Rachel Dickens Books

What does it take to call yourself a writer? Sometimes, using this word is a challenge and an act of courage. Writer AT Adlen shares a story about how her young self was first declared an “author” in front of someone rather famous:

When I was in fourth grade, I was told I was going to meet Beverly Cleary. Or was it Judy Blume? Either way, I was going to meet one of them, and I would never be the same from that moment on.

See, I met…one of them, under the pretense that I was a “Young Author”.  This title bewildered me. I had not yet, at that age, had any real interest in writing. I stared at my teacher when she gave me the news, that not only was I a writer, but also that I might meet a famous one.

If the skin on my forehead had not been too young to wrinkle as I scrunched up my little uncertain face, she might have read my hesitation. Nevertheless, I had little control over my destiny back then, so I shrugged and went along with it. 

Of course, I now understand the inherent novelty of being called a “Young Author”. The only obligation was to create what amounted to glorified coloring books. A story from our own imagination, combined with drawings to match said imaginative story. This would be bound with painters tape around a plastic, makeshift hardcover. Two titles, one on the front cover and one on the spine. Finally, a UPC code for looking it up in the library’s card catalog. This meant these horrifically creative masterworks would be accessible to the entire elementary school student body.

Here’s a guest post from bestseller Brenda Novak, who reveals 10 key basics to writing a great novel.

1. Start your story in the right place—when something exciting happens, when something unusual comes to pass, when a worthy challenge has been presented to your protagonist.

2. Save the backstory for later, and be sneaky about it. Feed it in carefully and sparingly just when the reader needs to know. And use only the most essential details of the past. Don’t have your protagonist staring out the window so that you can tell your readers through internal dialogue everything you need them to know. (This is called an “info dump,” and is to be avoided.)

3. Avoid saying too much or too little. Saying too much bogs down your pace and can come off as pretentious. Saying too little makes it difficult to connect with your characters and can strip your story of its emotional impact.

4. Build conflict. The conflict is the engine that drives your story. If you don’t have much under the hood, you aren’t going anywhere. Layered conflict, or conflict that grows and changes as the story progresses, is even better. It keeps your reader from getting frustrated, bored or weary of the protagonist’s journey.

5. Stay active. Active writing means keeping the reader in the action. It means moving forward in real time. It means using specific details as opposed to clichés and generalizations. It also means using better diction and stronger verbs.

6. Skip the boring stuff. Nobody wants to read it. Use snappy, realistic dialogue that is unique to each character and isn’t bogged down with too many tags or adverbs (“she said sternly …”).

7. Create characters who are interesting and layered—which means they are not perfect. They must also be properly motivated or they will not be believable or sympathetic.

8. Help your reader suspend disbelief by avoiding a plot that is too contrived or coincidental. Put in a strong foundation at the beginning of your book so that whatever turns on it is credible and rings true.

9. Avoid writing that is overly dramaticor self-indulgent. Writing that tries too hard becomes obvious very fast.