Writing 101: Off the Outline

Every author should have some structure when they're writing. I'm a big fan of  plotting and planning and pre-researching, and I'll advocate writing an outline any time you give me a chance. But sometimes, writing the story takes us off the outline and outside the original plan. When that happens, there's only one thing to do: go with it. 

On a Tangent

Things don't always go the way we plan, and that's especially true for writers. When you sit down and outline a novel at the very beginning, it's still just a concept. But things might change as you begin to write. 

Stories have a way of taking on a life of their own. As you write that book, you start to really get to know a character. You begin to think like them, see things the way they see them, and sometimes plot points that you planned no longer fit the person you've come to know on the page. 

It's good to plan, but writers also have to know how to adjust to those changes. It's okay to let the story take you where it wants to go. Remember that the outline is really just a guideline; it's there to help you get to the end, but if certain things change along the way that's okay. Always go with what you're feeling in the moment. Then go back later and read what you've written. If you're completely off course, bring yourself back on track. 

But often, writing in the moment will take you to wonderful places -- places you wouldn't have gone otherwise. Let the book and the characters lead you to those places, and explore them. Going off the outline is okay, because too much structure and discipline will stifle your creativity.

Writing 101: How to Write in the Past Tense

The vast majority of fiction books are written in the past tense. Almost every anecdote ever shared is told in the past tense. It's a tiny change from right now to just a moment ago, but writing in the past tense confuses many authors who might otherwise be wonderful.

It's common, so writing in the past tense should be easy. It should be second nature. But there is a big problem with the past: the word had.

All the Words We Had

Inserting the word had into a sentence does not automatically mean you're writing in the past tense. In fact, in many cases that I've observed, it only makes those sentences grammatically incorrect.

It's tricky, because often had looks and sounds right. See if you can spot the incorrect grammar in the examples:

I had walked over there yesterday.

You had saw that when?

It had sound like thunder in my ears.

She had said that last week, though.

Which one is right? If you said none of them, you might not need this lesson because that's right. But if you thought that any of those examples were correct, you've got to start re-thinking the many ways in which you let had sneak into your writing. 

It has an ugly way of creeping into books, the word had. So many authors stick it into sentences to make them past tense, or maybe to reinforce the past tense, and the word ends up sticking out like a sore thumb. But if you always know exactly what had means and how it ought to be used, you won't make this mistake. 

Had is indeed past tense. It's the past tense of the verb to have, which is an extremely common irregular verb. In the present, to have becomes has (example: John has a bad attitude).  In the future, to have needs a little help. Usually, it's used with the word will to become something that hasn't yet occurred (example: I will have three of them by next week). 

And in the past...well, had sneaks in. Remember the examples from earlier? It's time to find out why exactly they're all wrong. 

I had walked over there yesterday. 

This grammar error is common, and you'll see and hear it all the time. For some reason, had is often inserted in front of verbs that are already in the past tense. Walked is something that happened in the past already, so had is totally unnecessary. Correctly, the sentence reads like this:

I walked over there yesterday. 

Remember that sentences have a subject and a verb, a subject and a verb. It's not subject, verb verb. When you already have a verb in the sentence, you don't need to double up and add the verb had. It becomes redundant, and it disrupts the flow of the words. 

 It had sound like thunder in my ears.

Writers often stick had into a sentence because they're forgetting to put the real verb into the proper tense. Take the extra verb out completely, and convert the right one to the right tense:

It sounded like thunder in my ears. 

When it comes to writing past tense the right way, there's one simple thing to remember: had is often unnecessary. Check for your verbs. If they're not irregular, chances are good that you don't need had at all. Try reading the sentence both ways. Eliminate had and read; put it in and read and see which feels better. Usually, your decision will be the right one.

Writing 101: Studying the Humans

Want to be a writer? First, pretend you're an alien. You're on Earth, far from your home. And you have to study these strange creatures. Because if you want to write, you have to study humans.

It's best if you do it objectively...as though you aren't one of them at all.

Take Me to Your Leader

It helps if you know some stuff about grammar, and it's a good idea to keep a thesaurus on standby. But if you're going to write, you have to be able to get inside someone else's head. To make a character real, you have to give them hopes and dreams. They're going to need motivations and explanations for why they're doing whatever it is they're doing. They have to feel like real people...so obviously it helps if you know a little something about how real people think, and react, and what drives them.

Don't panic. You don't have to put on a wig and start following people around. I'm not advocating that you act like you're in a film noir. You shouldn't sit around and just observe your group of friends and family; this is creepy, and it isn't going to get you very far. It's best if you observe life across a variety of social classes and economic levels. Before you buy biker leather and attempt to infiltrate a gang, however, try basic research.

It's a skill that every writer has to have, and when you're researching the human condition it's actually pretty fun (not like looking up the history of writing utensils or silverware). For starters, try watching reality TV. This is sort of an extreme version of normal human behavior -- think of it as shock therapy. For example, I make no secret of the fact that I watch a lot of true crime shows. Since I write mysteries, this makes sense for me. If you're writing about romance in your books, see if you can stomach watching a dating show like The Bachelor. A lot of feelings get explored and exposed on reality TV, and it's much more helpful than it sounds.

Look at past historical figures to learn more about human nature. Who interests you? Look them up in the encyclopedia, start checking names that strike your fancy, and read bios. History can show us a whole lot about human nature, the good and the bad.

Observe life in all its forms, from the flowery historical accounts to the made-for-TV histrionics, and expose yourself to lots of different attitudes and personalities. Studying the humans is going to make you a better writer in the end, and if you have fun with it you'll learn a whole lot that can help you in your work.

A Tornado of Lies

"As she learns more and more about her past, everything she knows changes forever. Can she come out of the tornado unscathed?"

The Bibliophilic Book Blog has reviewed Justice (Deck of Lies, #1). Read the review to find out why so many details are left unwritten!

Writing 101: The Truth About Motivation

In school, some smartypants always starts a paper with the definition of the word that encompasses the subject of said paper. Some teachers hate it so much, they tell their students not to write that way. So here's your warning: this is a post about the definition of motivation...at least, the one I've decided to use for the word when it's applied to authors. Because I've discovered the ugly truth about motivation, and I know the dark secret no dictionary is ever going to tell you.

Synonyms and Staying Focused

You've got to stay motivated. You've got to be motivated. As long as you're motivated, you'll be able to write!

If this sort of advice has ever made you physically queasy, then you understand the dark pain that some writers are forced to face. Because the truth about motivation and writing is this: you can have it, and still not do anything about it.

I'm motivated to write -- clearly, I am doing so right now (real time for me, in the past for you). And like any good writing soldier, I'll whip my manuscript out when I've got free time on my hands. I'll grab that bad boy and scroll all the way to the bottom. And I'll stare at it. Maybe, just for fun, I'll put my hands on the keyboard. And even when I'm feeling fired up, and eager to spend my time getting another scene down on the page, I don't always produce words.

The truth about motivation is this: that's not the main attribute authors need. Much deeper than motivation lies simple hope. Now, you're not going to find that word hope listed in the thesaurus among synonyms for motivation (I checked), but you can bet your best typing hand that motivation without hope isn't going to get you anywhere in that novel.

And you can force writing, if you've really got to -- but nothing says it's going to be any good. You can turn off your heart to write...but you can't turn it on. And if you're not feeling in any way positive or hopeful about your book project, you're not going to have an easy time of writing it. You can still have the motivation to write, you can still have the ambition, but if you're feeling despair, or exhaustion, or helplessness or any other emotion that eats away at your hope...well, it's going to get messy.

So my advice is this: forget about motivation. Keep thinking about your stories. Keep hoping. When something bad happens, you get an ugly review or that 200th rejection letter, hope that next time you'll get a better review or a more positive answer. Keep hoping, and motivation will come naturally. Your writing will be better for it...and the words will come more easily.

Jade's Thoughts on Justice

"A few flawed characters, a dash (or more) of romance, some (or many) secrets, a bunch of character growth, and a few surprises spell out a pretty good recipe."

"Through circumstances she couldn't control, she was taken from the world she was already comfortable in and shoved into a cold, superficial one."

Read the latest review of Justice at Reading is My Treasure, and go to the end to find an interview with me where I talk about writing the Deck of Lies series!

Writing 101: Books and Race

I've avoided writing about this subject in all possible ways, and believe me I could have kept my head buried in sand much longer. But the question cropped up recently during a standard interview, and I've been thinking about it ever since. So today we writers have to ask ourselves a question: where does race belong in books?

This Land is Your Land

Some literary characters are very clearly defined when it comes to race. James Patterson has never made it a secret that Alex Cross, his main protagonist, is a black man. Tony Hillerman writes about Native American heroes. But did any of the Harry Potter books implicitly state that he's a white boy?

Race is often implied in books, more than stated, and that's my personal approach. Through descriptions, it's possible to convey race without stating it outright. A pasty or pale-skinned character can be a presumed Caucasian. The phrase "coffee-colored" appears a lot with African-American characters. Someone whose ethnicity is stated, a Peruvian for example, clearly has a skin tone to match their origins.

But usually, race goes unstated. This allows the reader to envision whatever they want, to think about the characters in a way that's comfortable for them. But it also doesn't do anything to bridge cross-racial relations, or show people of different races that they aren't so dissimilar from each other. By the same token, a book featuring a character whose race is clearly stated may alienate some readers. Unfortunately, we still live in a world where some readers may avoid a book written about an African-American hero.

When it comes to race, there's always a very fine line between acceptance and prejudice -- and that's what makes it so difficult to write. Every author has to find their own way to address race, but remember this: if you can't do it without stereotyping, discriminating or judging, don't address it at all. If you think you can't write objectively about the topic, don't. 

Race is a dicey subject, but it's the writer's job to figure out a way through all those difficult situations. Sometimes, complete avoidance may be the most successful writing technique. But if you feel you're ready to address race in a non-offensive and potentially eye-opening way, go for it. Making people think is part of a writer's job, too.

Writing 101: Insecurity

Every time you sit down at your keyboard to write a book, and actually do it, you've won a battle. Writing a book isn't just about finding a pretty way to put the words down on the page. It's not just about entertaining, or educating, or agenda-pushing. It's about defeating that little voice inside yourself that tells you you're crazy for thniking you can write a book. 

Every writer faces insecurity. And when you keep writing anyway, you're winning the battle...but you're not ever going to win the war. 

Fooling the World

It takes a certain amount of bravery to put a book out there for someone else to read, whether you're self-publishing and inviting the world at large to judge your words or you're asking your closet friend to take a look at some chapters. It's frightening to put yourself in another person's hands like that. 

Insecurity stops lots of would-be writers from pursuing their dreams, and it trips up even the most established of authors at the worst possible times. Everyone gets insecure about their writing. I can't count how many times I've thought that maybe I'm a hack, but I don't let it get to me. Because here's the thing: even the most famous authors have felt that way. 

It's not your fault you're insecure about your writing. The industry has helped make us this way. Rejection is common, bad reviews are a matter of fact, and explanations are rarely forthcoming. When you don't know what you're doing wrong, it's easy to start second-guessing everything you've done and everything you ever will do, writing-wise. It's easy to start feeling a little like a hack. It's easy to be afraid.

So go ahead and feel afraid, and insecure, and unsure of yourself...but don't let it keep you from writing. If you write and you put something out there for the public to read or for an agent to read, you will experience negativity. That happens to all writers who let anyone read their work at any time. But you will have positive experiences as well, and you'll learn from them all. You'll keep writing, you'll get better, you'll establish a fan base and you'll move on to bigger and more exciting projects. And you'll probably always feel a little like a hack.

Being insecure about your writing is a good thing. That shows a desire to keep improving, to produce something that's great. Fear keeps you motivated and detail-oriented. Use it, work with it, and keeping trying to improve your work so it doesn't meet "hack" status. The day you stop being insecure about your work is the day you ought to worry. Until then, keep on writing.