Fiction Scribe

Well, I’ve taken another look at Writing.com and, no offense to anyone signed up there, but I just don’t think it’s worth it.

Feel free to disagree with me, but I’m cheap and broke and thus not paying for any sort of account. Given that, I will apparently be subjected to “heavy” graphic and pop up ads, slow instant message times, no access to many things I don’t even know what they are, can’t post in classifieds (which I think would be very useful on a writing site), and worst of all…

I can’t create any crossword puzzles!

Seriously, though, I don’t mean to be flippant, but I’m not currently going to take the time to sign up for a site I’m not likely to use. You can check out the account comparisons and tell me if you think I’m wrong.

Perhaps in the future I’ll sign up for a more in-depth check, but as it stands, I’m drifting over Writing.com.

Feel free to comment and tell me what I’m missing, if you feel I’m being unfair.

writer’s resources, writing sites

Another short and sweet pet peeve for you, ladies and gentlemen. It concerns the subject of your characters thinking.

One of the first things I learned when I started studying the technical side of writing was this big no-no:

I like chocolate pie, he thought to himself.

To put it simply, unless you’re telepathic, you’ll always think to yourself.

Happy writing!

writer’s mistakes, creative writing

Having finished a few works which are either now out and being edited or waiting on the shelf for like treatement, I face an interesting question:

When and for how long do you put something aside? You’ve just finished your baby; is it time to let it go for a bit and if so, for how long?

I am a writer who, like many other writers, believes you need to put something away for a while before you can edit it properly. Coming at it with “fresh eyes” so to say.

But when do you put it away? Right away? After a first, rough edit?

Fortunately, the only thing you need to worry about with this is when you want to get it published. The longer you leave it, the longer you wait before submitting your work. However, there is another side, because the shorter time you give yourself between finishing your writing and editing (or editing again), the more likely you won’t have quite as an objective look on your work.

This, like many things I post about, is subject to personal preferences. However, there is one thing I will say about putting your work away:

To quote the brother of my high school composition teacher: If you “sit on” your manuscript, the only one reading it will be your butt.”

Don’t rush, but don’t wait too long, either.

Yes, that’s a bit vague, but I have faith in your judgement.

publishing, editing, fiction writing

The one, the only…

I say … and you think … ?

1. Hardball ::
2. Sleepless ::
3. Graduation ::
4. Presents ::
5. Toe ::
6. Lotion ::
7. Snicker ::
8. Eve ::
9. Investment ::
10. Pain ::

This week’s exercise is more of an ongoing project for you. Perhaps you already have something like this going, but if you don’t, I highly reccommend you do so.

Get a notepad or notepad - preferrably something you can have with you at most/all times - along with a pen. Then write in that book anything - a smell, sight, word, emotion - anything at all that moves something in you or makes you think that would be a good thing to write about. This is an especially good thing to do when in your travels when you’re experiencing new sights, tastes and sounds.

I have a book I put all of those things in and there are things from years ago I have yet to use. However, reading over that list, even if I don’t use anything on it, can help spur me on to write about other things and get going on my work.

creative writing, writing exercises, idea notebook

“Excuse me? You want me to what exactly? Write every day?”

“You can’t be serious.”

Well, the thing about the act of writing every day is that people are serious when they say they are doing it and/or you should do it.

How do you write every day? How is that possible?

Try looking at things in a broader scope. If you’re reading this, it’s almost 100% likely you write every day and just don’t realize it. I think people get caught up with the idea of forcing yourself to sit down and spit out however many words at one time. I can tell you from personal feelings that the idea is quite intimidating. I hate being forced to do anything so I’m very unlikely to force myself to do something even if I know it’s good for me. (So much for eating all of my steamed carrots, huh? ;))

Remember that writing is writing is writing. Whether doing a blog entry, freewriting in your notebook, or writing a letter/email, it’s still writing. The important part is to acknowledge how much you are currently writing and make a goal to make it more. Whether or not that’s making your blog entry longer or actually sitting down to write in your notebook when you didn’t before is up to you.

Key in on the fact that you likely do take time out of your day, every day, to write. Include the three seconds it takes to sign a check if you like. It all adds up.

Don’t feel bad if you can’t keep up to the person who sits down and writes three hours every day. A lot of us either don’t have the time or simply can’t write for three hours non-stop. You know how much spare time you have and whether or not you only have time to add on to your blog entry length or if you can start taking five minutes each morning to free write.

Find something that’s comfortable for you, do it three weeks (about the time it takes to establish or break a habit), and then begin to challenge yourself by adding on a few more minutes/words. It’s a process, a dedication, and a job. Take it easy on yourself and take your time. Overdoing it will be counteractive and likely put you off from writing.

writing, fiction writing, motivation, word count goal, daily writing

I wanted the Pet Peeves to be a weekly thing, but I’m a little unorganized right now, so… I’m working on it! Promise.

As Bethany mentioned in a comment on a previous post, “off of” is another one of those filler habits writers need to break. When a sentence reads the same without a word as it does with a word, then take the word out. If a group of words - in this case off of - reads and means the same if you use just one word - off - then just use the one word.

Down with filler words!

So I went to the library and couldn’t find any of the books people mentioned. That makes me a bit crabby. I’ll have to hunt around on the internet for them and see if I can get them cheap somewhere.

A quickie post for today, ladies and gentlemen.

This morning I began working on a loose script for a podcast I may or may not submit, and I noticed something about my writing.

In the last pet peeve, I mentioned the overuse of the word “that.” As a writer, I have successfully cut my use of the word in half, if not more. However, I’ve found I’ve replaced it with an addiction to another word:

Just.

I just wanted to say… She just wanted to… Bob just wanted just one more look…

No, I never used “just” twice in one sentence, but I do tend to use it a lot more than I should.

Writers beware of words like “that” and “just” which you can put in and take out as you please. “Take out” is the best option in “filler word” situations.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have responded all comments in case, like Elizabeth, you wanted a response.

Also, I’m reviving the shoutout in case anyone missed it.

So far I have “Bird by Bird” by Anne Lamott and “Escaping Into the Open” by Elizabeth Berg.

Any more?

“There are thousands of them. If you’re a writer, you’ve likely seen most of them, taken a look at most of them, and perhaps bought one or two.

Books about writing, publishing, or both.

Right now I have two on my bookshelf, though I would have more if not for the move to Oz.

So…

I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.

I’d like to know which books have worked for you, haven’t worked for you, and the ones that have been used so frequently that you should really get around to buying a new copy. Whether on publishing, writing, or something akin to either, I’d like to know. If I can find it at the library, I’ll take a look at it. :)”

I say … and you think … ?

1. Research ::
2. Chuck ::
3. Insert ::
4. Bang ::
5. Lousy ::
6. Rehearsal ::
7. Critics ::
8. Memory ::
9. Squid ::
10. Remove ::

Back from vacation and just awake enough to post the UMs.

When you’re writing, you no doubt look for things that work for you no matter whether you need it to work for your writing space or your novel notes. There are a lot of tips, tricks, and habits writer’s usually (supposedly) use which I don’t. So when I suggest things that might help you out, I highly encourage you to do something different from what I’ve suggested.

What?

Do something different from what I’ve suggested because that will make the tip, trick, or habit more personal, and you’ll be more likely to keep on with it. That being said, let’s move on to one of my essentials as a writer:

The Novel Bible.

What is a novel bible? Well, depending on who you are, it’s either that neatly compiled folder of everything to do with your novel with expaning folder sections and separate color coded categories, or it’s that stack of napkins over on the corner of your desk under the empty sushi container.

The novel bible is basically your reference book, created by you, to call on at any time when you forget anything. All of your notes, character sketches, research, scene sketches, etc.

What exactly goes in it? That’s your choice. I can only tell you what I have in mine. If you look down a little to your right on the screen, there is a list of categories. If you click on that and go to exercise three, you have what goes into the first section of each one of my bible’s: the character sketches. (I apologize to anyone who takes offense at the use of “bible” for this, but that’s what I was taught to call it.)

However, it’s all about what works for you and your habits. I don’t do that entire sketch for every one of my characters because I average probably about thirty characters per novel, if not more. I mainly do it if I have a lot of characters to deal with who are main facets of the novel. Otherwise, various character notes always do.

(Oh, I also always have a title page because I usually need one page to put all the random post-it notes on. )

You can seperate your characters however you like. My main categories are Major Characters, Minor Characters, Cardboard (Space Takers/Plastic) Characters, and OT (Only Talked About) Characters.

The next section is fairly easy but mostly something I use for note-type things instead of detailed sketching. Scene descriptions.

As I said, I usually just use this section for notes or brief summaries of possible future scenes, but you can do more. For the sake of experimenting, I tried writing a novella all previously plotted out with scene description templates like this:

Location:
Characters:
Introducing Characters:
Events:

I’m more not a sketch kind of woman than am one, but it did work, no matter how tedious I found it to be.

The next (and last, in my case) section is the notes and research section. Now, depending on how expansive or in-depth your novel is, you may want to consider breaking this up into two categories. I generally don’t, preferring to keep my notes in front and research in back of one section. The easy way.

What’s the point? A mistake some writer’s make is making Haley’s eyes blue on page 34 and then making her eyes green on page 115. You have to remain consistant in every little detail, so taking and keeping notes is important.

If there are any sections you have that I haven’t mentioned, let me know.

There are thousands of them. If you’re a writer, you’ve likely seen most of them, taken a look at most of them, and perhaps bought one or two.

Books about writing, publishing, or both.

Right now I have two on my bookshelf, though I would have more if not for the move to Oz.

So…

I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.

I’d like to know which books have worked for you, haven’t worked for you, and the ones that have been used so frequently that you should really get around to buying a new copy. Whether on publishing, writing, or something akin to either, I’d like to know. If I can find it at the library, I’ll take a look at it.

This is a mistake that I think is just one of those things that will never change. I see/hear it in music lyrics, in spoken words, even in the newspaper.

When you’re talking about a person, he or she is the person who said or did something. He or she is not the person that said or did something.

That is my biggest pet peeve of all time, and I’m fully aware I’m guilty of it at times. Unfortunately, the way you check for this is using “Find” on your word processor (Ctrl+F for Windows) and finding every “that” you have used. The job may be tedious, but it’s definitely worth it in the end. Your work will sound much better if you talk about the people who do things instead of the people that do things.

Rant over.

I found the link to Fiction Factor through Kate @ Kate blogs about writing & web design, and I have to say thank you to Kate.

Fiction Factor is a site I found to be more relaxed than other writing sites while still providing a lot of information. There is an easy drop down menu right in the middle of the screen towards the top of the screen so you can easily navigate through.

The articles are interesting, but the site provides more than just articles!

Go check it out.