Writing 101: Finish it First

Often, authors feel insecurity. You'll doubt, and second-guess, and wonder...and you'll worry. And I know it's tempting to share ideas,  plot points, even whole chapters with close confidants. But you shouldn't. If you're writing a manuscript,  wait to share it. Finish it first.

Other People's Opinions

Even authors are only human, and you're going to be influenced by other people. In fact, as an author you should be. Reviews are most beneficial not to readers but to authors. They provide honest feedback, and that's what every author needs.

That's why it seems like such a good idea to solicit advice from those closest to you. But if you start getting that advice before the book is done, it's could change the course of your story. You could be influenced by others, and then it's not wholly your story anymore.

Writing 101: Desire

What do you want? Chances are, you've got at least one answer to that question. Everyone wants something. That means your characters should, too.

Yearning

Everyone has desires. It's a fact of the human condition that no matter what you've got, you want something else, or maybe something more. In order to make your characters real, they ought to long for something, many things even.

Writing 101: Going Backwards Isn't Always Bad

In order to finish a manuscript so that it may become a book, writers have to push forward. Write, write, write until you get to the end and then you'll edit later. But it doesn't always work that way. Sometimes, you have to go back before you can go forward. And that's not always a bad thing to do for your books.

To the Drawing Board

There are times when authors have to push. You have to force the words to come. But there are times when the words should flow well, when it comes easily. And if you're not getting to that point, you're going to have to go back. You have to find out what's keeping you from moving forward.

Writing 101: Writing About the Weather

In a recent post, I wrote about the importance of setting in books. It wasn't until later that I realized I'd failed to touch on one important aspect of creating a great setting: weather. But I'm glad I did, because weather is an important enough aspect of writing to merit its own post.

And this is it.

A Dark and Stormy Night

If you go looking for writing advice, you'll find lots of authors who say you should never open a book with the weather. I don't agree, and furthermore I find it to be bad advice. Great novels and movies have started with weather.

And even if you don't start with weather, it should always be included when it's appropriate to your setting. Weather is a part of everyone's life, so why not your character's?

The blazing, merciless heat of the sun. The terrible, stinging cold of the rain. Mosquitoes and flies and buzzards screaming overhead. Weather helps make the world what it is, and it will make your books feel much more real.

We've all been hot, or cold, or caught in the rain. We've all walked through snow or sweated it out under the sun. When you add this to your books, it becomes easier for readers to put themselves in your world. Your world feels more like their world.  It feels much more real.

So write the weather, whenever and however you like. It will help your books come to life. Just remember to be careful when you're using the weather to orchestrate certain plot points. When it comes to weather, a light touch here and there is usually enough to set the scene.

Indie News: Win a Self-Publishing Award

Think your new book is one of the best of the year? Now's your chance to prove it. Shelf Unbound is holding its third annual self-publishing awards, and you can probably join in the fun.

Getting Recognition

The Shelf Unbound competition is open to all authors and publishers who create fewer than 5 titles per year. A large majority of indie authors fall into this criteria. Books in any genre can be submitted for reward recognition.

Even books that were entered last year are eligible for the contest, so the rules are pretty open. You can enter an unlimited number of books, but each one must be a separate entry. Authors from around the world are allowed to join the contest, but all books must be written in English. Books of any length can be entered.

Winners and runners-up will be picked by the Shelf Unbound editors, and will be featured in the December 2015 issue of the magazine.

Writing 101: The Setting is the Story

During Sex and the City, cast members and writers called New York "the fifth lady." The city was such an integral part of the story, it was even in the title. Here's what some authors don't get: the setting is the story, no matter where you're at. You should always be putting your setting to work...a lot.

Where You At?

The setting is the backbone of your story, and much more. It's the place where your characters live and interact. It's filled with the locations they visit and the stuff they see. In the best books, the setting truly comes alive. The reader ought to feel as though they're in the setting with your characters.

There's only one way for you as the author to do that: write the setting well. Make it such a strong part of the story that it becomes the story. Setting is everything, because it's the world around your characters. 

Writing 101: How to Pluralize

To me, pluralizing is one of the easiest tasks you will ever perform with the English language. This is one of the simplest word problems you are ever going to face. The rules could not be any less complex. And yet somehow, people get it wrong every single day. If you follow me on Twitter, you're likely to see me go wild about it on occasion. But that's all going to change, because today I'm going to blog about how to pluralize. Let's put the matter to rest once and for all. 

Rules are Rules

There are few rules in life, but if you learn to master them you will keep yourself out of all sorts of trouble. Don't kill anyone. Always relieve yourself within the boundaries of an appropriate toilet facility. And pluralize words by adding s to them. 

Do these three things, and you're not going to run afoul of me anyway. In all seriousness, grammar errors are not quite as essential as the rule that you absolutely should not commit homicide. However, myself and many other readers do place a good deal of importance on them. 

Writing 101: How Much Does Word Count Matter?

I've always known exactly how long my books are. I know how long they are while I'm writing them and frankly, I'm always far too concerned about it. Once upon a time, books were supposed to fit into certain industry boxes. But now everyone's reading electronically, everyone else is self-publishing and books as we known them are metamorphosing into something that no industry can hope to corral. So how much does word count matter to you, the indie author? And...does it matter at all?

Counting the Words

In the world of books, length has traditionally played a role. For example, if your story is less than 20,000 words it's not a novel -- it's a novella. And if your story is less than 80,000 words it's a little too thin to be labeled an adult book. Could it be YA, perhaps? They're shorter by about 20,000 words.

It's a lot of numbers, and lots of authors (like me) aren't good with numbers. But if you were trying to go the traditional publishing route with your books, I would advise you to pay attention to those numbers. Maybe not as much attention as I pay to it, because that's not good for you, but some attention surely.