Writing Help

On the internet today there is endless suggestions and advice for writers.  How can we sort through all of the advice and find what will work for us?  I guess this seems like an ironic thing to read about right now?  How do I write an article about finding good help without sounding like the only one giving good help?  Well, it's actually quite simple - I am going to tell you that the answer is not in this article and it is not in the top 1000 you can find online.  The simple answer for this question is different for each of us.
When I think of great literature I think of classic novels that I had to read in school.  Artists like Shakespeare and Steinbeck and Hemmingway.  Did these men have difficulties with opening lines, writing dialogue that was believable, and plot?  Maybe they did.  They wrote great fiction, and when I read a novel I want to read great fiction.  It's important for you to remember as you sit down to write your science fiction fan fiction, that other writers also suffered as you suffer now.  Nobody thinks they have the book that every single person is going to love, and no author writes fiction without some block, or some struggle, or some frustration.  Shakespeare was human, he likely sat and struggled.  He likely re-wrote sections and his friends likely bugged him.  Don't be so hard on yourself, when writing fiction you have to create.  Creation is hard.
Online books are no easier.  It does not matter if you are posting something for people to read free, or to read online, or if you are getting paid per word - or even if you are just planning to write and never show anyone; the fact of the matter is that writers get blocked sometimes.  So how can you fix the problem?
If you have found more than five suggestions on how to fix the problem I can tell you right now that you are trying too hard to fix the problem.  Novels are not an easy thing to create - if it as easy, everyone would be doing it.  Now we can read online, but that content still has to be created somewhere.  We are relying on writers like you to come up with new fiction.  Don't quit, take a break and get some fresh eyes on your project.  Re-think a character if you have to.  Consider what a change to the setting could do for you.  A major change like character or setting could mean hours of re-writes, but better hours of work than leaving a work unfinished.
What about your chosen genre?  Have you been trying to hard?  Great literature is effort, but it should not be a strain.  If you are straining to keep things in place, then maybe you need to make a change.  Are you writing a thriller but you just can't keep it scary?  Why not switch the concept to a romance  fiction, or to a comedy?  Is your science fiction just too technical and driving you insane?  Write a chapter of comedy right into the middle of it.  See how you like it.  You may throw it out after, but it could keep your tone light and give you a break from the heavy work of writing.
Find what makes you happy.  Find a way to release.  Go for a walk, go to the beach, paint with your fingers, or bake some cupcakes.  There is no right answer for everyone.  But do not give up in creating fiction.  Your readers are counting on you.  Stick with it!

Believable or Not?

A good author wants the plot to be believable.  Characters should be believable.  The problem faced should also be believable.  Popular books and great literature normally follows this pattern.  Forbidden love forces young lovers to hide their relationship from their family - Romeo and Juliet.  An evil King, or a crooked politician is the story as old as time - inspiring great literature from the Three Musketeers all the way to Hemingway and Steinbeck.  These are believable characters following the problems of a believable situation.  So how do we create this for our novel?
When people read novels they want the fiction to be so close to reality that it deceives them into believing this could actually happen.  Of course, this is not always the case.  Much science fiction is simply ridiculous and could never happen - but the stories, if told well, still make this seem possible.  The age of online reading has made this possibility seem even more real, since we can add to popular books the endless barrage of fan fiction and analysis.  Since the advent of the internet, online reading has made it possible for anyone with a keyboard to become a contributor to online novels.
So do you want your novel to have a believable plot?  If you are writing a children's book the answer may be "no". You could write a long novel about a caterpillar who wants to be an elephant.  For ridiculous fiction the reality is not important.
But imagine you want to write a great romance novel.  You have to begin with characters that seems real.  They have to have believable lives and problems and the story cannot take place in a fairy land with bean stalks and giants.  Our main character needs flaws and weaknesses - like every human you have ever met.  Creating a perfect character does not mean the character will be perfect.
Of course if this is a romance novel about fairy's and giants then you can disregard the last part - but we are discussing here the illusion of reality in our fictional novel.  When someone reads our novel they want to be whisked away to a believable place that might exist; because if it does exist then that means there is the slim chance that they could live this life also.  They can find true love, or experience a real adventure.  That is on your shoulders as the author, make the story seem real.
I believe you ca do it, if millions of crazy Star Wars fans can believe the reality of something like that, then certainly you can make a story seem real if you write about what you know.  Don't include details of things that are beyond your grasp.  If you have never been to a beach, don't set your novel on the beach.  If you don't understand the laws of thermodynamics, then don't introduce any rocket scientists into your novel.  It's not impossible, with research, to include things you don't understand; but why not stick with what you know for now.  If you are a waitress, write about a waitress.  It will be real, it will be believable, and the literature world will thank you.

The Travel Dilemma

Can you imagine being stuck in 1990 and you need to jump on a plane to travel around the world having to make a decision about which book you are going to take?  Let's face it, onboard entertainment wasn't what it is today and you wanted a good novel, maybe two.  But those things are heavy and choosing just two is difficult.  What if you didn't like one?  You have to finish it, you only have two.  Or you cold shell out big bucks at an airport for another.  What a disaster.  Thank you technology!
Today we travel with a device that weighs nothing more regardless of how many books we put on it.  I prefer doing my reading from a nine inch tablet, but in a pinch I could use my phone.  Epub files are so easy and reading a novel has never been easier.
But there is a newer option also, and it's one I have been exploring a little bit out of curiosity.  Just like books have been replaced with digital files, I wonder if those won't soon pass along to web-based platforms.  I mean, I always have data now - and reading a book takes very little data.  So why not just read the book online and save myself the hassle of downloading a file?  If I don't like the book I can simply navigate away and find another.  Online reading seems to have it's perks.
It has caught on in other countries and other languages so it makes sense that soon it will be a legitimate contender in English too - online fiction.  I have not seen any classic literature posted in this format yet but I'm sure it won't be long.  For now the sites I have been using have not had popular books either; only amateur works of fiction.  But I quite enjoy finding something new.  Online books written by someone unknown is fascinating to me, I feel like a literature teacher who has found a gem in my student's homework assignment.  And other times I feel like the student needs a home tutor.  Some of them are bad, and when that happens I love the fact that I can quit and find another.  Simple!
Another big draw for me is the price.  I don't know if everyone is like this, but I love getting something for free.  Free fiction is so intriguing.  I've bought my share of books in the past, but why can't I read a book for free?  No download, no cost, no app, no heavy book to carry.  For a new author the draw is similarly intriguing.  Post a novel online and allow people to read it.  Free fiction will draw readers, and if I'm writing a book that is what I want; readers.  My last name is not Shakespeare or King.  I may never get a publishing deal - but if I post fiction online and let people read for free then maybe my book will reach an audience.  That's something pretty special.  That's something that was not available to writers twenty years ago.
And then next time I'm on a plane I won't have a tough decision to make since I will do my reading online and then the sky really is the limit.

Parts of a Novel

Which part of your novel is the most important?  The beginning?  The end?  The plot?  The characters?  Well if you are a reader you likely already know the answer is "all of the above".  As a fiction reader you want to be entertained by believable characters and a thrilling plot.  Popular books require good characters and a beginning that grabs our attention.  The ending is not as critical, since it could be delayed over a series of books.  But eventually the writer is going to have to consider an ending that satisfies the reader.  The longer we wait for an ending, the better it needs to be.
As a side note:  just because the world is moving to online books and online reading, where readers can discover free books online does not mean we can ignore the fundamental need for good writing.  If you want to read a novel, whether it is online fiction or in a book; you want your time to be well spent.
Romance fiction may not need to rely on a plot as much as a science fiction story, but the reverse could be said for good character development.  Each genre has it's strengths and weaknesses, but if we focus on writing a well-rounded story with good characters then we can be sure we will entertain the reader.
The first sentence.  Unless you know you have an amazing first line, be assured yours will change by the time the book is complete.  Research "fiction first line" on the web and see what I mean.  There are some great first lines from amazing novels.  A first line grabs attention and makes the reader want to keep reading.  Or maybe it is intentionally misleading, or prophetic.  Perhaps all you have is a great first line - well that may be enough to get you to create great literature.  Write that great first sentence and then see what happens.
Develop the characters.  Real people are difficult to describe in words.  The author needs to visualize them and know them, know how they will respond to outside influences and emotions.  How do we describe our character in the novel?  I gave this assignment to some students once and got very two-dimensional descriptions like tall, fat, ugly, nice, mean.  It does not good to describe your character as tall.  How tall is she?  Is she taller than every boy she ever danced with?  Was she self-conscious about her height, and this made her shrug a little?  How do we know the boy is nice?  Do we have evidence of it shown in some action?  Making the reader infer qualities rather than telling them makes the difference between a children's book and a real novel.
Literature is an art and creating it makes the author an artist.  There is certainly no way to say this is for sure the right way to do things and that is the wrong way.  Focus on creating a great first sentence.  Have a plot that makes sense an can be followed logically.  Create characters that are believable and that our reader can identify with - so that they cheer for the character (or cheer against him is good too).  You are on your way to writing a great novel.

Overcoming Writers Block

Tap, tap, tap.  That is the sound of your fingers idling over your computer keys trying to think of the next thing to write in your novel.  Have you experienced writers block?  You're not alone.  Taking a moment and reflecting on why you are blocked will be most beneficial.  Let's consider a few possible reasons and also look at some ways that we can overcome this problem.
Are you finding that you had a great idea and once you started writing you began to lack inspiration.  If we take too long and analyze every little detail you can easily begin to feel less inspired by your once-great idea.  So instead of going at a snail's pace, try writing fast.  Soon you will feel invigorated and the ideas will bounce onto the page.  Remember, you can always go back after and read your novel to make needed changes.  The key is to get your thoughts down quickly and you will be happy to see that, as you do, spontaneous ideas will flow.
When we believe we have a great idea and have jotted down our ideas for our novel we can be blocked by how to start or how to continue the flow of what we started.  Our indecision can alter our progress.  Don't get blocked by what each scenario should be.  Again just start writing.  If you are having trouble with how to start an idea, write out a sample.  You know what you want to happen so just write a practice run, read it over, and then expand on it.  Get your ideas down so you don't lose the momentum. If we allow ourselves to be stuck on how to start the conversation we can just be sitting there drumming away at the keys but not be accomplishing anything in the way of creating literature.
We also don't want to worry about what we write at the beginning.  Getting all our ideas written and expressed is key.  Don't worry about if it is good or not.  Caring too much about every little detail being perfect will slow the process down considerably.  Remember you have a first draft, a second draft, and probably a third, fourth and fifth draft.  If we are expecting perfection from the beginning, this will definitely slow us down and lead to writers block.  Do you think great mystery authors have the complete idea in their head when they start writing?  Think about some great science fiction and all the details involved.  Those were likely built on over many drafts and concepts.  When you read novels, try to appreciate the effort put in and the time taken to create fiction worth reading.
If we take into consideration what others will think of our writing we can become preoccupied with pleasing others.  This too will slow us down and could create writers block to the extent that you are not writing to the best of your ability.  Worrying about others and how they will perceive your novel isn't conducive to getting your novel written.  Nor is it beneficial in producing something authentic to you.
We may face rejections and criticism.  We may be scared of this.  Don't allow this to hinder you from writing your novel.  And learn to grow from the experience if it is not well received.  Possibly you will just need to make a few changes.  The important thing to remember is continue to write.

Are you an observant person?

All of us may want to reply to that question in the affirmative, but the truth is that all of us, after self-examination, would have to admit that no matter how observant we are already, this is something we can still improve upon.
This is a great skill for writers to have as the more observant we are, the more it will come across in the books or stories that we write. We can describe a scene with better detail; we can make our characters more appealing and real.  This is true, no matter the kind of fiction you write: crime fiction, horror fiction, suspense fiction, romantic fiction, or mystery fiction.
Thankfully, even if we are not that observant now, it is a skill that can be improved!
There is a saying that “familiarity breeds contempt”.  However, familiarity with something or someone can also lead to taking it or them for granted, which in turns leads to being less observant.
I remember one work colleague arriving at work one day saying that he had just driven his car to work and had no idea how he had arrived.  He had driven the same route every day to and from work for so long, that now he could do it on “auto-pilot”.  He had become so familiar with the route he took that he did not have to think about what to do or where to go.  He just did it!   Just think of all the interesting details of each journey that he would miss out on if that continued to happen!
I can also remember when I was young traveling with my family to the wedding of some friends.  I had played chess and other games with my sister to while away the time of the journey.  At the wedding reception, I was enthusiastically greeted by an old family friend that I had not seen for a while.  Eventually, she asked me if my sister was also at the reception, to which I replied, “yes”.
She told me that she would go to find my sister and then asked me, “what is she wearing?”
Though I had earlier spent more than two hours next to my sister, for the life of me, I did not know the answer to that question.  That incident certainly taught me a lesson!
What can we do to improve?  Well, if you type “how to be more observant” in an Internet search engine, you will get a wealth of suggestions, but I will add a favorite of mine that I have found useful through the years.
Learn from comedians!  What does that mean?  Have you ever listened to a comedian and found yourself laughing at how they can take certain people behaviors or conversations and show you the humor in them?  Comedians are great observers as that is how they can get the source for much of their material.
One comedian, actor, writer and film director I enjoyed was the late Jacques Tati.  Once, when describing how he got ideas for his material, he said he got it from watching people around him.  People walking, driving their cars, people stuck in traffic in their cars.  People acting naturally, completely unaware that others might be watching them.
Become a people watcher.  Don’t take others for granted.  Notice how they dress, how they walk, their posture, what gestures they use and so forth.  Then take notes of what you have seen.  Try to get new and more in depth details every time you do this.  Notice their emotions; notice the humor in what they do.  This will not just help you become more observant, but you will also get more details for characters for the next novel or story that you write!

Tips on Writing Proper English

Fiction writers have a lot of choices to make with every line they write.  Whether it is science fiction, romance fiction, or suspense fiction the rules of the English language have to be followed.  There are of course some exceptions.  We want our characters to be realistic and authentic. Let's take these issues one at a time and try to accomplish some great literature when we write.
Novels require a great deal of thought.  Suddenly you come to the word OK and you have to decide whether to write it as O.K. or okay or OK.  It certainly may seem to be an insignificant detail but this type of thing can stall the writing process and make a good writer stumble.  What is the rule?  I will tell you what I think but any popular book may contradict me.  I asked this question to three people and got three answers.  If it was me writing, I would simply write "okay" in any normal passage in a novel.  Now, this may not be true if someone was speaking - I could easily see the use of O.K. in a quick response to a question.
And when we have to write a number, do we write "five" or 5?  I always prefer to write the words rather than the numbers - up to a certain point.  Personally once we reach one hundred it seems silly to keep using words.  But up to that point I always write the words of the numbers rather than the numbers themselves.  It's my personal preference.  A writing teacher taught me that way in high school and it always stuck with me.
What about mixing reality with fantasy?  That seems to be a silly point to consider, since we have to base things in reality if we want the reader to see things as probable.  Even Star Wars and Star Trek have kept basic laws of physics based in reality.  A new language can be invented and it can be completely fictional and made up.  Anything is possible in writing.
How do we create a character that is realistic and believable?  I think the key is to have each character clear in the mind of the writer.  Even fiction requires consistency.  When someone wants to read a novel, they want to be whisked away to an alternate reality and do not want distractions like inconsistent writing to distract them.  Get your character clear in mind and make notes of their physical characteristics.  What are they like?  Honest?  Reserved?  Outgoing and gregarious?  Tall, broad, slim, short, or fat?  Facial hair?  Slender arms and long legs?  What is remarkable about your character?  What makes them memorable?  What does their voice sound like when they talk, and do people listen to them?  How do they dress and comport themselves?  Once you make a list of all these details it might do you well to write them down someplace convenient so you can refer to them when you need.  Each character will bring a new description and depending on their use, you may need to remember details for later.  Develop a character that is memorable and realistic.  Think of people you know and what is remarkable about each of them.  Use real qualities and personality traits; and exaggerate them as needed.
English is a very specific language and readers of books need to focus on the story and not on the use of language.  It will require more work from the author but will be work that is worth the effort.