Writing Tips A to Z
Spotted people writing alphabet themed blog posts and it gave me an idea. This will be the first post in five installments of writing tips from A to Z. Yeah, I know that four doesn’t divide evenly into twenty-six, so the last group will have six letters (instead of 5), but it should be great fun along the way. These groupings will consist of the best tips that money can’t buy. Priceless. If you want the real good stuff, slip me some paper—just kidding. All my tips are one-hundred-percent free. Enjoy!
Attention to Detail- When you pull your story together, be sure to sew any holes or plot points that have been left open, as well as showing the reader the finer details of your story and characters.
Be Patient- Writing is a long process, and you must learn that patience is a virtue. The story won’t be ready over night. It takes time and investment but it’s worth the wait.
Colorful Characters- No one likes a flat character, so create characters that have colorful backgrounds and personalities.
Descriptive Language- Spice up your writing with descriptive language both during sections meant to describe someone or something as well as the dialogue you weave for your characters.
Edge of the Seat- At every turn, keep your readers on the edge of their seat. Especially at the end of a chapter, section or book, keep them guessing.
Look for the next installment of A to Z writing tips very soon!
Romancing the Reader
If there’s one thing people from any background are looking for in a story its romance. They might not tell you that’s what they want, but it’s a factor that could completely overhaul the popularity of your story. Why? Because everyone loves a feel-good tale where you can’t help but root for the protagonist to finally get the attention of their crush. It’s natural, as readers we can live vicariously through the characters and the romance aspect certainly plays into that.
With that said, readers can become very adamant about their particularly couple, even if as the writer, you don’t put them together. This is another aspect of the process that you have to be okay with people interpreting as they please. Especially since in young adult novels, there seems to be an abundance of love triangles or squares . While I agree, the conflict propels the plot, it’s becoming tiresome with the Team This and Team That. Two teams that resent each other is pretty much how these things go, but it would be nice for a tad more diversity to be entered into the plot. Must the girl always choose between two guys?
For that matter, once the choice has been made, our young protag is usually somewhere in the years of teenage-hood, getting the attention of their crush and yet, somehow that develops into a marriage-worthy relationship. How many people do you know that married their middle school or high school sweetheart? Honestly? Sure, they’re out there, but apparently every book has been written with them in mind. What about those of us who have been through many relationships, or a few, or none?
If you’re going to have a prominent romance, I would suggest that above all you make it believable in whatever terms that means for your novel. Remember though, that again, your romances should vary just like your characters and that each relationship should develop differently. I doubt even a few people have experienced the same situation as another person. Stories are all about variety and the romances within them are no different.
Share your thoughts on romances! What is the best relationship you’ve read in a novel? The Worst?
Setting the Scene
Lately I’ve been focusing on character development since your protagonists and antagonists are the heart of the story. That’s still true, but setting is just as important. I’ve said it before— the description you write for different scenes sets the tone and mood for how the reader will perceive the event. In this section of description, I would suggest to take a page from the screenwriter’s script and focus on simplicity.
As you start a new scene, ask yourself, does this take place inside or outside? During the day or night?
For Internal- Note what is important about the space: Is there furniture or other people present? Does the room belong to someone or is it obscure? An internal location can reveal secrets about its inhabitants by the décor. Remember that the atmosphere of the internal space is equally important. Is it tense or calm? Does the location offer sanctuary or create further danger?
For External- As the scene takes place outdoors, be thoughtful of its position and classify what type of space it occurs in. Urban or rural? Crowded or vacant? Outside could even be on the balcony of an apartment, or as remote as the deep woods. Moreover, the weather conditions are integral to the feel of the situation at hand and should be considered. Read more on weather here.
For Temporal- Regardless of where the scene takes place, the time of day
is necessary to explain as well. If the scene shines at night, the mood of the scene could drastically be altered if you choose to place it during the day. The times available are not as stark as morning or night either: there are other hours in-between that can create a whole new frame of mind.
It’s that simple. Sure, you can describe the places for pages or just for a paragraph, but setting comes down to these three simple points. Internal. External. Temporal. Starting off by answering questions about the location will give the scene a place to begin and for you to create detail and complexity that then provides further information for the reader.
Commentary on The (Lack of) Fiction Pulitzer
Oscars. Emmys. Tonys. Grammys. I look forward to the artistic awards every year and yet, I don’t follow book awards. It’s not like there’s a Booky award show. There should be! It would be amazing! Think about it: Hugh Jackman could host and do skits about the books, they could show book trailers for the ones nominated and above it all— everyone would be writers! But I digress. While there might not be a program, there is the Pulitzer, arguably the highest honor a book can receive. Each year, the categories are whittled down to finalists and then the ultimate winner is chosen, finally able to stamp that golden seal onto their hardcopy books from here to eternity.
Not this year. In 2012, all categories were awarded except for fiction. What gives? Without any real reason being revealed, one could surmise the finalists were so comparable, the judges could not praise one over the other. Or, you could be cynical and claim that while comparable, the reason none were given the top spot was because they didn’t deserve it.
However, the specific reason why none were chosen is not of my primary concern. What bothers me is that it was the fiction story that was not awarded. And that so many critics are okay with this. The general response is that fiction is for entertainment and not for lasting tradition to be carried throughout generations, so it’s ok. It’s not a biography to be remembered, or a harrowing tale of valor from someone’s memoirs, or a compilation of reasons why humans love music. They’re just stories. “Stories”.
Before the written word, that’s all people had were stories. Tales passed down that while some may have been true, others were meant to entertain or teach. The birthplace of myths and legends. The very beginnings of campfire lore, fairytales and bedtime stories. All of those have had a lasting impression having been carried through centuries. I contest that even the worst story does not have some sort of underlying message. And if the worst can portray a deeper meaning, then the teachings of great fiction must be worth rewarding for their efforts. All writing should be recognized for its impact on society, especially fiction- the root of all narratives.
Close call or not, pick a winner.
What are your thoughts on the Pulitzer committee not awarding a fiction prize this year?
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