I know, I know. Writers are solitary animals by nature, the kind who demand a little alone time to kickstart the creative process. I like solitude. You like solitude. But listen up, my fellow lone wolves: successful blogging warrants a different skill set. Sure, you’ll still find yourself staring at a monitor any given hour of the week, but this new field of writing encourages a different approach.

You have to write, yes. But you also need to connect.

But don’t let that frighten you. Here’s the punch line: we’re already pretty darn decent at both!

Steps to Success

Ask high-profile bloggers how they made it to the top, and odds are you’ll start seeing a common response: they worked very hard for a very long time and spent most nights sobbing by the computer before they earned the first hundred subscribers. And then they did it again. And another time, and so on and so forth until they’d worked their way up to a nice pile of readers for all that incredible effort. It’s a long, sometimes tedious process, but these clever folk lessened the load like only true social butterflies can do: they talked to people.

Seems obvious, right? But the incredibly social nature of successful blogging doesn’t always click for someone installing Wordpress for the very first time. It didn’t hit me, certainly, until I got off my butt and realized there was some pretty telling trends on my Twitter feed. (Quick tip: stalk every single blogger in your niche!)

See, bloggers talk to each other. They comment on each others’ posts, write funny little emails back and forth on weekends, and just love to tweet about that great new article so-and-so put up on her blog. They read each other, essentially, and the network blossoms into something wonderful and financially viable from there. And when they really get friendly? They exchange posts, often leading to big audience boosts and many celebratory tweets all around.

Call it a game, if you want, but remember this: it’s probably the most important game of your blogging career, and you just so happen to be in great position to play it!

Work Your Words

Ideally, folks, you’d write the best damn post of your life, publish it, and your blog would skyrocket from there. But that sparkly new site of yours is just a drop in a staggeringly large bucket, and you’re going to need some help to raise it to the next level.

Good thing you’re an accomplished writer, right?

Start writing. But take the words, this time, into lands far beyond your own realm. Write friendly emails to other bloggers in your niche and cultivate those friendships over the next months. Sign up  for Twitter, if you haven’t already, and get cracking: retweet other bloggers’ comments, tweet about their latest posts, and strike up a conversation just often enough to not get annoying.

It works. In the last two weeks, I’ve chatted with a few high-profile bloggers in my niche, only to see one then leave a comment on one of my posts. That’s exciting stuff for a new blogger, and the exact kind of connection-building so crucial to gaining any headway in an internet already saturated with unique writers. And who knows? If I keep up the conversation, I might get to write a guest post for this popular blogger, inviting a big stream of readers right over to my site – proof, if nothing else, of how valuable social skills can be to the aspiring blogger.

You can’t do this alone, folks. But don’t let that get you down – you’re already well-equipped to rocket a blog to success, so long as you realize that some social support along the way will make all the difference in the world. Blogging isn’t a new game, but it is a different one, and honing your social skills right alongside your writing talent might just be the best ticket to success.

Has social networking changed your blogging for the better? What else do you do to push your blog to the top?

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The Big, Dirty Secret about Blogging

Recently, I read that Graham Greene, author of “The End of an Affair”, tried to restrict his writing to only 500 words a day, a little less than two pages. Not even two pages a day? The task seemed…well, like a piece of cake. However, like anything too good to be true, there was a catch. Greene stopped at exactly 500 words. That means even if you were in the middle of a sentence you would have to stop, you couldn’t exceed, not even by one extra word. I wanted to give it a whirl nonetheless.

I attempted this with some novel material I’ve been working on. I was picking up mid-scene and was going to have to be uber-conscious of my word count. However, I ran into a problem right off the bat. The writing started off slow and my muse didn’t seem to want to play along. This experiment wasn’t going to work if I couldn’t even get to the 500 words. I took a break with total word count of 93 and started to read, a nifty technique I like to use to invigorate my creativity. Half an hour later and I was ready to go.

My second attempt was much more successful. I fell into my stride and was going strong when I noticed that my word count had reached 489. Eleven more words. That’s all I had left and I was on a roll. I silently cursed myself for choosing this lousy experiment in the first place before begrudgingly continuing with the task at hand. My last sentence looked like this:

The wash basin shattered upon impact, sending tiny shards of porcelain

I could have gone on. The thought was on the tip of my brain ready to tumble to my fingers and onto the page. I played fair though and stopped. I walked away and tried desperately not to forget what came next. As it turns out, I don’t think I could have forgotten it if I had tried because all I could think about was what came next and even what came after that. Mr. Greene was definitely on to something.

The following day, I found myself eager to return to the writing and the 500 words seemed like nothing. I used Graham Greene’s technique for a whole week and found it to be amazingly beneficial. Forcing yourself to stop before you feel you’re finished keeps you thinking about the story and when you’re thinking about your story, you can’t help but to keep pushing it forward even if it is only in your mind. Not only that, but I found myself scrutinizing more over word choice. What would be the best fit for that sentence? Is that really what I want to say?

I enjoyed this exercise because it forced me to slow down and really see my story, something I think is key to a good narrative. Also, 500 words really isn’t asking a lot, is it?

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500 Words A Day: The Graham Greene Challenge

Blogging is so common these days, everyone seems to want a piece of the action.

The problem is that newbies get the idea this blogging thing is a cinch–that you don’t need any particular skills, structure, or game plan to write for the internet.

It’s true to some extent; you can get your own domain and start up a blog with no experience whatsoever. However, creating a blog that people will want to read, and subscribe to, requires more than that.

There are limitless wrong turns one can make when writing a blog post, but here are 5 common mistakes and how to fix them:

1. You don’t know who your audience is.

Who reads your blog? Can you describe your average audience member? Do you know what they want out of life? Do you know what they’re searching for on your site? If you don’t know your audience, you won’t be focused on writing to meet their needs. And, if your blog doesn’t provide ongoing benefits for your readers, they won’t be around long.

2. You don’t bother to outline.

For all you pantsers out there, even outlining a blog post might go against your natural tendencies. But, I’ve found the best way to keep your article focused is to write the headline and subtitles first. These might change as you write, but they give you a sense of where you need to go. When I get a few great ideas for posts all at once, I write my headlines and tentative points, plus find a suitable photo first, and simply leave the outlines in my WordPress editor for later. Once my posts are outlined, they get written relatively quickly.

3. You skip the introduction and conclusion.

Just like you remember from your high school days, your writing needs an introduction and a conclusion to be effective. For example, my article would appear less-than-professional if I’d begun with my headline, then launched straight into the list, and ended abruptly with the 6th point. Many readers wouldn’t have bothered sticking around to find out what I have to say. Introductions and conclusions don’t have to be long, but you should write them every time.

4. You don’t use an effective photo.

Photos aren’t necessary for good content, but they help visually attract your readers and reinforce your point. A poor or amateurish photo can be just as bad as no photo at all, so if you’re going to choose one, choose wisely. Flickr has a huge directory of Creative Commons photos available for use with only the need to cite the owner. While it can be time consuming searching for photos and uploading them, it’s time well spent.

5. You omit keywords and meta descriptions.

When I first started blogging, I had no idea what the ‘keywords’ and ‘meta description’ boxes in my WordPress editor were for. It was only once I’d been writing for a couple of weeks that I discovered those little boxes were for important for helping people find and read my articles. SEO Logic says on their FAQ page:

Both the meta keywords tag and the meta description tag contribute to your search engine ranking, and the meta description tag influences the liklihood [sic] that a person will actually click on the search engine results page and visit your site.

If you’re not using these tags, you’re missing out on potential readers.

Tips for Writing Better Blog Posts

How can you make your blog posts beneficial, focused, and clear?

• Define your audience before you launch your blog.
• Write your headlines first and get in the habit of outlining your posts.
• Always write an introduction and conclusion, even if they are short.
• Choose visually appealing photos that match either the particular post or the overall themes of your blog.
• Learn to identify keywords and write effective meta descriptions for each post.
• Don’t try to make too many points in one post. Choose one and focus on it.
• If you want your blog to be professional (as opposed to a diary-like venture) write your posts the same way you would write an article for a magazine.
• Solve a reader’s problem or include a benefit in each of your posts.
• Proofread your posts at least 24 hours after writing them. Fresh eyes catch more mistakes.
• Ask for reader participation. End your post with questions or invitations for your audience to contribute through commenting.

Learn the guidelines of professional blogging, and you’ll soon find your posts more engaging, and your readership increasing.

What newbie mistakes did you make when you first started blogging? What bothers you the most in other blogs? What are your best tips for writing better blog posts?

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5 Mistakes You Make When Writing A Blog Post

From Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge:

* It was as if marriage had been a long, heavy and complicated ordeal, and now there was this lovely and light dessert.

* Years later, the situation squeezed Olive so hard she felt like a  package of vacuum-packed coffee.

* For the first time in years, Cliff thought about God, who seemed like a piggy bank that Harmon had stuck up on a shelf and had now brought  down to look at with a new considering eye.

* The appetites of the body are private battles.

From Ron Hall and Denver Moore’s Same Kind of Different as Me:

* The surgeons filed in, looking grim, and I wondered bizarrely is they teach appropriate facial decorum in medical school.

* I could see through his eyes that little pieces of his heart was break off while we was standin there.

* He stood away from anyone – which did not surprise us since the others always treated him like a bad dog on a long chain.

* When all you doin is bringin in the Man’s cotton, ain’t nowhere you got to be at ‘cept where you at

And from Lynne Truss’ classic Eats, Shoots & Leaves:

* He saw commas as so many upturned office chairs unhelpfully hurled down the wide-open corridor of readability.

* Cruelty to punctuation is quite unlegislated: you can get away with pulling the legs off semicolons or shriveling question marks on the garden path under the powerful magnifying glass.

And the story that makes this last book’s title such a classic:

A panda walks into a bar. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air.  “Why?” asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes toward the exit.  The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder. “I’m a panda,” he says at the door.  “Look it up.”  The waiter turns to the relevant entry, and sure enough, finds an explanation.  “Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.”

What are some of your favorite well-worded descriptions? Please share yours, and why you like them, in the comments below.

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Description that Grabs You

I’ve been rather sick of late. That was my unfortunate reasoning for what I hate to term, writer’s block. For another it may be the end of an important relationship, through death, either literally or figuratively. Maybe someone moved, started a new job, had to become accustomed to a new life rather than focus on who and what he or she is and wants to do. For me, I have spent the last two months struggling even to get out of bed, let alone write. My spark was gone. Nothing was there to ignite my passion and creativity. An illness had beaten it out of me. Or, again, if the light was there, I was just not able to see it. I couldn’t use it in any way or form, no matter how hard I tried. Which, admittedly, wasn’t all that hard…

But I’m here with good news. I can see my beacon again. Candles burn all around me, illuminating the room as my netbook shows me only what I need to see – my words. I have the strength to put pen to paper, fingers to keyboard. As I sit and wait in doctor’s offices or as I fold laundry, stories appear and weave words into sentences, sentences to paragraphs, paragraphs to pages, until I cannot take it anymore and I have to stop what it is I’m doing and write it all down. Oh, how I’ve waited for my life to be overtaken by stories again. Not by dreamless sleep while my body was doing whoknowswhat to destroyandthenfixitself.

I’m not completely fixed, no. And sometimes the fog rolls in and I have to rest and let the creator lie still, but that’s all right by me. As long as I know that part of me is still there. That oh-so-important part that sometimes (let’s face it, most of the time) seems to define me.

How many of you have lost your way, for whatever reason, and subsequently felt you lost a piece of yourself — only to find it again, out of the ether, and to once again be filled with a sense of purpose…to know you are you again?

You are a writer — through and through.

Now, I’ll admit that this article went nowhere near the direction I had planned, and the title is more in keeping with the original topic, but I have a feeling I’m not alone in this dilemma I’ve been facing. Besides, what I originally wanted to say can wait for the next time. For the next five-hundred words. After all, I’ve waited this long…

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Be Thankful for ‘The End’

Should writers blog? I believe so. We derive passion from stringing words together, making stories and enlightening people to the human condition. But once you find your nook in the writing world, and decide to blog, how do you choose between the myriad of blogging platforms available?

Start here. I’m going to list pros and cons for four of the major blogging services. These won’t be full-fledged reviews so much as quick glances into how these tools could benefit writers. I’ll look at Blogger, Wordpress, Tumblr and Posterous.

Wordpress

When it comes to Wordpress, you have two choices: Wordpress.com and Wordpress.org. Blogging on the dot com platform, like most other platforms gets you up and running in minutes. If you use the dot org platform, you’ll need your own domain and hosting. I’ve used both types, and currently use Wordpress to power my own website and blog. No matter which way you decide, the user interfaces, pros and cons are nearly identical. The Wordpress site has a good article on the pros and cons beneath each of them.

Pros

• Wordpress is a proven technology, wildly popular and supported by a huge community.
• The interface is relatively easy to use for most beginners, and even easier for those with blogging experience.
• Plenty of posts about creative writing exist on Wordpress blogs, allowing you to engage in an already large writing community.
• Automattic, the company behind Wordpress continues to make improvements to the platform, allowing for greater flexibility and creativity for writers and bloggers of all kinds.

Cons

• Some consider Wordpress’ array of choices intimidating, and many who want to just write do not need all the options.
• If you use Wordpress.com, your blog will be subject to ads that you cannot control.
• Wordpress.com has many themes, but you do not have the array of choices you would with employing Wordpress.org and themes. You may not be able to find a theme that fits your style, and if you lack HTML and CSS knowledge, altering one will be difficult.

Blogger

Blogger fast became and remains a popular blogging platform. Google powers it and backs it, so you know the technology will be user-focused and advanced. I previously used it to power my online running journal.

Pros

• Backed by Google, so it integrates well with other Google blogging services like Feedburner, and various Google products.
• It’s among the most easy to use platforms out there, and many beginning bloggers prefer it.
• Blogger’s recently launched template designer allows users to edit and change their site designs without touching any HTML or CSS code.
• Like Wordpress, Blogger is popular, and has a large community of writers already there. One of my favorites is Erika Driefus’ Practicing Writer blog.

Cons

• Blogger is just blogger. If you have some experience blogging, the platform might seem worn. That reason drove me to leave Blogger behind for Tumblr. Granted, it’s my personal opinion, but you may find the same.
• To have access to some of the more advanced features available in Blogger, including the new Template Designer, you have to use Blogger in Draft, where new features are tested. There isn’t a huge difference between this and the regular Blogger, but it’s something you should know.

Posterous

Posterous has gained popularity recently, especially among tech-savvy people. The site boasts that you can not only blog, but post all your updates there, and do it easily. You do all this via email, or a web interface. I recently started a learning journal there, and love using it because of its simplicity.

Pros

• It really is easy to use. You can simply email posts to a Posterous email account, and the email gets converted into a post on your site. Images, video and other content attached to your email converts easily as well.
• Many tech experts lump Posterous into the micro-blogging platform, so if you gear your writing blog more toward short updates, this platform may work better for you.
• Posterous is also geared toward mobile blogging, thanks to its emphasis on posting via email, so if you need to post from anywhere, this platform will work very well.
• Posterous has a bookmarklet, which makes it easy to catalog content you find on the web. It’s a great feature for those writers looking to collect inspiration around the web.

Cons

• Posterous is still fairly new, launched in mid-2008, so the community – although strong – is still growing.
• Currently, Posterous lacks as many themes as some other blogging platforms. However, the site has added a handful of new themes lately. You also need to know HTML and CSS to alter your theme, but you do have free access to the code.
• Even though posting by email makes Posterous super easy, I find myself going into the web interface afterward to adjust formatting, which may annoy some users.

Tumblr

Tumblr, like Posterous, lands more squarely in the micro-blogging platform. Its has a passionate group of users, and is incredibly easy to use. As mentioned before, I now use it to power my running journal.

Pros

• Hello easy. I love using the web interface on Tumblr, but haven’t tried email posting yet. I also enjoy the dashboard at Tumblr, which makes it easy for you to read the Tumblr blogs you follow, placing an emphasis on engaging in the blogging community there.
• Tumblr has an extremely passionate community of bloggers, and some neat creative writing blogs live there.
• There are a lot of creative themes to choose from, some geared toward writing and content.
• Tumblr also has a bookmarklet, making it easy to catalog content and share. I also like the notion of reblogging.

Cons

• If you want comments on your blog, you need to set that up separately using Disqus.
• There’s not an easy way to back up your blog. You can download an app for Mac that will do it, but if you’re on a PC, that’s useless. However, staff has started work on a PC version.
• As far as I could tell, there’s no easy way to import content from other blogging platforms, which could be a problem for some writers.

Conclusion

As you can see, I haven’t touched on every blogging platform out there. I’ve only touched on ones I’ve used. Also, many of these pros and cons center around issues that would effect anyone, not just writers. The two most important factors for any writer who wants to blog:

1. Find the platform that YOU find easiest to use, and that differs for everyone. Once you do, you can concentrate on what matters: writing.
2. Use the platform that has the community you fit into best. Few remember that the reason blogging has become so popular is because it allows people to form communities and express themselves. Don’t lose sight of that.

Final Recommendations

I like Tumblr and Posterous for blogs with shorter bursts of content. I like Wordpress and Blogger for blogs that require more control, and longer form content.

But hey, that’s just me. What do you think? Have you used other blogging platforms and want to share your thoughts? Have something to add to this? Let us know in the comments below.

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The Pros and Cons of Four Major Blogging Platforms

We can see this in some of literature’s greatest protagonists; Odysseus, who longs to return to his family and kingdom; Frodo Baggins, who desires to spare his homelands from the ravages of war; Harry Potter, who must face a destiny that is beyond his control; or even Henry V from the William Shakespeare play, who must prove his maturity and ability to lead a nation in the fires of war and death. And that is just to name a few, and what’s more, this need for compelling characters are not just limited to just males, or even humans. They just need to have that intuitive spark that captivates their audience into wanting to be like them, and to be with them until the end.

So then, now that we covered the basic ‘why’ of the main character (MC), it’s time to examine how to make one from scratch. I’ll go into greater detail as to what is needed to be considered for your MC.

Personality

First and foremost, you need to develop a personality, whatever that may be. Will your MC be friendly, distant, rude, arrogant, kind, humble, boisterous, greedy? There are thousands of characteristics that need to be taken into consideration, but you only need a few. Keep in mind that you cannot have a perfect character. No one wants to read about a person who is perfect. They’re not interesting, at all. Look at Superman and DC Comics for example, he was virtually picture perfect in the first two years of his run. This was somewhat acceptable, because his audience was very young, but as these children grew with the comics, and their literary tastes matured, they began to look for characters with more poignancy and depth to them, which was what helped make the Marvel Comics, and their flagship stars popular with their older audiences.

Another example of forgettable MCs would have to be those seen often in the romance genre. Now to be fair there are other genres that are guilty of this flaw,  but having read Janice Radway’s essay on this particular genre, I can use this area better than with the other points. But I digress. Mass produced romance novels are normally produced on a massive scale and for the most follow a very clear-cut system of clichés and formulas. You often find a supposedly independent intelligent woman, falling for and become virtual slave to the man they are trying to woo. And somehow, the couple comes to an understanding that benefits the two at the end of the book. MCs in these novels often seem very two-dimensional, so much so that it is sometimes hard to remember one very vividly and clearly from the other.

So in short, give your character flaws, real flaws, human flaws. My advise, pick at least one sin and stick with it. For my case, I used wrath, a lot. I mean A LOT. But this is just my case, and with what you are writing you need to tailor your MC to how you see fit.

Back-story

Onto the second aspect to work on. Where does your character come from? Were they a villain before? Were they a victim? Did they have a family? Did they kill their family? These are just a few questions that you will have to ask yourself when you are working on your character’s back-story. Thankfully, once you answer your first question, the rest tend to answer themselves, unless you want to make a new twist in the tale, which is never a bad thing.

Usually it helps with the story, and with the character’s drawing power, if the back-story is influential in what their personality is during the story. Learning what happens to a man’s family is important to why they are on a journey of vengeance, for example. A man searching for redemption to a past sin is another good one. To give your character reason for doing what they are doing. And again, it has to be a believable back-story, anything too far into the imagination will just make the readers think the story is just weird, period.

Own Worst Enemy

Finally, while a physical obstacle is usually required for the MC to have to face in the novel, I always like it when the worst enemy that MC has to face… is themselves. For a reader to read about someone who must face themselves as well as a ‘traditional’ antagonist can strike a very personal chord within the reader, which in turn will make them want to read on further and see if your MC is able to overcome their personal demons. Now this isn’t to say that this demon has to be completely eliminated in the end, look at George MacDonald Fraser’s “Flashman” series. But to see someone who has to face their flaws on a regular basis is rarely one that readers would come to dislike.

We ourselves have to face our demons at certain points in our lives, and to read and take some form of escape that helps to reinforce our resolve to face these demons helps to connect the MC to the readers on an intimate level. And because of this connection, there is a relationship with these characters that is more poignant then if the MC is a simple cookie-cut character.

What are your main characters like? How have you filled them with “character” to create a living, breathing, interesting person? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

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How to Make a Great Leading Character

In the past few months, I’ve seen a few things in the writing blogosphere that have disturbed me: writers nitpicking, complaining, and acting like they have a sense of entitlement.

Some of these behaviours include:

• Being paranoid that other writers, agents, or acquiring editors will steal your ideas
• Claiming writing contests or promotions aren’t fair
• Complaining that the query system doesn’t work
• Expressing concern that agents and editors just don’t ‘get’ one’s writing because it’s above their intellect
• Leaving deliberately abrasive comments on people’s blogs to spark debate
• Badmouthing literary agents who don’t necessarily work the way the writer would like them to
• Giving excessively harsh critiques that aren’t at all helpful
• Saying that other writers’ books should never have been published because they’re not as good as one’s unpublished writing

Getting published is difficult, so it’s sometimes tempting for the unpublished among us to cry, “The system isn’t fair!” or “It’s all about who you know.” Perhaps the system isn’t always fair, and yes, it doesn’t hurt to know someone who can recommend your work to a literary agent or an editor.

But…

Most things in life aren’t fair.

(Sorry. Your mother was right.)

While most of us do our best to build each other up, others insist on destroying morale with their negativity.

The problem is, they’re only destroying themselves and their own opportunities for success. Before these grumblers actually have time to write something publishable, they’ll be disillusioned with the entire process and, most likely, give up.

Why do you think writers sometimes behave this way? Is it to make ourselves feel better? Is it about jealousy? Frustration? Ego?

Perhaps you find yourself caught in a cycle of negativity about the world of writing and publishing. If so, take a moment to remember:

• All published writers were once unpublished like you, and most of them got contracts the old-fashioned way–by querying an agent.
• If, after due persistence, you can’t find an agent who ‘gets’ your work, the problem most likely lies with your manuscript. Focus some of that energy into finding out how to write better.
• You’re entitled to your opinion, but there’s no need to be abrasive about it.
• Criticism is meant to be constructive. Empower another writer by helping them see what areas of their work they can improve, but be nice about it.
• Just because you don’t care for a certain author’s work doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have been published. Everyone has different tastes.

What things drive you crazy in the writing community? What defeatist attitudes or behaviours bother you most?

Now, don’t get me wrong. Most of you are amazing. We’re all grateful for the wonderful community of writers here at Fuel.

Let’s help spread the support to our fellow writers. This week, try thanking someone who’s made a difference to your writing. Encourage a struggling newcomer to the craft. Help someone polish their query. Leave a helpful comment on someone else’s blog.

Let’s do our best to make each another’s journey that little bit easier, that bit more enjoyable.

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Writers: Are You Destroying Yourself with Negativity?

Do you know why you write?  What do you hope to accomplish with your work?  A writer’s first reaction to this question is to share their deep unquestionable love in the act of putting pen to paper. If recognition results because of this, then it is an added benefit. This is not true for some.  Respect from peers takes second fiddle to money, infamy and world domination for quite a few authors.   A little honest reflection is required to decipher your end game.

Do you fall under any of the following categories?

1. You hope to have your work presented in every bookstore window and front aisle display in North America.

2. Mass popularity is not for you; instead you seek critical acclaim from book reviewers who help shape the literary world.

3. You want to be rich, not the able-to-afford-the-most-expensive-house-in-my-neighborhood rich, but rather the I-now-own-the-largest-villa-in-Cannes kind of rich.

4. You write because the voices in your head tell you so, and your end game is simply to quell the mass of noise that deafens you.

5. You hope that one person (not related to you) reads your work and loves it.

6. You wish to become the most revered author of all time. Yes, it may be considered by some to be a tad discreditable and narcissistic, but at least you know what you want.

7. Your ability to string a group of words together to create profound insight sets you apart from many. You write because you love the craft. Your end game, well you do not have one.   Writing brings you a sense of fulfillment and peace, and who would want to put an end to that.

Honesty is important here. Once you evaluate the intent of all the time spent at your computer or in writing in your notebook, and you realise the form that you hope your success will take, the likelihood of that dream of success becoming a reality tips in your favour.

What is your End Game? We all have different versions of what success means to us personally, please share yours in the comments below.

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Writers, What is your End Game?

Fortunately, you don’t have to force yourself to write (that’s actually one way to bring on writer’s block) or wait for the muse to rescue you from that staring contest.

But first, it gets worse.

Though most writers fear writer’s block for the obvious reason, there’s something else happening on another level that most writers don’t acknowledge.

Writer’s block stunts your growth as a writer.

Because you’re not able to produce work, you’re not able to grow from experience. And if there’s one thing we can all acknowledge as a community, it’s that the more we write, the better we get … I mean, who isn’t embarrassed by their earlier work?

If you’re not writing, you’re not growing.

Here are three quick things that help avoid stunted growth during writer’s block.

Try Writing For Another Medium

Though most of us aren’t as talented as Niel Gaiman, it’s good exercise for writers to try their hand at other mediums. If you’re a novelist, try writing a children’s book; if you’re a screenwriter, try writing a poem; if you write fiction in general, try writing a helpful article or starting a blog.

The idea here is to expand your horizon by trying new forms of writing. You never know, you might find you’re a horrible poet, but an awesome blogger. Regardless if you find another medium you enjoy, you’ll at least know where you stand, and where your strengths and weakness are.

Push yourself into new areas of the craft and explore your abilities. You might find that you really enjoy a medium you weren’t interested in before.

Read the Work of Your Idols

For me, this is the single most important things to do when struck with writer’s block. Not only does it create inspiration purely because of the how exceptional the work is in nature, but also because it slingshots you into places you otherwise might not have explored.

This applies across all mediums — whether working with poetry, creative fiction, blog posts, and more.

Look to your idol for inspiration by reading their work — chances are you’ll develop a better understand of the craft and pick up on their style.

Quick Note: If you find yourself unable to read the work of your idol, let alone others, you might want to consider asking yourself if you’re writing for the right medium. Be honest with yourself and move on if needed.

Read the Back Cover of 10 Neighboring Books

Similar to when you used to spin a globe, wait a moment, then stop it with your finger — the place you pointed to being the place you would eventually live — writers should randomly select a spot in their local book shop and spend some time reading the back covers of 10 or more neighboring books.

It’s a great way to gain a refreshed sense of story, and see just how different, yet the same, most stories are.

What Keeps You Growing During Writer’s Block?

Those three suggestions work for me, but how about you? Is there anything you think works in terms of continuing to grow as a writer, even in the face of writer’s block?

Please share your own methods of beating writer’s block and growing and improving your writing in the comments below!

Images courtesy of Crimey, paulb, and neilhimself.

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How to Avoid Stunted Growth During Writer’s Block

That is exactly what is happening right now, as I write my first novel. About 25,000 words in, and I’m struggling to stay faithful to it. I am beginning to see all of the flaws of the story, and I am exaggerating them until they are all I can see. I am finding it hard to see past its flaws, finding it hard to love it and to get excited about it. My mind wanders, and I find myself looking at all my short story ideas that I have written down, wondering which one I should finally start writing. My imagination has been coming up with new ideas, even, new ideas for short stories, that in my mind sound new and exciting and sexy.

I want to write them.

So tentatively I start to write a new story, in secret, as though I’m cheating on my WIP, and that if it ever finds out its characters will come alive (especially the bad ones) and will come after me. My new story thrills me, and the words fly out of me, whereas before with my WIP the words come slow and laboured.

But then the guilt creeps in, and I stop. I say to my new story that I can no longer see it, I have to stop writing it. But I can’t return to my other story, I can’t face going back to it. So I end up writing nothing.

* * *

I may have embellished this a little (and made it sound more like a sordid affair than it really is), but this is pretty much how I’m feeling right now with my WIP. I’m sure lots of you have felt like this before, or do so now. How can we get over it? How can we remain faithful, and continue with our works-in-progress through the tough times?

Find the excitement again

Look hard and find out why you are having problems with your WIP. If where the story is going is boring you, don’t be afraid to change it. Have one of your characters make a drastic decision. Make them do something unexpected.

“When in doubt, have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand.”- Raymond Chandler

Expert advice from Chandler. Don’t get bogged down in your story. Make something happen. You’re the one with the pen in your hand, or the keyboard under your hovering fingertips!

See your ‘affair’ through

One way to remain committed to your WIP, would be actually to commit to your affair. If you are getting a bit bored of your WIP, and have a great idea for a short story, why not write that? But, unlike me, commit to seeing it through. Ignore any feelings of guilt you may have, otherwise you won’t write either story. Put your WIP aside, and write your ‘affair’ story. Write it quick, with passion. Then, once it’s done, go back to your WIP. And never speak of the other story again.This recharge of your writing batteries will probably help with your story once you go back to it. A break from it, but a break where you are still flexing your writing muscles instead of agonising over not being able to write, will do you good. Plus, you’ll have written another short story to add to your collection in the meantime.

Take a break

Perhaps it might be time to just take a break. To put down the pen, step away from the keyboard, and just not write for a while. If you are going to do this, and you’ll probably know if this is the right thing to do for you, you must do it with two things in mind.

1. What are you going to do while you aren’t writing? You should aim to fill your time away from your WIP with at least something creative or active, instead of just wasting your extra free hours in front of the television. Take some photos. Paint. Juggle. Go for a run.
2. Set a date when you will return to your WIP. If you don’t, you might find it difficult to get back into it. Just like you would do if you were taking a holiday from a proper job, set the dates when you will be off, and return to your writing when you get back. Stick to this schedule, treat it like a proper holiday.

These are just three ways to stay faithful to your WIP, and to continue writing it when you begin to struggle. One might work for you, the other’s might not. Personally, this time, I’m going to find the excitement again. Men with guns might not fit, though. Monsters under the stairs, on the other hand…

How do you stay faithful to your work-in-progress when you feel like writing something else? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below!

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Staying Faithful to Your WIP

The following items of interest are what I recently discovered from reading Can We Do That?!, The Seamstress, Inside the Revolution to Dominate the Middle East and Called to Greatness. CAUTION:  I believe in the “garbage in, garbage out” philosophy, so be forewarned.

1.         Former Muslim PLO sniper and anti-Semitic Tass Saada became an evangelical Christian after moving to the U.S. and now serves as a peacemaker in the Gaza Strip.

2.        Think differently. Normal people often get ignored. Be a bit above normal.

3.         One major hit (as in writing) does not retirement make.

4.         Hitler ordered German auto makers to produce a cheap people’s car called the People’s Car, aka the Volkswagen.

5.         Immunity can be deadly, especially the spiritual kind.

6.         Originally from the French word, homme d’armes, gendarme refers to members of a uniform police force.

7.         Budapest has the highest number of Jewish citizens per capita of any European city.

8.         ALWAYS confirm what your client tells you.

9.         Crises, by nature, are pretty darn disrespectful.

10.       The creature doesn’t tell the Creator what to do – it’s the other way around.

What have you learned from reading lately?

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Knowledge Can Make a Difference

You see, a novel isn’t just a bunch of words telling a simple tale…well it could be, but then it would be a pretty boring waste of paper, and I’m certain that this isn’t what you’re trying to write. A novel is a window into new ideas, new avenues of philosophies and views, and the best ones stick with a person long after they have finished reading them. Now back to what I was saying, you want to write something that is thought provoking, engaging, and that could even push the world of literature and the world itself into a new age of enlightenment…or you just want to make some extra money for college and other living expenses (myself included, haha!)

To do any of these things, you have to write something that is good, very good, brilliant even. Very, very few authors write books solely on the fly, and an even fewer number of those authors write decent material worth reading. If you want to write a good book, you have to plan it out. Figure out what the intricate parts of the story are going to be, how characters are going to react, basically you are about to play “God”, and you’re going to have to know what you’re going to do in order to make your creations acceptable and palatable for your audience.

The first thing you need to do is break your story into parts. And in most cases there are four major parts to a novel that pushes it towards great recognition:

• Plot: Which covers the overall story, pace, and the ever-popular twist.
• Characters: Which covers back stories, development, and character flaws.
• Setting: Which deals with time, place, and attention to detail.
• Language: Which takes care of description of settings and dialogue.

These four parts are essential to the novel as a whole, since they work together much like a complex machine. A quick science lesson, a complex machine is a piece of equipment that is comprised of several simple machines, and without the multiple simple machines working together, the bigger machine simply cannot work. So all four parts of the novel need to move together and help each other along in order to make your novel shine its brightest; to you, to the publisher and to the reader.

Now the first thing that needs to be done is developing a plot, since without a good plot the rest of the novel is virtually useless. This isn’t saying that you can’t write a novel without a good plot, and not get it published, authors from John Milton to Ayn Rand to Lauren Conrad have written books that have become major successes, but the failings in these works is the lack of a substantial plot.

With John Milton, he put too much emphasis on describing in his work ‘Paradise Lost’. Ayn Rand, in ‘Atlas Shrugged’, allowed her message of pure capitalism take over what could’ve been a moving epic of social injustice and how to solve the problem. And with Lauren Conrad, what could’ve been a half-decent coming of age story in modern society was just a bland collection of episodes from “Laguna Beach” and “The Hills” in book form.

All of these are linked together, because they lack a meaningful and identifying story that the reader can put them in. If the novel does not have an emotional link with the reader, then the novel is not going to achieve that intimate relationship that is truly critical with the reader. And the chances of your novel having a lasting impact are severely weakened.

Components of a strong plot

Now how do you come up with a good plot? First thing is to come up with the obstacle, what is the problem that the protagonist is facing. Is it tangible or intangible? Is it something they can control or is it a force that is determining their fate for them? These are the basic questions one asks when they are brainstorming for their plot. Then you come up with the basic solution the protagonist will use to solve the problem, if they are to solve in the first place. Will they negotiate the solution, will they fight, will they accept their fate, or will they come up with a whole different path to achieve their goals?

Then of course you have to consider characters, will the protagonist have allies, will they have physical enemies, will they have a love interest, will they be poor or rich? These are just a few questions that will be considered when writing a book. Thankfully, these questions can be answered very quickly and early in the planning stage if you take the time to think the story through before you begin writing.

Pacing

Pacing in a story is important since if you did a chapter for every hour, of everyday, in a novel that is suppose to take place over a three year period, you are going to have a very, very, very long book. When I was writing my book, I actually set out to vary the time difference between chapters. For example chapters 3,4,5 take place immediately after another. While in chapters 6,7,8,9,12,13, months take place in between events occurring in these respective parts. Of course, depending on the story itself, pacing in the novel can change too, you could write a novel that takes place in one day, like James Joyce’s ‘Ulysses’, or you could write a novel that takes place in a year, the limitations are endless. But remember not to bog down readers with too much going on in order to keep the flow from being interrupted.

Twists and turns

Finally with plot twists, I have this to say. As a writer, they suck! They are the hardest thing to do in a novel out of everything. And you can end up beating yourself senseless trying to have a decent amount of twists and turns in order to keep the reader interested in the work. But it’s something that you have to deal with. And the older the audience, the worse this job is to do. However, there are some things that helped me out with this problem.

First, try to figure out which parts of the book are going to be the most important moments. I’d aim to pick out three, just so that if one doesn’t work you can use the other two to do the trick. Once that’s done you need to do what you can to delay giving away these points until absolutely necessary. Now I’d like to discuss the twists in my novel, but then I’d be giving away the reason for anyone to read the book. But, do give yourself the room to change these twists as you write the book, since you’ll probably come up with more ideas and concepts you’ll want to try out with the novel as you’re writing it.

Oh and before I forget, make sure to allow wiggle room as you write the book. In my case, what began as a single volume became a trilogy, and now it’s a five-part series. So needless to say, planning is very important, but be prepared for changes as they come.

I hope this has been a help in your journey and until next time, keep on writing! Please share your thoughts and comments below.

Images courtesy of Lidia Camcho and Fahad.com.

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Writing a Novel – What You Need To Know

After much deliberation, the birthday boy decided he’d like a fish-shaped cake for his party, and the photo he gave me for reference looked like quite a challenge.

Nevertheless, I spent half of the following day secretly baking, icing and decorating, to surprise him when he would return home from school.

When my husband walked in the door and found me sweating over the colourful creation, he smiled, gave me a hug, and said, “Every kid should have a mom like you. You were meant to be a mother.”

For someone who once thought she would end up an eccentric spinster with a houseful of cats, those words really hit home. I didn’t always think I was meant to be a mother–in fact, I thought I’d be terrible at it. Now I know different.

This got me thinking about what it means when someone says, “You were meant to be a writer.”

A friend once said those words to me, without ever having read anything I’d actually written. For some reason, she felt it was something I was meant to do. While it was tempting at the time to treat it like an empty compliment, the more I thought about it, the more I started to believe her.

I know I’m meant to be a mother because I love my kids, I’m proud to hear them call me “Mama,” and I would do anything for them. Even when I fail my children, even when times get tough, I wouldn’t trade motherhood for the world.

Writing is different. I know I can string together a proper sentence, I have a vivid imagination, I love to read, and most of all–I enjoy writing. But those are characteristics possessed by many people, and not all of them want to (or should) become writers.

What separates us from others who simply enjoy writing? Is it a gift? A talent? A delusion?

How do you know you’re meant to be a writer? Or, if you’re still unsure, what keeps you from believing you have what it takes?

Photos courtesy of *Zara and swimparallel.

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Are You Meant to Be a Writer?

“Most of what I know about writing fiction I learned by running every day.” – Haruki Murakami

The quote above is taken from Haruki Murakami’s brilliant memoir ‘What I Talk About When I Talk About Running’. He happens to be both a writer and a runner, as do I. Runners and writers are very much alike. They are both, in essence, solitary characters, often confined to long, lonely hours of mental or physical exertion, in order to achieve their goals. They constantly push themselves to go further, to achieve more each time they do the thing that they love. For runners, it’s miles. For writers, words.

Both take commitment, dedication, and hard work. Sometimes I don’t feel like running, and I don’t feel like writing, but I have to work through tough patches. Writers can learn a lot from running. Either by using it in a metaphorical sense, building up our endurance and rhythm, but also in a literal sense. Towards the end of the article I point out how the actual act of running has aided my writing.

Focus

“… the ability to concentrate all your limited talent on whatever’s critical at the moment.”

Murakami describes this as one of the most important qualities for a writer. This is very important for a runner too, focusing all your energy in the moment, as you take your strides, ignoring the cramp in your side or the wind battering you in the face or the pain creeping into your knee. Writers, similarly, have to be able to focus on the task at hand concentrating on the moment, on the words, on the story. Fortunately, we can train ourselves to do this, as runners do.

Endurance

After focus, Marukami thinks endurance is very important, specifically if you are interested in writing novels. I am writing one at the moment, and besides a novel I wrote a few years ago for NaNoWriMo, this is my first real attempt to put together a proper, long piece of work. This is not my natural habitat as a writer – I much prefer writing short stories where I can construct a scene and delve right into the details and emotions of that moment. Maybe I’m lazy – but it’s also a sense of the vast amounts of real hard work and dedication that it takes to write a long piece of work.

Running, especially mid- to long-distance running, is all about endurance and stamina. Through training we can build up this stamina in order to have the strength, endurance and confidence to keep going and push ourselves when we hit a mid-novel crisis point (usually, apparently, around 30k words). We can train ourselves (and I know I’ve said this many times, but it bears repeating) by sitting down and writing. This is exactly what runners do when they run a little bit further each day, in order to build up their muscles and physique.

Rhythm

“Once you set the pace, the rest will follow.”

Every runner knows that rhythm is vitally important. Your running style must be smooth and consistent, in order to not put too much strain on your body, to allow yourself to run efficiently, to conserve energy and to put in the extra effort where you really need it, like when you are running uphill or in the final push towards the finishing line.

In writing, rhythm is just as important. We need to write every day, ideally, or at least in a regular, consistent schedule in order to build up the habit. Through the generation of this habit the words and ideas will begin to flow, which in turn only makes the writing get easier and easier.

Clarity of Thought

When I took up running, something that I never expected was how meditative it can be. The physical exertion, the repetitive beat of your feet on the road and your heart in your chest, the time spent alone focused on yourself, can be a rather zen-like experience. It can empty your mind, and produce a clarity of thought was is surprising and incredible. Often when I run, ideas for my writing flood into my mind. New stories and characters, twists and tweaks to whatever I’m working on, solutions to problems I’m having with my stories or articles. I even end up writing sentences and entire paragraphs in my head as I run! It is amazing experience, and is worth taking up running for on its own. More about running as meditation can be read here.

Are any of you runners? Have you found it help with your writing? Is anyone inspired to take up running after reading this? Please leave your comments and feedback below.

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Running and Writing: Focus, Endurance and More