Developing story ideas and plots from “What if?”

Walk down any street, read any headline or listen to any conversation and you will find plenty of opportunities to ask, “what if?”

Your question, along with the answer, could be funny, tragic, dramatic, romantic or any other theme you choose. You can be as outrageous as you want because as you develop your theme even the most unlikely occurrence can make for a good story.

Consider these:

What if an alien landed in your back garden? Not a new idea but maybe you could develop a new slant on this. Is this a funny story about how you try to communicate with the aliens and keep them hidden as they accompany you throughout your day? Maybe this is about trust; you try to help the aliens but they have a plot to destroy your town. When you discover this you realise you have inadvertently helped them with their attempts and now you have to defeat them.

What if a woman overhears a conversation where another woman talks about her upcoming wedding? This could be a thriller with the groom already being married to the first woman. What does she do? Is this about revenge. Maybe the second woman is making up the whole story. This could be a short story where the first woman is in her seventies and recalls her wedding and how her husband died shortly afterwards. Perhaps the first woman is the natural mother of the woman getting married but she gave her up for adoption as a baby.

What if electricity supplies are lost for two weeks? You decide if this is one house, an entire city or even the world. What impact would this have? Could there be a romance here as everyone pulls together? Maybe there will be crime, even murder, as people try to get hold of resources that have become limited (no freezers, no fridges, limited cooking facilities, limited heating). This could form part of the plot for a larger story, for example, an organisation could be aiming to control a nation by controlling its essential resources and services such as electricity, water, collection of waste etc.

What if you came home and your whole house had been decorated? A nice surprise? A sign of dementia? Maybe someone is trying to convince you that you have a mental health condition.

What if you look in the mirror and the reflection isn’t you?

You can ask “what if?” continuously as you develop your scene or story. What if you find treasure in a cave by the beach? What if the tide comes in and you are trapped? What if you decide to dive to escape (research how long someone can hold their breath)? What if you misjudge the exit, squeeze through an opening, and end up in another cave where you find a skeleton? What if the water is still rising? You might decide this would make a great climax for a story and work backwards to decide why you are in the cave in the first place.

Exercise

Asking “what if?” is a really useful way of coming up with story ideas and developing your plot. Keep a notebook and write at least ten “what ifs?” each day. At the end of a week select one (or more) and write at least three possible story ideas. Select one of these story ideas and write a brief outline for a novel, short story or a piece of non-fiction. Remember your question and answer could be the main story or be one part of your story. Over time you will have plenty of ideas that you can use in your writing.

Happy writing.

Using real life locations for settings and plot development

If you are setting your novel in a real location then, if your novel is set in current or historic times, most readers expect your descriptions and details to be accurate. Even if you are setting your novel in the future it is still important to consider details relating to anything that remains the same such as the distance between streets or towns. That said you can use a real location, or multiple locations, as the basis for a fictitious place and also use details from those locations to aid development of your plot.

Your novel may be set in a city of contrasts. Some people live in expensive apartment blocks with clean streets and easy access to shops and facilities. Others live in crumbling high rise flats with littered streets, playgrounds with broken equipment and high streets where the shops are mostly boarded up. Such a city may or may not exist. If it does it may not be easy for you to travel to – although online access to maps, street views and photos can be useful. You may already have a good idea about what these locations look like but detail from real life can bring your setting to life.

If you take a walk, with a camera and notebook, around your nearest town or city you will most likely find examples of some of the places and details you imagined for your book. They may not be exactly as you imagined but they will have features you can describe. For example, you may find an office block that has features that would be useful when describing your expensive apartment block – a view across the river, underground parking with security. You then might find a three-storey block of flats with balconies full of plants. A restaurant could have a courtyard area. A city park might have a pathway suitable for runners. All of these can be put together to create the apartment block and its surrounding area. It is all these tiny details from multiple places that enable you to build a picture and create a sense of place (wealthy, happy, convenient, stressful, lonely etc). This detail may also provide potential ways to add to your plot – the security guard could be a witness to a crime or the only person a resident has a friendly conversation with, the river could become a hazard or an escape route.  

Similarly, you might want to create an area that appears depressing. One boarded up shop in an otherwise modern and busy shopping centre might have some of the detail – the colour of the boards used or the way it makes you feel. The graffiti you noticed on a bridge could be transposed onto the shop front. That one broken paving slab could become many broken or raised slabs along your fictitious street.

Take notice of the detail and you can add a richness to your writing.

Exercise

1) Take a walk around your neighbourhood and make some notes about little details, also take some photos. This could be a hedge that hides the house beyond it, a pothole that cyclists have to avoid, an obstruction on the pavement that causes walkers to step into the road, peeling paint on a door, a garden full of topiary, a single shoe left on a wall, one building that is dwarfed by its neighbours, an unusual door knocker, weeds growing in the middle of a lane, a bench in a street.

2) Write an outline for a fictitious setting using elements from your notes and photos. Make it different from the actual location. That one large house might become a whole street of large houses, the small patch of untended garden might become a deserted village.

3) Write some notes that could be used in a short story or novel based on what you have seen. For example, that tiny building might be there because the owner refused to sell to developers or the bench could be a meeting place for romance or crime.

Happy writing

Increasing your productivity

Finding time to write is one thing, using it effectively to get your words written is quite another. If you often find yourself getting to the end of a writing session only to realise you’ve written fifty words in the last hour then, unless you are writing poetry, you probably want to improve your productivity.

As a writer, as with any other job, you improve your productivity by achieving more in the time you have. That might be writing more words, finishing more writing products or doing other activities that generate more income. Below are some ways you can instantly improve your productivity.

Focus on a single task – whatever you are working on stay focused only on the task in hand and stay working on that task for at least twenty-five minutes (unless you have less time than that available). Whether you frequently switch tasks or try to complete two tasks simultaneously multi-tasking reduces productivity and increases the likelihood of making mistakes. Switch to single-tasking and you will achieve more in the time you have available.

Turn off your mobile – messages, e-mail social media, on-screen alerts, and not forgetting the occasional phone call. All will distract you, engage you, and steal your time – your writing will not get done. Turn your phone off and hide it. You do not want to be tempted to pick it up, not even once, whilst you are working. If you are writing for long periods of times put your phone, on silent, in another room and check it during your break periods only.

Plan your time – don’t wait until you have some time before you write, plan your writing time and diarise it. Prioritise your writing and writing related activities and then plan other non-essential tasks around these rather than finishing everything else and then doing your writing in the time you have left.

Plan your projects – whether a book or other writing project ensure you create at least an overview of the scenes or sections you intend to write and of the tasks you need to complete. Preferably create a detailed plan so that you always know what you need to write, what you need to do and when you are going to do it.

Clarify your goals and objectives – be clear about your writing goals and break these down nto objectives with a deadline. If you are writing a book you might have the goal of completing that book within six months. You can break this down further with deadlines for each scene or section, for completion of the first draft, final edits and, if you are self-publishing, publication. Write down all your targets and deadlines and you are more likely to achieve them.

Stay healthy – often forgotten until it is too late. Look after your health to ensure you remain focused on your tasks, can work the hours needed to complete your projects and don’t have periods of time when you are unable to write due to avoidable illness or injury. Eat well, drink plenty (of water) and exercise.

If you would like further hints, tips and techniques for improving productivity for writers then take a look at my new book Productivity for Writers: How to get more done, write more words and createmore time to write. This book is available on all Amazon sites.

NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month

If you are participating in NaNoWriMo next month then now is an excellent time to start planning. As this stage you can plan and develop your idea, identify your main characters, plot your novel and set aside your writing time.

Remember that you are aiming for 50,000 words. This is a first draft so you do not need to worry about typos, grammar, finding just the right word or sparkling dialogue - you can work on these when you edit.

Start with developing an idea - you might already have one in mind, if not take some time to explore sources of ideas including newspapers, historic events, existing novels, traditional children's stories and personal experience. Once you have a basic idea you can explore other aspects such as setting, characters and motivation - use "what if?" at this stage - what if the male character was female?, what if a specific historic event occurred today?, what if there was a thunderstorm instead of sunshine?

Once you have developed your idea look at plot and characters - which you work on first is likely to depend whether your novel is plot driven or character driven.

Plan a scene by scene outline of your novel - include as much detail as you need ensuring you highlight aspects that are imperative to your story. For example a sudden rainstorm may result in a character being late for a meeting and losing an important contract.

Create character profiles - the better you know your characters the easier it will be to write about them.

You will find many posts on this site detailing how to create character profiles and how to plot a novel, you could also look at Write it! How to write your book in 30 hours or less (just right for NaNoWriMo).

Writing a first draft in one month is an excellent way to kick-start your novel and take you a step closer to completion.

Happy writing.

Free eBook Available from Amazon

The ebook version of Daily Writing Prompts is available as a free download today and during this weekend. It contains thirty prompts for you to practise your writing and help you develop the habit of writing every day. If you prefer you can purchase the paperback version which has space for you to write your responses to each prompt, you can take it with you wherever you go and use those free moments to practise writing

Click here to download from Amazon.

Happy writing.

Format your Book for Print or eBook

In the second book in the Write It series - Publish it! - there is step by step instructions on how to format your book correctly to ensure it either looks the way you want it to when printed or displays correctly when read on a Kindle or other reading device. If you want your readers to enjoy your book then it is important to get the formatting right and makes changes to the formatting when preparing your work for different publishing options.

I was reading this article on why you should care about formatting and found it answered many of the questions often raised or mistakes made including using hard returns to add spacing or force text onto a new page. It is well worth a read. Click here to read the article.

If you would like more information on formatting have a look at Publish it! How to publish your book for free using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), CreateSpace and Smashwords. You can download a sample for free and check out the content.

Happy writing.

The Snowflake Method

If you follow the Write it! Publish it! Sell it! Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/writepublishsell you will know that I regularly recommend books on different aspects of writing. I while back I downloaded a sample of Randy Ingermanson's book How to Write a Novel with the Snowflake Method. Before reaching the end of the sample I had purchased a copy. I had come across this method before and liked the approach however what prompted me to recommend the book was the way the technique was woven into an entertaining story using familiar characters.

At the time I bought this book I was partway through writing a novel (I had an outline as that is the way I prefer to work) so I attempted to apply this technique to my work. It really helped me to focus on the purpose of each scene and I ended up cutting out some large chunks before I had spent hours perfecting these scenes and then cutting them in the final edit.

Yesterday I came across this interview, it is well worth listening to.  Randy Ingermanson interview. 

If you are an aspiring or established author have read of this book and give the method a try. It won't take up too much time and you could find it genuinely helps you progress your writing. Click here to see book on Amazon.

Writing Competitions

Writing competitions are a great way to practise writing within constraints such as theme and word count. Many competitions have prizes such as cash, books, publication deals or writing courses. Some competitions provide feedback on the quality of your entry. Even if you don't win you will have a completed story, article, poem or start of a novel that you can submit to printed publications, online magazines or even self-publish (always check the terms and conditions to ensure you retain the rights to you story if you are unsuccessful). There may be a cost to entry although this need not be expensive.

To get you started take a look at the TXTLit Micro Story Competition at http://www.txtlit.co.uk/ and Literature Works' First Page Comp at http://www.literatureworks.org.uk/

Happy writing

Your Writing Place

You may read many articles and blog posts, including posts on this site, on setting up a workspace that supports your goal of becoming a productive writer. The advice given is valuable and will make a positive difference, however it is important that not having an ideal workspace does not become a barrier to achieving your goals or an excuse not to write regularly even when you do have the time.

One effective approach is to identify a space that you use only to write and nothing else. No checking emails, no research, no catching up on social media, no admin and no planning. Just writing. It does not matter where this space is, although minimising distractions will be an advantage. It could be a desk in your bedroom, the dining table, a fold-up table and chair in your sitting room, or even a lap tray used whilst sitting on the sofa or bed. It does not matter if you use this space for other writing or non-writing activities at other times as long as this space becomes your writing place, and nothing else, as soon as you open your notebook, laptop or tablet. If you do undertake other writing activities in this space then use a prompt to ensure your mind knows this is writing time and not admin time. This could be something as simple as placing an object – a stone, notebook, inspirational quote, or photograph of a favourite place – on the table.

Once you have decided on your place then develop the habit of writing continuously at least once a day, before long your mind will learn to automatically switch into writing mode as soon as you sit down. When you sit down ensure you know what you are going to write, not necessarily the actual words but which scene or article you will be completing. Don’t worry about getting the words exactly right at this stage, that can come when you edit. Just type, or handwrite, whatever comes into your mind. You might start off thinking you are writing rubbish – just keep writing. Amongst the words will be some real gems, everything else can be polished.

Adopt this approach and, within thirty days, you will find that every time you sit down to write your mind will switch off from all the other things that need doing – real or perceived - and you will be able to focus entirely on getting those words written, in other words you will be in flow. 

Summer Writing

There’s a good reason I’m writing this post today instead on getting it done three days ago as planned – today it’s raining. Yes I too wanted to make the most of the recent, albeit short-lived, good weather. I’ve been walking, gardening, and barbequing. Of course I always believed it would eventually rain and I could catch up with my writing however what happens if we have a fantastic summer, how can we ensure we write every day and meet our deadlines.

Below are a few quick tips to help you remain a productive writing whilst the sun is shining.

Get up a little earlier and write before doing anything else. It will be cooler, quieter and you’ll feel less guilty if you spend the rest of the day outdoors.

1. Create an outdoor writing space. If you are writing for a long period or using a laptop then a shaded area is usually better.
2. Set daily targets. When you have achieved them reward yourself with your preferred outdoor activity.
3. Plan ahead. Check the weather forecast and diarise your writing and other activities to ensure you get your writing done and are still able to enjoy the sunshine.

Summer is a great time and should be enjoyed. With a little planning you can enjoy the weather and still be productive. You never know you may even be inspired by all your new experiences.

Happy writing.

Zero Cost Marketing

Promoting your book or yourself need not be costly, in fact you can successfully promote your book for no cost other than your time, obviously this has a value however use it wisely and the returns can make it worthwhile. There are both online and offline opportunities available, you could even make some extra money. Give them a go and you could get your book in front of even more real buyers.

Website/Blog

Setting up a website or blog is essential as once you have engaged new readers they will want to find out more about you and your work. There are lots of free options available including Moonfruit, Blogger and Wordpress. Include an author bio and details of books you have written including how to buy them. Have at least one section that you update regularly, a blog is good for this, so readers have a reason to revisit your site.

Initially you may not get a lot of visitors to your site, don’t worry about this as the purpose, at this stage, is to have somewhere to send your readers. Longer term you might choose to invest some time in Search Engine Optimisation or drive traffic to your site.

Facebook

Set up a Facebook page that is separate to your personal profile and page. This page could be named after you the author, a book series, a character in your book, or the topic you write about.  Use this page to promote your book, provide updates on what you are doing related to your writing, give additional information about your characters or locations or give hints and tips related to your topic, in fact post about anything that will keep your readers engaged with your page.

You could also post on other Facebook pages. If you find a page that has fans who could become your readers, like it and comment on posts. After a while make a relevant post and include a link to your page or website.

Give a talk

There are lots of organisations that welcome speakers; consider your own community and think about all the different groups that meet regularly. It is highly likely these groups will have members who could become your readers, or perhaps purchase your book as a gift. You could talk about the subject of your book, give a reading, talk about the writing process or even select an entirely different topic and somehow relate it to your work. Consider these topics, time management for the self-employed, cooking meals for one, travelling with pets or making the most of social media. As long as you are introduced as an author and have the opportunity to mention the books you have written the subject of the talk doesn't really matter. And, as an added bonus, you may even get paid!

For further ideas on promoting your book and making those sales have a look at Sell it! The complete guide to marketing, promoting and selling your book, it is available on Amazon as a paperback and Kindle ebook.

Happy writing.

Make the most of your writing time

Does this sound like you? You work hard to carve out some writing time. You then sit down at your computer and the words just won’t come. Any words that you write are rubbish and you spend more time rewriting, deleting and editing. Twenty minutes later and you only have ten words written and are beginning to think that you will never be able to make living as a writer.

First of all don’t panic. Many new writers believe that “real” writers produce first drafts that are close to perfect, this just isn't true. Whilst a few writers do produce high quality first drafts most produce something that requires considerable rewriting and editing.

You can improve your output during your writing time by taking two simple steps before you start a writing session.

Step One – Plan what you are going to write

If you are clear about which section or scene you are going to complete before you sit down you can increase your word count considerably – no more wondering what happens next or which facts and opinions to include. When writing only do what you plan to do, if you think you need to do some additional research make a note to do it later. Techniques to try are:

• Create a complete outline for your work whether a book or an article. This could be a detailed plan or brief scene or section notes.
• At the end of a writing session make a note of what you are going to do during your next session. This enables you to think through the scene or section in between your writing sessions, you may even find the scene is written in your head before you sit down to transfer it onto your computer.

Step Two – Silence your inner critic

We all have one, that voice in our head that tells us our work isn’t good enough and surely we must realise by now that we will never make it as a writer. Whilst this voice has its uses you do not want to be listening to it whilst writing your first draft. Try these simple techniques to silence your critic whilst writing:

• Keep writing – if you are tapping away with your figures getting those words down as fast as you can there will be little opportunity for your inner critic to get a word in.
• When that voice says you could do better just respond by saying, “I know it can be improved and will do a rewrite at a later date.” Then keep writing.
• Complete your writing goals - this can be a great motivator as you are telling your inner critic you have what it takes to get the job done.

Start your next writing session with a clear idea of what you are going to write and then just write. Before you know it you will have a completed first draft.

Happy writing.

Engage with your readers online

Extracts from Sell it! - The complete guide to marketing,promoting and selling your book 

Many, possibly the majority, of your readers will engage online whether shopping, social media, viewing TV and videos or searching for information.  These same readers are likely to turn to the internet if they have an offline engagement with you and want to find out more. Even if your readers rarely engage online you will need a minimum presence, possibly a website, in order to meet their expectations, some people do actually believe that if they can’t find you online then you don’t really exist!

There is a vast array of opportunities for you to engage with readers online however what you select depends on both your personal preference and that of your readers so do remember to check your reader profiles and ensure you go where they hangout. Once they have become your fans they will be happy to go where you hangout.

YouTube

YouTube enables you to upload and share your videos with others. Initially you may think that creating a video is not for you however, think again, video is for everybody and, considering the number of people using YouTube, it is likely you can find some of your readers here.

If you are not yet familiar with YouTube then go to the website and do a search on any topic, perhaps something you want to know how to do. Whatever it is you will find several videos, there are lots of funny, how to, academic, learning, promotional and other types of videos.

You can create a video using moving images, a series of still images, text, voice and music. You could even create an animation. If you have yet to develop your skills in this area then start by creating a presentation style video – using presentation software – with a series of slides containing images and text and then add music or voiceover. Save the presentation as a video and upload.

There are lots of possibilities for your video - you could give a reading from your book, create a book trailer, give a talk or demonstration on a topic in your book, develop a video course, create a tourist information video of the locations in your book, get someone to interview you, or create a video blog.

You can share the link to your video on your Facebook page, in your newsletter, on your website and in your books.

As an alternative to YouTube take a look at Vimeo; you could post your videos on both platforms.

Webinars

Have you considered running a webinar – or a web based seminar? These provide massive opportunities to engage with your readers. If you have written a non-fiction book then why not run a webinar on this subject. For a fiction book you might discuss the process of developing your characters or locations. Create a presentation prior to the event and include video, audio, links to websites in fact anything you can show on screen or hear through audio.

You can choose how much interaction your audience has – typically the audience will type in messages and questions which you can then answer live or save until later and provide a FAQ page on your website or through email. You can also record the webinar so that you can make it available after the event. You could run a webinar to a small, perhaps personally selected, group and then make the recording available after the event.

If you are inviting comment and questions during the event you might like to have an assistant who can group the questions together or draw your attention to those that you could answer live during your session.

Consider offering attendees something special as a thank-you for attending, you could include a download link to free content such as an ebook that is available for 24 hours only.

There is a wide range of online webinar providers available including free, free trial, and paid for services; some free and trial versions will have restrictions. Take your time to find a service that meets your needs. You need reliability so check recommendations, the ability to accommodate your chosen audience size, and the ability to record – I would recommend this function as you then have the files for later use.

First time around can be nerve wracking especially if you haven’t given a presentation before or don’t feel comfortable with technology – try attending an online webinar first so you get a feel for how they work.

Online radio show

Did you know you can broadcast your own online radio show? There are a number of online radio services and apps you can download to record and broadcast your show. Have a look at blogradiotalk.com and spreaker.com to see what is possible. You could interview guests, give a talk about your book or have a discussion about the topic of your book. The show does not have to be related to your book, you could be promoting yourself. There are free and paid for options available so you can give it a try without any outlay and later, as your fan base grows, pay for additional features as you want them.

Happy writing.

Publish a short piece of writing

I have written in previous posts about the ease of self-publishing however, you still have to write your book first and this can take some time. If you are starting to feel that you’ll never quite get there then why not write a shorter piece – fiction or non-fiction – and get it published. Completing a piece of work to a publishable standard will train your brain to complete work and also motivate you to continue with longer works.

If you are publishing an ebook then length does not matter although it is important to be clear in your description that this is a single short story or report and consider your price to ensure readers’ expectations are met.

If you publish a printed book you may find that a single short story of 1000 words will cost the reader more to buy than they might reasonably expect to pay. You can overcome this by publishing a collection of short stories or reports.

Now is a great time to complete and publish your work whatever its length. If this is in a similar genre or within the same topic area as other books you are writing then you can start to build up a following and, with non-fiction, establish yourself as an expert.

Allocate some time today and complete a short piece of work. This time next week you could be earning from your writing.

Happy writing.

Roll the Dice or Create your own Story Generator

If you are looking for story ideas or some exercises to warm up your mind before starting on that big project then use this simple method of selecting characters, locations and themes that you can then use to start a short story.

For each of these headings list six possible results numbered one to six, if you prefer you could set this up as a table. If you would like more options you could use two or more die and therefore list twelve or more possible results.

Character

Situation

Location.

Below are some examples:
Character

1 – Teacher, female, 40 years

2 – Doctor, male, 32 years

3 – Doctor, female, 45 years

4 – Shop assistant, male, 62 years

5 – Child, female, 7 years

6 – Hiker, male, 22 years

Situation

1 – Minor car accident

2 – Taking an exam

3 – Planning a holiday

4 – Applying for a new job

5 – Cooking a meal

6 – Taking a gym class

Location

1 – Busy street

2 – In a bank

3 – On a beach

4 – In a forest

5 – At the swimming pool

6 – In a restaurant.

Roll the dice to select a character, roll again to select a second character, it’s OK if they are the same. Roll again to select the situation and again for the location. You now have two characters, a situation and location. Write your story using these elements. Remember this is to help you generate story ideas or to warm up your writing muscles so do not feel constrained whilst writing; if you decide you want your doctor to become a café owner then do it – it’s your story.

You can add to or change your lists to suit your needs or interests, you may also decide to add additional headings such as theme, gender, age, conflict or barrier. Over time you could develop quite a large number of possible story ideas.

Happy writing.

Free book available this weekend - Sell it!

Sell it!: The complete guide to marketing, promoting and selling your book, is the latest in the Write it! Publish it! Sell it! series. It is available as a free download today and over the weekend.

Product description

It is never too soon to start marketing your book. If you have published a book or are in the planning stages of writing your book you can start building a relationship with your readers.

Whether you are self-published or traditionally published developing a marketing plan and actively promoting your book will help you reach your potential readers and make those sales.

Marketing and promotion need not be expensive, in fact the majority of the ideas in this book have no cost attached or have free alternatives.

Follow the suggestions in this book and you will discover how to:
- Develop a marketing plan that results in sales
- Maximise results from your budget and time
- Identify who your readers are – even if they don’t know it yet
- Create “curb appeal” with your cover and title
- Ensure readers can find your book when searching online
- Write a description that leaves the reading thinking “I must read this now”
- Engage with your readers online
- Create a book trailer on YouTube
- Meet your readers offline
- Get interviewed on local radio
- Hold a launch party
- Make changes to your book to attract even more readers
- Make use of online publisher and retailer promotional tools
- Monitor and review your activity to ensure your efforts bring you the greatest returns
- Add value with online content and freebies
- Develop effective time management skills
- Create a brand
- And finally! Have fun.

From the writer of Write it! and Publish it! comes the latest book in the Write it! Publish it! Sell it! Series. This complete guide to marketing, promoting and selling your book will ensure you make best use of all the tools available to you. Read through the ideas, plan your strategy and start marketing your book today. 

Happy writing.

Free book available for Kindle - The Productive Writer

The Productive Writer: A collection of blog posts, articles and extracts on writing, publishing and selling your book is currently available to download from Amazon for free.

Description

If you are looking for inspiration, information or an enjoyable read on everything writing you are sure to find something to tempt you within this book. 

A collection of blog posts, articles and extracts on many aspects of writing including: 
- Developing a writer’s mindset 
- Igniting your creativity 
- Planning a novel 
- Creating characters 
- Working from home 
- Time management 
- Selling your work online 
- Creating a writer’s space 
- And much more. 

Wherever you are in your writing journey you are sure to discover something that will take you towards your ultimate writing goals.

Download today.

Happy writing

Show don't tell

Show don’t tell is advice you’ll often hear or read. Showing your readers what is happening and how your characters are feeling will engage your readers with the story enabling them to become part of it; when your characters feel scared, jubilant, or jealous your readers will feel it too.

It is important to say that when you write your first draft do not worry about whether you are showing or telling – just get your story written using the techniques that suit you best – polishing your writing, including converting any telling into showing, comes with the rewrite (or rewrites).

So what is showing and telling?

Jason was upset, is telling.

Jason felt that familiar lump rise in his throat, as he swallowed hard he felt the tears form in the corners of his eyes, is showing. Note how use of the word familiar also shows something – Jason has been upset before, probably on several occasions.

It was raining, is telling.

George opened his umbrella, is a move towards showing however this could be improved e.g. George stood in the relative shelter of the doorway as he fumbled with the catch of his umbrella.

In essence telling is you, as the author, talking to the reader – telling them what is happening, the readers focus is on what you have to say next. Showing is allowing the reader to see and experience what is happening and make judgements about the characters as a result – the reader engages with the story, cares about the characters, feels the emotion and will keep turning the pages until they reach the end of the book; you, as the author, are not part of the story.

There are occasions when you have to tell the reader, or narrate, some vital information; this might be setting the scene or providing some factual information, e.g. the year was 2027 and the young men who had survived the war were beginning to return or 10 years later. Consider what the readers need to know that is not a direct part of the story however has an impact on it. In the first example the reader needs to know there has been a war, only young men fought in this war, not all survived and the war was now over. The story starts at the end of the war when the men are returning, the war itself is not part of the story although the impact of the war is very much part of the story. The second example tells the passage of time, you could show this by ending one chapter with the birth of a baby and starting the next chapter with their tenth birthday party – you have to decide which is most effective for your story.

As an exercise take a piece of your own writing or that from a novel you have enjoyed. Identify where there is showing and where there is telling. Try rewriting a paragraph or two converting any telling into showing.

Happy writing.

New book published - Sell it!

The next book in the Write it! Publish it! Sell it! series is now available in both printed and Kindle format. Sell it! The complete guide to marketing, promoting and selling your book by Adam Jackson covers developing a relationship with your readers to ensure they want your book now.

Description

It is never too soon to start marketing your book. If you have published a book or are in the planning stages of writing your book you can start building a relationship with your readers.

Whether you are self-published or traditionally published developing a marketing plan and actively promoting your book will help you reach your potential readers and make those sales.

Marketing and promotion need not be expensive, in fact the majority of the ideas in this book have no cost attached or have free alternatives.

Follow the suggestions in this book to discover how to:

 - Develop a marketing plan that results in sales

 - Maximise results from your budget and time

 - Identify who your readers are – even if they don’t know it yet

 - Create “curb appeal” with your cover and title

 - Ensure readers can find your book when searching online

 - Write a description that leaves the reading thinking “I must read this now”

 - Create a book trailer on YouTube

 - Get interviewed on local radio

 - Hold a launch party

 - Make use of online publisher and retailer promotional tools

 - Monitor and review your activity to ensure your efforts bring you the greatest returns

 - Add value with online content and freebies

 - Create a brand

 - And finally! Have fun.

This complete guide to marketing, promoting and selling your book will ensure you make best use of all the tools available to you. Read through the ideas, plan your strategy and start marketing your book today.

Link to Amazon

Happy marketing

What do your characters know about each other?

There is much written, including blog posts on this site, about really getting to know your characters. However, what do your characters know and think about each other?

It is a really useful exercise to write descriptions about your characters from the viewpoint of each of your other major characters. You could free write a description or use question and answer.

Ask your hero a number of questions about your villain and then repeat this exercise for other characters. You could ask:

• Describe them physically
• What do you know about their background?
• What do you like about them?
• What do you dislike about them?
• What do you think they would order for lunch?
• If you were to get stuck in a lift together what would you talk about?
• What do you think their goals are?

You can add questions as you plan and write your book and need to understand more about your characters and how they view each other.

You could do the same exercise for significant people that do not appear in your book, for instance question the mother of your hero. Whilst the mother may not be a character in your book, and may not even be referred to, she might be able to provide an intriguing insight into your character’s motivations.

Have fun with this – the results will help you develop characters with real depth and also work out the intricacies of the relationships between characters.

Happy writing.