Feb 3, 2012

Fiction writing tips



When  a fiction writer sits down to pen a new novel, a lot of things have already been taken into account, such as the best time of the day to write, considering the season, a time when it is quieter – if you are near a main road – and when there is little noise or traffic – even the weeks and months when he will not be able to write. This is the first thing to decide; how many weeks or months to devote to the project, and how to divide up that time so that you get the writing and other duties done. On a personal note, this writer has taken off almost a year for a breather after her tenth novel, Joonie, and this is a prelude before starting the eleventh novel. A fiction writer is an artist, a word colorist, a challenger.

Understanding the writing mind

Writers have peculiar habits in that they have learned to cope with hours on the keyboard by smoking cigarettes, drinking coffee, going for a quick walk to unclog the brain, or whatever other habit they have arrived at for maximum euphoria. There is joy at just the sheer arrangement of words. Still, the writing process is not easy. It is a solitary job; it is only you and the page in front of you. You are the judge, the jury, and the eliminator. You will cut a sentence or even a paragraph if it doesn’t resonate. When a writer is busy working it is almost a cruel to interrupt. Good writing takes time, patience, endurance, and the ability to make cuts – just like a director in a movie – if it serves the plot.

Good habits to employ

·                    Do you like the beach or the boardwalk a better place to write than at your desk? Laptops make things easy for a writer today, and you can easily write where it is most comfortable for you, even from the back seat of your car.
·                    Try and write at the same time every day. Spend at least an hour or more if you can afford the time.
·                    Don’t write if you are not feeling well; you will in all likelihood scrap what you have written. Take a nap and come back to it the following day. If you are like me, you will feel guilty for not utilizing that time. Definitely don’t write if you have a headache.
·                    Don’t force your writing. If the words have temporarily dried up, take a break. Water the lawn or go for a walk.
·                    Whatever you do, do not tell us what the story is about; let us see it unfold.
·                    Write about what you know as you will write with passion and also have more to write about.
·                    When editing your piece, cut out all those little gems – darlings they call it in the industry – you think are so great.
·                    Writing is about reading and rewriting, and reading other people’s work can be very inspirational.


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