Getting writing time out of bus trips (without putting pen to paper)

Now, please don't take any of this the wrong way. I am not a stalker. I am certainly a normal person. But, there is something which I do sometimes to help with description. Description, I find, is the part of my writing which I leave out the most. I think of my characters as just people, regardless of what they look like. Now, while this may be a very inclusive outlook on life, it does not make for as immersive an experience as I would like.

So, what to do if your characters all look the same? Just look around you. When I am on the bus, sometimes I will surreptitiously look at the people around me and think about how I would describe them. What does their hair look like? How would I bring to life that particular set of features on paper? Here, for example, is a man who regularly takes the same bus as I do:

He was a tall man; not particularly heavily built but with enough bulk to be noticeable. He had his eyes closed, and his eyelashes and lips were almost feminine in contrast to the rough stubble which covered his chin. He did not, however, look effeminate. On the contrary, his features combined in a face which looked astonishingly manly.

Hardly the best of descriptions, I know. The difference, however, is that I would never have come up with something like that all on my own. If it were me, I would have simply made up a man. But what is a man without a few curious features. And don't stop there. Try to imagine what kind of job they do. Are they unemployed? Married? A lawyer? A doctor? What is their personality like? The beauty with this is that they can be whatever you want them to be. Such as:

He spent most of his days at the university, leaving early and coming back late. He did not enjoy the commute; in fact he spent most of those times trying to sleep on the bus, with his music in his ears and trying to ignore the movement of the bus.

And that, I believe, is all I have to say on the topic. Try it guys, just try not to let anyone see you staring. They probably won't comment, but you'll be forever marked as the strange person as the bus. Though if you're like me, you were probably already strange to begin with. Bye!
Laura

7 Writing Tips to keep the words flowing

Writers' block. We've all experienced it, all lamented the inopportune arrival of it. Some deny its existence, call it a mere temporary setback. But whether you like to think of them as slow patches, or if you simply do not have any ideas, you need a way of dealing with this. Here are my tips. You do not need to use all of these to conquer writers' block; in fact it would be better you only use one or two. Find the method that works best for you and put it into practice.

1. Soldier on. Write more words, even if they're painful and you hate them. You can come back and edit them later.
2. Try skimming slightly over the section you're writing. Give bare details where an entire paragraph would be preferable. Don't give the how or the why if it's not important and you can't think of it. These things can be added later.
3. Add a plot point. If things are never going to work out or if your story has reached a stalemate, make something happen! It doesn't need to be explicitly related to the overall plot line, and it certainly doesn't need to resolve the story; but it can serve to push your characters in the right direction.
4. Write ahead. Use with caution. You can skip the section you're on, but beware that it might create structural issues in your story if the part you're on is important.
5. Make a summary. If you know what's going to happen but can't bring yourself to write it yet, write a summary of that part (as detailed as you can make it) and move on. This is a viable alternative to option 4 if skipping it might cause issues.
6. Write something else. Spend a little time doing a short story. The time away might cause you to forget things about your story, but let's face it, you've forgotten half of it already, right? Writing another project might help you put the issue into perspective.
7. Find a human guinea pig. Find someone whose ideas are very similar to yours, like a sister or a best friend. Tell them the issues you're having and have a discussion with them about how to resolve it. They might see things you've missed, and they're also great to bounce ideas off.

Hope you enjoyed those pearls of writing wisdom. May writers' block never hinder your path, and happy writing to you.

The Master Writing Tip

There was something I forgot to tell you guys two posts ago. It's something I forgot that I needed to follow, but has been driven home by last night spent procrastinating. It's something I don't really have trouble with, but others of you might not like. It's the perfect way to find some time in the evenings to put fingers to keyboards or pens to paper. It's simple. Three words.

Stop watching TV.

Now, I don't mean stop watching TV period. You can still turn it on once a week to watch your favourite show. But turning the box on every single night leaves you zero hours to do work on your novel. This is something I learned by accident when I participated in NaNoWriMo and very quickly gave up on this pastime. It's possible, trust me, and you don't really lose anything.

Anyway, TV is for unimaginative people. What's wrong with sitting down and reading a book. Do you need to watch reruns of QI? Is it imperative that you see this cooking show, though you may never look at or think about the recipes ever again? I think not. So put some time aside, and leave the box in its corner. Your inner writer will thank you for it.

Eight Writing Tips

I've been slack, I know. University and all that. When you are at uni, you quickly learn to prioritise things. I'm sad to say my priorities run this way: uni>novel>blog. Sorry. Anyways, here's another post so I don't feel like a total slacker. I've gotten to thinking about what makes people good writers, having recently entered a writing competition and reaching the end of my novel. So, here are my thoughts on the matter, in the form of writing tips.

1. Finish things. This is the first on the list because it also happens to be the most difficult to follow. Are you one of those people who has thousands of incomplete novels sitting on their hard drive? Pick one you like, and complete it.
2. No editing allowed. Yes, half of what you write will be rubbish the first time around, but write it anyway. As someone once said, 'you can't edit what you haven't written'.
3. Go with gut instinct. You may be the most meticulous planner in the universe, but if you come up with a plot twist while you're writing, implement it, for heaven's sake! Always be open to changes to your original plot. It can only be made better by your edits.
4. Develop your writing style. By this, I mean you shouldn't try to copy other people's writing. It will sound shallow. Write things; small things, silly things, stupid things, until you are comfortable with the way your words come out.
5. Set yourself a daily target. Writing a little every day can have a more positive impact on your quality of writing and your writing habits than anything else. Make yourself a spreadsheet if you like to track your progress. Remember, every little bit that you write contributes to your novel.
6. Be realistic. A novel is not written in one sitting. Hell, even a short story takes lots of editing. Keep in mind that it won't appear over night.
7. Read a lot. I'll tell you a little secret about inspiration. Inspiration comes from all of the little things you've read and done and experienced, mushed up in your brain and spat back out as original ideas.
8. Have fun! This is the most important thing. If you're not writing because you're enjoying it, your writing will have no soul.

This is all I can think of at the moment. I may update this list later when I have time. Until then, happy writing! May your fingers never falter.

Infodumps: The Fact Sheet

Now, I know the words 'infodump' and 'fact sheet' are scary, but stay with me at least for a little while. These ugly babies need to be dealt with wether you like it or not, so let's get started.

What is an infodump?
An infodump is a chunk of text where the author attempts to explain/justify their plot developments through long passages of rationalisation. These will often contain overly complex scientific or supernatural phenomena which strain the boundaries of plausability. They should not happen.

Why shouldn't it happen?
There are a couple of reasons why infodumps should not exist. The first is that if you have a plausible and well crafted plot line, there should be no need for infodumps. If you are adding infodumps it may be a sign that you are trying to push the plot in a direction it shouldn't go. The next is that there are really simple things you can do to avoid the need for an infodump, as explained below.

What can I do about it?

1. Show don't tell. This is the simplest and most straightforward way of avoiding an infodump. If there's something you want to explain about an event, write a flashback or a diary extract or something.
2. Your characters should not be know-it-alls. What this means is that if there is a concept you want to explain, have you characters discover said concept instead of having it handed to them on a platter by an all-knowing being or having the characters explain it to the readers. Not only will your readers understand the concept better than with an infodump, but your characters get to feel smug about having found something out. Double win!
3. Let the story go where it will. If there's a concept earlier in the book which doesn't fit with what you're writing now, either bin it or write something which fits with what you already have. That way you don't need any infodumps to fix your convoluted plotline, and you aren't sending your readers to sleep.

The worst kind of infodump.
This is so annoying it needs a section all on its own. There is a certain kind of infodump which trumps all others. For the sake of categorisation, I'm calling it the series infodump. It's that block of text you get at the beginning (and sometimes throughout) the continuation of a series of books, explaining the events which happened previously. It's often written as such a short synopsis of what happened in previous novels as to be no use whatsoever to the person reading.

How to fix it? Screw the people who haven't read the last book, and I mean that seriously. If they didn't put the time or effort in to do so, they cannot expect you to sum it all up in a few paragraphs. Think of it as tuning in half way through a conversation. You may miss some things, but you'll pick up on stuff fairly quickly. By all means refer to events in previous novels, but do not go out of your way to explain them. If they want to know what happened, they can just read the book they skipped.

Now I hope you take at least some of that on board. There is absolutely no reason for an infodump, and I hope never to see one again. Unfortunately that probably won't be the case. Even the best writers end up with infodumps. Take Vampire Academy, for example. The constant restatement of events (the series infodump) turns an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable series into a cringe-fest worthy of a sit-com. And that, my friends, is nothing if not a damn shame.

Congratulations, you're a sell-out

Today's post is about the line between accessibility and academia. Quite a wide margin, one might think. But the pitfalls are the greatest for the people who fall on one side or the other. So, what's the difference?

First, let's examine the difference between the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit. The Lord of the Rings, as you may well know, is academia at its heaviest and least accessible. You can read it, sure, but its lumbering prose lulls you into a stupor faster than almost anything else. The lengthy musings on bloodlines and rightful heirs only serves to worsen things. I've read it, don't get me wrong, and I plan to read it again. It's just a bit more of a chore than I would like it to be.

Okay, so how does the Hobbit differ from this? Well, first off, the Hobbit is often described as a children's novel. Not that I think it detracts from the book at all, it simply means that the writing is a little more light-hearted and the story a little less gloomy. To me, this is a very good book. It may skim over the bad parts, and the story and characters may be a little underdeveloped, but it succeeds in what it attempts to achieve, and that is to entertain.

Now let's enter the other end of the spectrum entirely. Take a series like Twilight, or Fifty Shades of Grey. The two are interchangeable for me. The writing is in first person, description is almost non-existent.It focuses on an obsession with a single man - his life consumes the protagonist's existence. It's supposed to be a book one can slip in to - to be the protagonist, to forget she's even there. Simplistic writing (read: no big words) lets the less academic demographic, and the readers who are not avid readers, engage easily with the story. This expanded readership results in widespread liking for the novel, resulting in a cult following (or at least very high sales).

Before you consider writing a book like that and becoming filthy rich, observe the trends in the market. Since both Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey, thousands of copycats of each have flooded the market, some of them vastly better than what came before. None of them have reached the cult popularity of the first. If you're going to write something, either make sure it's sufficiently set apart from the current obsession, or make it good. Really good. Maybe it's not accessible enough to create a cult following, and you may not get movies, but it will last a hell of a lot longer than Twilight.

It's Been A While

Okay, a couple of things. First, I've been a bit lax with posts, as you might have noticed over the past month. I've been busy making Christmas gifts for my family, but that's really no excuse. I could have made time if I wanted to. That's what this post pertains to. Maintaining consistency in your writing habits can be a real problem.

Well, why should we keep consistent writing  habits, and not just write when the mood takes us? There are a couple of reasons, but I'll start with the most obvious. There will always be other things, and if you don't set aside at least a little time, you will end up with a lot of ideas and very little on paper. Also, keeping a writing schedule helps keep your story fresh in your mind, avoiding embarassing things like plot inconsistencies.

So, what to do? Think through your day. What time do you have for writing, and how can you use it most effectively? Is it evenings when you most like to write? Set them aside, then. Your morning commute is a chore? Use those few precious minutes to get words on paper.

I suppose the best advice I can give at this point is to soldier on. Even if you don't really feel like writing, do it anyway. Make a commitment that you will get those words written. If you like word count goals, you can set yourself one, like NaNoWriMo. Anything to motivate you. And if you're terrible at motivating yourself, get someone else to do it for you. My sister does a great job.

That's it folks, short and sweet. I'll be back soon with a new kind of post. I've been thinking about how to spice this little blog up, and I think I've got something. See yas.

Jump off a Cliff, See if I Care

This post deals with making characters likeable and interesting. I have been recently playing Assassin's Creed III, which has brought this question sharply to mind with Connor Kenway. Though he has a wonderfully interesting backstory and cool skills, I still don't really like him as much as Desmond, Ezio or even Haytham Kenway, his (SPOILERS) evil templar dad. So why is this, I wonder. I guess to find the answer I had better pick apart the characters.

First, Desmond. He is an unwilling and unlikely hero, to begin with useless at being an assassin. He is captured by the templars and stuck in the Animus, a device which allows him to relive the memories of his ancestors. He finds what they want before escaping with Lucy, who brings him to a small group of assassins. Then he relives the memories of Ezio Auditore, in order to recieve Ezio's skills. Now, why is he interesting. For one thing, his reactions are something we can all relate to. We believe we would react the same way in his situation. We have also had four games to 'bond' with him. It helps as well that his story compelling.

Now, Ezio. Ezio Auditore da Firenze loses his father and brothers when he is a teenager, and he and his mother and sister run to the small village of Monterregione. His story is one first of revenge towards the ones who killed his family, then a struggle against the Borgia family. We can relate to Ezio because he is also human; though he has an innate goodness and nobility and later wisdom (plus assassin skills), he also has the very human desires for love and revenge.

Haytham Kenway is an example of a character I probably shouldn't like, but I do. Is it his english accent, his quickness to come up with a plan, or his self-assured manner? Maybe it is a combination of the three. He seems gentle and understanding, dealing with the captured Native American woman as he frees her brethren. He is patient, waiting several months before again meeting with the Native Americans. And he shows a dislike for undue conflict, preferring a well thought out plan.

So, why doesn't Connor measure up to any of these? He is the most fully developed character in the game, with the circumstances of his birth explained fully, and his training lasting a very long time. He doesn't have an objectionable personality, apart from the occasional bad judgements and a slight arrogance and unwillingness to see people as anything but evil. But perhaps it is these last traits which make him unlikeable. It is, it seems, the Harry Potter effect. These are the traits which Mr Potter displays most prominently, and consequently turn him into a character which I can't really relate to. The stubborness of his disposition mean that character development is really out of the question (if AC characters develop), and makes him seem a bit flat. I know such people exist, but they make me cringe.

Maybe it's just me, but now that I look at it, Harry seems far too perfect. Just look at some people's character traits lists: brave, hard working, kind, caring, clever, independent, optimistic, humble, loyal, giving, self sacrificing, loving, smart, etc. Perhaps J.K. killed her character with kindness. He has faults, but they're faults which make me cringe, and in everything else he's bloody perfect.

I need to know if it's just me! And please, don't shoot me, I'm a huge fan of HP too. I don't mind Harry at all, I'm just indifferent to him. Sayonara!

Pantsing like a Planner

Right, well, I've been on both sides of the divide. Who hasn't been told that not to have a plan is to go without an ending, to invite chaos into your manuscript? In truth, I just wanted to get writing, and think about silly things like an overall story arc later. Here are my reasons for being a pantser and not a planner, plus the pros and cons for each.

Planner
Pros
- You know exactly where you're going, so you can foreshadow it.
- Your writing is neat and tidy, no unexpected turns
- You don't invite plot holes if you plan properly

Cons
- Your characters don't always do what you want them to
- If they don't, you need a new plan
- Lack of flexibility

Pantser
Pros
- No need to plan
- Story grows organically
- Masses of plot twists make the story interesting
- No plot holes, because the story goes where it will

Cons
- Lots of little events rather than one overarching story
- Story might not end up as you originally envisioned
- Characters! What are you doing!?

Now, how does this affect me? Well, the seat-of-the-pants approach was something I'd never really thought about until I started with absolutely no planning on November 1. It was scary, but very soon I had main characters, villains, and a story of some sort. It felt good, but I soon realised that I had to drive this story in a particular direction.

This is where the planning element comes in. No matter how much of a pantser you are, everyone needs to plan. Even if it's only a vague plan in your head, telling you where your current plot is going to take you, it needs to be there. That way plot elements can be foreshadowed, without losing that element of surprise that is the most wonderful and frustrating thing about pantsing.

Unless, of course you're a cyborg who can plot the whole thing and make it work without dragging in the slightest. In that case, you don't need this post. If you're that person, I salute you and wonder if I can somehow steal your brain. Because pantsing can be exhausting at the best of times, and coming up with an ending can be like pulling teeth. Seriously.

So even the most serious pantser needs elements of planner, and even the most hardened planner needs to do some planning (or their characters might do it for them). I stand by the approach because I am a fence sitter, and it's what I do. Pantsing is a wonderful thing, but to relieve that stress you need some kind of plot. So sit back and wonder what it is you want to achieve with you story. It's well worth it.

Lessons Learned This Month

As NaNoWriMo draws to a close, I'm reflecting on the things I have learned this November - my first NaNoWriMo - and why I have actually reached an impressive word count when I have previously not managed more than 20k.

First off, there's one of the mantra of NaNo - write first, ask questions later. This is a concept I didn't fully understand before I put pen to paper. Surely it's good to check things out as you write? As it turns out, first you need to write the damn words. Write as much as you can, make it as good as you can on a first draft, but don't get hung up on it. It's a first draft, and draft is the operative word here. It is not going to be perfect.

That's one of the reasons I'm well on my way to winning. Another is the concept of a daily goal. I'm one of those writers who takes a very long time to write anything. I think my benchmark is around 1,000 words per hour. So, I can't leave it until the last minute and write on November 29, because I'll either go mad or sleep deprived or both. Not a good scenario. NaNoWriMo helps by setting a daily goal of 1,667 words per day. It means you can't miss a day, but if you know something's gonna throw a spanner in the works, as it did on the 24th. Go on, check out my stats. Pretty good, huh? Mind, if there was something I couldn't foresee, I would have had to catch up, and that would have sucked. But that diagonal grey line sure helps put things into perspective.

The next most important thing I have learned is plot developments. It may sound self explanatory, but I really had no idea how to write them before NaNo. Since I have pantsed my novel this year, I have simply written whatever plot developments pop into my head, not what I have planned to happen. I have found that a plot is a complicated, crazy beast in which lots of little things lead to a glorious conclusion. As long as you keep in mind where you want your novel to go, those little plot developments will reach a point you are satisfied with. If they don't, just add another plot development.

This next one I already knew - the first part, at least. Writing is HARD, it really is. That's the bit I already knew, but there's a second part to this sentence I had yet to discover. Writing is hard, but all it takes is imagination and perseverance. I have discovered this month that I have those things in droves. One night I stayed up almost till midnight to get that little extra to reach par. I swear I have never written that fast in my life. I have been thinking all month how easy it would be to give up, and let the plot bunnies eat my novel. But that's not how it works. I must win, even if my novel turns into a raging uncontrollable beast.

One more thing: staying up late is a bad side effect of daily goals. I should by rights finish earlier, but the more pressure, the better I work. I'm a little undisciplined that way.

Less than 10k to go! I'll see you at the finish.

NaNoRomance

Okay, I'm taking a break from NaNo today, and that means blogging! Nothing better than to use your time to waste precious words on a blog. Jokes... I like blogging, almost as much as I like forums. I could never do twitter though. My thoughts are too big and complex to condense down.

Anyway, now for something more on topic. I've been struggling with the issue of writing romance for a while now, so what do I do but share it with the internet!? Honestly, I think I have a problem here. But I digress. I've made all of the mistakes in the book, plus a few more. So here goes. I've got a little list. (And they'd none of them be missed) Cookies for the reference!

1. Never ever intentionally create a love interest unless you really know what you're doing. I have done this before as a 'newbie' writer, who was just really obsessed with the idea of falling in love. Unless you know your character intimately and their thoughts inside out, chances are that the love will be weak and uninspiring. If you have ever written a love story, you will know what I mean.

2. Do not get your characters together unless they have both plausibly fallen in love. Take Harry Potter, for example. The Ginny/Harry thing, and also the Hermione/Ron thing were building up FOREVER. Because that's what it takes to fall deeply, truly, in love.Now think about Twilight. Why do we hate the love story so much? Because Edward is supposedly 'perfect' and Bella falls in love with him straight off the bat. DO NOT under any circumstances rush this process, unless you intend the love to be shallow and untrue (which I have done). The falling in love is sometimes the most beautiful part.

3. Break the barriers. Get your character to fall in love with the most unlikely/ugliest character in your story. You may just discover that they are perfect for one another.Why is Beauty and the Beast so wonderful? Because their love transcends the boundaries of his beastliness. You may not intend your ugly character to fall in love with your wonderful character, but don't worry. If it happens, embrace it. It's a wonderful plot development.

4. Infatuation =/= love. I think I sort of covered this with point #2, but let's be clear. Infatuation can be a wonderful plot point, but it is not a solid basis for a lasting relationship.

5. Last point. If unsure, drag it out. I know some readers would scream at me for this, but if you're not sure what point the relationship between your characters is at, leave it be. You'll probably know when they're finally ready to get together.

Adios, amigos! 6 days of WriMo-ing left to go.

It's all been done before

Okay, so today's post is about something that I used to worry about an awful lot: originality. Because you want your novel to stand out, don't you? So I thought, what's a story idea that nobody else has used, that will give me a really original premise for my plot? The answer, as I later learned, is there isn't one. I'll explain.

Right, first, an exercise in thinking up ideas. So, what's the most original idea you can come up with, that you would actually want to write (Comments, guys)? I'll give you some of my scrapped ones. A civilisation of flying people, that the world at large doesn't know about. A story set in the future where an assassin refuses to kill a child. A nerdy teenager who is really a vampire and uses his powers for good during the night. Sounding alright? Well, let's think about this further.

None of these projects got off the ground, mostly because I was lazy. But anyway, how original are these ideas? When you think about it, my flying people idea was simply an isolated minority that the world at large doesn't know about. Not so original now, is it? An assassin refusing to do their duty is pretty unoriginal too. And my vampire one, which I never got past planning, features him accidentally biting a girl and subsequently teaching her how to save the world at night.

You got the idea? Let's say you choose a plotline like, an elephant and a giraffe run away from the zoo. That's pretty boring, isn't it? The zoo thing sounds a little too much like Madagascar to me. So, you flesh it out, and you end up with a blind purple elephant befriends a giraffe and they run away from the circus. That's better, right? But would you really wan't to write it?

Okay, so my point is this. Everything's been done before, but that doesn't mean you can't put your own spin on it. Don't think too much about the central idea, just let the words flow. What comes out will be uniquely you, because your novel will be the sum of your ideas and experiences. If what you're doing sounds a bit too much like what someone else did, don't worry about it. Unless you're copying them word for word, you'll end up with something different. And if you're still worried, add a plot development which moves it in a completely different direction. Remember, nothing's set in stone.

And if you do end up writing a vampire romance, at least make sure it's better than Twilight. After all, my blind purple elephant was a better plot than that drivel (apologies to Twi-hards, but you have to admit that her ideas weren't very complex... or maybe you don't).

Until next time, happy writing!

A Fairytale-Lover's Lament

Today's post is to do with Snow White and the Huntsman. I was immensely disappointed with this move for a number of reasons which I shall go in to in a second. And don't worry, it does have something to do with writing! And a warning, this article does contain spoilers.

What ruined this movie most of all was the much hated Kristen Stewart. Though I'm sure she tries her hardest, the Easter Island statues could do a better job. At least they don't think that breathing heavily constitutes emotion. It's the same expression throughout. Now I'm certain that her failure is not the director's fault. Though he also has a lot to answer for, considering he cast her. The other performances were good if not great, notably Charlize Theron and some of the Dwarves. Chris Hemsworth's best scene was the one where he kisses Snow White back to life, and the irony is not lost on me that it's his only scene which she's not in.

The music, I have to say, was wonderful, especially the Florence and the Machine song at the end (for the record, I'm not usually a Florence and the Machine kind of girl). The costumes were lovely, and the scenery and CGI was very believable.

But there's another area in which this movie falls down. It is the scripting, and there's a very good reason why. There are a couple of scenes/lines in this movie which don't advance the story at all. Two notable examples are the scene in which one of the dwarves dies and the fact that Snow White says she 'sees' what's in the Queen's head while she's 'dead' (which has absolutely nothing to do with how she kills her). I could have done with a few more scenes reinforcing the relationship between the Huntsman and Snow White. All due respect to Chris Hemsworth, the first I realized that they liked one another, he was kissing her. There was also an unrequited love plot line with William which went absolutely nowhere.

So, how does this relate to writing? It's simple. Don't put things in your novel which don't advance the plot line or the relationships (the best things are the ones that advance both). If there's a specific event that you want to include, make it relevant. Change the plot if you have to.You never know, it might make it more interesting. but whatever you do, don't make a good plot into a mediocre one by adding unnecessary scenes. They'll just clutter up the reader's head with useless information, unless they have something to do with the journey your characters take (more on  emotional journeys in a later post).

That's it, dear reader. Ciao!