story

Writer’s Wisdom 55

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When deadlines kill inspiration

Some people work better under pressure, others don’t.  A freelance writer has to learn to juggle many projects at once, many deadlines, and the unexpected.  It is part of the bread and butter.  All this pressure may hinder your muse, especially when you are writing a novel.   If this is the case, sometimes a little schedule shuffling helps.

If you wake up refreshed and ready to work, why not write your novel in the early hours of the morning, and take care of the rest later?  Think of it as warm up for deadline projects.

After working all day in all kinds of requests, you may feel tired, needing a break, and certainly not in the mood to get inspired.  Soon, you find yourself thinking – “I will work on it tomorrow.”  But tomorrow comes, and the next day, and the next …  A week goes by and you have not written a chapter.  Then, you end up feeling guilty and stressed out.  Sounds familiar?  We all have been there, but time can be our best or worst enemy.  Just switching things around a bit to take advantage on your state of mind for inspiration can help.

Writer’s Wisdom 53

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Writing your New Year

The New Year is here, and for some of us, quicker than we thought, or at least that is the way it feels.  Going back and reviewing our goals, and discovering that we did not finish that novel, or edited that manuscript, or sent those queries, tempt us to start 2010, feeling a bit  incomplete or disorganized.

Well, let’s not duel on the past.  Instead, let’s focus on our writing in the present – everyday.  It is great to have big writing goals for this year; but unless we focus on our writing a bit each day, the year will continue to pass by, and our writing time, well, not as productive as we planned.

Forget about all the articles that you did not write, or the chapters …  Start a blank page and make each day a writing day.

Writer’s Wisdom 51

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Respecting your character’s background

Your characters will evolve throughout the story or a series.  They will naturally evolve and will become deep and complicated; their personalities will start showing more strength and charisma.  If you are attuned to your characters you will respect their evolution in your writing.  A character that was bubbly in the beginning of the story, but has gone through a lot of heartache and difficult situations as the story progresses should not be presented in the same way – the situations that you create for your characters will permeate their personalities and modus operandi.  Ignoring that important part, will result in a lack of credibility and will make your writing appear fake.  Readers interact and identify with your characters, they feel what the characters feel.  If a reader does not “feel” a character, he/she may get discourage and stop reading or lose interest in the story.

By being true to your characters, you are engaging the readers and respecting them.

Writer’s Wisdom 50

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 Tracing your path to success

What is a successful writer?  How do your define your own success as a writer?  Do you have to compare yourself to other writers?  Do you measure your success against Best-selling authors?  These questions will make you ponder about what you truly think of yourself as a writer.  Sometimes, it is a subject that we avoid, and a mirror that we cover because we don’t want to see our own reflection.

The measure of success is different for everyone.  It could be as simple as going throughout the day and being able to write a chapter or a few pages of that novel that you have inside – you did it!  Or it could be the first contract that you land as a freelance writer – your first paid project.  Or maybe, your book is getting published!

Whatever it is for you, success doesn’t happen without effort.  Best selling author Dan Brown sits to write in his office at 4:00 am.  In an interview with Borders, he said that he sits down to write “the best book he can possibly write, whether it is for one reader or millions.”  That is the attitude with which we should approach our writing. 

Mapping our success as writers, should include more than projects, and future goals, it should include the now, the approach and effort that we put every day.  Is the material that we put out there in writing sites for everyone to see, free of errors (to the best of our ability)?  Have I revealed too much from my private life and affairs?  Will it hurt me in the future or will it help my writing?  Every step that you take as a writer, will either help or hinder your future development. 

So, let’s approach our craft with a similar attitude to how Dan Brown approaches his writing – repeat with me:  “whether it is for one reader or millions, I will produce the best work I am capable of at this moment.”

Happy Writing!

Writer’s Wisdom 48

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The Role of Music in Writing

Music can inspire you, influence you, and help your mood while writing a piece.  Despite your taste in music or writing style, you can use music to create a mood in a scene or a chapter of a novel.  Are you writing poetry or a Love affair?  Try some romantic music.  How about a dangerous scene?  Try some fast hard rock.  Keep your pen and your feet dancing – and your muse shaking.

Writer’s Wisdom 47

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Making a writing list

Ever ran out of material to write?  Or experienced writer’s block?  You are not alone, most writers have.  There are many ways to attack writer’s block (see other postings here), but now, I will talk about a simple and easy way to have material at hand – always.  It is called a writing list.

What is it?  It is a list of ideas or themes, as simple as that.

How do I make such a list?  Well, there is a simple and fast way to do it, anytime and anywhere.  Even when you are waiting for a doctor’s appointment.  This is how to do it.

Pen and paper in hand, for a minute or two (look at your watch), start writing every word, theme or idea that crosses your mind.  It has to be fast, do not think about it, just write anything that comes to mind.  When the time is up, look at your list and number it.  Everything in that list can be turn into an article, a poem, a novel, a piece of writing.  When you ran out of ideas, take your list out and look at number one in your list.  Write about it.  And so on.

You can repeat this process any day, at any time, and anywhere.  I assure you that you will always have material for your writings.

Writer’s Wisdom 45

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Your writing space

Where do you write?  What do you surround yourself with?  What fuels your writing?  You control the answer to these questions.  The way you design your writing space can make you more productive or do the opposite.  Surrounding yourself with things that inspire you will result in a better writing mood which in the end translates into better writing.  Objects, quotes, writing aides – all of it can help you call in your muse.

Approaching your writing space as a professional space where you do your work, and not a hobby, will set the right attitude if you are serious about your writing.  Set up your space in a way that matches your style and you feel comfortable with.

Writer’s Wisdom 44

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Save your Rubbish

How many times have you crumbled that piece of paper and aimed it to the waste basket?  How about deleting that file?  Hopefully, not that many times.  Think twice before deleting or throwing away content that is not passing your approval at a particular moment.  Save it.  Yes, save that Rubbish!  It may not be useful now, but it may become inspirational material for future writings.

We are not in the same emotional wave all the time.  Our emotions shift from day-to-day, or moment to moment.  What may not appeal to you today, may become useful material later – inspiration for an idea for a story, for a character, an article, or even a poem.  Right now, it may seem horrible to you, but it may contain the roots for a good piece.

So before you throw away your rubbish, give it a second chance – in the future.

Writer’s Wisdom 43

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The man behind the curtain

Yesterday I talked about characters, and how crucial it is to care about your characters – the quality of your writing depends on it.  Sometimes, there is a character out there, hiding, that has not come to light yet or has not jump into the story.  You know he/she is lurking, but not ready to shine yet.

Other times, that character was planned a way, by you, but he/she refuses to exist that way, and leads you in a different direction.  It may come as a surprise to you, and twist to your story.

Ultimately it is up to you to listen to the man (or woman) behind the curtain – you are the writer – but if I was you I would listen carefully.

Writer’s Wisdom 42

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Getting to know them

Getting to know who?  Your characters.  Your characters are more than names and descriptions on a page.  They move in with you for a while, and they have lives, feelings and situations.  You write them, but sometimes, they will surprise you and write themselves.

In an interview with Borders, best-selling author Linda Howard (Ice) said that “it is important to  get to know these people and what happens to them.”  She added that she pays attention to “whoever shows up in her imagination and starts talking.”  She expressed that she doesn’t plan anything – she writes “whatever story appeals to her at whatever moment.”

This is because she is very attuned to her characters and what they are saying and doing, and to the ones that have a small voice, but have not pop in yet.  While writing your book or novel, keep your ears and mind open to what your second family has to say.  It will only help you with your writing.  Care about your characters and they will take care of you.