#writingjunk

Adrift was supposed to end up being quick emotional hurt/comfort Adoribull quasi-porn, after the dreadnought and the Storm Coast lol. At the end of the third chapter I realized I was setting myself up for way more than I’d intended, so I decided I either had to a) commit to a full-length fic, or b) scrap it and try again. It has been sitting in my WIP folder ever since lol.

Deepen the well. No matter what you know about the subject, there is always more to learn. Make sure you have the latest information available on your subject.

If there are differences of opinion in the area you are writing about, acknowledge the other side. Your statements will come across more strongly if the reader knows you have addressed the arguments others would raise.

Once you write something, at least some of your readers are going to believe you. You owe them accuracy.

"Yes, but... I'm writing my autobiography."

Or, "This is my family history. I know this story like no one else."

That's true, but others have a perspective not like yours. Memories, even yours, can be faulty.

"Yes, but... I'm writing fiction."

Okay, the details of fiction need to be as accurate as the details of nonfiction. Margaret Atwood can The Booker Prize for her novel The Blind Assassin. Her work is powerful on many levels. She took no chances with the details. At the back of her book is a list of acknowledgements 2 1/2 pages long: libraries, archives, museums..

"Yes, but... My story is fantasy."

Given the chance, what do you talk about endlessly? What drives you to seek out information? What are your passions? When you write what you know, you write with authority. People listen to you because you are one who knows. You are interesting because you are interested.

Character Ideas!

These character ideas can help you give your own characters' personas and how or what makes them tick. 

Answer this question for us:

When is nothing better than something?

July 11, 2011

DO write regardless what people may think. Write for yourself first. Set your muse free. Be driven. Write as if your life depends on it.

Writing DOs and DON'Ts.

DOs and DON'Ts help aspirants over some stumbling blocks all writers face, whether you write short stories or novel, even nonfiction.