Pronouns…Those beautiful words that make the world complete. Let’s face it trying to say who or what something is would be hard to do without them. So you have to appreciate the need for them as well as be conscious of over using the same ones.
To be honest this is probably more than I will be able to cover in one post but I did just recently start up my YouTube channel…So on Thursday I will talk more on this subject and on Chapters from Saturdays post as well. In case you’re interested in hearing more, my channel name is ‘Tiffany D Writing Journey’ or you can follow the link that I will provide at the bottom of this post to my first episode from last week.
We all know what a Pronoun is and how to use it. As we speak we use them on a daily basis. Do we have to always be conscious how often we use the same one in a conversation? No because it’s not written in front of you. But as Authors we have to be conscious of every word we use and where we put it.
When you look up the word pronoun you will get a definition as well as examples to help you expand the possibilities of mixing it up and using just ‘He and She’. OK, so yes I am going there lol. My biggest deterrent when I am reading someone else’s work is if every sentence, or even if there are even three in a paragraph that start with the same pronoun. It drives me crazy because when you read, you don’t want to see each sentence start with ‘He’. Or even any other commonly used pronoun. Mix them up and be creative. There so many creative ways to start a sentence with pronouns, names or other ways to word it so you avoid overusing them.
If I were to give you examples here of every pronoun that ever existed it would make this post extensively long. So here are just a few….
The ones we know all too well…
He, She
His, Her, Him
I, You
Their, Them, They
And you get the idea….
Then there is the less common but still frequently used,
Itself, Themselves
Who, Whom
Such, These
Myself, Yourself
That, This
There are so many out there, as well as many great articles that others have written that break down the specifics of how to use them in paragraphs and the specific categories. However, you could spend a long time doing all that research (Which is great, I have nothing against research and learning new things, that’s how I taught myself what I needed to know with writing. That, mixed with trial and error, of course), when most of it you know already but we seem to forget certain things when we start to second guess ourselves.
Be conscious of how you use all words. Not just pronouns but all the wonderful words in the world. As writers we need to support using more than one word to describe something, or to start a sentence. Our draw is how well we keep a readers interest so make each and every sentence entertaining for them. Write every sentence in your story like you did that opening line to draw them in.
Thank you for reading and until next time…
Just Keep Writing
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Chapters, most books have some kind of chapter separation. However, I have read some that don’t. When should you use chapters? Have you decided whether to or not?
Personally, I chose to use them in fact so far I have…like twenty-eight chapters in a four hundred and some page novel. Which to be honest I just decided recently based on advice from my beta reader that maybe I need just one more. The problem is that a certain chapter seems a little lengthy. There’s great elements to it but it needs to be split into two because the way I set up my chapters makes it too long.
If you look it up…like most of us writers do when we want to make sure a publisher will be interested in the future…you will see that there are many confusing standards for a chapter length. That’s right the internet failed us on giving us a guideline to follow on chapters because they all seem to contradict each other…
The first common misconception is that you even have to have chapters in the first place. The reality is that you don’t. I mean I personally believe in separation between scenes helps to guide the reader but you can do it with a symbol in between sections. Or even a name to show the character change. I’m currently reading a book called ‘Practical Magic’. (As I’ve said before I read/write in many genres lol. I’ve been reading this for months though. Not because it’s a bad read or anything but because I’ve been a little busy…with well…my own book lol.) In that book it is separated into sections by a page with only a title of what’s to come in the next section and then symbols in between scenes. Some could argue that, that sounds like chapters but the separation is so abrupt and apparent. It’s not as subtle as a chapter beginning and the sections are way longer than any possible guideline of a chapter might be. Which is fine with me, I enjoy seeing new ways (well new to me) to structure a novel.
Another is measured by pages. Some say ten pages is best. Others no more than eight, and others even twenty. There is no general consensus to follow. It’s all a matter of opinion.
Finally there are articles that talk about a word count. It’s a suggestion for some to make it either between 1,000 – 5,000 words. Or between 3,000 – 4,000 words. Or 1,000 – 3,000. Again, it’s confusing right?
Well here’s what I found out….
It’s all based off opinion and not fact! You may say, ‘oh no I’ve read so and so’s guide to writing and it says to stick to a certain amount’. Again, I say it’s their opinion, there is no set standard. Have chapters or don’t it’s really just up to you. Make them as long or as short as you want. It’s your story that keeps people interested not the chapter length, and word count. I can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve picked up a book and was slightly put off by the fact that there was no chapter structure (because I am a little OCD at times lol) but the story drew me in so much that I forgot about worrying about it.
So I challenge you to do something….grab 10 books all by different Authors and compare their chapters. By how they are separated, by either word count or pages, and whether or not they even have them. As an Author I understand the insecurities associated with writing, especially when you’re first starting out. You are afraid to go outside of the box sometimes. As a new author it can feel like you are supposed to follow a certain rule or guideline to be a best selling author. But when you start comparing others published works you start to notice that many contradict how you thought a novel was supposed to be structured.
It takes time to get comfortable with thinking outside of the box but when you get there it can be freeing. Have confidence in yourself and your writing. If you are willing to put in all the hard work and you took the time to read this to broaden your mind to all different ways to write than you are ready for anything. Sometimes it helps to ‘know’ that you are doing something right. However, in our case as writers we just have to have faith in ourselves. Know that if we love what we write than that amount of love and nurture that we put in what we do will be enough to make others fall in love with our worlds in our novels. So write the way you love and break the mold on what’s normal because who wants to be normal anyways? It’s a lot more fun to be different.
P.S. Just this past week I finally started my Author Tube channel on YouTube. It was in the plans from the moment I started my blog and Facebook but it took a bit to get it going. But it’s finally done….Yay!!! Lol…I just posted my first video. The second video will be posted Thursday…I am trying to post once a week for now every Thursday… This next week will be a continuation of this post as well as other info. That way I can go more in depth into knowing how to split up a book into Chapters, if that’s what you plan to do. My channel is called ‘Tiffany D Writing Journey’ to combine both my Facebook Page and my Blog. The information on there will be both about my Journey and some writing tips as well. Giving you extra content along side this blog and my Facebook. Thank you so much for all of your support.
Thank you for reading my blog….
Until Next time…JUST KEEP WRITING.
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Blurb, what a strange and yet entertaining word to say lol. I say dreaded blurb as most of us dread the moment we have to write one. Honestly, until I started this blog and my Facebook page I just thought it was called a summary. I don’t know where the name came from but hmm…hold on let me look it up lol….
Apparently in my moderately quick research just now…The word came from a man named ‘Gelett Burgess’. According to the web, he was a humorist and a nonsense verse writer. He wrote the term ‘Blurb’ on the dust jacket for a book he published. Over the years publishers began adopting the word. Well, you learn something new everyday lol.
Now that we are all on the same page on where the word blurb came from and had a mini history lesson for the day, we can talk about what we know about a blurb. Honestly I hadn’t even written one until this past week. Thinking it was going to be so much more difficult than it proved to be has made me put it off for quite awhile. Considering the current novel I am working on will be the first one I publish made it pretty easy to avoid.
Until now that is…I have finally gotten to the point where I am waiting for my beta reader to finish reading through my entire novel (as I just completed my sixth…or maybe seventh edit). So while I wait, I am trying to continue to be productive towards my dream of traditional publishing. The next step was the blurb and the synopsis. Now that I have finished the blurb, surprisingly in a couple days, I will be starting the synopsis (which I will write about when I am finally finished with it….right now the words are held up in my brain and wont come out lol). After my beta reader is finished, then it will be my final read through/edit and tweaking a few things before I send it off to some agents. So the blurb being done is just another step in the process.
Even though I only have one blurb under my belt I can share with you what I learned….
First off much like I suggest while writing the first draft of your novel, I just started writing. Just write whatever comes to mind first even if it’s terrible.
Second…read over it…Does it do everything a blurb is supposed to?
-Does it make you want to read the story?
-Does it give enough information to interest someone without giving too much away?
-Do you introduce your main characters?
-Is the conflict evident? Have you set the stage?
-What are the stakes?
*Obviously you need to make it exciting to the reader. Based on your genre, do you give evidence of that category in your novel? If you are writing a fantasy you want elements of that to be evident in your blurb. Or a romance, the same thing. Or whatever the genre make sure to let the potential reader get drawn in by their interest in said genre.
*However, be sure not to give so much away that they know what its about, how it progresses and how it ends. You want them to want to read it, not wonder if they should waste their money on something that they can already guess how it ends.
*Introducing your main characters is important. Meaning just by their name and maybe a small detail or two. You are trying to get the reader to get to know the character just enough to want to know more.
*The conflict, or the obstacle they will face through the novel to get to their point of happiness or at least till the end of the story you are telling, will help draw the reader in. Be careful not to give too much away but to give enough of the vague idea of the conflict. You also want to know what is at stake for the main character or characters. Will they die? Lose the love of their life? Go to jail? Why does your main character keep fighting?
Then I read it to my husband. He has always given me unbiased feedback on my writing. Reading it to another person can really be a big help because you can find out how it sounds through the ears of someone else.
Then finally I have been reading it everyday for the past few days to see if I feel any differently about it and honestly I haven’t. Yes, there was some editing to do but now I think it’s just right.
Whatever the case my be, don’t be afraid of writing the blurb. I mean take it from someone who thought it was worse than it was and then got through it. The synopsis is my issue at the moment. Maybe that’s how it goes though, some of us are good at the blurb but have trouble with the synopsis and vice versa. That’s why I write these blogs though because if I can help a fellow writer, than I am doing what I set out to do with these posts. As both human beings and authors, we should be willing to help others as well as ourselves get through the trials and errors of the writing world.
Thank you for reading my blog.
Until next time…..JUST KEEP WRITING.
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We as writers love words. Of course we do; where would we be without them? Personally I have loved learning new words since I was a kid. Even to this day I still learn new ones every so often. Sometimes I even find myself slipping a new one in here and there when I’m talking. Or even using a word just because I hadn’t used it in awhile. Sometimes I get weird looks if it’s a word that one doesn’t normally hear in a relaxed conversation but I can’t help myself, so let the weird looks happen lol.
In regards to writing I try to mix up my vocabulary there as well. You don’t want to constantly use the same words throughout you novel on a repetitive basis. Some of the biggest issues I find when I read other stories are the he’s and the she’s, or in other words, the pronouns. I’m not going to talk too much about pronouns right now but they are some overused words that need to be used a little less or in other ways. Mix it up with your characters name or find a creative way to change the beginning of the sentence to avoid four sentences in a row with he or she. Again, I will address pronouns in a later blog post from now but they are examples of needing to mix up a vocabulary in a story.
Obviously your vocabulary may change based on the year in which you are depicting in your novel. Depending on the era or decade you may have to do some research on how they spoke if it’s a period in history. There’s nothing worse than reading a historical fiction and having the characters sound like they speak in modern ways. So do yourself a favor whether you are a vocab nut like I am or not, do the research to both, look up alternatives to words that are over used, and words for the time period you are writing in.
Along with my book notes that I keep written all over the place, of story ideas/notes for my current work in progress (sometimes known to be written on napkins or even wrapping paper lol) I also keep notes on words. If I’m out and about and over hear a word or am having a conversation with someone I write down said word. If it’s something I don’t hear often or it inspires me in some way I want to make sure I remember it. My husband is quite used to me grabbing my phone or something really quick to write a word down and barely reacts when I do lol. I ask him sometimes if I seem a little crazy when I do that and he just says ‘No, it’s just you being you’.
Words like these for example….
Nuance
Aghast
Overzealous
Mauve
Opaque
Proclivity
Somber
Those are excellent words that are just a small portion of what I’ve kept written in my notes to remember to use somewhere. On the flip side of things you don’t want to overwhelm the reader with a very full vocabulary either. People want to be at ease and in the comfort of reading something. Not be shocked out of the world you created for them by an overuse of words that make them pause to sound it out or think on it for awhile trying to remember if they know what it means because they don’t normally hear it.
I’ve talked about that before with the names of characters. You have to find that happy medium so your readers are not overwhelmed. But where they still feel trusted to understand what you are trying to say and don’t get bored with the very same words used over and over again.
I know it can be difficult at times because as writers, we like to write like we talk sometimes. As in if it’s been a long day with your day job then you come home and try to write but your brain is as tired as you are. So the length of your vocabulary is limited to what your mind is allowing you to access in it’s exhausted state lol. Moments like that happen, so when I get to the editing stages I fix it then. That’s the beauty of the editing process, there’s at least four rounds of edits that most of us go through so we should be able to fix things later…or so we always hope. (It’s amazing what we still seem to miss sometimes lol)
Back to the point I was trying to make, that words are a beautiful thing so why limit what you use. I try to make a point to show my love for words through my writing, as much as I can. We are Authors, so words give us the ability to express ourselves through our stories, our blogs and any other social media platforms that we use. Let’s make use of the words that our ancestors have given us throughout the years and appreciate our abilities to create worlds with them.
Thank you for reading my blog.
Until next time….JUST KEEP WRITING.
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Do your characters dream? The real question you should be asking yourself is…am I writing about a person? You are creating a human so your answer should be yes (well unless you are writing about a vampire, alien or something, who knows maybe they dream too, in your story you can interpret them however you’d like lol) .
As humans we dream, heck even animals do. Some people disagree with that but our dogs have very vivid dreams, they bark (probably at birds and squirrels), make drinking noises, and even run in their sleep lol. So that being said I believe they dream almost as much as we do, maybe they are simpler dreams but they still count. So it would be only natural to include that in our stories, humans dreaming I mean (or animals too if you want).
I’ve read several books with, what I believe is a missed opportunity, to learn about a character by what they dream about. In my case I like to drive the point home for the characters emotions by including their dreams.
What are they afraid of?
What are their hopes and secret desires?
These things can be explored through dreams as well. They can make you understand the severity of the situation. Like when one of my characters experience fear in life, they may have a nightmare to help the reader understand the emotions involved in the situation.
If a person experiences a traumatic situation, most of the time there are dreams to follow. There are many people who don’t dream and I get that, but I have a storyteller mind as I’ve said before so even subconsciously I am always telling myself a story lol. So I dream almost every night and usually multiple dreams. You don’t have to write every one of your characters dreams into your stories but you can write significant ones in.
Drive the point home to create that extra dramatic effect into your story. Meaning if you can make them seem like a real person with real emotions, and real fears, then why not. Or maybe that dream will effect multiple characters. There are several times I tell my husband my dreams, especially bad ones because since I was a kid I was told if you tell someone your bad dreams they can’t come true and its just something that has stuck through the years. So, maybe your character tells their significant other. Then it effects a decision or a thought process for both characters later in the story. There are many possibilities and many ways to handle dreams in a novel, just find what works best for you.
Another thing that I have read in the many social media groups is writers asking about how to write a dream….
-First of all I always italicize mine to separate it from the regular text, that’s just what I like in my stories.
-Next I make a point to mention, in one way or another, that they went to sleep before the dream or that they woke up suddenly In order to paint that picture for the reader.
-Then finally think of what you might dream about in their situation, whether its a good dream or a nightmare, think of how you would interpret it in your dream then try to think like your character. How is their thinking different than yours?
Ultimately it is their dream that will influence their story. Our characters have a mind of their own sometimes and all you can do is embrace it lol. I believe that all dreams mean something, whether it is something that you are hopeful for in life or as simple as you have to go to the bathroom. So make it mean something to them and it can add that dramatic effect I mentioned earlier.
Dreams can be realistic or so far-fetched that you wonder why you didn’t wake up sooner, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t some hidden meaning. If you dream of a garden gnome biting your finger maybe you watched Harry Potter too much lol. Or if your bed turns into a raft in the middle of a deep lake than maybe you have to use the bathroom (or you’ve been pranked lol).
In real life we dream of fear, love, sadness, really any emotion you can think of. So one could say, that our dreams can be considered some of the most emotional moments in our lives. Whether or not you are awake, your body is still going through the process of that emotion. You may be relieved when you wake up but your body is still catching up. Describing the emotional turmoil, and confusion your character goes through when waking up from said dream can help a reader relate to what your character is going through. I mean we all dream, some significantly more than others but if we were going through what most of us put our characters through I would say you might have a dream or two on the subject.
Don’t hesitate to make your characters as real as you possibly can. That builds that emotional bond between character and reader. As writers we create and as readers as well, we know better than anyone about that bond. So help your readers become emotionally involved in your story by letting them dream with your characters.
Thank you for reading my blog and until next time….JUST KEEP WRITING.
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At one point or another we all feel defeated and that includes our characters as well. What we choose to do in the eye of defeat is what distinguishes us from others. Do your characters stand tall and fight back, or let the feeling over take them? If so how long does it take for them to recover? Days? Months? Years?
Why were they overcome with the feeling of defeat? What caused them to get to that point? In books like for example the twilight saga (spoiler alert even though mostly everyone in the world has either read the books or seen the movies lol) where Edward leaves Bella and she goes into a deep depression for months. Or in my current novel my main character actually has multiple times where she faces the feeling of defeat.
We all know what is like to feel like we can’t accomplish something, no matter how hard we try. As writers we know that all too well. But we choose to rise to the occasion and shove that feeling aside. Some take a little longer than others but they still get there.
That is the same for characters, they all have that moment of lost hope. The feeling of letting the darkness take over their drive, their will to go on. No matter the book, there is always that turning point. Are your characters tough enough to go through the defeated process quickly or tough in the way that it takes longer to overcome it?
How quickly do you overcome your feelings of defeat whenever you get them? And how alike are you and that character facing that adversity? Personally I think my main character is a bad ass but she even breaks down from time to time. To be honest though, she probably would stand up to the challenge way sooner than I would be able to. My husband may be overly nice and disagree with me but I feel like it is the truth to the situation. We always try to absentmindedly make our main character a little tougher than we are don’t we?
Falling into a deep depression just because your character feels defeated is never a good thing, so what or who pulls them out of such a situation? There is always that hope, the help that comes along to get them to start climbing back out of the hole of depression. It causes them to stand up and realize, ‘hey the water isn’t even that deep, I can stand’.
Help your character over come their defeat, and maybe even help yourself along the way. When you yourself feel defeated and just need a little encouragement, think of what you wrote to help your characters. If you can help a fictional character overcome a bought of defeat in their fictional lives than you can help yourself pull though. As writers we create, destroy and then bring lives back from the ashes of adversity, so we can do whatever we put our minds to.
Thank you for reading my blog and until next time….JUST KEEP WRITING.
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I was thinking a little about small talk the other day. How in everyday life we seem to come across times that we use it. However, I realized how little I use it in my writing. We usually just get to the point. I mean as writers we slightly beat around the bush a bit but we get there without the small talk lol. It is usually very minimal or nonexistent in most stories we read or write.
At least for me the amount of times I have two characters talk about the weather is well, to be honest…zero. I don’t see much of a use for it unless you are developing a relationship in a normal situation…maybe. In my current novel (in order to keep it at its current 438 pages with a second in tow) I try to avoid the unneeded use of words. That being said there are many novels out there that use those words and it works. In my case, a Thriller novel, there is always a little bit more of a rush, at times for information. So for the current genre I am writing in (until this book is complete), small talk doesn’t really work for me. For you it may be the opposite as sometimes it can be unavoidable and needed to move a story along.
In those cases you should make it entertaining. Short stories that I’ve written include this a little more. Make it real. I cannot say that enough, as you’ve probably read in many of my other posts, I always recommend using real life as inspiration. Many of us have experienced the dreaded small talk awkwardness in real life, more times than we would probably like lol. Even if you are determined to avoid it, somehow we tend to settle into the comfort of small talk to avoid seeming too awkward but we always end up doing just the opposite. So to write it without including the awkwardness or even sometimes comedic aspect of it would be a waste.
As we write, every sentence is meant to do something. Whether it is to push the story forward, have a hidden meaning, create a bond, reveal something to the reader, etc, it has a meaning of some kind. That being said, your small talk should do the same thing. Don’t just add unneeded ‘fluff‘. Use that chance to add a little detail in there or reveal something about the characters.
In reality when we talk to each other, using small talk, we are thinking about something at the same time. Depending on what perspective you are writing in you could even use that time as insight into the characters mind.
I’m not in anyway saying that small talk can’t be important but rather just the opposite. If you intend to use it, then make it important. Make it, less of just filling in your novel, adding it just for length (something I never recommend as it can water down your novel in an unsavory way) and more of a needed sentence. The way you can tell which kind of sentence it is…is by thinking whether or not it ties your story together, or if it were to be removed would it have a domino effect or just impact a very small section of your novel?
There are a few instances where maybe it could be considered small talk but it is also character building, in my novel. I have a couple who ask each other about likes and dislikes…situations like that are important even though they are just small details in the bigger picture. I wouldn’t call it small talk per say but it is the closet way I can describe that it is important, even though it seems insignificant at the time.
Readers love details, that’s why we read the book and see the movie in some cases, because we want as much detail as we can get to better understand the characters and the story. In my case I love both reading the book and seeing the movie (even if it’s not as good) because I like seeing the visual aspect as well as reading the detail. So as both, us writers can’t disappoint the readers. Those who will be putting their faith into the description on the back of our books to pick it up and give it a chance. Give them the detail and the ‘Fluff’ at the same time, encouraging their curiosity and imagination.
For example, instead of….
“Hi Penny, did you see the weather report today? Its supposed to be raining cats and dogs all day long. Much like last week. Boy I wish we could just see the sun for at least one day out of the week.”
Learning only that it is supposed to rain all week and that they want to see the sun.
You could say….
“Hi Penny, did you see the weather report today? I watched it after I let my dog out this morning, and they said it’s supposed to continue on through the day. Man, I hope it doesn’t cause the Parade to be cancelled, we worked so hard on that float the other day.”
In the more detailed example you learn information that you wouldn’t in the first one. Like that the person who is addressing Penny has a dog, they are planning on attending a parade in the near future and they worked on one of the floats.
Of course this is just an example of a very simple conversation but you still get the idea. It is small talk with a little more detail mixed in. Putting your character in a place at a time you will disclose in the near future, letting the readers know that they have a dog (an obligation at home), and that they worked with someone or someone’s on a float. Which raises curiosity and questions for the reader later.
Now I realize that this could be a first meeting between two people.
So you could say something like…
“Oh excuse me, I wasn’t paying attention on where I was walking. I didn’t mean to bump into you. I was just distracted by the weather report on my phone.”
“Yeah it’s supposed to rain all week isn’t it. They may have to cancel the parade.”
“I know, I helped make a float for it and am worried that we won’t have dry enough weather. My dog was supposed to be riding on the float with the kids but I don’t think that will happen now.”
“Oh, yeah that’s a shame, I see why you were so distracted. Don’t worry about it, my name is Penny and you are?”
****I just realized that I just rained on someone’s parade lol****
Anyways, that way you still give detail and include the first meeting/interaction that you planned on in the first place. You can turn just filling in a novel to something substantial and keep your word count in the realm of possibility. That is why I ultimately decided on a two part novel because as I wrote the first part I realized that I was getting to 400 pages faster then I thought. However, it was without having told the entire story I wanted to tell and yet being unable to get rid of any parts of it because I made every interaction and situation important to the progression of the story. Of course I am still doing the final edits so we will see if I still can reduce or add anything in the future.
So keep track of your ‘fluff’ or ‘filling in your novel. See if it’s even needed or could be condensed to tell more of the story you are trying to tell. Small talk maybe be just like its called….small but that doesn’t mean that it has to be insignificant. Sometimes the most important things in life come in small packages and the same can be said for conversations in your work.
Thank you for reading my blog and until next time….JUST KEEP WRITING.
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None of us really want to kill our characters…Or do we?…(She laughs maniacally, Muhahaha) In reality people die everyday so why not put death in your novel? It is a necessary event to happen for many reasons. Seeing as though I talked about love and intimacy in my last two blog posts, I felt like death would be a good topic to cover next.
Many reasons can lead you to death in the your novel, for example….
To advance the plot
In order to develop a characters personality
Putting an end to the story by killing the Villain or the Victim
Showing remorse
Putting an event or situation into perspective
Explaining a characters profession
And many more…
What ever the reasoning is, death is a reality so it is inevitable that it could be in many stories that we write. It doesn’t have to be a main character, it could be a second tier character that you don’t plan to bring back and maybe just have to find a way to explain the sudden disappearance of them in the novel.
Deaths can come in all sorts of ways, but it’s up to you whether it is an important death that should have meaning for the other characters and the reader or not.
Will it be…
-A sudden death
-An epic death
-Slow
-Inevitable fate
-Quick and meaningless?
That is all for us as Authors to figure out. Will it be this or that and how will it happen. As a writer who feels like my characters have a mind of their own, I know it can be difficult to have to kill a character when it comes time. Sometimes though, you just know. I don’t write out an outline so I never really know who will die and when but that is the beauty but also sadness of it.
Not all novels/stories need to have death in them. Don’t get me wrong there are several that don’t. However, if you are going to write in certain genres it is almost expected of you, that a tragedy will occur. For example, my Psychological Thriller that I am currently working on, there will be death. I mean it kind of comes with the territory. Who knows what the future novels I write will include as I am a multi-genre writer but for a Thriller with a serial killer there will be some blood shed.
My advice on how to write in a death scene, especially if it is going to be an epic meaningful death, is to make it original. Think outside the box and try to come up with a way for them to die that is unique to your novel (well for the most part that is, you can never really know if it’s been used before). Just try to go with something that is different, instead of the same old situations.
Whether you will have time in your story to honor their death is also completely up to you but remember the time frames. When someone would usually have a funeral or if there can’t be a funeral then why? If there is no funeral most people would still find someway to honor them. Or it could be a senseless death for someone who doesn’t have a major impact in the story. But you still have to include some realistic situations. Even if aliens in story die, I would assume they would have their own customs and ways to deal with the death of one of their own.
This may be a tough subject for anyone who has lost a family member, or even someone who they were really close to. Even though I have experienced the loss of loved ones I still find it necessary to write about death sometimes as it is a way of life. You will bring that reality to your story that your reader can react to and engage with. They may cry when reading it and you might as well but it gives both you and the reader that undeniable connection to the characters. A reality that effects all living creatures. You could touch your readers soul in a way that they will remember your book for, not only for a death but for how your main character handled and rose above a sadness like no other.
Until next time…JUST KEEP WRITING.
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Sex and Intimacy in a story/novel can seem like a difficult thing to do. Alright, so I realize talking about it may be a touchy subject at times. Whatever your thoughts are about it, come on, keep reading. Maybe if you read about it, then it will be easier to write about it.
Some novels out there strictly for adults (in the erotica genre), can describe sex scenes in much detail but those of us not writing in that genre may find it to be a bit more difficult. We try to think of ways to describe the intimacy without sounding too explicit but still wanting to describe enough detail to get the point across.
It all starts with a kiss. That moment when we as writers and readers realize that there may be more to that moment later in the story. How far will they go in your novel is up to you. Will they even get to the point of sex? Or was that kiss all you will give your readers? There is no rule that you have to go into any more detail, but if you choose to then it should be done in a believable way.
Personally I’ve read many novels that the woman just basically, immediately give in to the man because he is “so dreamy”. I get so annoyed by this because any normal woman would tease the guy a bit, resist a little and depending on the situation refuse to all together the first time. When you as the writer are having them tease that something will happen, it will create questions that the reader will need answered. Making them have to read more to find out. If you have them give in right away (unless its a story that specifically has to start that way) then the reader has no question as to where their relationship may lead.
Once you get past the first kiss, then there is the next step. Do they have sex and skip the other steps? Not always, many times there are more moments in between.
A seductive glance
Make out session in the car.
Wandering hands
Clothes being removed but not fully getting to the ultimate deed
A hickey on the neck
Oral sex (in some cases before)
Many things can happen before the most intimate moment. There can be interruptions that cause both your characters and readers to be on edge waiting for their love to be officially consummated. You can describe those moments enough just to give the readers a little insight into what may happen later in the novel.
When you finally get to that special moment. When your characters finally have sex (depending on your novel, sex may not really be about love at first and that’s fine, I am just giving advice on the types of intimate scenes I write about), there are different levels (I’ve found) in which you can describe it.
-You can go as light as a cheesy television romance movie (not judging, I even watch them from time to time, to get my fluffy, cheesy romance fix in lol)
They kissed passionately for a whole minute, hugged, laid down together. Then they woke up and made pancakes in the morning.
-Next step up, older teen romance type novels
They made out, took off their shirts, she grinded on him with clothes on. They are naked under the covers. He grabbed her chest, she felt the front of his pants etc. Then they have hickeys on their necks in the morning, or wake up next to each other.
-The third step being the adult level. Where you describe details but not to the extent of the more explicit novels…. (This is the level I am at in my writing, I’m not going to describe in detail parts of the body but I describe actions)
For example…Their tongues mingled together, he felt every curve of her body, she felt his excitement, she reached to unbutton his pants sliding them down below his hips, he lifted her against the wall, positioned himself into her, moving in all the right ways until they both cried out in ecstasy. Maybe some handcuffs or lingerie is thrown into the scenes as well. (This is not all the ways to describe at this level but you get the point).
-Finally you can go full on erotica (which is not quite as far as I go in what I write) but some people do.
Which can be so detailed as to describe the look, taste, and feel of many different parts of the body.
Whatever level in which you choose to write about sex just try to keep it fresh. A reader can get bored reading about the same sex or intimate scene over and over. Try to mix up location, at home, car, movie theater etc. Or location in a home, bedroom, shower, kitchen etc. Give the level of romance that you want to portray. Just because they are having sex at whatever level you choose to describe does not mean you need to omit the romance, it doesn’t have to be at the cheesy romance level to include it.
We all know how to have sex, and in real life we all need a little wooing lol, so make sure to include that. It’s less believable in my opinion for the characters to just all of a sudden agree to have sex without anything leading up to that point. Don’t be afraid to write about sex and intimacy, just figure out what level you want to write at and go from there. It will help you figure out how to write it.
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Love…Oh the “L” word to top all “L” words. You don’t have to write a romance novel to write about love. It is included in almost every story in many different ways. Experiencing love through life can be so impact-full it can change someone forever. It can be described as love for a significant other, a child, a family member, or even a furry family member.
We will talk about the life changing love between significant others in a minute…But let’s start with the other kinds of love.
The love of a parent for a child. No one understands this kind of love without being a parent themselves. However there are many different kinds of parent and child relationships out there. You don’t have to give birth to that child to know you would do anything you could to keep them safe and raise them as your own. There’s adoption, parental figures in a child’s life who help influence them (sometimes even better than their parents if they are in a rough home situation), grandparents who raise that child, aunts, uncles, etc. There are just so many parental figures out there and scenarios that people can relate to or sympathize for in your stories. Someone who has taken that child under their wing per say. These situations will impact that child and make them into who they become as an adult.
In reality you either have a close family, or not. Or that one close family member other than your parents that you share a kindred spirit with. For me it’s my Grandma on my fathers side. She has always been that one person other than my parents that I could talk to and feel completely myself around. To describe her is to describe the light in a dark room, or that first breath of fresh air when you step outside on that day with the perfect temperature. You could always be yourself with her, she always made everyone smile and feel loved. Her kindness, her smile was infectious, and she would never judge you for your mistakes. There are people who have their entire family behind them on everything they do. That incredibly close family. There are others who like I said have only that one person, or people that they are closest to but either way that is another form of love.
Siblings, to describe the love between siblings can be difficult to do. On one hand you love them and would do anything for them (in most cases, there are the siblings relationships that are unfortunately not so close), on the other hand there are times when they can frustrate you to no end. In your stories you can always write it either way but just make sure you capture the emotion that surrounds it. (I wrote about emotions in an earlier blog post.) The unwavering love between siblings, it will always be there no matter what. Different family dynamics and situations, where there are older siblings and younger siblings with a large age gap that can cause the older siblings to sometimes act more like parents at times. These are all just examples of relationships that can create a type of love for you to write about.
In your novels, or stories don’t forget to include these relationship dynamics. I’ve written many times about making your stories relatable to your readers. Writing love in one way or another, or even many ways in your novels make your characters relatable. Everyone has someone they love in their lives.
Furry family members can give people another kind of love as well. For some it may provide a love in their life that is completely void of it, due to many different reasons. For others it provides even more love in your life and fills a small gap that you never knew you had. The love of a pet is a special bond that requires no words, just the understanding and love for each other. You will take care of and be there for them and they will do the same for you. They can provide comfort for people in emotional situations, and help people through difficult times in their lives, big or small. This love is different from a love for another person but still just as important in many ways.
Finally lets talk about the love between two people, significant others. In many novels people write about epic loves, sometimes tragic loves. But there is always that reason for being. The love like no other and the person they are meant to be with. You do not need to write a romance novel to talk about such a love. Even if you include elements of love you can develop a love story within another. Much like the current novel I am working on, it is a Psychological Thriller with elements of romance thrown in. Meaning there are really two stories going on here. The love between two people and the Thriller aspect of the story as well (the relationship between the killer and the potential victim).
When you think about a love with a significant other, some of us are lucky enough to have found our soul mates and writing about love may be easier for us than others. Even so, don’t let that discourage you as writers, we are readers as well. So, even if you have yet to experience that love in real life remember, you may have or are able to experience that love through the writings of others. Which can help because you don’t have to experience something to write about it. If so than some of the best selling authors of the world would have been out of a job lol.
Falling in love can have its challenges as well, no situation is completely perfect. So if you write about love write about the messy parts of it as well. Every couple will have at least mild disagreements. I believe the love story in my novel is perfect (as I’m sure all writers do when they are not only in love with the idea of the story but also feel close to their characters) but I make sure to include those raw messy moments of a relationship and will continue to in part 2 of my novel when I write it.
We all experience love in one way or another in every day life. Don’t be afraid to write about it. Especially don’t be afraid to experience it, not only in writing/reading but in real life as well. You never know what you will find when you open your heart up to love.
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Tiffany’s Writing Journey 