All Write Already: Year Of Your Book
Page 15
–Bestselling author Teri Wilson
Day 155
Rest In Pieces
Don’t be afraid to kill off a secondary character. While it’s easy—well, easier—to savagely murder/gently kill a character with no real stake in the game, a death scene will have a greater emotional impact if the character is loved. And, once your reader knows you’re willing to kill a beloved character, the tension should rise every time they flip a page. They’ll wonder, Who is next to go?
Just make sure you give these secondary characters a death they deserve, or one that impacts your story. That doesn’t mean you should or shouldn’t kill them in the most heinous way possible; it only means the characters still breathing your fictional air need to feel grief or loss or something, depending on the relationship the two characters shared, and respond accordingly.
When you respect the sacrifice made by your characters, you make sure your readers’ emotional investment has a worthy payoff. Killing a character for a simple reaction is never the goal.
Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.
Day 156
Flirting Begins: New Book Syndrome
As you write one book, you might get an idea for another. One you are even more excited about. Many romance writers like to call this New Book Boyfriend Syndrome.
We know because we’ve soooo been there. Look at all the pretty new book ideas. Surely they’re better than the one I’m working on right now. But. At this point, the allure of a new idea can be detrimental to your writing.
If you never finish writing book one, you’ll never finish writing book two and three, either. So, whatever you do, finish your first book. Afterward, you can look back and say, I did it! I can do it again!
Have some authors published their first novel? Yes. Will our first manuscripts ever see the light of day? No. They suck. But we learned so much from the experience and the process. As we mentioned above, we also discovered we had the wherewithal to write a complete novel, and it gave us the confidence to finish the next and the next.
Once you have a full book under your belt, you’ll have more confidence to judge what works and what doesn’t, as well as what is a viable idea versus a pretty but useless one.
So how do you combat new book boyfriend syndrome? Get a notebook or open a new file and label it NEW IDEAS. As you are writing your first book, write any new ideas that come to you. Once you’ve finished Book One, you can review those new ideas and more confidently write your favorite.
Your writing assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.
Day 157
Track it!
We love leaving editorial notes for ourselves in whatever word processing program we happen to be using. We leave these comments, questions, and ideas for ourselves in each of the four stages of our writing: rough draft, revising, line edit, and copy edit.
The rough draft is the first draft. Revising is what we call an overhaul of the rough draft, where we add other layers and fix any plot holes. A line edit focuses on writing style, while a copy edit focuses on style as well as grammar.
When we are editing for a publishing house, we also leave notes for our editors, and our editors even leave notes for us. But don’t forget to remove any comment bubbles before sending to your editor or proofer.
JILL: One time I left a note for my editor as a track change. Somehow, between our conversations, my comment was inserted into the manuscript. We didn’t realize it until the final read through when all of a sudden, in the middle of a description, was a personal note to my editor. I shudder at thinking the book could have been printed that way, but laugh about it now.
GENA: The same thing happened to me! My editor had written “Ha ha this is so funny!” in the margin, and at some point, someone inserted her comment into the actual book. Thank the Lord I caught the mistake before it made it to print. Now, I do an extra check for this type of thing.
Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.
Day 158
Plot Versus Character
We are often asked which is more important, plot or character? This question is very much like the famous debate: which came first—the chicken or the egg? The truth is, both plot and character are integral to your book, but every author has a different method of developing their stories. Some start with the story itself, and work their way through the characters as they go. Others have a character in mind and design a story to match. But every author is different. Some prefer plot, some prefer character. Neither preference is wrong.
For instance, when Jill set up the original table of contents, she devoted a full eighteen days to character development at the beginning of the book. Another seven days devoted to setting came before she threw in a measly three days devoted to plot. She seemed genuinely stunned when Gena suggested the plot section come before characterization. See! Two different authors working on the same project, with two different methods of operation. Just remember: Loving one doesn't mean you should neglect the other. But it might mean you need to pay more attention to the other.
Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.
Bonus assignment: Always be thinking. Plot holes–those pesky inconsistencies in the storyline–can creep up on your story. Like the time traveler who journeys into the past and hooks up with a local woman...but if you do the math, he's actually her great-great-great-great-great grandson.
Day 159
God Complex
In your story world, you are a god. You call the shots. You decide your character’s world, history, and end.
Do you need to blow up someone’s entire world, your majesty?
Should you be merciful today, oh kind one?
How can your character’s serve your endgame, oh great, dark overlord?
Remember, don’t fall into the trap of adding something to the story just because you love it. Make sure it fits.
Your assignment: Double your daily word count! Write roughly 500 words for your novel.
Day 160
Marching On!
How does today’s scene advance your plot? If you don’t yet know, consider doing a little scene blocking—writing a bullet point outline listing everything you need to accomplish in the scene. When you see it laid out, you might notice spots in need of tweaking.
GENA: Here’s an example of one of my scene blocks, taken from the first chapter of The Glass Queen:
Opens with Ashleigh as a little girl, crying at her mother’s funeral. It’s sunny and hot. Standing with her father, she remembers what led up to her mother’s death and how she failed the woman.
Explain the importance of glass coffins and a little about Ashleigh’s heart condition.
Locks gazes with the hero, Saxon. (His description.) He’s glaring. She wonders why he’s angry with her/what she did wrong.
Father gets upset over her emotional reaction. Has her sent away, but she sneaks back.
Caught by one of the story’s villains, who disappears when Saxon arrives.
Showdown between Ashleigh and Saxon. She passes out and the evil witch possessing her comes out to play—the witch is Saxon’s greatest enemy. Saxon is hurt. This marks the start of a war between Ashleigh and Saxon.
As you can see, my scene blocks cover highlights, nothing more. So I guess that makes them “building blocks,” because I have a lot to expand. Then, once I’ve written the scene, I’m able to go back with my list in mind and make sure I covered everything I mentioned.
Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.
Day 161
Reflect and Catch Up
In a work of fiction, do not kill the dog. I had to learn that lesson the hard way.
–Anonymous
Day 162
Acting Up?
Are your characters acting in character? If not, make sure there’s a logical reason.
Someone afraid of snakes wouldn’t pick one up without a good great miraculous reason.
&
nbsp; Someone who loves to run or exercise might prefer to take the stairs than an elevator.
Someone allergic to peanuts wouldn’t eat a scoop of peanut butter without needing medication.
If you’ve mentioned your character has no sense of direction, show it! Prove it.
Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.
Day 163
Make A List And Check It Twice
Don’t forget to keep a list of your overused words and phrases. Some of ours are:
All
As if
Then
Gritted
Growled
Finally
Just
Very
Already
Like
When you finish your rough draft, you can do a word search to find, replace or delete as needed.
Your assignment: Double your daily word count! Write roughly 500 words for your novel.
Day 164
Be On the Lookout!
Crafting rich descriptions in your novel can often take a backseat to plot and character development. But descriptions are a necessary part of storytelling.
If you find your descriptions are nonexistent or lacking, consider taking a field trip. When you go outside or visit a business establishment, take note of your surroundings. What details can you include in your book? Pay attention to scents and sounds. What kind of vibe did you pick up? Creepy or welcoming? How were the other patrons dressed? Did they speak in hushed tones or full volume? Did the other guests appear to be happy to be there or just going through their day?
Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.
Day 165
What Don’t You Know?
Highlight any real world facts you are even slightly unsure about for further research when you have time or after you finish your rough draft. It never hurts to double check. In fact, a double check could save you from an avalanche of reader email describing where you went wrong–aka regret.
Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.
Day 166
DO Judge a Book By Its Cover
There’s a reason you’ve heard the phrase, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Because people do it all the time. If you plan to self-publish, monitoring the trends and covers in your genre of choice is part of your job. Be on the lookout for cover designers you love. They may have a sale or post a premade cover perfect for your story. Often your favorite authors will post who designed their cover, or whether they used an original photo by a specific photographer.
While an amazing cover isn’t a guaranteed sale, it will never be a deterrent to one, or stop a reader from reading the blurb.
Your cover should give a clue to your reader of the sensuality level as can the title and series name.
Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.
Day 167
Show Me The Money
“How much money do you make?”
If we had a dollar for every time someone asked us that question, we’d have made a lot more dollars. The thing is, no two authors are alike. There are too many variables to consider. The publisher. The state of the market. Timing. Trends. Ability to meet deadlines. Past sales. Idea. Competition. The list goes on and on.
You can make pennies or millions, something or nothing. You can even lose money, pouring cash into covers and content, by not making enough sales.
But here’s the kicker: You won’t know what you can make until you finish your book.
JILL: Whenever I’m asked, my go-to response is always the same. “Not as much as you would think.”
Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.
Day 168
Reflect and Catch Up
My advice is to write what you love. That sounds so simple, right? What I mean is that when an author writes they have to care about what they are putting on the page. If you don't care about whatever it is you're saying, how can you expect your readers to care? How can you expect your readers to be invested in the character or what your character is doing if you aren't? Sometimes authors write what they think will sell, but if whatever it is doesn't move them emotionally, that often times comes across in their story and causes it to fall flat.
–Bestselling author Janice Lynn
Day 169
Burn baby, burn!
Are you waiting for your “muse” to strike? Is she late, late, late for a very important date? Well, inspire yourself! You have the tools. Stir up your creativity with music, art, a walk through nature, something! Anything! If ever something evoked strong emotions in you—the emotion you need for your story—revisit it and ponder. Plumb the depths.
Find the spark that sets your imagination on fire and let it burn!
Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.
Day 170
Shareables!
As you write, keep track of any sentences you can use for promotional teasers, also known as shareables—short, punchy one-liners or snippets that make someone want to know more or act as a hook. You can paste those sentences on stock photos and share them on your online properties.
Pro-tip: As you scroll through social media, make a note of shareables that grab your attention as well as those you want to pass right by. What made you like/dislike them? Was the font readable? Was the title or book cover lost?
Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.
Day 171
Build the Bridge
To flow smoothly, your story will need transitional sentences, paragraphs, scenes and chapters. The bridge that brings your different thoughts, actions and emotions together.
I love my life. Writing is fun.
The two thoughts appear unrelated. But, we can connect them by adding a transitional sentence.
I love my life. I get to write! Writing is fun.
You can even vary the sentences, adding narrative between your statements, to give your bridges added flavor.
Dogs like to play in my backyard. I stepped in poop.
Dogs like to play in my backyard and crap. Oh, the smell! This morning I stepped in poop.
The same principle is true for the entirety of your novel. One thing should always lead to another. How is the scene you’re working on connected to the scene that came before it? How will you connect today’s scene with the next?
Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.
Day 172
Pacing Pointers
The pace of your novel is the speed with which your story unfolds for the reader. For example, urban fantasy may unveil its secrets at a much faster clip than an epic fantasy. And “slow-paced” does not mean boring, while “fast-paced” doesn’t mean the story will always keep your reader engaged.
Once again, there is no right or wrong answer for the pace of your novel, but as you read, there will be visual clues that tell you if things need to pick up or slow down.
Clumps Aren’t Just Bad In Gravy. Too much narrative clumped together can slow your book’s pace to a crawl. And yes, this can be boring. Consider searching for places to add dialogue whenever you notice extended periods of thought and action.
Dialogue is often the quickest way to deliver information and backstory without needing to rely on exposition. But long stretches of one-sided conversation could indicate your dialogue is shifting to a monologue.
Additionally, dialogue can slow your pace if the reader is forced to slow down and figure out who is talking. Make sure to tag, add emotional reactions and physical reactions to the dialogue as needed.
Action scenes can be some of the most fun to write, showing conflict, encounters and dangers as they occur, all while moving the story forward. Inner thoughts and long, descriptive passages are kept at a minimum during these scenes. If you were running for your life or in the middle of an argument, you wouldn’t stop to consider the weather or how someone’s hat looks.