This post is mainly for me, because I keep forgetting what I learn. This usually happens when I'm in the thick of a project, I can't see the wood for the trees, or I simply just forgot. I'm going to be adding to it as the years go on, so it will hopefully be a bit of a compendium of writing advice. Take what works for you and don't worry if it doesn't, the main thing to remember is everyone is different and every writer has their own process.
This is just so I don't keep forgetting mine.
So when I write 'you' in this post, I'm talking to myself. But if this works for you, reader, as well, then fantastic!
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING:
WRITE WHAT YOU LOVE
Whatever it is, whether you're worried it's already been done before, or it's too sexy, or it's too you. Why I fear this, I don't know . . . fear of being judged? Why was I nervous about writing romance books? Catholic School??
Probably.
JUST WRITE IT, WOMAN.
Why? Because when an author loves what they're writing, it comes through. Because it's always the author's strangest, or most niche, or most sexy works that become my favourites. If it's gentle and just a fun story, write it! Because I need those easy, rom-coms, those books where nothing horrific happens and it's just two people falling in love in a cozy setting because there's a whole load of shit going on in the world and sometimes you just need to breathe. You needed a satisfying, romantic escape from your thoughts. Don’t forget that. That’s worthy. And that’s really fucking important.
If you need this said in a few other ways, let's do it:
"WRITE FOR YOUR OWN PLEASURE"--I think this was said by Elizabeth Gilbert in her book BIG MAGIC. I'm adding: you're the one you should be satisfying with your writing, no-one else. Also, this is your life, spend it doing what you enjoy. Why slog through a genre or age-category you're beginning to despise? Let it go, and write what you want.
WRITE LIKE YOU'RE USING A PEN-NAME if that makes you feel better. Then just . . . remove the pen-name when you're done.
REMEMBER, WRITING IS *MAGIC*
Reading a good book has saved me many times. On sleepless nights when I was unwell for a long while and I couldn't stop the anxiousness, what helped me? Reading. The world went quiet and I couldn't hear anything but the words on the page.
It's given me hope in: dreams coming true, romance and that I can find an answer to my big questions etc. It's essential to my life, now. And by writing, if I can do that for one person, even if that reader is only myself, it's worth it. And it's magic.
WRITE YOUR OWN BOOK LIKE YOU'RE WRITING FAN-FICTION OF IT
You heard me.
Because that's what you really want to read.
YOU CAN WRITE AND PICK AND INCLUDE AND MAKE WHATEVER YOU WANT
You like it? Put it in.
You feel a sense of attachment to it? PUT IT IN YOUR BOOK. USE IT. DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH IT. Everyone had done everything before. Now it's your turn. Don't be shy.
WRITING IN GENERAL:
- Keep a running 'love list'
I can't say this is my idea because I'm sure I've heard it before, and know Laini Taylor talks about it in her amazing blog (I've linked below) but the gist is this:
Write down everything you love:
- Tropes
- Ideas etc that you're truly obsessed with etc
Then, refer to this when unsure what to work on next, looking for plot elements to include etc.
- Keep a 'word' file.
Aka, collect words. I find that the longer I draft (especially without reading a lot) my vocabulary dwindles to the same old, plain, boring words over and over again and it makes me feel what I'm working on is even worse. So keep a file of words you love, words for descriptions or actions etc and refer to when needed.
- Remember the five senses.
(I often forget touch/physical sensation--though not in romance scenes lol)
* Make sure food descriptions have both texture & taste.
BEFORE DRAFTING
- Spend plenty of time brainstorming, refining, and brainstorming again.
Don't be afraid of this process and don't rush it. You need a clear aesthetic before you get going or other influences can slide in and muddle you.
- Write out a 'love list' for your new project.
Do this almost immediately when you get the idea.
This has become a total essential for me as the years have gone on. This can include key words, key scene ideas, especially the kernel of the project's idea. Everything that reminds me of what I love about the project. This is very useful for when I've had time away from a project so I can back to the right 'vibe' and do the story justice.
Include:
- Very initial idea
- Aesthetic & colour-scheme notes
- Key words
- Make a Pinterest board. Obviously.
Then go through the board, and make notes. What is your overarching colour scheme? What are some great cinematic locations you wanted to use? Or repeating images?
Then, describe things that you've pinned so you've got some great descriptions for later. I often find I'm much better making those aesthetic notes when looking at images of what I want to write, because sometimes it's hard to picture everything in your head!
- Make a playlist. Also obviously.
- Make sure your mouth is full before you start.
What the hell does this mean? It means that the words are ready to spill out of you. It also means I usually need to be full of the genre I want to write, be that more lyrical or romance-based.
- Write a rough query.
Who's your main character. What do they want. What's going to get in the way of that. What are they going to do about it? What are the stakes if they don't succeed?
This slams into the character, stakes and main visuals of the story and helps you brainstorm what feels right for the rest of the plot and also gives you an idea of what you need to think more on.
WHEN IT FEELS HARD
(or you're unmotivated):
Things to remember:
- Stop complaining. This sounds harsh, but I need to tell myself this because otherwise I'll just roam around the house procrastinating and complaining. I'll complain to friends. Mainly to my sister by entering her room unannounced to lie on her bed while she's trying to work. Or, I'll sit at my desk and worry. This can lead to a 'woe is me' cycle. And unfortunately, it achieves nothing and just makes me a mess. So, no complaining. You have a problem with the draft? Make a fresh page and write out the problem, then brainstorm until you've figured out the answer. You can do it. Don't doubt, just play.
- You're a writer . . . just like your favourite authors. You have the same job as your favourite authors!? I have the same job as Nora Roberts. WILD. And very cool.
- Romanticise being a writer. Wear that writer's t-shirt, buy that mug that says you're a bestselling author, post that picture of your keyboard. Writing is a magical, healing, incredible job. Sometimes we forget that. So this is your reminder.
- In the words of Nora Roberts, "It's a job, it's a fabulous job. It's a job you can do in your pyjamas . . . but it's hard, sweaty work." So "sit your butt in the chair" and get it done. And my favourite, "the muse is a fickle bitch, don't depend on her." (All quotes from this amazing video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlO6SdTYqNs&t=1s)
- Sometimes, I think a book idea doesn't work to show you you can do better. Are you avoiding writing this the way you really want to? If so, CUT IT OUT.
- Remember, writing is also an intellectual pursuit. It's not completely vague and impossible and dependent on inspiration and vibe. It's a craft, and that means there's things to learn and ways to fix what you're working on.
- Don’t overcomplicate the process!
Sometimes writing can feel very overwhelming. It’s actually very simple. You need a beginning, middle and an end. In the beginning you need certain things: firstly, your main character.
Who are they?
What do they want?
Inciting incident, aka: what’s going to get in their way?
Check out the Jami Gold Beat Sheet (linked in my other blog post 'Megan's Favourite Writing Resources') for the rest of the beats, then try and come up with one scene for each and write them.
Voilà, you have a tiny draft. Congratulations!
- Change It Up:
* This includes what's on your desk. Sometimes I need to remove everything off my desk, including piles of books, trinkets, frames, half-burnt candles, a bundle of dried lavender that always leaves little buds behind, and a miscellany of pens and crystals. As well as a bunch of sticky notes and motivational things stuck on the mirror above it. Sometimes just the act of having an almost bare desk helps my mind feel clean and focused.
* Listen to new soundtrack music. (Note to self: how much listening to all of Bear McCreary's episode-by-episode RINGS OF POWER songs helped when dragging feet writing the last 100 pages of TW). This majorly helps because by this point in the writing process, I'm usually so overfamiliar with all the vocal or instrumental music on my project playlist that I get distracted by my familiarity with the songs and thus bored of writing, too.
* Print off the book instead of working on your laptop. Or read on a kindle. So this is feasible for me because I found a super cheap printer ink for my (centuries old, none of us know?) printer that still spits out my manuscripts unlike those ridiculous glossy fancy printers that break after a year. This is great as I see the book completely differently on paper and always find things to fix and can concentrate for an entire day with almost no breaks on paper, whereas get very distracted on a computer if I'm already flagging.
* Change the font. I only discovered this super recently, which seems crazy as I feel like so many people do this? But this worked wonders for me when editing TTOM the second time with my editors.
WHEN YOU'RE STUCK
- Just get to the good stuff. Again, this seems simple and obvious, but it changed my whole approach to writing. Not keen on the next scene you're planning? Scrap it and just get to the next scene you're excited for. Have no idea how to write the next chunk of the book? Just get to the next thing you're excited for and then brainstorm more great things to layer into the rest of the book.
- Check the cinematography of the scene. Most of the time if I'm writing a scene and I just . . . don't like it and don't know why, I just need to change the location or the vibe. So I return to the Pinterest board, and if there isn't anything on there that's working, I surf Pinterest until I find what I'm looking for. Ask yourself: what's the most cinematic way you can write this scene? Movies do this really well. If it was a movie, where would they be?
- Remember, books are about characters. What does your MC (main character) desire/need? How are they progressing as a character (or aren't they?). This goes beyond 'are they defeating the bad-guy' and more into 'are they defeating that kernel of doubt/fear/wound inside that's stopping them succeeding'.
- When you're stuck with descriptions: get on YouTube or Pinterest and find images or videos of what you're trying to describe. You'll see things you wouldn't have thought to imagine.
- Talk through what you're stuck on or write out your problem out on a fresh piece of paper/doc and fix it. Sometimes I need to talk it out to anyone who will listen. For a long time, this was family members and they didn't have the writing/craft experience to help me, but it didn't matter because by talking it out I ended up solving my own problem. But if I sit and stare and stress at the screen my brain literally doesn't activate, it just panics.
- Laini Taylor has a fantastic blogpost on writing called NOT FOR ROBOTS, and this is a great quote I like to recall: "Never feel that you’re “married” to an idea, even if it was the original idea that sparked the story. It might have to go, like a scaffolding that comes down after a mural is painted. Maybe that was its only purpose, to hold you up while you found the real idea." Honestly, this whole blog is incredible, so highly recommend and a lot of it really works for me personally! (http://notforrobots.blogspot.com/)
WHEN DRAFTING:
- KEEP READING. You must keep reading whilst drafting. I need to read in the genre I'm writing in. Stay in the romance mindset when writing romance, fantasy when writing that, something more lyrical if I'm trying to up my game.
- Be specific. I thought of this when I read in Tessa Bailey's novella (MAKE ME) that one of her characters smelt, to the other, like "white grape sunshine". That's so much better than something general, and makes the world and characters feel so much more real. Tiny details like that can pack a bigger punch than a paragraph-long description.
- ONLY WRITE WHAT FEELS RIGHT. Don't write filler scenes, don't just put XYZ in, because then it taints the feeling of the book (to me!!). If you don't know, skip it and come back later. You can write a book with any ideas, but you want the ones that call to you. Listen hard/concentrate on being aware of when you feel that tug. That is what you put in your book. In the words of Yoga With Adrienne: "find what feels good." Sometimes this can take a little longer than we want it to, so let ideas percolate. Don't rush! Enjoy the process of crafting.
ON CHARACTER:
- Show your character's vulnerabilities. Yes, she/he/they can be a total badass, but vulnerabilities make them feel real and human. And it needs to be more than 'afraid of heights'. Make it something personal to their history, to who they feel they are/want to be. Something that they're going to have to tackle in the story, and therefore a kind of scenes you'd like to write because a book is supposed to be tackling a character's flaws constantly. So give them one that really intrigues you; one the villain (or love interest) can prod.
WHEN EDITING
- Take a few days to return to the book's 'vibe'.
Before you settle back into a project, this is essential. Don't rush this stage or you're not sure what you want to achieve when you tackle edits, and that's the kiss of death. In this process, refer to these:
* Make a fresh 'what-I-love-about-this-project' list. This is usually pretty telling as it lets me know what I remember most, like most, and want most in the project, and stops me from losing sight of that as the inevitable muddle of the editing process begins.
* Check back over your love list.
* Read books in the same genre to get back in the mental space.
- Try and write/add excellent lines, like you're doing one of those little aesthetic quote posts some of your favourite authors do on Instagram. What would some be for this project? For the main characters?
- FIVE SENSES, WOMAN! I've said this already, but editing is a great place to check this is layered in. Remember, be specific. Again, those little 'sensory aesthetics of my book' Instagram posts are so helpful to do. Whack them on a Canva post and you've got some content, too.
- Check your book against the automatic beat sheet from Jami Gold's website (linked in my Megan's Favourite Writing Resources blog post). This keeps a good idea of pacing.
That's it so far!
Let me know your best pieces of writing advice, I've love to hear.
Love & Magic,
Megan x
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