Today I am plotting a novel.
I mean that I am breaking down the story into chunks that make sense, which is all that plotting really is.
A-B, B-C, C-D and by the time we get to Z we have a murderer. Ta Dah!
Of course on other days plotting a novel means sitting behind a huge cup of coffee and thinking,
“I’ll write a novel”.
One of these approaches gets the job done. I recommend the de-caffeinated.
No, they do.
We read a lot. Books, magazines, cereal packets, shampoo bottles. Sometimes even the previous day’s work. We also collect words. Words are scrumptious. Words make thoughts.
words make write good
usually.
I’m being silly now but you get the point. If you want to write my friends then you need to read.
Read as though you are afraid someone will take the words away. Read things you like. Read things you dislike. Read things you might like. Put the words in there. The words make thoughts. Then thoughts make words. Like bunnies only less hoppy.
Today I read “How not to write Bad” by Ben Yagoda. It’s an excellent overview of common writing problems and how to avoid them if that’s your bag. Of course you might not want to avoid them. Look at you smarty pants.
What you should be is the master of your words.
Awesome.
Someone has graciously agreed to read your work (yay!)
They will be giving you feedback and you will be spending time evaluating that and judging whether it is correct and helpful.
Give yourself a boost here and use your audience wisely. Ask one directive question.
“Is there one word that I use too often? ”
We all fall into the collecting habit. Your writing may be becoming too
“exciting” or “really” or “deeply”
all over the place.
People are bodacious pattern matchers. They really are. Even someone with no writing skill can answer this question for you and being aware of falling into the
Friendly words trap will improve your writing immensely.
Oh, and don’t forget to say thank you.
Incisor/canine/premolar/molar
Every piece of writing should be incisive. It should have bite.
It should quickly get to the point and leave the reader with something to chew over.
If it needs filling you’ve gone wrong somewhere!
Try
http://www.thesaurus.com
A searchable dictionary and thesaurus which will give you all the synonyms and antonyms your heart desires.
Have you left yours today?
As adults we become very used to being confident in some things. We also learn that there are things that we should probably not pursue.
( I should never paint cats. No,never)
But if we stop exploring then we never find the good stuff and trust me there is good stuff out there.
You might be ace at chess.
You don’t know if you don’t try
Maybe you make the best biscuits in the world.
Perhaps you are gifted at learning Norwegian.
I don’t know that I’m not…do you?
There are a world of possibilities out there and the only people who lose out are those who stop looking.
Fail at something new each day and be a winner!
Sometimes the grammar of the situation eludes even the best of us.
Check out Grammar girl for those days when objects are subjective and you want to use hyphens.
And asterisks
Oooh and parentheses!
Are You Quick on Your Feet?
When I trained as a boxer, we did a lot of footwork. Dart in, hit, then get out of the way. Best way to win a fight? Simple. Don’t get punched. Or at least get punched as little as possible. When our opponent takes a swing? Don’t be there. The skill of sticking-and-moving requires endurance, strength and flexibility. Being a successful Digital Age Author requires the same.
Learn to Stick and Move
Get quick on your feet. Change, adapt, overcome. The lithe survive, especially now in the Digital Age. The big traditional publishers are suffering because their size doesn’t allow them to adapt to the rapid changes that come part-and-parcel with explosive technological advance.
Indies, in this sense, have an advantage. An author can change covers if one isn’t working. He or she can respond directly to what consumers want.
A friend of…
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For a lesson in how to cultivate the joy of writing, you can do no better than view the lectures available on YouTube by the late great Ray Bradbury. If you ever wondered how to tap into your subconscious mind take a tip and listen to the best.
Wise words.
stirlingwriter 