Tag Archives: writing tips

To Sequel or Not To Sequel

Posted on November 23, 2014 | 5 comments

That is the question, isn’t it?

It seems to be the thing to do at this moment in the entertainment industry, particularly the film industry. In fact, the film industry does it so well that it takes sequels and breaks them into parts so as to make one sequel into three or four in a sequel-ception frenzy. Don’t get me wrong, I just saw Mockingjay Part 1 and I think it was pretty well done as with the rest of the film adaptations for the Hunger Games Trilogy, but this whole Part 1 / Part 2 nonsense is getting a little out of control. What next? Are they gonna release book adaptations in episodes and make full 24-installment seasons out of them?

Wait…

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The film industry aside, the desire for sequels has penetrated deep into the book industry too. Every book nowadays has some sequel or prequel or companion book or series or *gasp* trilogy attached to it. Do we really need three snail-paced, mediocre books when one perfectly-paced, awesome book will do? It seems to me that trilogies and sequels work well in some cases, but sometimes I’m reading book two or book five and all I’m doing is questioning why the content wasn’t just condensed and put into book one. What if writers just cut out some of the filler and whining and got to the point? Writers are supposed to be concise, aren’t they? If we answer yes to that question, why are some of our bestselling books full of such hot air?

And then it occurs to me: sequels sell. Trilogies sell. Trilogies make fantastic movie franchises. It’s easier to market a series of books than just a single book. And if a publisher gets a good momentum going, they can even have people buying more than one book at a time. Sure, there is some artistic choice on behalf of the author because they’re the ones doing majority of the writing after all, but how much of that inspiration is conflated to conform to this quantity over quality phenomenon?

So, the real question: Should I write a series or a trilogy because it has the potential to sell better than a stand-alone book or should I focus on the need for something more? To be honest, I have ideas and characters that can stretch three or more novels but when is enough enough? How do I know when I’ve struck writerly gold and when am I just grovelling? Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes I feel an odd pressure to write more than one book about a particular character or plot, but I’m not really sure if that pressure is coming from a story that’s not yet done being told. How do I know if that impulse is a genuine expression of inspiration and creative need or if I’m just eager to jump on the bandwagon of stories that would have been better told in a single installment?

The answer is quite ironic, really: I guess I’m just going to have to write and find out. I guess if I’m still invested in a character or an idea, I should strike the iron while it’s hot, right? And besides, what’s writing another two or three books? Some writers make it seem like child’s play. I even recall writers who churn out a couple of manuscripts every year. Not all of them can be alien robots.

What do you think? Do all stories have sequel potential or is it just the entrepreneur inside the writer that wants us to believe that this is the case?

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By Your Request: Query Success Stories and Why They Were Successful

Posted on November 19, 2014 | Leave a comment

Check out my journey to a publishing contract on Aussie Owned and Read!

hybridlady's avatarAussie Writers

Today I have the first of a couple of posts about successful queries and why they worked, just like you asked! So, since I work in acquisitions, I asked some of the authors I had the privilege of acquiring to send me their stories. Enjoy!

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Michael Cristiano is a Canadian writer. His relentless obsession with fiction began long before he could even spell the words ‘relentless obsession’. He spent most of his childhood getting lost in fantastical masterpieces, learning foreign languages, and attempting to be published by the age of thirteen. Though he’s off by a few years, The Black Oracle is his debut novel and is due for publication in 2015.

Website & Blog: www.michaelcristiano.net

Facebook: www.facebook.com/MichaelCristianoOfficial

Twitter: www.twitter.com/mcristianowrite

I got the idea for The Black Oracle when I was fifteen and I had no idea that writing it would be such a long and all-encompassing process. I had loved…

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Music and Writing

Posted on November 13, 2014 | 1 comment

Writing without music is like swimming without a bathing suit on. Okay, maybe I don’t know where I’m going with that analogy. Let’s try again: writing without music is like driving without a seat belt. Yup, no. That’s a little dramatic. *Ahem* Writing without music is like missing that last invisible step in the dark.

Whatever. You get what I’m trying to say. Maybe I should just plug in my headphones and get on with it.

Music has always been a big part of my life — almost as big as writing. I took vocal and guitar lessons as a kid and there may have even been a period of time where I *thought* I was part of a band. I say thought because we didn’t really make much music and we didn’t play any live shows. We just sat around and dreamed about how great it would be to be rock stars. Needless to say, we never got a recording contract or had the chance to appear on MTV.

Me, circa 2010. May not be writing, but still plugged in. And apparently not ready for a photo...

Me, circa 2010. May not be writing, but still plugged in. Oh, and why did no one force me to get a haircut?!

Despite no longer being part of a band or wanting to be on MTV, my love for music didn’t go away. In fact, what took place was a marriage of sorts between my love for music and my desire to create and to write. Whenever I wanted to get into the zone, I would just plug in my headphones and find a good album or two. Without much effort at all, I found that the music helped guide what I was writing. It helped shape the atmosphere of the story and the feel of the words. Think of it like mood music, but without the rose petals and scented candles. Or maybe add in those scented candles. They always make me want baked goods.

In any case, if I wanted to write something sad, I listened to a sad song. If I wanted anger, an aggressive song would do. My eclectic music taste helps too: I listen to everything from Nine Inch Nails to Björk, from the neo-classical stylings of Olafur Arnalds to house music and dubstep. I wrote the entirety of my first novel to Nine Inch Nails and other Industrial Music. I was working on another manuscript last year that I wrote to Kanye West’s Yeezus.

In fact, I find now that when I listen to certain albums or songs, I am reminded of the stories or scenes I wrote to them. It’s like the songs have a new meaning that extends beyond the music itself. And worse, I find it nearly impossible to write until I find the perfect song or album to write to. That’s happening a bit to me right now, actually. I haven’t been able to pinpoint a mood or atmosphere for my novel-in-progress because I haven’t been able to find music that puts me in the right mood. I sometimes spend so much time looking for musical inspiration for the things I want to write that I even overlook the actual writing. But honestly, it’s worth it. If I get the right music with the right feel, BAM! I feel like I could write something on par with Shakespeare or JK Rowling.

Okay, maybe not, but that’s how I feel…

Do you listen to music when you write? What are you writing to currently? I’m open to suggestions :p

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5 Ways to Overcome Writer’s Block

Posted on November 7, 2014 | 4 comments

DISCLAIMER: I may or may not be dealing with a slight case of this at the moment.

Sometimes, writer’s block is a quiet, somber annoyance, filled with insecurity and a tinge of disappointment. For me, writer’s block is a rather angering bout of self-doubt and frustration, perhaps spiced with a nice sprinkle of self-loathing. It makes me feel like I am wasting time or that I am missing out on some magical element that will make all the other elements of a project fall into place. And frankly, it just makes me mad.

But let’s not get angry, Michael. Let’s look at some strategies before we get out of control.

Find Some Fresh Inspiration

For me, I need to consume a large amount of inspiration to help me carry a project from 100 words to 80,000 words. Oftentimes, this results in a few lapses of writing, a few too many forays into movie watching, music downloading, daydreaming, and book reading. But for me, the biggest writer’s block is a lack of inspiration. If I don’t fell inspired, I’m not writing, even if I really want to or if I feel like I should be.

So, go out and find something inspiring. Watch a documentary about the subject matter you’re tackling. Go read a book in the genre you’re writing. Download some new music. Hit up a new museum or venue. Do something that will provide you with some freshness and newness that will breathe some life into your work. I find that old inspirations often yield that result: old, stale work.

Have a Goal

Another setback for me is aimlessness. I don’t mean to say that you should outline your entire novel — some may, but that’s not at all for me. I do mean to say though that there should be a goal to guide you. What is the goal of your character? What is happening in the scene? Where is all of this going? Sometimes it’s so easy to get wrapped up in the minute details of it all that it’s hard to have a clear direction. That lack of direction can sometimes be detrimental to the stamina it takes to write a novel.

Go For a Walk

Do it. Now. A change of scenery will help. I mean, how inspiring is your computer screen or your bedroom. Mine isn’t all that inspiring. Also, I find that if I have a negative writing experience in a certain space for a considerable amount of time, that negativity seems to linger. It’s as if I can feel it in the air around me and I predetermine that I’m going to struggle with writing before I’ve even sat down and perched my fingers.

So, bundle up, sailor, it’s getting cold (#CanadianProblems). But don’t let it deter you. And bring a notebook. There’s nothing worse that being struck in the head with a breakthrough and having nothing to record it with. Though, I suppose your arm and a pointy stick will do.

Just kidding. Put down the stick.

Isn't this inspiring? AND peaceful?

Isn’t this inspiring? AND peaceful?

Skip the Scene

I find that I often feel more excited to write some scenes and less excited to write others. This is natural. Some scenes heighten the tension and other scenes are foundations for that tension. Either way, both the scenes need to be written, but no one says that you can’t write the more exciting one first. In fact, you may have a renewed sense of purpose if you have something to work up to like an intense moment between characters or an epic, change-the-life-of-your-reader twist.

Besides, why waste the time staring at a blank screen or a blank page for the scene you’re not ready to write if there’s another one screaming for attention at the back of your head? Go on and write that one! You can come back to that scene later on. In fact, you may be more ready to write it the second time around.

Take a Break

There. I said it and I’ll say it again. Just stop. Step away from the computer. Maybe come back tomorrow, maybe next week. Heck, it may even take months or a year. In fact, my first novel was completed after a bout of writer’s block. I wrote 40,000 words over the course of two years and then one day, I just couldn’t get the juices flowing. I took a break (though at that time, I felt like I was abandoning my project) and then two years later, I came back with a fresh head and new inspiration and I completed that bad boy. And look at me now! It’s due for release in 2015!

Long story short, taking a break and focusing on something else allows you to clear your mind and come back refreshed. It could allow you to shed some of that negative energy and frustration and get back to what’s important — what you’re writing. You may even find that the inspiration comes back to you when you least expect it, like when you’re doing laundry or at three o’clock in the morning. But just go with it. Sometimes muses are fickle.

Good luck!

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5 Ways of Balancing Your Writerly Life

Posted on October 15, 2014 | 6 comments

One of the biggest challenges I have as a writer has very little to with writing and very much to do with time and motivation. After spending eight hours at a 9-to-5, writing often gets left out of the weekday equation, especially when other commitments like personal upkeep, maintaining relationships, and sleep also demand attention. And even when a writer gets around to the half-hour of writing time, it almost never pans out the way we want it too, too commonly fraught with distraction, pressure, and a lack of motivation.

But never fear! Some tips for balancing your writerly life are here!

Welp, I may be able to squeeze in some writing time at 4 am next Tuesday.

Welp, I may be able to squeeze in some writing time at 4 am next Tuesday.

1. Make Time to Write

Seems simple enough… Yet, for me, it’s the single hardest thing to do. I find that unless I actually set aside time to get to my computer and work on something, I won’t. It’s not that I don’t want to do it, because I really do love what I do, it’s that time slips away easily when we’re busiest. In fact, sometimes I go a couple days without doing any writing at all, and yet it feels like no time has passed.

In between all that homework, 9-to-5 work, socializing, exercising, cleaning, laundry, cooking, driving, and sleeping, it is essential to take a chunk of time and dedicate it to writing. Some writers and bloggers stress that this should be every day, but I don’t know what world they live in. I would aim for at least an hour or more every couple days. And put that in your calendar (or as an alarm on your phone). If you make yourself obligated to get up every morning, sit in traffic, and go to work, then make yourself obligated to doing something you love.

2. Make Time to Relax

There’s nothing more annoying than sitting down for a writing session and discovering that you’re just too damn tired, jaded, and agitated to be productive. And to make matters worse, I instantly get more agitated when I’ve set aside time to write and I just don’t feel like doing it.

For me, writing it not just a hobby and potential job. Writing is a state of mind. And frankly, it’s hard to tap into that state of mind after frantically buzzing around an office all day, sitting in traffic, and then balancing the responsibilities of being a semi-functional-but-trying adult. To counter this anti-inspiration lifestyle, I generally take a half hour before a writing session to set the mood, so to speak. I’ll do some reading, turn off the technology, and sometimes listen to some music to set the tone. I find this allows me to approach my writing with a clear head instead of trying to combat all the other fleeting thoughts while I’m trying to focus.

3. Remove the Pressure

This ties into my previous piece of advice. I like to call this performance anxiety. I spend all day telling myself that I’m going to write and I’m excited to do so and then I build it up and before I know it, I’ve committed myself to churning out 3,000 words in the 25 minutes I’ve allotted to writing. And then when I fail, I feel guilty and angry with myself.

Take away the expectations and attempt to write in a stress-free manner. I would even go so far as to not worry about a word count. Instead of setting yourself a requirement to write 1,000 words in a given sitting, try just writing any amount of words at all. Lowering your expectations leads to no disappointment and a healthier pro-writing mindset. You might even be surprised at how productive you can be if you allow yourself the freedom of no word count.

I don't care how cute you are. You're distracting me!

I don’t care how cute you are. You’re distracting me!

4. Cut the Distractions

That means Facebook. And Twitter. And the 100,000 fail videos on YouTube. While you’re at it, tell those around you that you’re taking the time to write and they should only bug you if zombies are taking over the world or if the house is on fire. Last but not least, turn off your phone. I can see mine staring at me right now and there’s nothing he likes more than ringing when I’m trying to get into the mood to write.

And put the cat away. Like the phone, he can smell antisocial behaviour from a mile away, and attacking your foot is the only solution.

5. Don’t Force It

Now, I’m going to give you some advice, and MANY a writer disagrees with me: don’t write if you don’t feel like it. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes we all need a little push to get the words flowing, but other times those words ain’t gonna come unless you drag them out by their underpants. And who wants to be dragged out by their underpants?

Listen to your muse. If it’s not going to come, don’t waste time and toil over it. Return when you feel ready.

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How to Write a Query Letter that Makes Agents and Editors Swoon

Posted on October 3, 2014 | 10 comments

This is a response to my earlier post called Why Your Query Letter is Making Agents and Editors Cringe. I’m so meta, right?

Writing a query letter is an art, they say. What they really mean is that it’s really gosh-darn hard. It seems that everyone and their sister thinks they can write a query letter, but out in the real world, it fails. Miserably.

That’s what happened to me. I thought writing a query letter was easy. I composed one in a couple hours and unleashed it onto the world. Little did I know, it was crap and yielded no return. It wasn’t until I joined the Absolute Write and participated in their forum that I was able to learn how to write a query letter properly.

Now, I shall bestow my knowledge upon you.

Step One: Write a Manuscript

A given, right? Wrong. I am a big advocate that writers complete their entire manuscript before they attempt to write a query letter. Yes, I know querying seems exciting for you right now. Yes, I know you think you’ve struck gold and you absolutely NEED to tell someone. But you need to finish. And when I say finish, I mean beta-read, edited, spit-shined, and all.

Why? Well, how can you write a clear, concise, pristine query letter if your manuscript is not clear, concise, and pristine. So, get back to writing, grasshopper! Your day in query letter hell will come.

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Step Two: Learn the Anatomy of a Query Letter

A query letter is generally broken into three parts:

  1. The Hook
  2. The Story
  3. The Credentials

This is the basic structure that writers follow. Yes, there are little variations to this structure, but they generally only occur if a specific editor or agent requests said variations (and they will make such requests and other specifications on the submissions page of their website). Otherwise, it’s safest to stick to this model. Remember, you are writing a proposal for your product (ie. your novel), not taking over the world with your revolutionary literary prowess.

Step Three: The Hook

The Hook is just what it seems: it is a small paragraph, normally one to three sentences, that will draw in a reader, hold tight, and make them want to read more. Think of it like the deep, intense voice that begins movie trailers. A lot of writers will use a When-clause, but it’s not always necessary. Here is an example of a When-clause:

“When Harry Potter discovers he is a wizard, he enrols in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and uncovers a dark magic, one that threatens to take over the wizarding world.”

With that hook alone, it’s easy to identify three things: the main character, the location, and the gist of the plot. In theory, this should be enough to force the reader to read the remainder of the query letter, but don’t forget to make it sound pretty. You’re selling your amazing writing skills, after all.

Step Four: The Story

The Story is, again, just that. It is the plot of your novel, concise and juicy, giving away just enough to entice. It is important not to overwhelm your reader with too many details. That generally means that you should stick to your main character, no more than two supporting characters, and the chief antagonist. Also, it is essential to stick to the MAIN PLOT. Again, the OVERARCHING PLOT. I know you love your subplots, but those do not belong in your query letter. They will overwhelm the reader and crowd your query letter.

crowd

Reading your query letter shouldn’t feel like trying to find a small child in a crowd.

Now, I’m not one for outlines. I very rarely outline a story and when I do, it’s such a loose outline that it’s barely an outline at all. But the query letter is different. You absolutely should consider an outline. Why? Well, let’s try a little experiment. Take your current novel and try to sum it up in 150 words or less. Hard, right? Even if you were able to do it, I bet I didn’t sound beautiful and I bet you left out details that you’re dying to include.

The outline will help with that. To outline, I normally use the Three Question Method. This helps writers to focus their query and be sure not to forget the most important elements of the plot. Each query letter should strive to answer these three questions (taken from the Absolute Write forums):

  1.  What does your protagonist want?
  2.  What does s/he have to do to get it?
  3. What happens if s/he fails to get what she wants? (the stakes)

Once you’ve answered these three questions, you have the bare bones for a query letter. Essentially, you want this paragraph to read like the blurbs on the back of books. You want it to entice and you want to detail the plot, but leave it open-ended.

Step Five: The Credentials

This is the part where you talk about yourself. What other work have you gotten published? What qualifications do you have? Don’t have any of that? That’s really okay, but what inspired you to write this story and what makes YOU the person who should tell it?

Also, the second part of this paragraph should cater to the person you’re sending it to. Why did you choose said agent/editor/publisher as a candidate for your work? This will include some research. Look at other titles your agent/editor/publisher has worked with. Look at their blog, Twitter or Facebook pages. This is the part where you personalize your letter and don’t go skimpy on this part. They will know if you’re lying or if you haven’t done your research.

Lastly, do NOT forget to include the title of your manuscript, the genre and the word count. This is generally done in the first sentence of The Credentials paragraph.

Step Six: Get Feedback

This is perhaps the most important step. Have a writer friend? A beta-reader? A brutally honest friend who likes to read? Have them look it over. Does it entice them? Are they able to understand the main pillars of your plot? If you answer no to these questions, an agent or editor will to. Revise, revise, revise, and if you send it out to prospective literary personnel and get no bites, revise again.

Finally, don’t be discouraged. Querying is a long, labouring, and often fruitless process, but all writers go through it. Besides, all it takes is one yes.

——-

And it’s a simple as that. Good luck!

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8 Rules for Writing Fiction and Why You Should Break Them

Posted on July 29, 2014 | 4 comments

I always find it funny that writers and editors always seem to have a billion sometimes-contradictory dos and don’ts when it comes to writing “good” fiction. But what is “good” fiction? I don’t want to start a philosophical debate, but one person’s Shakespeare is another’s Rebecca Black, you know? So instead of giving you a list of things that I think make good writing, I’ve decided to look at the rules, whether they come from professionals or amateurs, and I’ve taken the liberty of refuting some of them.

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8. No Prologues

Listen, I can’t say I’m a particular fan of prologues, but honestly, a lot of successful writers have used them and their work has been just that: successful. I would suggest that writers stop agonizing over this rule and focus on what’s important. Get back to the writing. Get back to the story and the characters that will carry you beyond that prologue. If it’s essential to the story, it will stick.

7. No Adverbs

I read somewhere that using adverbs is a mortal sin. Mortal sin? Really? Even worse than a flawed plot line or boring characters? I militantly disagree. A couple adverbs here and there aren’t going to ruin a piece. In fact, sometimes I like them. It’s like drinking wine: a few adverbs may heighten your experience, but a lot of them can be draining and induce headaches.

Are they really that bad?

Are they really that bad?

6. Never Use A Dialogue Tag Besides “Said”

I was on this boat once, and then I got an editor and she pointed out how dry this made my writing after paragraphs and paragraphs of he said, she said. I’m not saying writers should go wild, I’m just suggesting that perhaps spicing it up a bit may actually enhance your writing.

5. No Present Tense

Don’t get me wrong: when done poorly, this can be disastrous, but mindless copies of the same old third person narrative can be terrible too. When done well, first person has an almost fast-paced, immediate feeling to it. It also feels more personal and more artistic, kind of like the primitive storytelling that humans were good at for THOUSANDS OF YEARS. So, give it a try. If it works, perhaps your story is meant to be told that way.

true-story_1413

4. Use Only Complete Sentences

If you’re writing academically, then sure. Fiction? It can have positive effects.

See what I did there?

3. Write Every Day

It’s not that I disagree with this rule, it’s just that it’s unrealistic and puts a lot of pressure on aspiring writers who ultimately fail at this and then feel inferior for not reaching this goal. Myself included. If I could rewrite this rule, I would say Write a lot.

Life happens. People have day jobs. And school. And children. And lives. If writing every day doesn’t happen, that’s okay. But don’t doubt the need for time. Writing won’t happen when you’re asleep. Just remember, sometimes quality trumps quantity. You may find that writing every day for ten minutes may not be as productive or as enjoyable as writing for 2 hours every couple days.

2. Write What you Know

I don’t necessarily disagree with this, but I disagree with the misinterpretation this rule carries. I read somewhere once that young people made for bad writers because they were too inexperienced. The argument was that young people should go out and experience the world before attempting writing. I even heard that young writers shouldn’t even try until they had a master’s degree in creative writing. In other words, young writers don’t have enough in the “know” category yet.

Pride-and-Prejudice

I say, to hell with that, write away! Forget about what you know and what you don’t. Write something that comes from the heart. 9 times out of 10, what comes from the heart isn’t just something you know, it’s what is meaningful to the soul. Besides, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s This Side of Paradise was published when he was in his twenties and he dropped out of his undergrad at Princeton without completing. That’s not to say that a writer shouldn’t explore the world around them and get new experiences, I just caution against waiting. Strike the iron while it’s hot, if you can pardon the cliché.

1. There are no Rules

There is perhaps no rule I can disagree with more. Rules are meant to be broken, yes, but that doesn’t mean that there are no rules. Writers still have to adhere to grammar and spelling rules. Failyure to do sow results in sentenses that look like this.

So, don’t listen to those who say that there are no rules. There are. Editors judge pieces based on rules. Publishers judge pieces based on rules. READERS judge pieces based on rules. What this rule means to say is that some rules can and should be broken. Others can even add an element of artistic flair if broken in the right way. Ultimately, you decide, but know that getting an opinion from an editor or trusted reader is always valuable.

Got any rules that plain just don’t make sense?

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