For writers

Beating Writer's block
A few ideas that might help you crack it

Stuck at a certain scene, can't seem to get past it? Then leap ahead, write another scene, a middle, an end... you can come back and sort that tricky scene out later.

To prevent getting all dried up, stop half way through an exciting part of your writing, leave some for tomorrow and know where to start again.

Characters
Or the guy in the white hat and the guy in the black hat

1. Don't forget to let your characters evolve. People are effected and changed by things that happen to them, reflect that in how they react to events. Let them learn from their mistakes, or be scarred by their history
2. What is your characters vulnerability? What do they fear, and how will they react when faced with it?
3. If you are going to write about characters with a job people will recognise, like a lawyer, then you are going to have to do a bit of research to make sure you get everything right. Nothing snaps a reader out of the story than something that jars, remember lawyers will read it and go 'that's not right!'
4. Think about how your character talks; give them a particular patter, catch phrases. By giving them a distinctive voice you make them live.
5. Check that you have given the reader all the information he/she needs to understand a characters motivation?
6. Don't forget when planning characters to know as much about your protagonists supporting cast, as you do about him/her. Flesh out a whole bunch of interesting characters, not just one.
7. Think about what journey you want the character to make, what lessons will he/she learn in the book. (This is my new favourite way of looking at plot)
8. Make sure that any character mannerisms remain the same during the whole story.
9. It's great to let characters have specific phrases or ways of speaking, it helps the readers identify them.
10. Characters have their own goals and driving forces, make sure that they are staying true to them.
11. It's OK to have characters who have mixed feelings, and are occasionally contrary- its makes them people after all.
12. When giving characters in your stories 'life', make sure that they all have different, colorful personalities. You story would be very dull to the reader if every character seemed to act exactly like another.
13. Never make a 'perfect' character. Each character has flaws and undesirable traits, either physically or in their personality. Make sure to let the reader know about these flaws, so they can relate to the character and continue to stay enthralled in the story. If they can't relate to characters, they won't enjoy the story because it will lack that realism that every story needs. Thanks to Kristen Johnson for this tip
14. Don't let your characters have life too easy- how can solutions to their problems make things worse perhaps?
15. Never give your character a dialect you are not familiar with, there is nothing worse than having a character change dialect in the story,watch dubbed movies especially Hong Kong ones ,liverpudlian comes out all wrong and lancashire that switches to yorkshire is ridiculous. Thanks to Mistwolf for this tip
16. Don't be afraid to let your characters go. Sometimes, if you keep an important character through like an entire series, they lose their purpose in the novel and no longer become important. Let the others that spent time with this character carry on their traditions and dreams to make the story move on. Sometimes it will had a significant amount of feeling to the novel. Thanks to Julie Wenzel for this tip
17. It's not only heroines and heroes that should be interesting, if the villain isn't captivating then neither will your story be. I personally find HOW and WHY to be something more interesting than 'he just is OK...?'
18. Characters will, if properly rendered, take on a life of their own, and that is a magical moment. One of mine veered off in one direction when I thought he was going in another. On the whole I think this is good, it means they have a life separate from the writer, and are acting out their own personality. But don't give him so much freedom he takes over the book!
19. Watch your point-of-view, it can be confusing to the reader to jump around between characters. Generally do not change POV in the midst of a scene.
20. Try and avoid minor character POV, this just confuses the author into thinking that character is important.

Editing
How to enhance rather than kill your creation.

1. Don't expect too much from your first draft- it will be ugly, and you will be disappointed if you expect any different. Don't be discouraged- all those polished stories in bookshops started out ugly too! That's what editing is all about.
2. Put your story away! Weird as this sounds, leave it for a month- six if you can bear it, before going back and editing. It will give you a bit of perspective, and give you space to detach a little emotionally from it.
3. Print your story out and go to town on it. I like to use a pen, but some prefer markers. Whatever your weapon of choice begin scribbling.
4. Don't stop at your second draft, go back for a third time; be picky, make sure you have grammar, and spelling all worked out. Polish that third draft until it gleams.
5. Trim the fat! Get rid of any repetitive information, or anything that the reader could work out for themselves.
6. Use this site to begin editing for errors.
7. Editing is a totally personal thing. Some people prefer to go back after finishing a chapter, but myself, I find waiting to the end gives me a better idea on how the form of the whole thing is going. Look for those gaps in logic, or where a character acts inappropriately. At this stage I found it very useful to have a diligent proof reader (in my case a couple). I also find it helpful to read the thing aloud- if it sounds wrong, it'll read wrong.
8. Every scene- nay every sentence should do at least one of these things; move the plot forward, build character, or set a scene. If it doesn't- then why the heck is it there?! We've all done it, built a dream sentence a real beauty that we love and sounds great- but I'm afraid if it doesn't do anything-- then it HAS to die!! Sorry...
9. Once you've written be as critical as you can of each scene, each characters motives- because surely editors and readers will be. Each scene should have a purpose. Many was the time I discovered I was writing scenes for my own viewing pleasure rather than to advance the story.
10. Read your story out loud, either to yourself or to someone whose opinions you value. Often things sound wrong when they don't read wrong.

Dialogue
Or please let the characters speak for themselves

1. Make sure dialogue is serving the purpose, and moving the story forward. Like the rest of your writing dialogue should work hard.
2. Let emotion filter through in how your characters talk; if they are angry short clipped sentences, if they are in a tender scene, let them 'speak' softly
3. Throw in body language to illustrate how your character is feeling
4. Read dialogue aloud- does it sound natural, or is it stilted or unrealistic?
   
5. Fiction Factor has this interesting article on 'dialog packets'. Sounds like a way to keep people interested.
6. Dialogue is important. It should not only sound natural, but also reveal character.
7. Listen to the pattern and flow of dialogue in real life
8. Think about the character that is using the dialogue. Would they really say this? What emotion is it showing? What are the characters objectives in this scene?
9. Also think about where dialogue is happening. What is going on around the conversation? Try and work in scene description, sights and smells etc.

Motivation
Or how to keep the fires stoked

1. Remove as many distractions as possible; watch how much email you read, or how many internet sites you visit- you could be using your computer to write you know!
2. Learn how to do two things at once; wash the dishes and plot your next chapter, fold the laundry and work out that characters problems. Find the time creatively.
3. There is no substitute for doing. So if you want to be a writer, then write. No excuses, as days can slip past the best of us. You must write everyday- not necessarily for long, even if only ten minutes. Once you start getting into it, there's no holding back, you'll be as surprised as I was. Creativity is just like any other muscle, it gets better with use.
4. As excited as you get (and you WILL get excited by your writing), don't share too early. A half baked idea can easily be let down by an off hand comment. Hold it in until you are good and ready to share. Don't go running off at the mouth.
5. Don't be afraid to reveal yourself. It's a fact of life, writers reveal things about themselves on the page. Be comfortable knowing this, and use it to explore yourself.
6. Network with other writers. Again a personal choice, but I found that getting together with a group of like minded people really helped me. I suddenly realised that those feelings were perfectly normal.
7. The most important lesson I have learnt though, is the discipline. Make time to write, no matter what. If you have to give up time for social activities then do it. It's what makes us writers after all.
8. Watch the world around you. Even us fantasy writers can learn from reality. Listen to how people talk, watch a sunset, feel the wind on your face and then write about it!

Technique/Planning
Things to think of while you're working

1. I really like this idea- frustrate your character. Or put it another way, through things in their way. Don't let them have it too easy- it builds tension and moves plots forward.
2. Reveal things gradually, let characters backstory out slowly, readers like to find things out rather than have it dumped on them in the first few pages
3. Choosing a title... how I have battered myself silly over this one. Some ideas; descibe the protagonist ('Alvin Maker'), descibe the place ('City of Bones'), a vivid use of imagery ('The Wounded Hawk'), a group of people in the story ('Fellowship of the Ring'), or a description of what happens in the bookd ('Chasing the Bard')
4. Style is such a personal thing, but it is something you develop. This Fiction Factor article looks at style and how to develop yours
5. With flashbacks, it is better to have a longer one than a shorter one, as constantly flicking between scenes can disorientate the reader.
6. Remember the vital ingredient of writing- tension. Readers want to be intrigues- how can Frodo possibly destroy the One Ring? Will Rhett and Scarlet ever be together? They want conflict, and uncertainty. So if you feel your work is plodding along, think about how to add tension to your work.
7. Try and find your voice- the things that matter to you. What you want to say, and how you want to say it are important.
8. When discribing the scene don't get bogged down in detail; try and find a few brief phrases that will set the scene for the reader; the birds skidded over the wave tops, and the sand crunched between her toes ( you know where you are immediately right?)
9. Don't let your plot become too predictable, your readers want to be surprised, so add a few twists and turns.
10. Begin the story with action
11. The title must never give away the story of the book. It must be short (or long sometimes; why not?)and must puzzle the reader. For, if he/she know immediately what the novel is about, he/she has one reason less to read it. Thanks to Bardos for this tip
12. Consider how the structure of your story goes, tension should escalate, and have a beginning, a middle and of course an end.
13. When researching, research thoroughly. Read a lot of books on your subject, and don't just depend on one.
    Beginnings are very important, make yours one that grabs the reader hard.
14. Please do not make your moral of the story so obvious it makes the reader cringe- always a bad move.
15. Don't tell, show. Don't just say it happened, show through detail how it happened.
16. You should be able to sum up the whole concept of your novel in one sentence. If not- why not? You'll need to in order to pitch it to a publisher.

And from Orson Scott Card- ask these questions

So What?- Give the reader something to care about, to hold his/her attention. Otherwise they certainly will find something else to do
Oh Yeah?- Don't put yourself in a situation where the readers suspension of disbelief is broken. They'll know when something is contrived.
Huh?- Don't confuse them either. If its not understandable the reader won't bother reading on. There has to be logic in a story, a flow of events that make sense.

You have to give your readers a reason to care about your story, a clue or explanation of why events occur, and don't leave them stranded. As a writer you have to draw them with you on the story, and not leaving them standing bored or confused by the roadside.

These are only guidelines- no one can truly tell another how to write, but I know that any success I ever have will only be through not giving up and working to improve my writing.

Writers' Kit

My own little collection of sample pieces that you can feel free to use. They are examples of some of the forms I use when writing/marketing my work. Hope they are helpful.

Marketing your book

• Learn how to write a good synopsis; include character's goal, what is keeping him/her from it, and explain the main characters with good written sketches.
• Write articles for other websites, and link back to your website- get yourself out there.

Submitting to an agent

Basics
Take your time to craft your query, rather than rush at it. This is an important first contact situation. So make sure your spelling is correct, and the whole thing is just nicely crafted.
Make sure you have the basics right, like the agents name, and if they are male or female. This can irritate straight off.
Keep your letter to one page.
If you have any referral ('Charles de Lint mentioned you might be looking for new talent') then say that first thing
Then give them your hook; a short paragraph that sums up your book (this is the bit that is pretty hard)
Then after they have that give them all your books vitals; genre, length.
Now give them the substance of what you are writing, but tell them everything. Think of it like the blurb on the back of a published book.
Lasty give them a little about yourself, any qualifications you have relevant to the book, any publishing credits you have, and if you belong to any writing groups. This is so that they know you have a history of writing- they are looking for someone who is not just going to be a flash in the pan, but someone who has stickability. But don't be tempted to lie or inflate your own experience- things like that only come back on you.
End politely.. I usually go "thank you for your consideration" because lets face it, they are taking the time out of their day to read your query.

Some tricky grammar issues

OK, I sometimes get angry I wasn't taught these things at school, but then again maybe I wasn't listening. I guess back then I didn't ever think of being a writer- or I would have paid more attention.
Here I my particular slip ups

Semi colon

• Joins independent clauses, when a conjunction is not used (like but)
• Separates a statement from a question
• Separates clauses that contain internal punctuation (like a bunch of commas)