Telling Stories

When it comes to telling stories, what comes first for you, plot or character? I have found over the years that for me, the two things go together. I never know who a character is or what they can do until I have written something that involves them. For example, I'm working on a Victorian novel that I hope to have a complete first draft by the end of this month, April. I first got the two main characters some time ago in a writing group exercise. The characters emerged as part of a short piece of fiction written within the group and I knew that these characters were keepers.

Character and Plot

For me, the art of telling stories begins with both plot and character, i.e., I have a situation and some people enter it, how they act and react withing that scene or story tells me whether the character or characters have mileage for something longer. Character emerges, at least when I start writing, when I can see how they act or react in whatever scenario I put them in. The characters just seemed to emerge as a possible couple and that scenario is published in my book of short stories on Amazon under my pen name Susan Clayson - from this I started writing other scenarios that started my historical novel.

The Empire Detective Agency

The two main characters in my historical novel Ellie and the Cracksman, are, the series title. The first novel starts with their meeting after the death of Ellie's father, and towards the end of the book, they set up a private enquiry agency called The Empire Detective Agency, somewhat like Pinkertons. The couple work their own cases but they also work on projects that the government see as sensitive, and which they don't want the public to know they are involved with.  I hope to have this finished and up on Kindle and Createspace by the end of July.

Writing the Historical Novel

I've been working on the character for a novel set in the late nineteenth century and now the novel is beginning to take shape. I've got 30,000 words so far and hope to get the rest done during April's NaNoWrimo. I suppose that the difference between writing a contemporary novel, two of which I have completed and they are up on Amazon, is that more research is required into life in that period.

Two Protagonists

While Ellie is the main protagonist, at least for a major part of this first book, there is a second major character, the Cracksman - which is why the series is titled Ellie and the Cracksman. While I aim to give the characters equal weight in the series, in the first novel, much of it is about Ellie. Eventually, she and the Cracksman work together and form the Empire Detective Agency - a British counterpart to Pinkertons I suppose.

Irons in the Fire

I am not an organised writer, which is probably why I have several projects on the go at once. While this way of working doesn't suit everyone, there are other writers I know who work on more than one book at a time.  I think that I have the kind of mind that has to have more than one thing rattling around, but I know that this wouldn't suit everyone. I really am hoping to have a full draft of the Ellie novel by the end of April, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this. In the meantime, happy writing.

Writing a Novel: The Novel Notebook and Your Writing Process

One of the most important aspects of any kind of writing, but especially novel writing, is keeping a novel notebook. I've self-published two novels on Amazon, and currently working on another two, one set in the late nineteenth century, and the second set around 1920. I've found that the best way of handling more than one project (besides any freelancing you might do) is to keep a separate notebook for each project. While most writers will be familiar with the writer's notebook, they may not keep a separate notebook for each project as it helps to keep my mind focussed on whichever project I'm working on at the time.

Here is a short extract from the nineteenth-century notebook called Ellie and the Cracksman. "While the two major characters are now quite clear to me, and their main motivations are also clear; other characters are still a bit hazy. It's one thing starting out with a plan, quite another sticking to it, especially when characters want to go their own way. One thing I've realised from this is that the characters need to develop in their own way, which isn't always the same as the picture I have in my head." (Ellie and the Cracksman notebook).

I chose this particular extract because a novel notebook is not just about the book itself, but the writer's own problems with writing a particular book and how they might handle it better. The novel notebook I've found is as much an exploration of how the writer feels about what they are writing, as it is about the book itself. By and large, keeping these notebooks is aabout understanding your own writing process as well as about the work itself.

Time and Writing

Most writers find that getting time to write the things that they want to write, rather than simply some of the things that they get paid to write, can be a battle. Recently I've found that the more determined I am about getting the writing done, the more time I seem to have. Whether you want to make a career out of your writing, or you're just dabbling for now, you need to organise your time if you want to fit it in.

Not Writing

Many writers spend a good deal of their time actually avoiding writing anything, what they really want is to have written. Writing can be an entertaining and absorbing task, but when it comes time to edit and refine your writing, it can often seem a drag. If you let yourself be deceived about this, i.e., that rewriting and editing are boring, you might be missing the point.

Finding the Gems

One of the things about editing and rewriting is that this is often the time when you can hit gold, find the perfect word, the perfect ending to a scene, or rev up the action. In order to find the gems in your writing,  you have to deal with the sometimes tedious job of checking your grammar, spelling, scene and structure.

I've discovered that having more than one project on the go at any one time, means I'm less likely to avoid writing, because when I'm finding one piece of work tedious, there is something else to work on. Making time to write, and getting on with the writing is what separates those who finish a piece of work, from those who keep hoping that one day they will actually write a book.

Writing: Digging For the Gold

Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, one of the tasks that you have as editor of your own work, is to dig for the gold. A first draft is just what it says it is, your first ideas, impressions, character formations, which are, inevitably, always rough. If you want your writing, especially fiction or poetry, to resonate with readers, then you need to dig for the gold.

Real Writing is Re-Writing

If you have ever taken part in something like the monthly madness of NanoWrimo, then you'll know that in order to get the thing done, you have to give yourself permission to write rubbish. Getting the words down on the page is only the first part of a long piece of writing - anyone who's written a Ph.D. thesis will know that the rewriting is when the work really starts.

In first draft fiction, your characters are more like stick men, than living human beings, the task of the second and future drafts is fleshing out characters to make them appear as living, breathing beings. In real life people make mistakes, they sometimes do things for all the wrong reasons, that makes them normal. It's not always easy to accept that your hero or heroine is far from perfect. You often have to dig deep to get to the good stuff in both fiction and non-fiction. Re-writing and editing your own book is hard, painful work, you have to, as Mark Twain is reputed to have said, "Be ready to kill your darlings."

Cut the Good Stuff

If you find anything that you believe is fine writing, it is probably nowhere near as good as you think, what is fine writing anyway?. You have to be willing to cut some stuff that you originally believed was a mark of your genius as a writer - those things, I've found, are very often the opposite of what you think. Editing is the hard part of writing anything, it's when you put your words under the microscope; very often many of the words that were written the first time around, get cut, and cut again. Suddenly, your 100,000-word thesis or 80,000-word novel is reduced to half its original length, don't worry, you will find that once you've cut the extraneous detail, your writing will read much better, it will also give you the impetus to write new, better words before you start the process again.

When is it Done?

When is anything ever done? There does come a point where you have to say that something is as good as you can make it and send it off to beta readers or your editor. Editing is a gruelling task, but it's where the real writing, the writing that makes your work worth reading, is done. Are you digging for gold right now?

Writing Time

One of the things that most writers have to deal with if they're going to be productive, is protecting their writing time. It took me a long time to realise that writing was so important to me (my personal writing that is) that I needed to make time for it, often despite what others wanted from me. If you're a freelance writer, even on a minimal basis, it's easy to take that time because even other people regard it as work. When it comes to fiction or poetry, however, most other people think that you should use the time to spend with them, after all, it isn't actually work. It is up to you to persuade them otherwise.

Making Time

If you are ever going to enter that poetry competition, or finish a novel, then you need some time in which to do it.You have to make your friends and family understand, that writing a poem or a novel is extremely important to you, and you intend to set aside time for that purpose. Other people may not want to respect your time, which means that there will be occasions when you simply have to say no. While others may not see your writing as important, it is important to you and you need time to get it done.

What Are You Going to Drop?

Making time often means that you have to look at your schedule and decide where your writing is going to fit. If your schedule is already overloaded, then you have to decide what things you are going to drop - you may want to watch that tv programme but you need to write. Nowadays, with catch-up television and reruns, there's bound to be another opportunity for you to watch a programme.

If writing is important then you have to assess how important it actually is, if you're not willing to give up something else in order to get your writing done, then perhaps writing isn't really for you. The one clear thing that's ever been said about writing is that 'writers write." Many people would like to see something they have written in a bookstore or up on Kindle, but unless they're prepared to put in the work that is never going to happen. Only you can decide if writing is important enough for you to make time for it.

10K a Day Saturday

Well, I didn't post yesterday because Friday's are a bit hectic around here. Earlier in the week, I signed up for the 10k in a day challenge, where you aim to get 10k or as much as possible done on your work in progress. I've made a good start with almost 2,000 words in the last hour and a half, so not bad going. If you are working on a large piece of work, whether its a novel, a collection of short stories or even a Master's or Ph.D. thesis, this is a good way of getting in some focused writing.

Preparation for 10K

Ten K in a day may seem like an awful lot of words, I've taken the challenge a few times, and like many others got some focused writing done, but never reached the 10k, I hope to change that today. You need to be well prepared for a focused writing task like this. It's a good idea to have at least some notion of where you think your WIP is going before you start. I've found that the more of an idea I have of where the text is going, the more likely it is that I'll get a good number of words down.

NanoWrimo

If any of you have ever taken the NanoWrimo challenge, you'll know that you need to make time. Scheduling your time for a whole month ahead may be difficult, I know that it is for me because I still have a certain amount of family responsibilities. Scheduling a day is much easier than a month, even if you  don't reach the 10k target, you will still get a good deal of focused writing done. If you are taking the challenge today, then give me a shout, either here or on Twitter. Happy writing.

Get Serious About Writing Time

It has been a long while since I blogged here, or anywhere else for that matter, but I have been writing, both freelance work for regular clients, some academic writing, and my own writing. Although there is rarely a day when I don't write something, I've decided that I need to make time for blogging again:

a) because it can mean connections with other writers,
b) because I've realised how much I miss blogging, and more importantly
c) because I hope to help and inspire those just getting started with their writing.

I hope to be able to write posts here that will entertain, help, and hopefully inspire other writers, especially those of you just starting out on your writing career.I'm currently waiting for my cover designer to produce the cover for the second Lambeth Croak Novel after almost three years. Apart from client work I'm half-way through the third book in the Lambeth Croak series and hope to have that completed by the end of the year. I have finally got some work done, about 25% of a draft of a Victorian crime novel, so there is plenty to be getting on with.

In addition to the above, a few weeks ago I signed up for Terri Main's Course Write Your Novel Your Way, and that story is set in 1920's London and the main character is a supporter of women's suffrage who wants to find out who killed her guardian and employer - her efforts are hampered by a handsome but insufferable police inspector. So that is where things are at now. With so much going on, I've realised that I need to be ruthless when it comes to television watching, too much reading and too much chatter, so I intend to make time for all my projects. If you haven't read it, then grab a copy of Terri Main's Time Management for Writers, it is a realistic and manageable way of keeping up with a variety of writing projects.

Writing Time

Recently, I have had to revise my relationship with writing and am now trying to give equal weight to the various projects and to my renewed venture in blogging, as I do to my freelance and academic work. A friend of mine is currently writing a novel, set in the present but intertwined with the past, and including American Indians - she also writes poetry, as I do, and we are members of the same writing group her in Derby, so there is plenty to talk about. Just recently, we've both come to the conclusion that we need to be more disciplined overall when it comes to our writing - the plan is to write for a set amount of time on our various projects each day - so I'll keep you posted on this

What I Love About Writing

If you love writing, whether you've always written or are just getting started then your reasons may be different from mine or anyone else's for that matter. What I love is the freedom it gives to go anywhere and be in the midst of anything, without ever moving from either your notebook or your computer. I have always written, whether it was the rhymes and silly plays I wrote as a child, the set pieces I did as part of my first degree, my later academic writing, client work, or the stories and poems that I write now. What do you love about writing? You could leave a comment and I'll get back to you.

Writing and Research:Letting One Interfere with the Other

Started Nano on Sunday but at the moment I'm a bit behind on the word count. I started doing a bit more research about the London rookeries (dreadful housing areas) and the music halls. The trouble with research is that it's addictive and before you know it, you've eaten up your actual writing time. While the research has given me a bit more of a clear idea going forward, it will mean that I'll spend the next couple of days catching up if I want to finish the first draft by the end of the month.

The main character is called Ellie, and in this first book of what I intend to be a series, she loses her father. Whenever she ends up in a troublesome situation a character called the cracksman, turns up and rescues her. He first turns up when she is almost abducted when she is ten years old by one of the many human traffickers that abounded in nineteenth century London. The cracksman has ties to her past that she is not yet aware of, but these will become clear as the book progresses as eventually, they team up together. His back-story is that he's been seconded from the military into the very secret service that had been part of London's ruling class certainly since the time of Elizabeth the first. More on this as the month progresses.

Getting Ready for the Word Mining

In just over 12 hours the fun of NanoWrimo begins. I'm aiming for more than the required 50,000, as I hope to have a rough first draft of my Victorian novel. This year is the first time since 2006 that I've written a full outline - I say full, many of the scenes are no more than a sentence or two at the moment. I'm also starting to look at a cover for the second Lambeth Croak novel, which I plan to have up on Amazon by the end of November.

Changing

I've decided to change my publication options for the nano novel and plan to send off queries and a synopsis to traditional publishers, starting in December. I should be working on getting more into the outline this afternoon, instead I'm meeting with some of the people from my writing group for a half term jolly. If you don't already belong to a writing group, now is the time to start thinking about either finding one or setting one up. The feedback and sense of camaraderie you get in a good group just can't be beaten.

Cast of Characters

I plan to take the time tomorrow to post something about the characters in this new novel, not just for readers, but to get a better feel for them myself. The main character, Ellie, has been living in my head for a couple of years, so it will be fun to see how she deals with some of the challenges I've set for her in the book. Hope you all have a great day and a flying start to NanoWrimo.