26
Feb
…or whatever Speedy Gonzales used to say.
A few months ago, one of my critique partners asked the question "How fast do you write?"
She was new with us at the time, but the post raised some interesting questions. (And answers.)
The initial question was raised because, instead of churning out her "usual" 8000 words a day, she struggled to put 3-400 on the page.
It spooked her. She was used to write fast, write hard and get tons of words on the pages.
When my muse is kicking me hard, I can write fast and furious. I can churn out page after page, and every word flows and has meaning. Undisturbed, and given enough time, I can put 5-10k on the pages per day, easy. (I don't get distracted when it goes like this. You can try to distract me, but it won't work. I won't hear you when I'm in "The Zone".)
I love it when it happens like that.
I'm one of the lucky ones who has an understanding man in her life, who leaves her to it when the muse goes on a rampage in her brain.
But I can't do it every day. Not because the words aren't there, not because there isn't enough time — but because if I did this every day, I would be physically and mentally drained.
It's not sustainable over a long period of time. You'd simply burn out.
And then there are the days where my muse laughs at me and takes a vacation. On those days I struggle to put ten words on a page, let alone ten thousand. It's the days when nothing works, when everything you write sucks and you're better off starting over.
I have more of those days than I care to admit.
Way more than I have 10k days.
I thought it was interesting, because the responses were very similar.
Most of us try to write consistently, every day, at least a few words.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it sucks.
There is no formula of how much you should write a day. There can't be, because we are all individuals. You have to find your own rhythm, something that works for you.
Harper put it nicely:
I see it like this: those uber productive times, when I'm chugging away at lightening speed, I'm also using up some creative energy I've stored up. I mean BURN THROUGH the stuff. So I try not to beat myself up when the words only come one sentence at a time. I figure the well is re-filling for the next binge.
Harper calls herself a "quintessential bottle-rocket" — and I know exactly where she comes from, because… I'm similar.
My response was this:
My way of writing:
Explode words onto the page — or explode.
It's that simple.
What wants out, must out. Or else.
Or else is not pretty.
It would either involve some poor CSI picking my brains off the wall next to my desk, wondering why there was a sudden meltdown and having a hell of a time determining cause of death — or a padded cell.
I don't like either scenario, so I make sure I have pen and paper with me at any time.
It hits you… when it hits you. There are no hard and fast rules for how fast you write, it either happens or it doesn't. Sometimes those spurts come one day after another — and then nothing for months.
Don't panic when things slow down. They will, it happens to everyone. Nothing wrong, just your brain taking a break from a lightning strike.
The important thing is to keep a set amount written per day, whether it's good or bad. One word or ten thousand.
Don't sweat it.
Being prolific isn't all it's cracked up to be. Just because you crank out a novel in a month doesn't mean it's any good.
Quality is better than quantity.
It really doesn't matter how much, or how fast you write — as long as you write.
24
Feb
I was originally going to blog about revisions, and things like that.
Until I tripped across an article by Roger Ebert, titled "Nil by Mouth".
I recommend reading it, not only for the content, but for his use of words and the emotion conveyed in his post. (Although the content is incredibly moving and evocative. I loved every word.)
Now, maybe I'm ignorant, but I didn't know who Roger Ebert is. I knew nothing about him and had to look him up.
Turns out he's a film critic. (Which would explain why I'd never heard of him — I tend to ignore film critiques.) Turns out he had cancer and through a series of operations, had his jaw removed.
That about covers what I know.
Except… I know so much more. Not about who he is in the eyes of the world. I don't know what he looks like, or what he does. But even so, I feel I know who he is, I know about the things he likes. (Licorice, anyone?) The things he misses. (Conversations at the dinner table.) And about the things he doesn't. (Food.)
That one article told me so much about him, so much more than I expected. It's a great read for budding authors, because it shows you, rather than tells you, something about Roger Ebert.
You know what it shows me most of all?
He's not given to whining. He doesn't sulk, or wallow in self pity. He's strong and resilient. He has hope. He has compassion and he understands people.
That's what his article showed me about him — without ever saying those words.
So, I'd like to put that article out there as a shining example of showing vs. telling. About characterization, because he does it splendidly.
– I'd also like to put it out there as a lesson to all of us, to keep our spirits up, no matter what.
Thank you for your post, Mr. Ebert. I truly enjoyed getting to know you a little bit.
And I promise to pay more attention to film critics in future! 
Enjoy.
21
Feb
When we write, we all know our protagonists really, really well. We know what makes them tick, we know why they do what they do, we know how to redeem them and what will hurt them the most.
We know their black moments. We know why they are the way they are.
And that's great. It makes the character three dimensional, makes the reader love them, be involved in the story.
Many of us aren't as involved with our antagonists.
Often we don't know a lot about them. They are an afterthought, an element of crisis, but it makes them appear flat. One dimensional creatures with no other purpose than throwing a spanner in the works for our protagonist.
To pull off a great antagonist, you are going to have to invest as much — if not more — time to develop their character.
Just saying they are evil won't count.
Why are they evil? Is this evil just perceived, or real? Is the antagonist beyond redemption, or can he/she/it be saved? What made them do what they do? What happened to them to make them so nasty? Why are they working against the protagonist? A person doesn't just get up one morning and think "Ohhh… I'm really going to mess up so-and-so's life now." (Well, okay, some might.)
No.
They need a reason.
They need a good reason. One that makes sense. Maybe not to you and me, but it does to them.
They need flaws, they need strengths. They need a purpose, not just for their actions against our heroes, but a purpose for being. Everyone needs this, not just good people.
What triggered the events about to unfold? What did the hero/heroine do to make them so angry, they need to take revenge? (And that's what it's mostly about.)
I do interviews with my characters to get to know them.
I ask questions. I corner them. I ask uncomfortable, embarrassing questions. I make them tell me their deepest darkest secrets — and occasionally the only way I get at them is to tighten the thumbscrews. They don't want to talk about it, so you need to find the catalyst that will make them tell you.
(I did mention I'm nuts, right?)
Okay, maybe I'm not. That's just the way it works for me.
But the fact is… I don't just ask the hero or heroine these questions.
If there is a villain, he will get grilled as much as my protagonists.
Believe it or not… I can often emphasize with the villain, and why they do what they are about to unleash.
It doesn't mean I agree with it, but I can understand why.
That is what you need to get across to your reader. It makes it so much better when they are torn between the hero and the villain. When they can understand the reasons behind it all, when they can emphasize with your villain… when they are almost torn between who they want to win.
And when you have them caring about what happens to the villain… you can play your trump card. That's when you nail the reader right between the eyes with something they absolutely wouldn't agree with.
Their allegiance will no longer be torn — but you made the villain come alive enough for them that there is a little seed of hope that the character will be redeemed at the end — but the hero still gets to win.
(And don't forget… sometimes the hero is the villain. That's when you really need to dig deep.)
So the point of all this is really simple.
Make your reader care as much about the villain as they do about the hero, and you will up the readers involvement in the story.
Make your reader sit there and wonder.
How does it feel, when the whole world is against you, when you're cold and alone? When you have no one to turn to, when everyone hates you?
How does it feel to be the bad guy?
Don't forget, no one is truly evil, through and through, without a reason.
We are all born innocent, and what we become is a result of our surroundings.
Sometimes people can't be saved, sometimes they truly are evil to the bone.
But if you have a villain who rescues kittens, because when he was a little boy, he had a cat who provided the only comfort he ever knew… Or a villain who doesn't think twice about murdering and torturing… but who is the best dad in the world to his little daughter.
Show their facets to the reader.
Show them his face — all of it. Show it to them when it's twisted in rage. But don't forget to show it laughing with joy, crying with grief, or torn with indecision, too. If your antagonist has doubts, then show them!
Make your reader feel for all the characters in your story — not just the protagonists.
19
Feb
As you might know, every now and then I'll add some pages to the collection here.
Check out the Writing Aids section above (in the menu) and take a look.
Querytracker posted a great article on how to plot, so I condensed the points down, laid out the sheet ready for printing… and there you have it.
9 Steps for Plotting Fiction — all ready for you to print.
However, full credit needs to go to Cynthia Jaynes Omololu, which is where Suzette Saxton got the idea for it.
Enjoy.
N.B.
Please see Suzette's comment. 
The original idea came from Verla Kay, so I feel it is only fair to link her pages as well, as I think you'll probably find lots of useful ideas there.
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Some of you know I'm a Kresley Cole fan. And a Gena Showalter fan. Well, Kresley's new book is out, Pleasure of a Dark Prince. I've preordered the book ages ago, so I'm hoping Amazon doesn't mess me around again, as usual. To commemorate the release, Gena Showalter has a fantastic contest on her blog, but even if there weren't any prizes… I had to spread the word a bit anyway. Kresley Cole does it for me, her heroes are scrumptious, the books dark, yet full of fun and off-the-wall moments (and characters!), so yeah… they are all in a neat line on my shelf here. You can read an excerpt on Kresley's Site, or if you trust me to steer you in the right direction — click here to order the paperback, or here to order the ebook. Go on, treat yourself! |
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I promise you won't regret it.
14
Feb
First of all…
Happy Valentines Day.
As a romance writer, naturally I had to blog about it, but really, it won't be what you expect me to say.
I'm supposed to gush, and go all lovey dovey, I think. True love and all that… Well.
When I grew up, Valentines Day was about secret admirers, not about flowers and chocolates.
It was about sneaking an unsigned message to someone you fancied, someone you wanted, but who didn't notice you. It was about letting them know someone is in love with them, without telling them who. It was up to the object of your desires and fantasies guessing it was you, and declare they felt the same about you. (Or not.)
It was never about hassling your boyfriend/husband/lover to get you something special.
I sat at work the other day and two of the guys were having a discussion about what women expect. I heard my name mentioned and naturally I paid attention.
Turns out they wanted a woman's perspective.
I said I'm the wrong person to ask, because I really don't give a damn about Valentines Day. Couldn't care less.
There were two very stunned guys staring at me.
"What? Are you serious?" one said, eyes wide.
"Yup. It's all hype and forced and it was never about getting presents." I replied.
"Will you marry me?" one of them said.
I laughed and let them get on with it.
Seriously though, listenting to my colleague… wow. What has Valentines Day come to?
What good is a forced declaration of love? Isn't it something that should come from the heart, regardless of the date?
We don't bother with Valentines Day. No cards, no flowers, no chocolates. Nada.
I much prefer the way it works with us. My better half came home with a tub of meat salad once and I was totally over the moon.
There used to be a meat salad where I grew up, and I could never get it here. For him to find it, and remember that I like it, and get it for me means SO much more than any flowers on Valentines Day.
It means he was in the supermarket, and he was thinking about me.
Sounds trivial, doesn't it? But really, isn't that what we want? What does it say about our relationship when you remember little things, stuff that gets overlooked and forgotten, a gesture, a dish, a favorite scent? I've been with him for over twenty years — and he remembers a meat salad I used to like some 18 years ago.
He knows the things I like, I know the things he likes. So occasionally, when we see something and remember, we'll get it for each other.
Sod Valentines Day, seriously. Give me what I got any day of the year.
Think about it. Think about what your guy does without you asking him, think about the little things he remembers. That's how they show they love you, not with massive bouquets of flowers, red roses, a romantic dinner. That kind of stuff makes guys utterly uncomfortable, and they get really insecure and panicked by the prospect of "doing it wrong" on Valentines Day.
They don't forget, they know it's Valentines Day, they just don't know how to deal with it.
A pretty flower picked by the side of the road and brought home to you says much more than a dozen red roses on Valentines Day. (And who cares if the pretty flower is a weed. Put it in a vase and say thank you. Your guy actually picked a flower for you.)
Cut them some slack.
12
Feb
Distractions are the bane of my life.
Not just my writing life, but in general. It's worse when I write, though.
Whether it's surfing the net, or playing an online game (Bad me!), a good movie on TV, or a book I'm dying to read — it's too easy to be distracted.
I am not the only one who has a problem staying focused, it's a common affliction for those of us with the attention span of an average goldfish.
Part of it has to do with the sheer number of distractions available to us today. Part of it is simply down to a lack of self discipline.
So what can you do to be less prone to procrastination?
I find there are some steps I can take to minimise how suceptible I am.
- I close email, browser windows, and any application I don't need to use.
- I get myself a cup of coffee (or make a pot) before I sit down to write.
- I get a snack before I sit down to write.
- I have a cigarette before I sit down to write. (I don't smoke indoors.)
- I set up my music to something I like. (I use headphones btw)
- I close the door, so no one disturbs me while I write.
- I often turn the phone down (won't help to take it off the hook, it'll only ring on the other phone then.)
- I get the reference books I plan on using out and stacked next to me.
- If you have a dog, walk it before you start.
- If you have kids… uh well. Try giving them something to do where they don't need to disturb you? (Don't have any, so I can't help you there.)
- If you're prone to headaches (like I am), have some Aspirin or Ibuprofen handy by your desk.
- I don't have a TV in the room where I write. Never did and never will. If you have one there… get rid of it. (No, I'm serious.) At least don't turn it on!
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
I don't do all those things every time, but the coffee and music is a ritual of mine.
I'm not saying this works for everyone. I'm not saying this works every time for me, or that I do this every time.
But it's a start, and it's worth a shot, right?
Any other suggestions?
10
Feb
So.
If I come to your house, and try to log into your computer – do you think I'll get in?
How many of you have a password set to log in?
Yeah, we usually set one on our routers, but often the computer itself doesn't have one.
It should.
It's a basic step, but it's an important one.
Especially if you use a laptop.
I sat at work one day and the topic came up. I looked at one of my colleagues and said "I bet I can get into your machine inside of three tries."
He laughed.
Two minutes later he wasn't laughing anymore.
It actually only took me two tries, because I know him. I know what's important to him. That narrows down a longass list to practically nil.
His password was his daughter's name and her birthday. Since he'd mentioned two days earlier it was his daughter's birthday, all I had to do was use that date, knowing how old she is, her name – and combine it.
Bingo.
Yes, it really is that easy.
Even without that knowledge, it doesn't take all that long to break into someone's files.
You may think you have nothing worth stealing – after all, what would they do with family photos and such?
You'd be wrong.
Dead wrong.
Most of us store personal information on our computers. That personal information is worth a fortune to the right (wrong) people.
So lets look at the route a hacker takes:
First line of defense is your router.
Don't care which router you have, if you don't put a password on the dang thing, it's no defense at all.
Most of us have at the very least WPA enabled. This means to log on to our router, you need to know the password.
So if you use WPA (look in your router's settings if you're not sure), then I urge you to come up with a creative, long, nasty, hard to remember password. Use special characters, upper case, lower case and numbers — and use at least 8 of them.
How you arrange them is up to you, but the strongest password you can possibly think of needs to be on your router. (Don't use P@$$w0RD, it's useless.)
Think of something else. Let's say my name is Jane and my birthday is the 14th February 1973.
How about E73n19@2J14
Looks nasty, right? Looks hard to remember, right?
It's not.
What did I do?
I used Jane backwards, starting and ending with a capital letter. I substituted the a for an @ sign.
I also used the birthday backward.
It's not that hard to remember, but it might just throw some hackers off. (I wouldn't use my own birthday btw.)
It's better than Jane14273, that's for sure.
Be creative.
If your router runs WEP, you don't need to do this. You should be pretty safe, since that's already encrypted. (WEP > WPA > unsecured)
If your router has a firewall – turn it on.
Right. If someone gets past your router, they can get to your computer.
I run back to back firewalls. One on the router (hardware) one on the computer (software).
If you have a firewall with your antivirus software (i.e. Norton 360, or Nod32), then use that one, instead of the Windows one.
If you don't, keep the Windows Firewall turned on.
Right, so our hacker got past your router and he's trying to get into your computer.
If it isn't password protected… well.
Stick one on there too.
While you're at it, password protect your antivirus as well, if there is something that allows you to tamperproof it. (Norton and ESET definitely have a password protected settings option.)
If you store sensitive information, and you run Vista or Windows 7, they already come with an option to encrypt folders. XP has the ability as well. Not sure on the Apple Mac, but I'm sure Apple isn't lagging behind in this department either.
Use it.
Especially on a laptop!
Yes, I know it's tedious. I know it's hassle having to log in with a password on your home computer all the time.
What's more, when you retire an old machine, don't just throw it out.
At the very least, take the harddisk out. If you no longer need to use it – don't throw the disk out – wreck it. Take a screwdriver and take it apart, smash it up.
If you sell a laptop or desktop, invest in some software that really wipes out the data, because a lot of those second hand computers are bought by not so harmless people, and even if you format the drive… the data can still be recovered with the right tools. (Trust me, I've done it.)
Yeah, it costs money.
Consider the alternative.
It's more hassle, more expensive and more tedious to resurrect your credit rating and identity.
Take steps to avoid it and get in the habit of doing it, it won't seem so tedious then.
Okay, I'm done preaching for the day!
8
Feb
Well, okay. Maybe not all. Every story needs some supporting characters, but if (like me) you find yourself having ten dozen of them… well.
Give 'em the chop.
I've recently cut a supporting character out of a book. I didn't want to. I like him. My readers liked him.
He had to go. He didn't contribute anything. Originally he was the reason for discovery, he was a quirky kid who made the best of a bad situation.
Did I mention I really liked him?
Yeah.
I cut him dead, instead. Chopped him right out of the story and saved about 2k words, an entire chapter, and (hopefully) speeded up the pace.
So is poor Jack going to be dead and forgotten? Did I give him a tombstone? No.
He's safe. Safe in a file, alive and well in another story where he plays more of an integral part. He is part of the plot there, where in this story he was an afterthought, a filler.
Sometimes it is necessary to cut a character out of a story, even if it's a great character.
It's about word economy and flow. It's about continuance. It's about being ruthless.
Sometimes you just have to kill them.
What did I do to get around the plot part Jack played?
I had another character in there already (yes, another one), so he got some of Jack's plot parts instead. It still works.
There was a part where I had to rejig a lot of the story to make it fit, to have a different way of creating the conflict Jack had created, but again — all it took was a little reworking and it fitted nicely. (Okay, not as nicely as I'd have liked, but I'm working on it.)
Ask yourself if you need a character who only shows up occasionally with some pithy lines, but who essentially doesn't add anything to the story.
Do you really need them?
Can someone else come up with those lines?
Do they advance the plot?
Can someone else (already existing) advance the plot instead?
If you can cut them out, don't bury them. Save everything in a file, because that character won't just go away. (If it was a well developed character, they shouldn't, anyway.) He/She might fit as a more integral character in another story, play a bigger, more pivotal role.
Save their background, their traits and weaknesses. Save everything you can, preserve story/plot parts as intact as you are able, because you never know when you might go back to it.
Whether you keep a physical file for those chopped characters, or a digital one — keep it safe.
Just because he's not part of this story, doesn't mean your effort in creating him/her was wasted.
Like Arnie — he'll be back.
So don't sweat it. If you need to cut words in a novel, take a good hard look at the supporting cast and cut with a hatchet, rather than lose a word here and there while you preserve a character that doesn't add anything to the story.
6
Feb
It's up to you.
I don't like being overly snarky, though sometimes I might be.
I don't want to go and offend anyone, but I also have my own opinions. If others don't agree with them – fine. Live and let die. Or something in that vein.
The topic of this post is content, and what your content says about you, the author.
Believe it or not, it says a lot.
The topics you choose tell your readers where your mind goes to wander, where it tiptoes through fields of daisies, or tapdances through minefields. (The latter is to be avoided, you tend to end up minus some limbs.)
Personally, I prefer to tiptoe through minefields, but hey… that's me.
The crux of the matter is this: What you post is out there for all to see. Once it's out there, you can't take it back. Even if you delete it, some search engine probably already archived it someplace you can't demolish — even if you want to.
And don't for one second think no one will see your unfortunate outburst. When you query an agent or a publisher, if they consider to take you on — they will research you. They'll see all that dirty laundry you hung out, rummage through your virtual drawers and navigate around your Pr0n collection. (I call 'em hunks, my other half calls it my dirty little secret. HA! What does he know…)
Anyway, what I'm saying is, people see what you write and they judge you by those posts. They'll form an opinion about what you're like. How well they may get on with you, or work with you.
If you post stuff you wouldn't want your boss to see — then don't post it.
Don't deceive yourself – any publisher / editor / agent out there is pretty much a potential boss.
They look at it with a far more critical eye than any employer ever would, because while you might never set foot out of an office - having a book out there is rather different.
There is marketing to consider. Image.
Your image can be ruined before you even get noticed, and rebuilding it is a tricky business.
And Image is important. Sure, you can pretend to be nicey-nice and all that, but that just makes you a bit bland in my opinion.
You can have opinions, we all do, but if you post it, then be rational about it, and don't jump on people if they comment and disagree with you.
Some things (and I've seen stuff like this) are just a total no-no.
For instance, if you query a sweet historical with a publisher, yet on your blog you rant and scream about how the genre sucks, and is only read by imbeciles — you think they want to work with someone who doesn't believe in their own book? Or who insults their entire readership? Them?
Not bloody likely.
(I'm being very nasty and harsh above, that isn't reflecting how I feel about sweet historicals or it's readers, it's just an example — before someone comes and hits me over the head with a brick, or something!)
Or hey, go all political! It's not like anyone cares, right? Then add religion into the mix and you've found an almost guaranteed way to offend half the population. (While the other half likely agrees with you.)
As I said, I prefer to tiptoe around in my minefields. I have my own opinion, obviously, and it may (or may not) mesh with other people's opinions. But why take the chance? I don't need to ram it down their throats, they don't need to know what I think about how well a president or prime minister is doing, or whether I do or don't like the church. Keep that stuff private, or among friends. Not out there, for all to see (and judge). There are plenty of neutral topics, blog about those instead.
Keep it light and informative. Research anything you present as fact – or else it will likely come back to bite you in the ass.
If you have a writing blog, treat it as such. Stick to topics about writing, or writing life. If you mix business and pleasure, don't go into too much detail. In both cases, be aware of your audience and consider your topics carefully.
Your content is your marketing tool. If it would impact negatively on your career – then don't put it out there.
Ah. Now look what I've done.
I've put my opinion out there, for all to see!
(I tend to avoid writing about any of my real hotbuttons though…)
Obviously you don't have to take this advice, especially since I'm not always sticking to it either, but maybe it'll give you some food for thought.
There are many blogs out there where the authors rant about every topic imaginable. It gets kind of boring, you know? And they aren't doing themselves any favors, either.
I mean, if you were a publisher — would you want to work with someone who explodes on the page every two seconds?
I know I wouldn't.
So consider what you post, before you hit that publish button.