Writing Spotlight

Writing a Novel

2007-09-02T21:38:00.000-05:00

I started writing short stories when I was in high school. I never thought I’d be able to write a novel. I couldn’t imagine writing that many pages on one story idea. But I did.

One thing I will advise is not to force it. Don’t think of it as writing a 300+ page novel. That becomes too overwhelming. You may feel pressured to stretch your scenes or descriptions into more than they should be. Just think of it as writing a story with however many pages it takes to get the story out. Let your characters lead you through the development of the story. Sometimes they take you down an unexpected path.

As I wrote my story, I let my characters define themselves and make their own decisions. They took me places I didn’t expect to go. This is why I have a general idea of what my story will be from beginning to end when I start writing, but I also let my story develop as I go. There were scenes that I had planned to write into the story, but they just didn’t fit with the road my characters were taking. I had to let those scenes go - which was very hard at times. But you have to be true to your characters and their story.

Writing this way makes it even more interesting. As you write each scene, you wonder what your characters will do next or what will happen next. I could honestly tell anyone who asked about the story I was writing that I didn’t know what was going to happen or how it would end. I had an idea, but I knew things could and would change with each scene I wrote.

It may take a few rewrites before that short story becomes a novel, but that’s ok. Don’t feel pressured to get all those pages written the first time around.

Nauseous vs. Nauseated

2007-08-12T23:09:00.000-05:00

Definitions:
Nauseous – causing nausea
Nauseated – feeling nausea

Many people say they are nauseous when they feel sick. Some will argue that they are saying that they cause nausea. Others say it is acceptable to use nauseous in that manner since it is so widely used that way.

So, which do you use when you are feeling sick? I suggest that you research the two words and then decide for yourself which you prefer.

Homophones

2007-07-03T19:32:00.000-05:00

Homophones are two or more words that sound alike but have different meanings. They may also be spelled the same.

Some homophones are:
To/too/two
They’re/there/their
Know/no
Brake/break
Here/hear
New/knew
Through/threw
Which/witch
You’re/your
Whole/hole
It’s/its
One/won
Son/sun

If you’re not sure which one to use, consult your dictionary.

Pay extra attention when using these words. It’s too easy to use one for the other – especially when you’re on a writing roll.

Selling Your Book

2007-06-03T16:11:00.000-05:00

You’ve finished writing your book…published it…and now hold a copy of it in your hands. Gazing down at the book bearing your name, an overwhelming urge to pinch yourself emerges from deep within. You can hardly believe that you’ve done it. You’ve written and published your very own book. What an accomplishment!

You take a deep breath. Now what do you do? How do you let potential buyers know about your book?

Search for websites that will list your book for free.
Look for:
Sites that sell books
Sites with similar topics as your book
Sites for writers and authors (forthewriter.com is one)

(For sites that don’t state that they will list your book, email them and ask if they will. What can it hurt to ask? All they can do is say no.)

Search the web using:
Free ads
List your book
(and similar keywords)

List your book on:
craigslist.com
livedeal.com

After listing your book on free sites, contact bookstores to see if they’d be interested in shelving your book or letting you hold a book signing. Small local bookstores may be interested in local authors. Small bookstores will be more receptive to your book signing because that will mean free publicity for them. As you advertise your book signing, you will also be advertising their bookstore.

If you’ve written an informational or how-to book, you can hold seminars.

There are many ways and places to advertise your book. Keep your eyes and ears open, you never know when you may come across one.

Keeping Characters Straight

2007-04-03T22:22:00.000-05:00

Claire was a stunning beauty with fiery red hair and vibrant green eyes. No one could pass by without staring in awe. –Or did she have blond hair and blue eyes?

Sometimes when writing a lengthy manuscript, it’s hard to remember the details of a character. A novel that I’ve recently finished writing was written over several years. The story plot and characters changed several times, and there were times when I wasn’t quite sure of all the details of my characters. ~You sure don’t want a character that shows a dislike to smoking in the beginning of your story to light one up in a later chapter – unless, of course, your character has been pushed to that point by all of the obstacles he/she has encountered.

There are many things to remember about your characters. One way to keep them all straight is to write them down. After flipping back and forth through my manuscript several times, I decided to make a chart. I listed each character along with physical features, age, relationship to other characters, likes, dislikes, habits, etc.

To keep your characters straight, make a chart before you begin to write and add to it as your characters develop.