5 Tips for Summer Writing

I don't know about you but at this time of the year I find that sometimes writing can become slow and boring. In the winter it's so much easier to sit inside and write because I don't want to get out in the cold. Now it is so much easier to want to get out and about first thing in the morning. There is gardening to be done, places to visit, and, of course, vacation.  So  how can you keep your mind focused on writing?


This year I am trying several new ideas to keep myself focused, and I know they've worked at various times in the past.


1. Don't let that vacation stop your writing habit.  Yes, you might be travelling but why not use the time to take notes for research, or take pictures for inspiration you can use later. And don't stop writing. I often find myself at rest stops writing down conversations I hear at the table next to me or making a note of what I overheard someone say in the restroom. I can always use the information later.

2.  Try writing early in the morning. Those early morning hours can be a good time to get started. There's something very fresh about a summer morning as the dawn in breaking. It's warm out and plenty peaceful so why not get out and sit on the patio editing pages or writing some new chapters.


3. Take a library tour.  Right now one of the writers I know is making the rounds of all the local libraries just to get out of the house. She's finding some wonderful locations, and her tour is reminding me of all the great libraries we have in the area that I might want to spend some time visiting.


4. Go to a coffee shop. This is something I often do any way when I need to get some new perspective or just get out of the house. Last week I found myself editing in a restaurant one day, plotting at a Starbucks another day and creating character profiles while sitting on a patio at a hotel another while I was waiting for someone another day.


5. Get out and do research. Tomorrow I am planning on spending the day at a local history museum as I gather research on a story I want to work on next. Some of our smaller museums are only open in the summer and often there are special lectures or events that can make research more fun and less of a chore.


Don't let the summer get by without some writing work. There are plenty of ways to keep busy and focused even as you enjoy the delights of the summer season. 

5 Tips for Getting Started on your Book

We all go through it when we are writing -- the beginning of a new project and starting to write those first few pages of the new book. The blank page is daunting at any time but when you're face with 100 or 200 blank pages, well, that is even worse.


How to begin?  Of course, many people begin with research, but too many let that take over their lives and spend an overabundance of time with it.  Others want to dive right in, but then the overwhelming prospect of writing it all gets to be too much.


So how do you get started?  I've been thinking that through and have some tips for beginning that next book.


1. Set a Limit on your Research & Stick to It -- Yes, you do need to do that research. If you're writing historical novels, you need to have started that long before you begin the writing. If you are writing a specific location or about a particular industry you'll need to conduct research for sure.  Just don't get bogged down in it.  Set a time limit on that research.  Know when you're going to end it and then be ready to start writing on a certain date or month.  Don't waver from that date -- it gets too easy to put things off.


2.  Get to know your characters before you start. Part of that research should be doing character profiles or studies.  Know who your characters are so that they don't continually turn against you as you write. You need to know their emotional interior as well as the physical exterior.  Get to know them and spend time with them so that when you actually write them, you don't find them acting in uncharacteristic ways.


3.  Know how you want to start the story.  What will your first scene be?  What is going to get to the action quickly and get the story moving?  As readers we don't want a long, involved set up so don't give that to YOUR readers. Bring in your characters and get them involved in something. Throw them off and challenge them from the beginning.


4.  Have a general idea of how your story will end. If you're writing a romance you already have some part of an idea. A romance is going to have a Happily Ever After ending so you know you will need to bring your hero and heroine together. But you might also have an idea of how you're going to do that. You can do that by going back to item #3.  Have a general idea of your character arc. If you know where the character is starting from, that can help you determine what it will take to get the character into a different position by the end of the story. This is true for romance, but it can be true for mystery, science fiction or fantasy too. Knowing who your character is can help you decide who you want the character to be at the end.


5. Start writing.  There is no way around that. Begin writing your opening scenes.  Don't worry if they don't sound perfect and don't wait for that perfect sentence to hit you.  Bestselling author and super agent Donald Maass told us at a recent workshop not to sweat those opening pages because they will take care of themselves.  You can always go back and fix them, but you need to get them started.


If you are working on a new project these ideas can help you get from the vague planning stages to the actual written word, which is what you need to get that next project going.


The bottom line goes back to START WRITING.

5 Tips for Creating Characters

Working on the development of characters is important for any writer and this weekend I received some wonderful ideas from super agent Donald Maass in his excellent workshop "Fire in Fiction" that I attended. He talked about how our characters can come alive through our work and it got me to thinking of different ways to further develop my characters and make them more individual. That is the excellent thing about his workshops. He gives ideas that the writer can then take and personalize and further develop so that their own voice shines through. 

One of the suggestions he had was to interview your characters and that really got me to thinking.  As a journalist, either working as a print reporter or as a TV news producer part of my job was interviewing people all the time.  While a lot of that work was more focused on getting information for a story, I always found that the most fun were the interviews where you got to just talk to people about themselves and their lives.  And that was what struck me about talking to our characters.

Don't we all run into situations where we suddenly are stuck in the story?  Usually when that happens to me I find that the character is being stubborn and maybe I need to work more on my characters.  What I realized as I listened to Donald Maass was that when this happens, it's probably the perfect time to interview a character.  Okay, well, then what do we ask?  And that is where I can refer back to my journalistic training.  Talk to the characters, ask them about themselves and get them to feel comfortable and then hit them with the tough questions.  Here are more tips for interviewing your characters.

1. Ask them what their hopes are for the present.  What are their goals for today and tomorrow.  Start small so that the answers will be easy to deal with.

2.  Ask what is holding them back.  Are they afraid of something in particular? Are they frustrated by something that happened the previous day.

3.  Ask them about their long term goals. That can bring some of the present goals into focus, but if you ask that first it might be too big to think about. Once they've answered questions about smaller goals, this question might be easier.

4.  Ask what their biggest fear for the moment might be. What are they afraid the other person in the story is going to do or the worst case scenario.

5.  Ask why they want a certain result.  Why do they need to achieve their goals -- both short term and long term.

These questions can't answer all the story questions you might have and you might even need to interview them a couple of times as the story goes along, but talking regularly to your characters can be a big help.

5 Tips for Accomplishing your Writing Goals

I am always looking for new ways to keep from hitting the doldrums with my writing and to keep the work flowing.  I see so many writers who have so many excuses for why they didn't write today or why they haven't been able to keep going.

When I consider what keeps me going, other than the need to write, I think of what I have heard from other prolific writers about what keeps them going. I always refer back to people like best selling authors like Nora Roberts and John Sandford.  I once heard her tell a writer in a workshop. "It's my job..Don't you show up at your job even when you don't feel like it?"  Of course if you want to get paid, you show up and do the job, just as she said.  John Sandford pointed out that when he was working as a reporter in Minneapolis he was expected to turn out stories of at least 750 words a day. At that pace, even working only 5 days a week, you could turn out a novel in 4 months.

So how can you accomplish your writing goals?

1. Set a realistic goal.  The goal to write a thousand words a day every single day might sound wonderful, but we all need breaks every so often.  Setting up the realistic goal of 750 words a day (which is only 3 double spaced pages a day if you think about it) can be done. That can give you a novel in four months.

2. Try using a timer.  One of the people in our local writing groups says she regularly uses a timer so that she doesn't feel overwhelmed. She works in half hour segments and does 5 of those a day.  She takes breaks between them. Depending on how long it takes you to write those 750 words, you should be able to do it in the 2 and a half hours she proposes.

3. Don't stop to edit.  I find that when I stop to edit I sometimes get lost in moving the story forward. However when I am writing thing just seem to keep flowing.. Things don't need to be perfect the first time around. That is what editing is for.

4.  Re-read old pages at the start of the day. Or perhaps you set aside a half hour in the morning to read over what you wrote the day before and edit then. I've heard a number of writers who do that -- rereading old pages as a way to get in the mood for the next day.

5. Give yourself time for a plot talk.  One of the other writers in one of my groups was saying when she runs into a plotting problem she sits down and keeps talking the plot over in her head. That gives her new ideas and also helps her keep the words flowing.

The key though is to keep Nora's words in mind. It's a job and if you want to get paid, you need to write.

5 Tips for Re-energizing your Writing

We all have the problem from time to time as writers... getting the blahs and going days without writing or even wanting to write. Some people call it writer's block, some find excuses for why they can't seem to get going on a project or finish a story.


Whatever the reasons might be we all face the difficulty of getting back on track every so often. So what can you do to get yourself jump started or to get going again. Since I'm just back from a trip to one of my favorite places I can tell you that a trip certainly helps. I'd been floundering myself with my writing, mainly because I need to do a whole lot of editing and that always slows down the process.


So what can you do to get back to the joys of writing.


1. Take that trip. Go some place you have been wanting to go. Yes, I know that trip you wanted to take around the world might be out right now, or even that prolonged drive across country. But try something quick, something short, something fun. In the past I've often done weekend getaways to re-energize myself and my writing. I've gone off to hotel rooms only half an hour away and spent a weekend sitting in my room writing or exploring the area during the day and writing all night. Whatever the location, just getting away can sometimes be a good way to re-energize your writing.


2.  Take a class.  I teach lots of classes so I have to admit I had a stake in that. However, I find that sometimes the ideas I get from other students gives me plenty of ideas for my own writing. Not that I copy their ideas, but I do listen for their writing tactics or pay attention to what works for them. I also find that sometimes their complains or problem areas get me motivated again. Sometimes I will take a class myself, just to get myself back into the student mode and learn something.


3.  Take a walk.  This is a good way to get the creative juices awakened. Sometimes a morning walk can give you time to think about your latest story and where it is going right or where it might be headed in the wrong direction. It's also an opportunity to clear your head so that you can come back to the keyboard ready to right away.


4. Take break. Sometimes it's not a walk or getaway that you need but just a break from your daily routine.  Give yourself permission to take some time off and spend it just watching a movie or playing games. Look for story ideas online or read a book.  Find again some of the old excitement in old pleasures you used to have. Recently a snowy day kept me inside all day and I sat down and worked on a jigsaw puzzle. But as I worked on it I also found myself thinking about my current story and how it might go in a new direction. By the end of the day the puzzle was nearly finished and I was ready to go back to work.


5. Take a bath.  If you're not into bubble baths, then find something else that relaxes you. It's like that suggestion from above about taking a break. But make this one something that is totally relaxing, whether it's sitting in the dark at a movie theater or walking around the block. Do something that is not related to your writing so that you have time to clear your head.


Mostly don't take it too seriously. Find time to think and reflect. But then don't let yourself lose sight of the overall goal and get back to work.
 

5 Tips to Writing a Short Story

Short stories have been around for a long time, probably from the first time a group sat around a campfire and traded exploits. The stories might have been partially grounded in facts, but they also probably took off into the realm of the teller's fictional ideas that were floating around in his head. 

These days short stories are as popular as ever, thanks to the internet and electronic media that allows us all to read a story while we're waiting at the doctor's office or for the kids to get out of school, or even as a way to enjoy a few minutes of peace and quiet while we have lunch.

Luckily, writers are still turning them out because they can seem like a good way to keep the creative juices flowing and to get something finished. They can also be a good way for a writer to introduce himself/herself to the reading world or to introduce characters that might take part in a full fledged book later, or to further show characters who have already had a book of their own.

Here are a few tips to consider if you want to join the ranks or work on a short story:

1.  Use a single idea or theme.  Short stories can quickly get away from you if you come up with too many ideas. Don't leave a plot point hanging.  A short story needs to tell one incident.  It can be several scenes but don't make it too long. Short stories range from 100 words to 10,000, and there is lots of room in the middle there.  Know who your audience is and go for that number.

2. Come up with good characters. You can't afford to scrimp on the characters. The story may be short, but the reader still wants to be entertained, or to think, or to learn something. If that is being done through a character, make them count. Even if you don't put it all out there for the reader, know that character yourself as the writer so that you can make him/her shine on the written page for the reader.

3. Provide a rich setting for your story. You won't have a lot of time and words to waste on describing it, so look for ways to make it come alive.  If your story is set in the winter in Minnesota, make it cold and forbidding or make that lodge warm and comfy and a great respite from the outside howling wind. Bring your reader into the setting in ways other than just long sentences of description.

4. Tell the story simply through action and dialogue. Again, you don't have many words to waste so get right into the plot and then move it quickly along to the ending. Don't bring in so many elements that you leave the reader wondering about them. This is a short story, keep it simple -- and short.

5.  Make your ending memorable.  Think of ways to leave your reader thinking, smiling, laughing or crying.  Make the story count with your ending. The great thing about a short story is that you can leave it with a question. Consider one of the most enduring short stories, "The Lady or The Tiger." It ended without knowing the fate of the hero. Who came through the door he was to open? That tale published in 1882 still draws readers.

If you're not certain about whether or not you can write a short story, try writing one.  You don't know if you can or can't until you try it, and again, the best part about a short story is that it can be done quickly.  Maybe the format will be just what you need to keep your writing, or you may find that you have a real talent for it.  Many writers started making money through writing short stories. Maybe you can too!

5 Tips to Setting a Good Writing Habit

This past weekend I attended a workshop on setting habits, specifically how to set new writing habits.  Since I always seem to find ways to stray away from what I need to do when writing, listening to someone else’s ideas is always a good way to pull myself back into the chair and get busy.

Let’s face it – these days the computer can be our downfall even as it has made writing so much easier.  I recall sitting down with my manual typewriter – yes, an actual manual typewriter – and  working until my wrists grew tired. Then I rented an electric (Selectric) and before long that was my favorite. As soon as I could afford one, I bought it.  That lasted until I got my first computer.  And my first computer game.  Writing changed forever. Those games sucked away so much time. Later I got the internet and even more time was consumed.  I still spent every day at my desk, just not writing as much.

So now I find I need to return to the old things that worked.

1.       Write first thing in the morning.  This was one of the ideas we discussed at our habit session. If you make a habit of getting up and getting busy at your computer with writing for at least half an hour or an hour before you allow yourself to get online, you will get some work done.

2.      Use a timer.  If you are so anxious to get to that online news, or latest game, or facebook page, then set a timer. Try writing for half an hour with a clock ticking away. That can ease the anxiety, but also help you rack up some pages in the meantime.

3.      Don’t use a computer to write. Try writing in a notebook.  Our speaker, Harlequin author, Rogenna Brewer, told us some writers have returned to their old Alpha Smarts as a writing method. That way you are working directly into a writing program, but you don’t have the temptation of an internet icon tempting you.  She also mentioned that some people still use notebooks to write. Sometimes that can work.

4.      Get out of the office. Sometimes you get so used to writing in the same place that you still can’t break the bad habit of getting online. You stop to get coffee and the internet is sitting there tempting you. Take your laptop and go to a library or coffee shop.

5.      Do one of these things until regular writing becomes a habit again.  Check how much you want to write every day to get a full story written and then set that mark as your daily goal. Then start following whichever pattern works best for until your writing habits are set. No matter whether you write by the seat of your pants or with a carefully constructed outline, the key is to keep writing with whatever method works best for you.

She noted that many of us are working on several things as we write a book – besides the writing. We are also working on editing another book perhaps, while promoting a third. But take the time to set a good habit for writing the next one. That can not only keep you going, but can help you set up your career for the future.