best job you can have. Enjoy yourself first and foremost. Then see what you have to work with (second draft and after). As for repetitions, I don’t worry about that until my fourth draft at least. I don’t actively look, but if I notice something that bothers me, then I work on that. Thoughts, dialogues, tiny moments of everyday life will tell you more about your characters than any list ever will.

2.  Keep copies of everything.

Keep copies of everything, from your notes on random papers to the ones in your notebook, as well as each draft. Always. If you work on the laptop then make copies of each draft before you make any changes to it. Print draft one, two, three… fifteen.

3. Don’t believe everything you read. 

Take advice (even mine) with a pinch of salt. For example: I read before that a successful writer will need about four drafts before their book feels finished. BUT it may or may not be the case for everyone. 

4. Keep a notebook handy. 

Keep a notebook by your side when you write as well as when you edit. Take notes on descriptions of characters, important things that happened, with whom and where. Make notes of things that don’t make sense or that you should develop. Feel free to wait before you delete a section of your work to be sure that you’re fine with your own decision.

5. Find a different point of view. 

Personally, I don’t find it comfortable to share my work with writing groups. A good alternative is to confide in a close friend who enjoys reading and would understand you without judging. Chat about challenges you have with them, see a different point of view. You don’t have to use those discussions in your book. But opening up those conversations keeps your brain active on ideas you may not have had otherwise. Make notes of discoveries you find, and see where it would fit in your draft.

6. Take your time. 

If you don’t feel like editing today because you had a crappy day, then don’t. Once in a while, you can get away and do something else. If you’re anything like me, you’ll still be able to think about your story even while shampooing your hair. And most importantly, just write, be passionate about what you’re writing about and enjoy yourself.

Lolita is a French native living in the UK for the past ten years. Mother of two and working in a library, she writes fantasy fiction and paints in her spare time. In a life where we live fast, she wants to read books where heroes (males and females) are not perfect and take time to learn to become better. Lolita is still working on her first novel and hopes to publish it this year or next. You can follow her on Twitter or her blog.

Top photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash.

The 3 Stages of Traditional Publishing

Are you finding yourself caught up in transition time between being a hopeful writer and a published author? Today, author and NaNoWriMo participant Katya de Becerra offers insight on what it’s like to put your novel through the publishing process:

So you’re finally done with your manuscript… What’s next?

Finally finishing your manuscript could be daunting. Is the book good enough? What to do next? All authors, emerging and established, are faced with these questions.

When I finished writing what became my debut, What The Woods Keep, I only had a vague idea about what I should be doing next. I’ve heard about critique partners, but I’ve never had one. My creative process is individualistic, and I require total isolation to think and write, so it was unnerving to reach out to friends and ask them to be my first readers. 

I’m glad I did! Receiving insightful comments aside, friends reading my work (and loving it) gave me an enormous confidence boost that propelled me toward the next step: finding an agent.  

1. The Query

Querying agents can be soul-crushing. Curating agent lists as well as carefully researching each agent I approached, meant that each query I’ve sent out was tailored and targeted. It also meant it’s taken me a long time to prepare and email each query. I could only do 2-3 a day, and 10 was the most queries I’d have out at any given time. Though time-consuming, this process worked for me, allowing me to receive feedback from each “batch” of agents before I’d approach new ones. Being rejected based on query alone meant the pitch needed revising while rejections based on pages indicated there could be something to tweak in the manuscript itself. Though, in the end, it’s important to keep in mind that the subjective element is strong in publishing. “You only need one yes” sounds like a cliché but it’s true. In the end, all it took was one agent’s interest and, before I knew it, I had representation for my weird, genre-bending book.       

2. Submission

Depending on how editorial an agent is, a manuscript could go through one or many rounds of revision before it’s deemed ready for publishers. 

The only advice here is to trust your agent. They chose to represent you – this means they believe in you and your work. Even if you don’t hear from them with regular updates, agents are working tirelessly, hyping your work. I had to wait for about eight months before I had an offer for my first book! But it was absolutely worth the wait. My publisher and editor are perfect for me and the types of books I write and want to keep writing.

3. The Waiting Game

Here’s where the real nail-biter starts: the waiting! Some books sell quickly. Some take months—or more—to find its home. Being “on sub” is a surreal time of being stuck in limbo and trying to go about your regular life while nervously checking your inbox or staring wistfully at your phone.

My second book, Oasis (forthcoming in January 2020) was a NaNoWriMo novel! I’d written it while I was on submission with my first book, and it sold alongside my debut. At the time of writing Oasis, I wasn’t sure what was to become of it and was seriously considering self-publishing it during those 8 agonizing months that I was waiting for my debut to sell.

While my pathway to publication is rather traditional, it’s not the only way to be published. Indie publishing has grown and evolved so much over the years. It allows creators to take full control of their books and become their own publisher. So many traditionally published authors these days become “hybrids” combining different modes of publication. There’s no right or wrong way, but rather a way that’s right for you and allows you to achieve what you set out to achieve.  

Katya de Becerra was born in Russia, studied in California, lived in Peru, and then stayed in Australia long enough to become a local. She was going to be an Egyptologist when she grew up, but instead she earned a PhD in Anthropology and now works as a university lecturer and a researcher. Her genre-bending debut What The Woods Keep was published in 2018 and her second novel Oasis is forthcoming in January 2020. 

Top photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash.

Improv Games to Help You Walk in Your Characters’ Shoes

What does it feel like to walk in your character’s shoes? How do they move? How can we step into the mind and body of our characters to begin to see the world through their eyes?  Today, we’ve based our blog post on a webcast led by founder and Executive Director of The Society of Young Inklings, Naomi Kinsman: 

Writing is all about the choices you make along the way. Part of what makes your writing voice unique is the way you choose to tell the story you choose to tell. So, why not play a fun game to help you make those important story choices? You can choose to play these games one of two ways: on your feet or in your seat! The choice is now yours.

Let the games begin!

ACT 1

To begin, focus on your main character or pick a specific character.

1. If your character were going to do something recreational, such as going to an amusement park or a movie, a play or a party, would your character go:

A) Alone 
B) With a group

2. If your character were going on vacation, would they choose to stay in:

A) A hotel
B) in a tent/outdoor accommodation

3. If your character were sitting around a campfire or at a party would they be more likely to:

A) Tell a story 
B) Listen to a story

4. If your character had an important birthday celebration coming up for a friend or family member, would your character be more likely to:

A) Make a gift
B) Buy a gift

5. Imagine that your character gets into a lot trouble. Would they be more likely to respond with:

A) Reasons and logic 
B) Tears and emotion

6. If your character had to write one of these kinds of things, would they be more likely to write:

A) Poetry
B) A newspaper article

7. In order to explore an idea, would your character be more likely to:

A) Create a list
B) Make a collage

ACT 2

Find a free space to move or close your eyes and imagine:

How does your character move? At what speed? 

Now move/imagine your character is moving at a slightly faster speed than normal. Moving only in straight lines and turning only in 90 degree angles. Then transition into curving lines. Noting how your character navigates. What does their body language convey? Then return to your character’s regular walking speed.

Next, think about your characters feet. What shoes are they wearing? Does your character have feet or hoofs or claws? Now you’re walking in your character’s shoes or “feet”, whichever the case may be.

Move up to your character’s legs.

How would your character move?
Do they wear pants, shorts, a skirt? Do their legs have feathers, fur or scales? 

Think about your character’s torso, from shoulders to hips. What kind of shirt do they wear, or what colors are their feathers? 

Think about your character’s hands. What might they be carrying? Do they have a cellphone handy, a bag? Do they tend to keep things in their pockets? Do they fidget with their hands? Play with their hair? Explore different habits they may have. Pay attention to your character’s hands while they walk.

Think about your character’s face. On a regular day, what kind of expression might they wear?

What does your character do to prep for the day? Do they have a morning ritual to get ready for the day? Do they put on makeup, do their hair, eat breakfast, drink coffee, let the dog out? Does your character pack a bag for the day? Think about this morning ritual as having a beginning, middle and end. What are your character’s specific actions?

How does your character feel while going through their morning routine? Are they hurried? Do they take their time? Are they sleepy, energetic?

Think of a day in the life of your character that you want to explore. What does your character expect to happen on that day? An activity, event, meeting? Maybe something big happened yesterday, and now they have to face reality, today. Now, go back to your character’s regular morning ritual. How does this information affect their movements? Now, go back to the beginning one more time and turn on your internal monologue. What would be going through their minds? What kind of thoughts would they be having?

ACT 3

Think of a space that belongs to your character. Their room, hideout, evil lab, nest. If your character has no personal space, think of an item that is personal to them, maybe a backpack. What’s in it? What items does your character consider important enough to need everyday. Now, think about how your character personalizes this space. 

Go to a door. Think about what this door looks like. Is it wood. metal, simple or ornate? How do they get through this door? A key? A touch pad? A secret code?  The door opens. Your character walks in. Now, visualize what’s there.

What is the largest object in this space? A piece of furniture, a TV, a tree. Notice the details. What makes it significant to your character? What is an object that reminds your character of a proud moment? A plaque, a trophy, a gift, certificate, medal, photograph? Think about the moment they received the object and why it makes them feel proud? How do they personalize their space? Do they hang up posters, pictures? Is it organized or messy? What objects exist in this space because they matter to your character? What objects may have been given as a gift? Who gave the gift to your character and why? Are they photos or a photo album? What memories are contained in the photos? What might be broken or irritating in this space? Something your character wishes they could fix.

Take one last look around the room for any other details you may have missed that could be important to your story.

The Society of Young Inklings is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth writers, ages 8-18. Their programs launched in 2008 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Through their work (and play!) with thousands of students and educators, they developed and refined Writerly Play, a game-based approach to the creative process. The Society of Young Inklings now offers online mentorships, writers’ circles, and courses. Stay in touch by following them on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Top photo by DANNY G on Unsplash.

Don’t Forget to Find the Fun in Storytelling

As writers, we must learn to be self-motivated. Having a supportive community of fellow writers is an amazing resource. However, at the end of the day, it’s all up to you. If you don’t tell your story, who will? It can be so tempting to get bogged down with word counts and page numbers. Today, NaNoWriMo participant Clairisa Phoinix reminds us how important it is to play and have fun with the art of storytelling:

Ever since joining NaNoWriMo for the first time last year,  I’ve been using it as a motivator to get the story ideas that were in my head onto the blank page. And now I’m NaNoWriMo’s biggest fan! so I decided to do the same with a short story idea I had for my blog. I joined Camp NaNo for the first time last April! The excitement was there as well as the motivation.

The first week went great, and the second. But by the end of week two/beginning of week three, I lost steam and momentum. I didn’t want to give up, but I didn’t know how to go forward either. I still wanted to finish the story. So, I took a break to think on what was missing. Was it writer’s block, procrastination, or have I written myself into a wall? And then it hit me—I wasn’t having fun anymore.

 I was making a chore of something that should be enjoyable. 

I was so fixated on reaching a word count every day that I forgot to enjoy myself. As writers we put so much pressure on ourselves that we forget to do the most important thing. We are storytellers. And somewhere along the line, I’d forgotten the most important thing is just to tell the story.

As a young child, my grandmother used to tell us stories about her life: where she grew up, what she went through, and occasionally a ghost story. She enjoyed the telling as much as we enjoyed listening to her. She didn’t need a word count goal or any other means to tell her story. She just loved to do it.

So just enjoy the art of storytelling and have fun with it. It could be about anything. For example: a lost sock searching for its other pair; a character who haunts a writer in his dreams, unless the writer finishes the story he’s in; talking animals that stop talking to humans because they lost faith in them. And the list can go on and on.

But the point is to enjoy the art of storytelling again.

You can cosplay your characters and do a performance for your family. Or you can make a story game with a group of people sitting at a campfire or while having dinner with your family. Someone could start at the beginning, and the next person continues with the story until you have reached the end. I know it may feel ridiculous, and you might wonder how this will apply to writing a story. But that’s the best part of storytelling. It’s to play make-believe. You can be as ridiculous as you want while having fun doing it!

Clairisa Phoinix is a fantasy writer from sunny South Africa. She is not yet published, but still learning the craft and the business side of being an author. Her love for writing started with her love of reading. She has been writing for six years now and is still loving the joy it brings. She likes meeting new writers. Follow her on Twitter or on her website.

Top photo by Pineapple Supply Co. on Unsplash.

Publishing: Where do I start?

Maybe you’re at a point in your writing where you have an actual manuscript sitting on your desk. Congratulations! Now, how do you take that looming stack of finely turned phrases and well-placed plot points and convert them into a bound book? Today, NaNoWriMo participant Kayla Stansbury delivers a step by step guide to support you on the journey to publication: 

You’ve written the thing.

You love it. You hate it. You’re ready to publish it.

The starting point for your publishing journey depends on your work and your goals for your writing. There are a few common steps regardless of whether you are publishing a children’s nonfiction book on plant emotions or a high fantasy epic poem.

1. The Market

First, you should determine the market for your work. Start with readership: children, middle grades, young adult, or adult. The age of your protagonist doesn’t necessarily dictate the readership age, but keep in mind that most publishers expect to see a young protagonist in children and middle grades fiction and a teenage protagonist in young adult fiction. Consider the content of your work. Are the themes of your novel, poem, or short story relevant to the concerns of your readership age? Once you have an audience, start researching the publishers who target that market.

Sign up for information through Publishers Weekly, or if you have the $25 a month to spare, create an account with Publishers Marketplace. Pro tip? Go to your bookshelf or your local bookstore and find novels, short stories, or poems that are similar to yours. Who is the publisher? As you track publishers, you’ll notice which ones might be a good fit for your story and the audience you want to reach.

Now that you have a readership age, comparative titles, and publishers in mind, it’s time to talk about representation.

2. The Agent

You do not always need a literary agent. Some editors will accept unsolicited work—novels that aren’t represented by an agency. On your preferred publishers’ website, there will be a “Contact Us” or “Submissions” page that explains whether or not they will accept unsolicited manuscripts. You may decide that going directly to an editor is a better fit for you, but most larger, well-known publishing companies will only work with literary agents.

A literary agent markets your book to editors and publishers, and represents you and your work to the industry.

You can find an agent through a writer’s conference or a workshop, or you can query them directly. It can be overwhelming to know where to start looking for an agent, but you should start your search with the books themselves.

In the back of every one of those books you used in your publisher search is a section titled, “Acknowledgments”. This is a gold mine for information about agents. The author will typically thank their agent and editors by name. Start collecting these names and you may notice a pattern! Authors whose work you admire or whose books are in the same readership and genre as yours may be working with the same agency. As you research the agents and agencies, keep track of what types of books they represent, and what is on their genre wishlist. Once you’ve found an agent you’re interested in, and who would be interested in you, it’s time to write the query letter.

3. The Query Letter

The query letter does three things: it introduces you to the agent you want to work with, it summarizes the story you wish to publish, and it explains why you and your writing would be a good fit for that particular agent. 

Depending on who you are querying, there may be other requirements for your submission. You should be prepared to provide a detailed summary and the first three chapters of your story, although some agencies may ask for more or less depending on their preference. For examples, see Jane Friedman’s excellent overview, “The Complete Guide to Query Letters.”

4. Some Final Thoughts

If you’ve been around the NaNoWriMo block, you know you must exercise that writing muscle. Friends, it is the same with publishing. You wouldn’t expect your first draft to be the best thing you’ve ever written, so why would you expect your first query letter to be perfect? Practice submitting to smaller magazines, local newspapers, or online journals. Pitch your story to friends and family members or that guy on the bus. Practice, practice, practice.

Kayla Stansbury is an educator and writer based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Raised in Porto Velho, Brazil, she is fluent in Portuguese and has a perfectly healthy obsession with the Amazon rainforest. She is a P.h.D. candidate in Comparative Literature at Louisiana State University, and spends her time studying the how-to manuals and science textbooks of ancient civilizations. Kayla is a first time Camp NaNoWriMo Winner as of April 2019, and she claims this is her greatest achievement to date. Her debut poem, “Saudade”, appeared in Issue #1 of Dovecote Magazine in May 2019.

Top photo by Adli Wahid on Unsplash.

5 Quick Tips for Writing Science Fiction

If you love writing stories about aliens, other worlds, and technological advances, you’ve come to the right space. Sci-fi can be an intimidating genre to jump into. Fortunately, you don’t have to make the leap alone. Today, we are offering some helpful tips pooled from our Genre Lounge: Science Fiction forums:

1. Read science news and science magazines for ideas and inspiration.

Do your research. A little research can go a long way, in terms of developing your world and plot lines. You never know when a news headline or broadcast will spark your imagination. The funny thing about science is, there’s always a new discovery, a theory being supported or debunked. Science is a bottomless wellspring, full of natural resources for your novel. Use it!

2. Sci-fi can be just as flexible as any other genre.

Remember, you’re writing about a world or galaxy that very possibly may not exist! Therefore, unlike “the real world”, you get to make your own rules. You can build a society you’ve always dreamed of belonging to. Or you can play devil’s advocate, and create a world that’s more nightmare than daydream. It’s up to you. It’s your world. Go wild!

3. Don’t worry too much about explaining technical details. 

Sci-fi is a broad genre. Don’t limit yourself to what you know or don’t know about science. Think about all the devices and gadgets you use in your own life. How much do you actually know about how they work? (Me either.) When things are commonplace in our world, we don’t often consider how it functions. We just get on with using it. You can approach the tech in your sci-fi with a similar attitude. If your characters use certain devices on a regular basis, they may take for granted how they function. 

(Keep in mind, the moment you begin to try to explain how something works, you lose your readers, if you don’t actually know how it works.)

4. Diversify! Don’t let traditional characteristics of sci-fi limit you. 

Open your mind to new possibilities and your sci-fi will soar! Imagine a world where all kinds of people (and maybe even aliens) co-exist. Can you picture the possibilities? They’re endless! Defy stereotypes. Challenge harmful ideologies. Represent the marginalized. You have the power!

5. Use real life scenarios to inform your writing. 

Your sci-fi story is an excellent opportunity to address and discuss current events and themes of your present reality. It’s like getting permission to rant! How often does that happen? (You’re right. Not enough.) 

If you don’t feel your voice is being heard on a particular topic or issue, use the blank page as an opportunity to tell your readers how you really feel about the current socio-political climate. Skip the messy social media wars. Save the drama for your sci-fi novel!

Many of these tips were inspired by posts from NaNoWriMo participants in our Genre Lounge: Science Fiction forums thread. They were compiled by previous NaNoWriMo intern Malissa Bilbrey for this YouTube video, and were adapted to a blog post by current intern Nina Sacco.

Top photo by Adam Muise on Unsplash.

What happens when you sit down to write a novel?This meme was...

What happens when you sit down to write a novel?

This meme was going around Twitter yesterday, and we couldn’t resist making a few of our own. What happens when you sit down to write? Tag yourself or a friend!

1. Too many plot bunnies

2. Dragging your characters through a trial by fire

3. Great idea, but the words won’t come

4. Too much coffee

Image description: 

Panel 1: 

Stick figure kneeling down with one bunny — “omg look at this cute lil plot bunny I’m going to write this book”

Stick figure standing up holding lots of bunnies — “oh no”

Panel 2:

Stick figure holding up smiley emoji — “what a great character, I love them
so much”

Stick figure writing at a computer with an upside down smiley emoji over the fire emoji — “haha let’s see how many bad things I can make happen to them in this story”

Panel 3:

Stick figure holding up a light bulb — “what a great idea, I’m going to write about it”

Stick figure sitting at a computer — “nooooo words where did you go”

Panel 4: 

Stick figure holding up coffee cup — “more coffee will help me write!”

Vibrating stick figure sitting at computer with four more cups of coffee — “~o~H~ ~n~0~”

What to Do While You’re Waiting for Your Book to Be Published

Are you finding yourself caught up in transition time between being a hopeful writer and a published author? Today, author and NaNoWriMo participant M.A Hinkle offers 3 simple tips for those lucky writers on the brink of publication:

I’ve always prided myself on my ability to detach my feelings from the work of writing. Kind of a weird flex, I know, but it’s helped me accept comments and manage my expectations from my first experience swapping manuscripts in high school to my first rejections in college.

Then, two years ago, I found out my debut novel had been picked up. I was too overwhelmed with happiness to form words, so I texted my friends and significant other a picture of the acceptance email. As I signed the contract and got concrete details like my release date and the editing schedule, other feelings started to set in, ones I wasn’t so prepared for.

Mostly, I found myself wondering how the heck I was supposed to manage most of a year waiting for my book to actually come out. I had all the time in the world and no time at all. It felt like every other author I knew didn’t have any complicated feelings, so why did I?

That was nonsense, of course. Everyone struggles with complex emotions when they finally have the finish line of a big goal in sight. If you find yourself in the same boat, here are my tips to help you manage the time between contract and publication:  

1. Get away from writing as much as possible.

I know, every voice in your head is telling you the opposite. But writing isn’t simply putting your butt in the chair and typing, even if that’s the part we get paid for. It’s also people-watching. Playing games. Eating good food. Spending time with people who love you and who can tell you Twitter doesn’t matter that much in the grand scheme of things. These are all grist for the mill, making sure you have something to draw on when you do sit down.

2. Actually talk to other authors. 

I promise you. It does not matter how cool the other author seems on social media (especially Instagram; Instagram is the devil’s playground). Every author is running around constantly quieting the same demons, trying their hardest to put forth a brave face. Don’t be afraid to reach out if you’re struggling. Odds are, they need just as much reassurance, and you’ll be able to help each other through it. And you’ll probably come out the other side with a new friend who understands what you’ve been through. That never hurts.

3. Find your hype person. 

Before writing my third book, I did not show WIPs to anyone. But my third book was such a slog. I needed to remember why I loved it enough to persist, and for once, I couldn’t give that to myself. So I roped in my significant other. I told him upfront that I was not looking for criticism; I wanted him to tell me if he liked it. And he loved it. Talking with him reminded me why I’d started the book in the first place and gave me the encouragement I required to write the last stretch. I think every author needs this. We’re needy people, and taking critique requires so much emotional management. Having at least one person who will love your work without question is an essential part of the process. 

M.A. Hinkle is the author of Death of a Bachelor and Diamond Heart, both from Ninestar Press. Her third book, Weight of Living, is due out spring 2020.

You can find more of her work at maryannehinklethewriter.com.

Top photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash.