Top 10 Things I Learned About Writing (includes video)

I’ve been working on this April Daily Vlog Challenge I put to myself, to vlog every day. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to talk about just one subject, but I decided to pick a few days out of each week to talk about writing.

The video “Top 10 Things I Learned About Writing” includes that which I discovered as truths to the writing process.

They are;

1. Doubt is part of the writing process.
2. You don’t need to start at the very beginning of a novel.
3. Good spelling, grammar, and punctuation are the tools of our trade- don’t underestimate them!
4. Learn the writing rules to better understand when and where you can break them.
5. Feedback is essential to the writing process.
6. There is no secret (no special trick) to writing.
7. Rejection is a part of the publishing process.
8. Self publishing is quickly losing its stigma as a publishing cheat.
9. Different genres of writing often have different rules.
10. Final drafts are crap (and should you shouldn’t expect them to be perfect)

In the video, I go over a bit more depth over each, but bear in mind that I’m still getting used to the vlogging medium, and a bit nervous still about presenting myself. I’d appreciate ideas, comments, feedback (constructive), and hope you enjoy the video.

 

WordPress Tags: video, writing, author, publishing, frootbat31, blog

Branding yourself

Branding is essential to any form of marketing something. I remember the three years of business classes in high school included ad nauseam the importance of branding a business.

But how does one brand writing?

• Choosing a font, colors, and other visual based, memory provoking styles. This includes the genre you write in as well. For instance, when one thinks of Stephan King, his name evokes dark, shadowy things, or evil, sharp-toothed clowns, or foreboding hotels stock full of ghosts and madness. A romance-writer, on the other hand, might select a flourish, swirly font, or style of lips nearly touching, or something of a specific pink or purple. You know, things that reminds us the style of storytelling the author specializes.
• Titles as branding. Having memorable book titles can also brand your unique style. Chris Baty’s, No Plot? No Problem! catches the attention and promises to help with plotting a book (for the National Writer’s Month).
• Your blog or web site as branding. Jenny Lawson is a hilarious blogger known as ‘the bloggess’. Her brand? A cartoon with a woman in hair rollers. www.theblogess.com. Her graphics incorporate the quirky style of writing she posts regularly. Using graphics, color, font, and style all incorporates your brand.

What are your tips for branding yourself as a writer? Add in comments.

Branding for Authors

Creating an Author Brand to Boost Your Platform

Shaped Author Branding for Self Published Authors

WordPress Tags: author branding, marketing, publishing

Short story vs novels

I like the idea of writing short stories compared to novels. Either provide authors challenges as well as rewards, and today, I’d like to discuss them;

Short Stories

Challenges:

- Short stories are condensed plots. They quickly get to the point, and move along.

- Short stories tell the story within 10,000 words. For some plots, this can be a real challenge. Every word counts.

- Short stories offer hurdles in getting published, unless a magazine, or anthology.

- Short stories don’t earn as much as novels, but with the Internet and e-publishing, I think we’ll see changes in that regard.

Rewards:

- Short stories, obviously, don’t take the amount of time and rewrites as novels.

-Short stories have fewer characters to remember and wrangle.

- Short stories generally have one main conflict and perhaps an internal subplot.

Novels

Challenges:

- Novels range from 50,000 – 150,000 word story. This takes more time in drafting, rewriting, and editing the manuscript.

- Novels include a number of plots. This includes the main conflict, internal conflicts, and a series of subplots from various characters.

Rewards:

- Novels offer more space and time to draw out the story. You can explore, in depth, character and plot development.

- Novels earn more money, if and when you’re published.

- Novels offer a greater range of choice with word counts. Novellas run about 50,000 words, while novels run around 75,000-150,000.

I have a number of stories that expanded into novel length. I believe this is why short stories do not explain every little thing; its not necessary. You only include vital information to move the story along.

What’s your thoughts? Do you prefer short stories or novels? Have you written both? What tips or advice would you give would-be writers on the subject? Leave in comments.

How to write a short story

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Top 10 things you should know about word processors

Here are some of the most important things you need to know about word processors, as a writer;

1. Backup. MS Word and Open Office (and I’m sure other programs) offer a setting to back up your work. I highly recommend turning this feature ‘on’. You can set for certain times, such as every 5 minutes. This enables writers to automatically backup while they work.

Backup in MS Word (recent versions). You may need to look up your specific version of MS Word

How to create backup copy in Open office

2. Automatic saves. I know the word processors also provide the feature of automatically creating saves in timely increment. I think the default setting for MS Word is 10 minutes, but as a fast typer, I can lose quite a lot in 10 minutes. I changed it to every 5 minutes. This saves your work automatically while you work.

Autosave in MS Word

Autosave in Open office

3. Templates. Word processors offer tons of templates from the manufacturers but often times you can find users upload these to share on the Web. I’m including some links to writer-related templates; (Check your program version)

Book Manuscript and short story templates for MS Word.

Book manuscript template for Open Office

4. Find and replace feature. The find/replace feature works in nearly all word processing. You can find and replace just one event, or find all words and change as you desire. I’ve also used this feature, to find spacing or even symbols in the manuscript.

- Click Ctrl+F which will open a box to type in the word you wish to find.

Find and replace in MS Word

Find and replace in Open Office

5. Hotkeys or Keyboard shortcuts. I use these a lot when I type because it takes time to reach for the mouse to click and drag things. With hotkeys, you find the same commands do the same thing, and your hands stay on the keyboard. You can save, print, cut/copy/paste, highlight, insert auto text, change formatting, and so much more.

Hotkeys for MS Word

Hotkeys for Open office

6. You can change default settings for font and file format. Some writers find their word processor has the Ariel font as their default. Its better to change this to Times New Roman or Courier. Even Georgia and Bookman works pretty well. And why? Its to help make reading easier for the reader (or editor/agent).

The font size should also be 12 point.

How to change default font in MS Word

How to change font in Open Office

You should also think about the default save format of your document. Most settings for writers include RTF (rich text format) or DOC (MS Word), or TXT (text). Avoid using the default DOCX format.

Change other formatting settings in MS Word

7. Header and Footers. These are essential when formatting for submission. Each page should  include your last name, title, and page number. I find for my writer’s group, we also ask for email address so feedback can be sent to the author.

Headers in MS Word

Headers in Open office

8. Macros. Macros are programmable actions the program will do by assigned keys. For instance, in my journal document in MS Word, I was sick of adding the date, day of the week, and ‘goals’. I created a Macro which adds all of this with the simple Ctrl+PageUP key combo. Very handy.

Macros in MS Word, Macro for Windows XP

Macros for books

Macros in Open Office

9. Dictionary and Thesaurus. Did you know MS Word and Open Office include a built in dictionary and thesaurus? You can even edit words to include character names, settings, or odd words you’ve made up for your story. The thesaurus also helps the writer to find words that mean the same, if you’re at a loss for the right word.

How to remove a word in MS Word dictionary

Custom dictionaries for MS Word

How to use MS Thesaurus

Open office dictionaries- information about Openoffice dictionaries, how to install new ones, add thesaurus and more.

10. Spellcheck and grammar checking. I must preface this feature with a warning that programs are STUPID, they only do what they are programmed to do, and cannot use words in context. That being said, these features should not be the final method used in checking your writing.  The grammar also includes settings for formal and informal styles. For instance, you can choose the program to check for words like contractions (you’re vs you are). In some styles of writing, this is important.

Check spelling and grammar in Office

Top 10 tips for mastering MS Word’s spell check feature

Choose how spell check and grammar check work in MS Word

Spellcheck for Open office

I don’t think Open office has a grammar checker but you can find some online

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The road to publishing

Source: katehart.net via Lydia on Pinterest

 

Technorati Tags: pinterest.com,writing,publishing,authors,novel,manuscript

The Writing Process- step by step

The writing process varies from writer to write, but you can find suggested processes you should follow.

I covered this topic with my son today. He hates writing. He hates the entire process of writing. I’m not sure why, other than he prefers playing video games, or he’s a kinesthetic learner, but I felt the topic important enough to share with would-be authors who might need some help with getting a novel completed;

Pre-writing. This stage of writing includes research, brainstorming ideas, character creation, and everything else to fix together a plot to write. This would also include non-fiction writers, to gather your ideas, figure out your audience, and organize an outline. Plotting an outline can also be part of this process.

Links for prompts, ideas, and research

Chapter-by-chapter- a handy free program that works with MS Word and Openoffice to help organize writing into chapter documents.

Writing a theme for your novel.

Brainstorming

Organize your plot structure 

Writing- This is by far my favorite stage of writing; to simply write out the story as it works through my mind. Most scenes work like a movie, so all I need to do is write what I see/feel, and add description and dialog. This stage should be free-flowing, and without the inner editor nagging about spelling, and details. Just write; edit later.

Openoffice

MS Office (Word)

Google Drive- free online word processer compatible with MS Word and more.

Scrivener ($40) novel writing software

Writer programs and tools- Spacejock offers many free and useful writer related programs.

Revise. The revision part includes making changes to characters, labels and names, shifting scenes to better work with the plot, adding description and foreshadowing, and reworking sections that were formally unclear. Revision also includes getting critiques and feedback. This is NOT about correcting grammar- not yet. That is tackled at the last part of the writing process.

A Writer’s Guide to feedback and groups

Creative Writing and Revising: Rewriting, Editing, and Proofreading

Critique Circle

Critique Guidelines

Rewrite. This stage includes rewriting those changes you did in revisions. This can often be tricky because you must weigh what stays and what goes, what advice from your critiques will you keep, and what will you ignore?

Proofread. This stage can be done by a formal editor or someone with experience with the English language. This is the part where you fix grammar, punctuation, dialog formatting, and polishing your manuscript up to its full potential.

Grammarly- an online free grammar checker

Guide to grammar and writing

Elements of Style

Textanalyzer

Autocrit

Publish. This includes publishing to print or ebook, or even posting your writing to the public eye.

50 Online Writing Web Sites for Writers

Pen and Ink Submissions

Writer’s Market

Fiction Writing Markets

You can go back and forth between these stages until you feel the manuscript is finished.  Some drafts get rewritten many times over.

Do you have more steps or like/dislike any of these stages? I find the editing part the ‘unfun’ part of writing because that’s when I second guess myself. Post in comments

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