Facebook – and Chandler’s Ford Today
One of the problems I had in writing this week’s CFT post about Writing Tips was picking the those tips that have not only BEEN useful but mostly still ARE and then whittling those down to what I think are the most useful.
One of the great things about going to conferences etc is picking up all sorts of useful advice on the way. Some tips you’ll use immediately, others you will come back to later and I’ll often find, even in advice for say scriptwriting, there are often general pointers useful in other forms of writing. So I’ve learned then it pays to pay attention!
Other than your PC or laptop, what is the most useful thing on your desk?
For me it is the humble notebook and pen (I count these as one item given they’re not that great without each other!).
I don’t always want to stop what I’m working on in Scrivener to open up a new folder to jot down the latest good idea I’ve had (well I hope it will be a good one!).
But a quick note with paper and pen and I can open up a new file and start researching when I’m ready to do so. I’ve long thought pen and paper really should come into the writing process somewhere, it seems right somehow, and that is despite my writing to screen most of the time.
These days odd notes here and there are generally what I use “old technology” for. And neither the notebook or pen need batteries, charging, discharging, or are at the mercies of power cuts etc etc…. Still I’m not sorry I no longer have to literally cut and paste or have to change typewriter ribbons or faff about with carbon paper…
My CFT post this week will be a a round up of writing tips I have found useful over the years (and still do). Hope it will prove useful. Link to go up on Friday.
One great thing about going to conferences like Swanwick Writers’ Summer School and the Winchester Writers’ Festival is you do get to pick up so many useful hints and tips, some of which are not always useful immediately, but you will come back to them later. And they come not just from the courses but when you get together with fellow writers over tea, coffee, dinner etc. So added reason to (a) go to good conferences and (b) get chatting with your fellow writers.
Like we needed an excuse or something…
Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again
More six-word stories for you. They should conjure up images and you can see a definite start, middle, and end.
1. The lion ran straight at you.
2. The dentist will see you now.
(Own up, which one scares you the most out of those two? The one that is just about possible or the one where you know you WILLhear those words at some point?!).
3. The fairy godmother trashed her wand.
4. Prince Charming wed an ugly sister.
(Probably as a direct result of story line 3 here!).
5. What was this world, she mused.
6. It really is hell in here.
Hope you enjoy!
Not a new topic I know, but one that is always pertinent: can I put the word out about reviews being really appreciated by authors? The obvious places are Amazon and Goodreads but links to other places so authors can share good reviews on their websites etc are also welcome.
Doesn’t have to be a long review either. I liked or loathed Book X because….. is fine. The crucial point is the review has to be an honest one so if you dislike a book, say why. With my consumer hat on, I do read reviews when I do my online food shop or am buying books myself and I like to see a variety of reviews. I am always suspicious of anything getting ALL 5 or 1 star reviews. I do read the positive and negative reviews and then make my own mind up! But the author is still helped as review numbers make a big difference, especially with Amazon.
Oh and don’t forget reviews are just as welcome for ebooks as they are for paperbacks.
Where do you find your inspiration? I find mine from films, odd sayings I’ve overheard or had said directly to me (so do watch what you tell me incidentally!), proverbs, advertising slogans, the classic fairytales, timeless themes such as love and revenge (and sometimes love and revenge together!), etc etc. The key to being inspired is keeping your mind open to the fact that ideas can be found all around you. It is then up to you to develop that initial spark further.
My Learning the Trade is inspired by the Sorcerer’s Apprentice and naturally my character blames the boss for basically not having an “undo” spell to hand! The Haunting is inspired by the Ladykillers (and if you ever get the chance to see the stage show of this, do. It’s fab in its own right though nothing will top the Ealing comedy with Alec Guinness).
Getting that initial idea is fabulous but what I really love is taking that and seeing what I can do with it. I like to have fun with my words and writing should be fun, most of the time anyway.
Fairytales with Bite – Fairytale A to Z Part 6
On to the next section tonight then and I get to do one of the difficult letters – Q!
P = Princes/Princesses are often the heroes/heroines in fairytales of course but I love the heroines that prove themselves every bit as capable and intelligent as any hero (and are often better! Think Fiona in the Shrek series basically!). I also like those stories where the characters here have to prove themselves worthy of their calling – i.e. it doesn’t just all fall into their laps because they are royal. A character who has to work for something, regardless of their background, is a character that will face conflict, dilemmas, enemies, and will make mistakes and basically give the reader lots of lovely action and drama to follow – and they will.
Q = Questions. Not such a tricky letter to find an answer for here though as I write this I don’t know yet what I will be coming up with for X! All characters should ask questions and make your readers question them. The situations you put your characters in should test them (and make them query whether they are doing the right thing or not – internal conflicts like this add depth to your stories and make your characters seem more real. We all have internal conflicts to deal with so why shouldn’t fictional characters do too?). Your readers should be engrossed with what your characters do and their attitudes and perhaps question themselves as to whether they’d act that way or not. A reader that is asking questions like that is one who is engaged with your characters and stories. You want lots of those!
R = Reading. It goes without saying we need to read widely to know what it is we like and what we would like to write as a result. But what would your characters read and how can you use that to show something of their personality? What are their world’s myths and legends?
This World and Others – World Building Tips
Whether you write flash fiction or novels (or both!), world building tips should prove useful. With my flash fiction, when I write in the fantasy genre, I just give enough details to confirm it is a magical setting for my story. With my novel, I’ve got room to share more but things to consider when creating your world for your characters should include:-
- How your characters eat and drink (and what!). Is the society a hunter-gatherer one? Meat eaters or vegetarians?
- How sanitation is dealt with. If your characters are eating and drinking, they will need to excrete! Okay this may not be a crucial part of your story, but there should be a general sense of how characters keep clean, and how disease is avoided (or not) due to good sanitation measures (or in the case of not due to the lack of them!).
- How their society is organised. Is it class based?
- What their society expects of them especially if it is class based. What happens to anyone defying expectations?
- Is their world a developed or developing one?
- If magical, are there limits to what people can do with their powers? How is anarchy or dictatorship prevented (assuming it is!)?
Food for thought there I hope.
Allison Symes: Collected Works 