1. Writing Basics
Before you head out into the woods and begin the writing process, you need to plan your trip. NO, not pack sanies and clothes, LOL
Here some 'starter' tips!
- Get your own writing desk or spot. A place where you can begin your 'spiritual' journey!
- Write on a 'fixed' time of the day! Tell your loved ones, this is your time to escape and ask them NOT to disrupt this escape! Afterwards, you can wow them with what you've written, you see.
- Write EVERY BLOODY DAY! It doesn't matter how many words or pages you write! The RULE is you can't do ANYTHING ELSE for at least an HOUR. Maybe at first, you'll fret at the blank paper but just jot down anything that comes to mind. A word, a feeling, a whole scene already or just a dialogue. REMEMBER, a book starts with just ONE word and the rest follows.
- FEEDBACK is IMPORTANT! Let your loved ones or friends read what you've written. It can give you direction and hope to continue!
- Evaluate WHEN you have a PEAK of inspiration. Is it Mornings? Evening? Maybe even nights? Stick to it otherwise, you might suffer from Writer's block in the end.
- REMEMBER, Writing is a PROCESS! No one writes a PERFECT novel from the FIRST draft! Your story needs to be moulded, lived through, experienced.
- Don't let anyone STEAL your shine! Keep on writing till it's the way you want it! It's your escapism!
Go on and escape,
Daz.
1.1 The writing process
1.1.1 The idea
A story always begins with an initial idea or theme in the form of dialogue, an image, a smell, an encounter. Something that impressed you and you want to share it with others.
All my stories start with an 'initial' image. If the image intrigues me then the story gets a chance to live as I want to know more. It's like the first image is the 'spark' of my story!
Soon, more images will evolve into the next or even random sequences.
A story always begins with an initial idea or theme in the form of dialogue, an image, a smell, an encounter. Something that impressed you and you want to share it with others.
All my stories start with an 'initial' image. If the image intrigues me then the story gets a chance to live as I want to know more. It's like the first image is the 'spark' of my story!
Soon, more images will evolve into the next or even random sequences.
1.1.2 The Storyboard
Once you have lots of sequences jumbled together, it's time for the PLOTTING or the storyboard. Some people create a 'visual' one while others stick more to a structured timeline like yours truly. This is the part where you determine who the 'main character' is and what all the characters are supposed to do, like "auditioning" for a play. Once everyone got it's part, you can start to explore them all. I make PROFILES. Name, features, clothes, birth date, family tree, strengths, flaws, blind spots, dreams and goals. |
1.1.3 The writing session
Now, it's time for ACTION. WRITE... WRITE... WRITE... ABOVE ALL WRITE...
Give all your characters a HOME and a LIFE and see how they cope or screw up, LOL.
Seriously now, this is the EASY part if you can switch OFF your 'thinking' and just FEEL and LISTEN to your characters. If you have a muse, you can listen to his 'ramblings' of how the story flows. Rows about the plot twists included, LOL.
Fave quotes on writing are:
"Get your BIC (Butt In Chair) and write" "You got to let God into the room" "When you think, you're dead. Out of synch"
Now, it's time for ACTION. WRITE... WRITE... WRITE... ABOVE ALL WRITE...
Give all your characters a HOME and a LIFE and see how they cope or screw up, LOL.
Seriously now, this is the EASY part if you can switch OFF your 'thinking' and just FEEL and LISTEN to your characters. If you have a muse, you can listen to his 'ramblings' of how the story flows. Rows about the plot twists included, LOL.
Fave quotes on writing are:
"Get your BIC (Butt In Chair) and write" "You got to let God into the room" "When you think, you're dead. Out of synch"
1.1.4 Editing
This is the MOST dreading thing for a writer. The BLAH, editing phase. It's where YOU have a say into the plot and it even can cause 'rifts' with your muse if you fret that you don't like this 'plot twist' in the story. Poor muse! Editing is MORE than checking out if the plot is storm proof. It's also how to comply to the rules of the Publishing company ( lay out, letter style, format,...) if you're a FREE agent. Well, I've heard that writers with agents just write and editors take care of the 'editing' stuff, gives me the 'weebles', really. |
1.1.5 Publishing & Promoting
When your story is done and dusted and you're ready to let it roam free.
Then comes the time for Publishing and Promoting.
You can search for an agent if you have lots of money to spare and an iron stomach when they reject your 'life work' or you can take the 'ease on down the road' stuff and be a FREE agent like me.
There are GOOD and DECENT companies that will 'invest' in your dream even on a reasonable budget which is quite good in today's crisis. Will I get rich and famous being a FREE agent? Hell no, I won't but NOT everything should revolve around Money though in my humble opinion. I write and publish cause it's my Passion that I want to share with my friends, that's all.
Promoting your book on 'social media' is the BEST and MOST efficient way! You can reach a wide audience with less effort, time and money. A site like mine here is also a GOOD thing to let people know about your passion.
So go on. It's time for you to shine!
Daz.
When your story is done and dusted and you're ready to let it roam free.
Then comes the time for Publishing and Promoting.
You can search for an agent if you have lots of money to spare and an iron stomach when they reject your 'life work' or you can take the 'ease on down the road' stuff and be a FREE agent like me.
There are GOOD and DECENT companies that will 'invest' in your dream even on a reasonable budget which is quite good in today's crisis. Will I get rich and famous being a FREE agent? Hell no, I won't but NOT everything should revolve around Money though in my humble opinion. I write and publish cause it's my Passion that I want to share with my friends, that's all.
Promoting your book on 'social media' is the BEST and MOST efficient way! You can reach a wide audience with less effort, time and money. A site like mine here is also a GOOD thing to let people know about your passion.
So go on. It's time for you to shine!
Daz.
1.2 Tips & tricks
1.3 Writer's block
Yep, everyone's nightmare scenario is the ghost called "Writer's block" which simply 'steals' your Inspiration that leaves you dry or as twisted as this crunched up paper.
Aspiring novelists or simply said 'newbies' spend too much time 'fretting' of WHAT they should write, WHEN they should write, HOW they should write and 'torture' their brains to come up with a witty blog or story. I admit, I tried it too but to no avail. The only thing you gain is exhaustion.
There is NO NEED to panic! Even wintered writers like me suffer from Writer's block from time to time. I mean your Muse needs a BREAK too.
Sometimes, life really gets in the way. I mean you have the daily chores to plough through and then you have your family and friends. Even I go without writing for weeks simply cause I get lost in the forest of the daily chores. Don't despair though cause your Muse will SAVE you out of the swamp eventually.
Here are a few tips to get rid of the Writer's block ghost 'haunting' you... Hahahahaha....
SO, what 'you waiting for? Get that butt in chair (B.I.C) and WRITE!
Daz.
Aspiring novelists or simply said 'newbies' spend too much time 'fretting' of WHAT they should write, WHEN they should write, HOW they should write and 'torture' their brains to come up with a witty blog or story. I admit, I tried it too but to no avail. The only thing you gain is exhaustion.
There is NO NEED to panic! Even wintered writers like me suffer from Writer's block from time to time. I mean your Muse needs a BREAK too.
Sometimes, life really gets in the way. I mean you have the daily chores to plough through and then you have your family and friends. Even I go without writing for weeks simply cause I get lost in the forest of the daily chores. Don't despair though cause your Muse will SAVE you out of the swamp eventually.
Here are a few tips to get rid of the Writer's block ghost 'haunting' you... Hahahahaha....
- Plan a fixed hour in every day where you write. Tell your loved ones that this is YOUR time! It doesn't matter you think you write rubbish in that 2 hour span. The main goal here is to 'train' yourself to write EVERY DAY and to let your loved ones know it's IMPORTANT to you. Check if you're a morning, afternoon, dusk or even night kind of writer and stick to it cause then your Muse knows when to 'show up' too!
- Observe everything you see as a 'potential' story line. I love to 'observe' people. How they dress, how they act, how they walk. I also love to watch my fave TV series and again observe the different characters and how they interact.
- If you get swallowed by the swamp of daily shores. BREAK FREE and ESCAPE in nature!
- MOST important of all! Don't stress about it. Writing is NOT about THINKING what you should write. It's listening to what your Muse babbles excited about. Get to know your Muse and you'll understand that 'Writer's block' is just another word for 'the Muse on holiday break' .
- Above all! WRITE...WRITE... WRITE... OH, WRITE... WRITE... OKAY! Practice makes perfect! Just think how thrilling or scary it was when you first cycled down your street? The more you cycled, the more brave you became till you became KING of the road, LOL.
- Realize that NOT all the stories you get 'hit' by are 'Best sellers' ! Sometimes, writing is 'erasing' a lot too. I have written zillionth Demo's and some are only to 'feed' my hungry dustbin and some 'ripe' in my closet and 'blossom' open like the prettiest flower.
- Feedback is IMPORTANT too! Check what your readers like. It will BOOST your confidence and let you chase away that annoying ghost called 'doubt'.
SO, what 'you waiting for? Get that butt in chair (B.I.C) and WRITE!
Daz.
Coming soon!
1.5 Grammar
1.5.1 Style
1.5.2 Layout
1.5 Grammar
1.5.1 Style
1.5.2 Layout