Writing hints and stuff I learned
along the way
© Mary Maki 2018
From where do ideas come? Anywhere – Newspaper/magazine articles, Television/Radio
shows, trending social issues, life experiences, and your imagination.
What are you passionate about? What’s your story really about? What’s at
stake for each character?
Decisions:
Genre
(Where will your book be placed in a bookstore or library?), setting, characters,
plot line (s), and timeframe. Will you be a plotter or pantser or both?
Character Development
Elizabeth George’s book On Writing, states, “Story is
Character.” Give them flaws; have them doubt themselves. Let them grow and
change by the end of the book. Write a bio for each character. You need to know
everything about the characters—physical attributes (hair and eye color,
height, weight, age, etc.) mental condition, family background, and occupation.
Think of character analysis as physical, psychological and sociological. Once
you have created a bio for your main characters you will know how they will respond
in different situations. Secondary characters are just as important to develop.
They should be strong. Avoid stereotypes. Don’t be surprised when characters
take over.
Scenes – Think three-act play – When setting up your story think of it in three
parts, beginning when you set up the action, middle when the action peaks, and
end when story lines are brought to fruition. Within the acts are the scenes
where the action takes place. Every scene has to move the story forward.
Point of View
Point of view is the
distance between your characters and your readers.
First Person is the most intimate point of view and will draw readers emotionally
into our character’s experience. “I” pronoun is used.
Second Person is even more intimate because readers get into the characters’
thoughts. It is used to draw readers in close. “You” pronoun is used.
Third Person is recognized by the use of “she” or “he.” This point of view is
divided into two forms: Omniscient and limited. Third person limited is the
most practical as it sticks to one character’s point of view at a time.
** The challenge is to not
mix and match point of view so that the readers don’t get confused as to who is
talking. One POV per scene.
Dialogue
Dialogue moves the story
forward, sets the tone, creates tension, and a sense of time and place. It provides
information and action. Dialogue reflects the speaker, their vocabulary, and
speech patterns.
Pacing
“Pacing is the heartbeat
of your story. It’s the rhythm that keeps your narrative on track, scene after
scene.”[1]
Think of your story as
having hills and valleys. As you ramp up the tension with conflicts, you also
need to provide readers relief from that stress. [This could be when your
subplot comes in.] Paragraphs should be kept short with various sentence
lengths. Paragraphs should not bog down in the middle. When forming sentences
watch for excess baggage, i.e. information not needed. Look for unnecessary
words and phrases, and get rid of them. Make every word
work!
Editing – Listen to the Music
Read out loud: That’s where the music comes in. Writing is not only visual. “The
words you write make sounds, and when the sounds satisfy the reader’s ear, your
writing works.” The combination of
correct words and length in a sentence creates a sound that will please a
reader’s ear. When reading your manuscript aloud, you will hear the sour notes.
Publishing – Main Stream (Traditional) or
Self-Publish – Or don’t publish at all– It’s a personal choice
Mainstream Publishing
You will need an agent.
Check the library’s edition of The
Writer’s Market for agents accepting queries in your genre. Read the
instructions carefully. What kind of books does the agency represent? Follow
directions to the letter. Learn how to write query letters. (How to Write Attention-grabbing Query &
Cover Letters, by John Wood, 808.02 Wo) Be ready to accept rejection and
most of all keep trying. When an agent accepts your manuscript, he/she will
shop your book to publishing houses. If one of them buys the book, you will
then face contract negotiations. You may need to hire a lawyer to protect your
interests. Your book will be put in the queue and you may wait a year or more
to publication.
Self-Publishing with CreateSpace
CreateSpace is an
excellent option for self-publishing. The site offers easy step-by-step
instructions for loading the manuscript and cover. It provides excellent
customer service, shows the royalty structure, and distribution options.
CreateSpace’s internal review process alerts the author to issues that might
effect publication. [Set up a separate bank account for royalties to be
deposited.] Downside: It is up to you to have a perfect manuscript and cover
art. If you don’t have qualified beta readers, hire an editor.
Marketing – That other hat to wear
Whether you mainstream
publish or self publish, you will have
to do your own marketing. This is where social media is important. Author
website, blog, LinkedIn, email contacts of family/friends, guest blogs, book
festivals, craft fairs, newspaper articles, library author
tables/presentations. Wherever you can get your name and books out to connect
with readers.
My Writing Toolbox
Bell, James Scott, Plot and Structure. Writers Digest
Books, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2004.
George, Elizabeth, Write Away. Harper Collins, New York,
NY, 2004.
King, Stephen, On Writing; A memoir of the Craft. Scribner,
New York, 2000.
Mills, Elizabeth Shown, Evidence Explained; Citing history sources
form artifacts to cyberspace.
Genealogical Publishing Company,
Baltimore, MD, 2009.
Munier, Paula, Plot Perfect. Writer’s Digest Books, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2014.
Munier, Paula, Writing with Quiet Hands. Writer’s
Digest Books, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2015.
Provost, Gary, Make Your Words Work. Writers Digest
Books, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1990.
Roberts, Gillian, You Can Write a Mystery. Writers Digest Books, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1999.
Rosenfeld, Jordan, Make a Scene. Writers Digest Books,
Cincinnati, Ohio, 2017.
Writer’s Digest – Subscribe to get all the latest information on the writing process.
