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Being a writer is changing out of last night’s pyjamas into a fresh pair of pyjamas which you will then wear for a full 24 hours until you change into yet another set of pyjamas.
It’s just a week long pyjama party with tea and snacks except only my characters are invited.
Showing VS Telling in Dialogue
Writing Advice | My WiP | Twitter
So we all know that the rule is usually “show, don’t tell” but I stand by the idea that there are a few exceptions to that rule and one of them comes in the form of dialogue. I’m going to show you three dialogue options and tell you what I like and dislike about them and let YOU decide what’s right for you.
Option 1: All Tell
This is a great option if you want to keep things concise. If the conversation you’re having isn’t necessarily important or you’re just trying to transition into a new scene then this is the option for you. However, it doesn’t leave a lot of room for fun character moments.
Option 2: All Show
Option 2 is basically all talking. This lets the characters bounce off one another and show off their personalities. It can come off as a bit robotic and exposition-y at times when you’re just trying to get information out, though.
Option 3: Show AND Tell
With option 3 you have a bit of both the other options. We see the characters bounce off one another while also getting additional information fed to us via a narrator instead of through dialogue. But if you’re trying to keep a scene short this is definitely the wrong way to go about it.
How to Convincingly Write Battle Scenes
Writing Advice | My WiP | Twitter
You guys seemed to really like “How to Convincingly Write Romantic Scenes” so I wanted to continue the series with this one! Battle scenes, in my experience, can usually be broken down into five parts. Each of those five parts serves a critical role in the scene so let’s talk about them!
Part 1: The build up.
The build up is often a moment of calm followed by slow-burning tension. Say a peaceful little village is just starting to wake in the small hours of the morning when the early-risers hear a distant but growing rumbling noise coming straight for them. Or an unfortunate gang of thieves hold your protagonist up at gunpoint in a quiet alley, demanding money, not knowing that she’s a skilled martial artist. Take this moment to reflect on what the hero has to lose if they don’t win this fight. This gives the reader a stark contrast to the oncoming violence but also lets them anticipate what’s about to happen.
Part 2: In The Thick of It.
This is where you get your readers blood pumping. There’s swords clashing, bullets flying, fists connecting with flesh, and it’s all probably pretty brutal. The biggest piece of advice I can offer you in this section of the scene is; don’t get too technical. Your hero didn’t pirouette, he spun around. His opponent didn’t perform a balestra, she lunged forward. Getting bogged down with technical talk pulls a reader out of a scene.
Additionally, try and mimic the flow of battle in your sentence structure and word choices. If the fight is quick and unyielding, use words like blunt, crush, and smash. Keep your sentences short. If the fight is more poised and dignified, then draw out your sentences and put more effort into describing exactly what’s happening.
This is also where you want to really focus on all five senses. Describe how it feels to plunge a dagger into a chest, or have an arrow pierce your chest. Can you smell the blood? Taste it? Can you see the carnage around you? Do your research on your weapon of choice and make sure you keep things grounded in reality for maximum impact.
Part 3: All Is Lost
The “All is Lost” moment is technically optional but it’s honestly my favourite part. A battle scene can often feel like a video game on god mode if you don’t let your protagonist get a little beaten and bloody. Show the reader that your characters aren’t guaranteed survival (even if they are).
Part 4: The Deciding Strike.
Be it a triumph or a failure, “The Deciding Strike” is often the emotional pinnacle of a battle scene. Whether your character is killing the main villain, cutting down the last of an expendable army, or being forced to retreat as they’re overrun by enemies, you should focus on how they feel in that moment and what the result of the battle entails for them. Be dramatic and have fun with it.
Part 5: The Aftermath
Technically not part of the battle scene, “The aftermath” is still extremely important. This is the comedown from the high of battle, where both sides have to face the repercussions of the fight. Keep with the theme of “The Deciding Strike” and draw out the feelings of your characters. Wallow in their misery or revel in their victory so they (and the readers) can have closure.
And that’s all I have for you today. This one was quite a bit longer than my last post but I hope those of you who stuck around and read it found it helpful. As always, let me know if you want more of these kinds of posts in the future! <3
Hi. Can We Talk About Word Count Obsession For a Second?
Writing Advice | My WiP | Twitter
Sooo I finished up a writing session on my current WIP that was just about 1200 words and for a second I wanted to scold myself for not getting an extra 300, 500, 1000 done. BUT HERE’S THE THING:
I also did a bunch of rearranging/rehashing of paragraphs today and that will help me SO MUCH the next time I sit down to write because everything is so much clearer and easier to jump off from. That didn’t up my word count at all but it helped.
I also did some researching today for future chapters and came to a better understanding of how to portray my deaf character. That definitely didn’t up my word count but it will improve my story tremendously.
MY POINT IS: whether you write 300 or 3000 words it doesn’t matter. As long as you’re doing something that will help your writing in one way or another you’re being productive and that’s enough. YOU’RE ENOUGH!
Unless you’re being paid weekly per word then stop stressing, please.
Things I’ve heard from people who know I’m a writer
“You should write a book about Bitcoin! People love Bitcoin!”
“You can have that idea if you want. Just give me credit in your book.”
“I have this idea for a story but I don’t write...”
“Aren’t books, like, going extinct?”
“If you can just write the next Harry Potter you’ll be rich!”
“Yeah but... you’re just hoping for a movie deal, right?”
“So... when’s the book coming out?”
“Man I wish I didn’t have a REAL job. I’d totally write a book.”
PLEASE tell me I’m not the only one. What crazy BS have you guys heard?
Here’s One Way to Outline Your Story
Writing Advice | My WiP | Twitter
Hello, Writeblr friends! This post has been sitting half-finished in my drafts for a while but I was recently asked by @ageofwriters if I had an outlining advice post out so I figured if the people want it, they can have it! You all know I’m a big believer in outlining so the easiest way to give you advice is to show you how I do it.
This is what the first page of my outline always looks like:
The major and minor themes are one thing a lot of outlines seem to skip out on but I feel they’re extremely important. What is your story trying to teach? What message is it going to convey? For example, in my current WIP, the major themes are Overcoming Adversity and Knowing Your Worth. The minors are Equality, Questioning Authority and Friendship. Knowing this will help keep your story on track. Unsure where to go in the next chapter? Build on the idea of your major themes.
And once you’ve got the basics down, you can move on to the chapter-by-chapter breakdown:
Each chapter deserves its own bit of the outline. You can see that the major and minor themes carries over into the chapters for me, but the most exciting bit is always the full breakdown. If you’re writing a big cast I also recommend adding “Big Players” to just list the characters that have the most amount of page time each chapter so you can see if any aren’t getting enough attention. If one of your characters barely shows up at all, consider why they exist in the first place and maybe do some tweaking.
***Also remember that none of this has to be done in any order.*** I pretty much always write the plot synopsis at the very end of the outlining process. It’s whatever works best for you.
And that’s all! If you guys want to see other options on how to outline a novel or you want to see how I personally create character outlines let me know. Thanks again to @ageofwriters for liking my blog enough to directly ask me about outlining. Hope this helps! <3
Pen Names: How to Choose Yours
Writing Advice | My WiP | Twitter
This post is in response to my previous post about whether or not you need a pen name.
So... you’ve decided you want a pen name but you have no idea what it should be. Never fear, I am here! I’ve compiled some tips, tricks and advice on choosing your pen name and here they are:
1) Before you start picking a name, you have to pick a brand. Look at the market for the genre of story you’re writing. If you’re writing twee teen romance then I’d advise you to be marketing yourself as decidedly twee.
Example: Ethel Jean Klumpburger probably won’t sell as many twee teen romance novels as E.J. Lilly.
2) Most authors use names that have some sort of significance to them. Maybe you mix names from some of your favourite fictional characters together or you use a variation of your mother’s maiden name along with the street you grew up on. Favourite places and just names you’re fond of are also good for pen name inspiration.
Example: My pen name is A.J. Gerald. The ‘A’ stands for my first name, which is Ashley. The ‘J’ stands for my middle name. And ‘Gerald’ is the first name of my amazing late great grandfather. I like this name because it isn’t strongly gendered and sounds professional.
3) Before you fall in love with a name, do a quick Google search to ensure that nobody else has claimed it already and it isn’t too close to a famous person’s name. If your name is Stephan Kings, when someone searches for you online they’re probably not going to find you. They’re going to find Stephen King.
4) Write your pen name down on a piece of paper and ask a friend to say it out loud or vice versa. This will give you an idea of whether or not other people will be able to pronounce it or spell it while talking about your book or searching for it online. Keep it simple.
Example: Andrûe Dayved Hyll Andrew D. Hill
4) Once you’ve decided on a name, do a trial run. Write your pen name in all types of font on a word doc. Photoshop it onto a mockup version of your book cover. Sign it on a piece of paper a bunch of times. Make sure you feel natural using it.
Aaaaand that’s it. If you guys have any other questions about pen names my ask box is always open! Hopefully this helped clear things up for you!
Tags for those who specifically said they’d like to see a post like this: @the-death-judge @deadmensdynasty @dejademi <3
Getting Past THAT Part of Your WIP
Writing Advice | My WiP | Twitter
We’ve all been there. You’re a writing machine getting page after page written, feeling like a total badass, and then you’re stopped dead in your tracks. Maybe it’s a chapter break, or a scene change, or you’re about to dump some exposition... whatever it is, it killed your flow. DON’T PANIC! Here’s what you do:
1) Check your outline... You have an outline... right? If not, start one! It’s never too late! If you’re stuck it’s great to look back to your past self who had all this shit mapped out for you already! It’ll give you a place to jump off from, or at least it’ll show you where you need to END UP. It’s all about connecting those dots!
Is your outline useless? Never fear! #2 is here!
2) Talk it out. Either with someone else, or just to yourself. Read out the last couple of pages before you got stuck, or just talk through your problem with someone who’s willing to listen to you complain. I find this helps me sort of details because when I say it out loud, everything sounds stupid and I realize I have to delete my last three hours of work! *cries*
Not a talker? Not a problem!
3) Ask yourself “how would I approach this?” This one sounds like the most obvious. Like, duh, I’m writing it, I know how I would approach it. But YOU are not YOUR CHARACTERS and sometimes, all it takes is fresh perspective for you to work through a problem. Instead of focusing on how a character will get out of a situation or how they would react to a piece of dialogue/information, think about what YOU would do. Once you have that answer, figure out how you differ from your character. Is your character braver than you? Then take the “what would I do?” base and turn up the brave a few notches! Instead of walking away from a bully, confront that dick! Instead of taking the long 7 page walk around the haunted forest, go right through it!
Of course if that doesn’t work, you could always...
4) Just skip over it! A lot of the time, when I’m feeling creatively blocked with one particular scene, it’s because I’m really itching to write another one instead. And that’s TOTALLY FINE! You do not have to write every scene in the order it appears in your work. After finishing a scene you’re more excited for, you might even feel rejuvenated enough to go back and write the other one! Sometimes ignoring the problem actually does make it go away!
And finally...
5) When all else fails, take a break. You’re not a machine, and creative fatigue is a bitch. Go sit outside, read a book, take a nap, maybe sketch, take a climb, sew a dress, whatever your go-to relaxation tactic is, do it.
But always remember that it’s better to get words down on paper than to hem and haw over the perfect way to go about a scene. Your first draft isn’t going to be good. Just get it done. I believe in you <3
