Villain Troubles

Villains, antagonists, bad guys (or girls), whatever you want to call them they will have an essential part in your story. How devious or vicious they are depends on how you write them of course. The tricky part is most of us only experience certain kinds of villains throughout our lives. So the ones we meet in our lifetimes are not always the same kind we write about (which is a great thing, and my greatest sympathies go out to anyone who has met the real villains in the world). That being the case, we have to draw our inspiration from movies, television, other novels we’ve read over the years and then use our creative abilities to create the perfect antagonist for our novels.

First of all, if you are writing Fantasy, or Sci-Fi, you aren’t going to have that real experience with a werewolf, vampire, zombie or what ever other villains you may write about that aren’t human. So you need to remember that they are going to have similarities to the human bad guys (or gals) that we’ve known or heard about through our lives. It’s OK to make them have certain human qualities because that’s the way you help make them seem real. They are more believable when readers can compare them to someone they’ve seen in movies or in real life. As I’ve said in other blog posts I’ve written, no one is perfect not even the villains in your novels, human or otherwise.

For example in the novel I am currently working on, the same one my husband is currently beta reading for me, he got to the first villain part and had one concern. He actually said that I needed to dial it down just a little bit lol. According to him, I was writing my antagonist like ‘The Joker’ meets ‘Hannibal Lector’ (without the craving for eating people of course lol). So I have to dial it down just slightly to make them seem just a little less crazy to show the sanity correctly with that certain steady level of insanity. In my Psychological Thriller I need them to seem a little more intellectual than crazy.

They always have a plan, a way to be there at all the wrong times to ruin the hero’s day. Sometimes the plan doesn’t have a whole lot of structure but they have that goal. Whether it is to break down your main character or characters emotionally, physically, mentally…Or if it’s to win your character over to have them join the villain. Whatever the case may be, they have that drive to do what they do, to be who they are.

Make sure you make that goal clear. You explain why they are doing what they do. In some cases you’ll want to hide the exact reason until later in the story. That’s fine, but you just need to leave hints or breadcrumbs for the readers to follow. You can make their intentions clear without giving away their reasoning for doing what they are doing.

The evil in the story will be the ying to your main characters yang, in a manner of speaking. In other words, they will be the opposite of what your character is about. Your main character will be described as the good (or innocent) in the story (Unless your main character is the bad guy…hmm that could be interesting lol).

Once you know why they are the way that they are, what keeps them getting up in the morning to continue their heinous plans, who they are after and why, then you need to think about the next step. What will they do to get what they want? What will they do to complete their goals? Will anything make them stop or will they just continue to do what they do until they are stopped? Meaning that your Hero has to be the one stops them? Or who does?

What lengths do they go through? Like toying with your main character maybe?

Some of the greatest villains are ones that you trust, that befriend you and become close enough to hurt you in a way that no one else could.

Or they could be someone that your main character has never even met but has followed them closely while never having any contact until the climax of the story.

There are many different types of evil. So there are many different ways to describe it.

Or it could even be a Bad guy (or woman) who turns good. Maybe they start out good and turn evil.

The point is that you can describe a villain in many ways, you just have to determine the answers to the questions I’ve asked. They can at least help to get those menacing writers thoughts flowing lol. While writing the antagonist in my current project, I tried to think of some of the worst case scenarios and some of the worst things that I could put my main character through. Then I took those ideas and tried to think of how I could make them even worse than what my brain knows from experience or things I’ve seen or read through the years. So I came up with ideas and tried to intensify them even more.

Hopefully your Villain troubles are soon to be over and this helped you figure out where you are going to go from here. Remember that saying ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer’ that can be inspiration in itself. Pull that inspiration from anywhere you can, if you have to read some other novels out there to get inspired than, do so. Obviously don’t use their ideas but it can give you the insights you need into the mind of a villain. If its a serial killer, watch some documentaries for example.

You can create a character that works best for your story. You can and will write it. Don’t be discouraged, it will take some time. But as writers we can be very persistent and successful if we just put our minds to it. Technically everything we do is very dependent on our minds but you get the point. JUST KEEP WRITING…you will get there.

(P.S…. Just an FYI, honestly I just found out while writing this blog that villain is spelled this way and not “villan”. Even though as a writer I take pride in knowing how to spell things and am proud of my scrabble scores through the years, the correct spelling of this has eluded me all these years lol. The more you know, you learn something new every day.)

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Creating a Personality

A personality is one complicated endeavor but every writer who creates people has to create each one best suited for the story. In my last post I wrote about creating a person (character)…this is the continuation.

When you think of the word personality, what do you think of?

Maybe what you think of first is what makes up a person? What defines them and their character? Are they helpful, friendly? Or are they cruel and standoffish? What makes you, you and how can you translate that into different characters in your story? Without making it seem too much like you and not like a completely different person.

Each person across the planet has their own unique personality. Technically even animals do, really humans are just another species of animal anyways (Our reasoning, understanding, inventing, desire to learn/explore and our high aptitude for emotions, really is what sets us apart.) So when you think of a character you need to think of where they came from and what made them who they are. Each experience through life good or bad can change a person. Make sure you depict that through your story because you want to show reality as well. It’s extremely relate-able for a reader to see how certain events can change a character and you want to have that connection with the reader.

What makes each character sad, happy, angry? These are the things that will carry through your novel as you depict only a small part of their fictional life. Do they have certain quirks? Do they hate waking up early? What kind of foods do they like? Favorite animal? There are so many of these questions and ways that you can describe to the reader what your characters personality is. Each thing we like or dislike tells something about us as well. Even your favorite color is meant to mean something, according to different research.

For example…

  • Black: Some people believe that your favorite color being black indicates power, a need to control. Or creativity, artistic, intuitive.
  • Blue means you are calm, loyal, trustworthy. That you seek inner peace and always take others feelings into account.
  • Purple means need for emotional security but also enjoy helping others. As well as spirituality, mystery and being a perfectionist in some ways.
  • Orange means you are a social, vibrant, and Enthusiastic. A need to be accepted.
  • White means, you are organized, independent. Need to be logical.

Of course those are just some examples but it can help you with your character by doing a little research and making up what their favorite color is or what their birthday is (in order to find a horoscope, as talked about in a previous post of mine). I am aware however that your favorite color doesn’t always describe you exactly. But for a fictional character it can give you an insight on what you want their personality to be like. Look up which color or horoscope sounds closest to what you are trying to describe and go from there.

Some of you may know the general idea, like that you want to make them strong minded (They are tough and hard headed, the hero), or evil, sadistic (the villain). You have a basic sense of what you want to depict. Think of it this way though…humans are complicated so you should describe your character in a way that may show the reader a little insight to that fact. No, your favorite color or horoscope doesn’t define you but it can help with figuring out a way to describe your characters by figuring out those two things. It’s giving you an insight to help your idea grow and expand so you can share that with the readers as well.

Don’t forget about those faults though, I’ve seen many authors having trouble coming up with faults for their (what they believe) are perfect characters. Here’s the thing to keep in mind, no one is perfect. Not a single person on this world is perfect and that’s OK, that’s what makes us…well…human. So when describing your characters make sure you remember that.

Appearance wise…

  • They may have a mole somewhere noticeable
  • Or a limp
  • A scar
  • A tick where they bounce their knee when they’re stressed
  • A bad hair cut (something simple but noticeable)
  • Their bottom lip is chapped because they chew on it

Personality wise…

  • They are jealous
  • Controlling
  • Cry too easily
  • Messy
  • Eat the most disgusting foods
  • Have this one t-shirt that is falling apart but they wont get rid of.
  • Talk too much, or not enough
  • Interrupt everyone and then not let them finish what they were saying.

Use ways to relate the readers with the characters. Like I said no one is perfect. If you are writing a Sci-Fi or Fantasy story, even those characters are not completely perfect. Vampires, Elves, etc. are always portrayed as perfect but what is more interesting? A Vampire who is absolutely perfect minus his/her thirst for blood, or a Vampire who has an attitude/affinity for trouble, who strives to still save humans even though they need them for sustenance (Because that’s who they are and what their personalities mean to them).

Mix it up, make your characters interesting, make them normal in some ways (if you could even consider normal, normal lol) and yet different enough to make them interesting. Even identical twins are different in many ways, so your characters should be absolutely unique to the last. We all have certain things that make use who we are so keep that very thought in mind as you create not just people but personalities.

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Creating A Person

Characters….Alright so we all know how a person is created in real life, of course (in some cases even before we wanted to know, thanks to our sex-ed classes in high school lol). However the question remains for many, how do you create a person on paper? What is the best way to describe their looks, personality, faults, etc.

My first advice is to let the world around you, inspire you.

I’ve mentioned similar topics throughout my blog, seeing someone in a grocery store (when situations like these are safe again that is), conversations you’ve heard over the years that tell you a lot about others personalities. But we’re not just talking about personality are we? We are also talking about looks.

What do they look like? There are numerous lists of descriptors out there…For example some of the most common, being…

  • Blond hair
  • Brown hair
  • Red hair
  • Tall
  • Black Hair
  • Short
  • Blue eyes
  • Brown eyes
  • Dark complexion
  • Fair skinned

Of course there are many others but you get the idea. They are very common and we hear them used to describe someone quite often. The trick is to use some of the common mixed with some uncommon descriptors. Show the reader something other than the same monotony they hear/read everyday. Show them that you can mix it up a bit and find new ways to describe looks as well as personalities.

These lists, for Example are some less common used ways to describe someones appearance….

Skin Color…

  • Alabaster
  • Waxen
  • Copper
  • Cedar
  • Almond
  • Butterscotch
  • Toffee
  • Ashen
  • Bloodless
  • Sienna

Eye Color…

  • Gunmetal Grey
  • Whisky Brown
  • Jasper Green
  • Laser Blue
  • Onyx
  • Aluminum Grey
  • Ginger
  • Ultramarine
  • Desert Brown
  • Mint Green

Hair color… (Really any of the above lists can work for some hair colors as well)…

  • Platinum Blonde
  • Gardenia (White)
  • Obsidian (Black)
  • Cinnamon
  • Sun-kissed
  • Raven
  • Ebony
  • Eggshell

Of course those are just some color descriptors that you can use. If I did list for every way to describe an appearance, I could time travel and still not be done lol.

  • Not only can you describe color but also, texture of skin or hair.
  • Clothing style
  • Mannerisms
  • Eye Shape
  • Face Shape
  • Height
  • Hands or Feet
  • Length of hair
  • And I could go on and on…

The point is, just be creative. Be inventive. Don’t always stick to the same old descriptors, yeah you can use them here and there to make the readers feel comfortable. To be honest these lists have me wondering if I should check the descriptions in my current novel to make sure I’m remembering to do just that lol (in both the comfortable and unique ways). Remember that you want your style of writing and your novel to stand out from the rest. So when you think your novel, or whatever project you are working on, is finally done, give it that one extra read over just to make sure because you want everything that you publish to be worth reading. What I mean is take your time to make it as great as it can be so it leaves a lasting impression.

In my next blog post I will talk more on character personality traits, and their faults. Honestly I can’t cover every bit of my techniques for creating a person in only two blog posts because there are just far too many but I can share some of how I create.

Getting the right character to look, sound, act and become who you need them to be in your story can be a challenge. One of the biggest things that I remind myself is to write the first draft by instinct. (As I stated in my blog about Editing, finishing my novel before I do anything else is what I try to accomplish first, just to get the story on paper). Writing it by instinct is writing it with your first thought. If your first thought it that your character has green hair, or even something as simple as blonde then go for it. That doesn’t have to be the final outcome if it changes in your mind later, just go with it to get the story out so you don’t freeze and get writers block so early on. Don’t get stuck on describing people if it doesn’t come to you right away. Just write.

Just make sure that if you change those descriptors to something totally different in the future, that you track down and fix every time you use it or every time you mentioned something about the color or whatever the case may be. I found out the hard way that I missed a couple areas that had to be addressed. But that is why I am being very thorough, I want to be sure that everything lines up right.

If you do it with your first novel than you will learn what to look for in your next one and improve every time. If you find yourself getting irritated and just pushing to get your project out there than take a break. That way each time you share your words with the world you can say that you did all that you could to describe your story the way it was meant to be told.

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Until next time…JUST KEEP WRITING.

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Picking a Title

Naming your baby…Or in other words finding a title that suits your book. Obviously it has a lot to do with the genre that you would classify your current novel in as well as the content in said novel. Not all titles are created equally, some will actually deter people from reading them.

The titles to my blog posts, for example, I do try to keep short and sweet. That way you have a basic idea of what you are about to read before you even click on the link. I do tend to ramble slightly of course but most bloggers do to a certain extent, so you end up probably getting more than you expected (hopefully in a good way lol). So I try to do the same with any title that I come up with.

My current novels title is just one word, and the second one will be the same. That way when they are seen somewhere you can tell immediately that they belong together. I thought that was a great way to debut my first two part series (lets hope a future publisher feels the same way). Technically I can’t take all the credit for my titles, my husband is amazing to bounce ideas off of and helping me brainstorm to find the right ones. Even though he is not a writer himself he gives the much needed outside perspective.

So what are some important things to keep in mind while you are trying to come up with that great (hopefully) future bestselling title? Well here is what I keep in mind anyways….

  • Don’t over complicate it (You don’t need to tell the whole story in the title, and you have to make sure its something easy enough to remember)
  • Try not to make it too long, again it has to be easy to remember.
  • Try to make it unique but still following the first two guidelines above. (Try to think outside the box)
  • Did this spawn an idea for a title for you? Probably not, but it may help you find the right one out of ideas you’ve already had.

It’s really as simple as that. I know, I know, that’s easier said than done. Again as writers, we are creators, we make something from nothing. So creating a title takes that creative spark that is just waiting to be lit into the bright flame of an idea that it will grow to be.

Sometimes a title comes after the book is written and that’s alright. But if you are among the lucky few (It’s always 50/50 with me, half the time it’s before, the other half its after I’ve written the story) that has an idea right of the bat, then go with it for now and revisit it to make sure it still fits at the end. The ideas of titles for my novels and this blog usually come easier for me. When it comes to a poem or a short story for some reason that’s the other 50% of the time for me where I can’t figure it out until I write it.

Another big thing to keep in mind is don’t be afraid to change it. That’s right that creative spark can be snuffed out to make a new one. Sometimes that is just what’s best for the story. Just because you came up with the title fast does not mean it has to stick around. I know you may have fallen in love with it, gotten used to it and even used it many times to talk about your story. However, if you feel like your book has grown passed that title, think it over, create a new one and see if it works better.

It’s all about that draw…that pull that makes someone want to read it. You have to have that gripping title (cover artwork and design make a huge difference as well), that title that a potential reader will remember when they go to find your book in the store or online. Not every title will draw everyone in to want to read your book but if you create one that suits it than it will draw in enough to get you started.

So don’t fret over it if you haven’t found it yet. It will come to you. I try to use my title of my novels somewhere in it to connect the name with the story. That’s another great way to see if what you have will work. By inserting it somewhere in your story (if you can, depending on the genre this may not work) then reading it out loud, to see if it sounds right. If it sounds great then there you go, you’ve found a title, if not try another idea and another until you as the Author are happy with it. If you are still having trouble, find someone to help you decide, a spouse, friend, family member, Facebook group, etc. They will be able to give you an outside perspective on the title. Not everyone is great at choosing a name for something, (ie. some people in the world who complain about the name their parents gave them..their parents being the culprit here, or names of companies and slogans that make you scratch your head) but if you can find someone to help bounce some ideas off of than it can spark that idea into a flame.

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Editing

Let’s get into the Nitty Gritty of editing…That’s right the one thing that we as writers all hate. If you find yourself loving the editing process as a writer than you are unique and I applaud you for that. On, the other hand I also applaud all of the other writers out there who still stick to it even though it can be tedious.

I myself, enjoy the writing way more than the editing. That doesn’t reflect on the amount I’ve learned and my skills with it. I just love the creative process more. I do however like the creative side to editing as well. When you find a scene that you can elaborate on or you find a person that you missed an opportunity to describe. So every once in awhile I enjoy bits of editing.

My editing process goes as follows…

  1. Write…write and write some more until it’s done (obviously you can’t edit a blank page.) I finish (or at least try) to finish the book before I even start editing. Yes, I get slightly sidetracked along the way as I read the previous couple paragraphs that I left off on. That way I can make it as seamless as possible when I continue. However that usually means I try to fix a few things along the way. So of course the writing would be considered part of my editing process as well.
  2. Then comes the re-read to make sure everything makes sense and I have characters/vehicles/places/scenes described as needed. This is also when I take my excel spreadsheets I made/printed, and I write any information I feel as though I need on them. (I will write more about the spreadsheets I made in the future, and give you more of a breakdown of what I use. Plus I plan to get a YouTube channel going in the future, to provide extra content for topics such as this.) Any major rewrites would happen here. (I’ve never completely scraped a book and started over because I’ve never felt I needed to but I have rewritten different parts as needed).
  3. The timeline….Yeah so this is a big one for my second book to the current one I’m working on. The current one I made the mistake of not even keeping a timeline at first, so I knew what events happened when (Please see my blog article called Timing if your interested in finding out more on this topic.). It made the process a lot more difficult when the time came. While I make sure the timing makes sense and write down each day/ event to keep track I also check for spelling and grammar. I am always checking for those two things.
  4. Finally comes the edit where I make sure everything has a good flow. Seamless story line is important. You don’t want to have any hiccups, anything that makes you stop and try to reread to make sense of it, the reader will too. This is also a great time to continue to check grammar, spelling, punctuation etc. ***This is the current edit I am on.
  5. Finally comes the beta readers, some of you may believe in finding many different beta readers and making sure it is people found through Facebook or what not. Some of you may not have a choice and that is the route that you have to take. There is nothing wrong with doing that as I have done some beta reading for others through Facebook as well and I understand. However, I have one trusted person who will be my beta reader for all that I write. This one person doesn’t hold back and tells me exactly what they think of my writing without sugar coating it. That person is my husband. Yeah, I know what some of you are thinking…that it can’t possibly work that well because he may hold back to save my feelings or what ever. My husband has been asked long ago by me to just be honest and upfront about my writing. In fact some of my best constructive criticism has come from him. If I planned on self-publishing than maybe I would have a few others read it as well but I plan on traditional publishing at this time so I trust that I can provide them with something great to work with.
  6. The final editing step (Obviously before an editor with a future publisher will look at it) will be the printed out final read through and adjustments from suggestions from my beta reader. Yes printing out a novel is a lot of paper which I hate to do but that’s why I only do it at the end. Because I believe that when you see it on paper it gives you that different perspective you need to notice every flaw that might be hidden when you are scrolling on a computer screen. My last novel I wrote before this one (the one on a back burner for now) made it to this edit. However, I started noticing that it still wasn’t where I wanted it and that’s when I started working on my current one. (**Here’s a little tidbit… my current novel started as a short story but I felt like it could be more and here I am 463 pages later and a second book in the works lol)

One thing that I forgot to mention was that in between those times I also took a break for a few days or a week in between each editing process to get a clear mind for the next step. Because you want to try to be as unbiased as possible. Every time I read my book I try to pretend that I am a reader picking it up for the first time. Obviously my writing/editing process seems to take awhile but it could be sped up depending on life’s hiccups or interruptions (good or bad) along the way. If my job was to write it would be a different story but I am not to that point in my life yet. So it will take time. Plus this is my first novel I plan to publish, so it has to be as perfect as I can make it without being completely OCD about it lol.

How do your editing processes differ from mine? Or did my process help you put yours into perspective a little? Just leave a comment down below and let me know. I always welcome comments and feedback.

Your process may be different and that’s, OK. You don’t have to write like someone else, or edit like them either. But if there is a part of your process that you can improve on than try to be open to that possibility. That is another way that we can grow as Authors.

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Inspiration

One could say that inspiration is every where you look. (I talked about inspiration briefly in my blog post called ‘Paper’. If interested in more, please go back to the Home page and you will find a link to that post from there.) So if inspiration is every where than why does ‘writers block’ exist?

Well one of our biggest issues stems from doubt. That’s right, no matter how confident we all like to pretend we are as writers to everyone else. Our spouses, closest friends or family and especially ourselves know the truth. Everyone has self doubt.

That is the reason you hear those stories about how Stephen King threw out whole manuscripts, then his wife pulled them out of the trash. How many times do you think J.K. Rowling sat there and questioned what she was doing in the beginning? Probably quite a bit but that’s how we improve, we push ourselves to be better than we were yesterday.

So how do we find the inspiration to keep going? To keep pursuing our dream despite all odds and doubts?

Remind yourself that all those famous authors, all your favorite authors, had to start somewhere. They are only human and make mistakes like we do. It took time to get to where they are. Those celebrity authors did a lot of work to pursue what they wanted in life. We all just need to continue to do the same.

Keep chugging along, make the time to write when you can. Read about ways to improve your writing, watch videos, research publishers, agents, what ever it is you need to do. There is no certain order to anything with writing, in the sense that you can still do research on publishers and such even though your novel is not done. Don’t send unfinished manuscripts, but make a list of potential people or publishers that you would like to contact when it is finished. If you need to, write your future goals down and hang it somewhere to remind yourself what you need to do to accomplish them.

Above all make sure you still make time to finish that novel/writing project your working on. It’s OK to work on other things, of course as writers it seems as though we get distracted by side projects easily, but make sure you still make time to work on your bigger project. Your ‘golden ticket’ ,in a manner of speaking, into the published author world.

This encouragement is as much for me as it is for you. I try to tell myself these things for inspiration everyday. Motivation is a little difficult at the moment with everything going on in the world, at this time, but we still need to keep working whenever we can. Take your mind off of whats going on in the world for a couple hours and write that amazing novel, article, blog post, poem, song or what ever it is you are working on.

Inspire and remind yourself that you can do it. That you can finish it and you will. Stop saying “IF I finish it”, Say “WHEN I finish it”.

Even if you have to take a break to read for a week just to clear your mind and be inspired, then do that. As authors, reading is research as well. It’s not an excuse not to work on your project, just the breath you need to take to be inspired again if you are finding it hard to write at the moment.

I hope you all are doing well and staying safe out there. If you are interested in following my blog just enter your email in at the bottom of this page to sign up (Of course it’s for free there are no fees to subscribe or anything) and you will get an update every time I post something new. If you are interested in following my Facebook Author page or group page, the links are located below of the following image.

Until next time, JUST KEEP WRITING!

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Timing

Alright so Timing is everything right? In life especially, so why not in your writing? I mean if we live by a schedule than in some way your characters would to. Even though they are in a fictional world in some cases, they have some sort of routine to their day. Personally I have discovered the benefits of a Timeline.

***Just a short side note: I am working up the courage to start doing some YouTube videos in the not too distant future following the same kind of content as my blog. Well really, I’m just trying to find the time/ability to record a video without rambling on too much because I’m used to writing not talking to a camera lol. When I do, I plan to record a video about my timelines/tables etc, that I use to keep track of important information for my novels. It will be more of an extension of what I am talking about here and I will be able to show it to you for more of a visual. So if you find yourself interested in learning more, stay tuned because there will be more on this subject to come 😀***

When I wrote my first novel (more of a Fantasy genre) that is currently sitting only partially edited collecting dust on a shelf, with hopes for the future, I didn’t keep track of much. I did some note pages but my timing was off. The same went for my current Thriller novel I started noticing that my days were off at times. Causing seasons to be off in the story line. Overall causing the entire timeline to be thrown off.

So in light of that discovery, I went through and tried to just start writing down and fixing timeline errors. Then I decided that I needed a better visual perspective. It’s like a light bulb went on above my head. I am pretty efficient in Microsoft Excel (on account of some office related jobs), which made me realize that I could make it a lot easier on myself if I just made a timeline on Excel and filled in days as I went. Blame it on writer distractions or whatever you’d like but it worked.

I mean, when I’ve done research on how other Authors keep track of information, I’ve seen lots of outlines. However successful the writer may be, outlining your entire novel before you start may not work for everyone. Especially me, I write and let the story take me where it may. I let the words flow, if you will. Much like this blog, there are several times I sit down, unsure what to say then I type a sentence and then another and another, until I have a whole page. My stories have a mind of their own, so yeah figuring out the direction my story will go with a outline before I even start writing officially, is just not for me.

The timeline I came up with, has the day then below each day is a space for Morning, Afternoon, Evening, and in each area there is space for a description of the event. If I am ‘Fast Forwarding’ through a certain length of time I keep those areas blank and write FF or skip then how ever many days or weeks I plan to skip ahead and pick up on the day that I need. It could be printed out but I currently just enter it in on my laptop.

This took up a lot of time just trying to find every timeline mistake and enter the information in. That why when I start book two all the important events are tracked and I can keep the story flowing seamlessly. It will be an invaluable resource to make book two go a little faster in the writing/editing process. I function better with organization but at the same time I love to write the first draft without stopping to write down a note. My husband went through ‘the timeline drama of 2019’ lol, when I discovered that I needed to get it sorted out because it couldn’t go from being a Thursday and all of a sudden be Sunday the next day 🤣.

When you are writing, find what works for you, make it easier on yourself. That old saying ‘work smarter, not harder’ works with everything, including writing. You want to enjoy the writing part so make the editing and everything else easier. Don’t spend time chasing down information in your own novel. Track what you need to along the way, whether it is during your first draft or your first read through. Save yourself that time in the future. Take it from someone who has made that mistake and learned from it. We as authors love what we do so lets make the parts that seem more like work easier so we can get back to the writing part that we love.

Please don’t forget to follow the Facebook links on the bottom of this page if you’re interested in following my Author page, or joining my Author promotional group. Or if you want to follow this blog and get updated every time I post a new article and keep up to date on when my YouTube channel will be up and running subscribe by typing in your email at the bottom of this page as well. Until next time…JUST KEEP WRITING.

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Seeing the Unseen

*****STAY TUNED TILL THE END FOR ANOTHER WRITING PROMPT*****

Seeing the usually unseen is a writers sixth sense. When we enter a room we notice things that others may not. Think Sherlock Holmes; we see the movements, the ink on someones hands, the sideways looks, the nervous gesture, the item out of place, or even the strange noise in the background before others usually do.

That’s because we observe, as writers it is our way to grow. Every moment and every sound contributes to our writing as well as to our personalities. But it’s also more than just using those things in our writing, it’s creating something from nothing. For a fiction Author, much like myself, we attempt to make the impossible seem possible, and bring worlds to life.

However, one of the key things to remember is to include some reality in those works of fiction. For example, in the famous Harry Potter series created by the talented JK Rowling, she included some real life situations and relationships. Like the relationship between a boy in the cupboard under the stairs, and having a bully for a cousin. Or the crushes throughout the series, and the real emotions that one would feel. (I’ve written about emotions before in another blog post, make sure to look for that on my home page if interested in more.) Also of course some aspects of the school were similar to what kids in reality go through or have to do (ie: Exams, studying, teachers they liked or didn’t like).

When we make the story relate-able by adding a vulnerability or any of the aforementioned examples, readers can understand your characters better. So when we are sitting quiet sometimes our minds wander to the what if’s. This may sound crazy but I notice things like a bush that is shaped like a giant bending over to pick something up, or wonder what it would feel like to be a wolf running through the woods, or simple things like why did that person choose to do or say what they did.

When I see something in what some would call nothing, it reminds me of a game I played as a kid. The one where you lay in the grass and say what shapes you think the clouds make, like that one looks like an apple, or that one looks like a dragon. Creating something from nothing is an amazing thing.

So when you are feeling stressed from not being able to come up with the next line (or going through the editing process like I am and at times wanting to rip my own hair out lol) remind yourself that you see the unseen, that you create from nothing but your own observations and imaginations. So embrace your inner Sherlock Homes, pat yourself on the back and JUST KEEP WRITING.

*****WRITING PROMPT*****

Blood dripped from his knife as he stood over the body.

Her hands trembled as she watched this moment take place behind the safety of a parked car.

When he lifted his head she noticed something strange about his face. As she moved to look just a little closer their eyes locked…

*****PLEASE COMMENT WITH YOUR CONTINUATION OF THE WRITING PROMPT AT THE BOTTOM, LETS SEE THOSE CREATIVE IDEAS FOR A LITTLE FUN 😁 *****

Thank you for reading my blog. Please follow the Facebook links at the bottom of this page for my Author page and/or group if you’re interested. Also if you wish to follow my blog and get updates every-time I post a new article, just enter your email in at the bottom.

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Writing

*****STAY TUNED TILL THE END FOR A WRITING PROMPT*****

Writing what a fun word. What does it mean to write but to express your opinions, tell a story and many other wonderful things. It means that you are sharing a part of yourself, or just writing a simple grocery list LOL. Whatever the case my be, you are writing in your own unique style.

A story consists of many different things. Of course there’s a beginning, a middle and an end. But there’s also the plot, the climax, etc. Then all the key fillers in between, your unique writing that draws the readers in. Someday, I hope to be lucky enough to have that ability for someone to pick up my work, read it and get a sense of the way I describe something, or appreciate the way I can turn a phrase.

So when you’re sitting down at your notebook or laptop (as I tend to do), keep that in mind. Where is your voice while you’re writing? Don’t try to write like someone else. Be yourself, because that’s what the readers are going to remember.

During your writing process you sound more like yourself. Then during the editing process, sometimes your voice gets lost. You start to second guess the way you described something. Or your dialog. Don’t loose yourself along the way. Make sure you keep those little quirks, humorous moments or emotional moments that meant the world to you to write. There’s always ways to improve a paragraph or page, but you need to make sure that your heart stays in it.

You need to feel it, so the reader feels it. That emotional bond, the moment that makes you smile or laugh, or cry from something you wrote. A reader will pick up on whether or not you felt for the characters in their moment of need or loved as much as they loved in that moment. Be true, be sincere, and be real. The best novels, in my opinion, have the ability to draw you in and make you enjoy not only the characters but the moments they go through.

*****WRITING PROMPT*****

His hand gripped the door handle as he struggled to get free. “Am I to be stuck in here until I die or will someone notice me?” He said to himself but before that last word left his lips, he heard something….

Please comment below for your continuation of the writing prompt, I am excited to read what you come up with. I always love reading a good story.

Also there are links to both my Facebook Author Page and Facebook group below. There is also a subscribe option to enter your email to get updates every time I post a new article on here. Thank you for reading my blog and your continued support. Until next time…..JUST KEEP WRITING.

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A Name

******STAY TUNED TILL THE END FOR BOTH A LIST OF COMMON AND A LIST OF UNIQUE NAMES. ALSO FOR A LINK TO MY FACEBOOK PAGE, GROUP, AND A SUBSCRIBE LINK (Just enter your email) TO GET AN UPDATE EVERY TIME I POST A NEW BLOG ARTICLE******

A Name…Everyone has a name right? So why shouldn’t your characters? But I’ve noticed that a lot of Writers struggle to come up with names at times. However, a name is just a name until you create a character for it.

Sometimes writers tend to try to come up with the names before the character themselves. It can be helpful though to come up with what they look like, wear, personality and what role they play in your novel first. Then take the time to figure out a name.

Personally I hate when I read a book and there is a name that is so hard to pronounce. One that the Author made so over complicated that I get stuck on it, unable to concentrate on the story line rather than the name. There are some cases where you need a mythical name, something that stands out and isn’t over used. Which is to be expected but I go by a certain rule I set for myself.

It can be unique as long as readers can pronounce it.

What I mean is they have to be able to sound it out in their head. Then get comfortable with it. As I am aware that names are complicated in general. You won’t be able to please everyone. Names are a beautiful thing. If you do plan to use a name that’s difficult to understand than set the scene. Make a scene somewhere that explains how to pronounce it for example…

Freja waited in the long line to finally purchase her drivers license. When the woman behind the desk finally called her number she rushed over. Freja gave the woman her information and waited for the usual correction she would have to make. Ok freeja I just need you to take this eye test. Maybe it was the fact that she always had to correct people or maybe it was the events that brought her here. Whatever the case, she corrected the woman between clenched teeth, “It’s Freja, pronounced Fray-Ya.” She said it slowly so the woman would hopefully say it right the next time.

Again just an example but it helps your readers to understand the spelling and it makes it a smoother read. Then again readers can just look up the name but there can be many ways to pronounce one name. It may be something that is more important if you write more than one novel in the series it still improves the reading experience.

Titles for your work can be an even bigger task so try to make the names an easier project for yourself. There are many wonderful names out there and here is a short list of common names if your looking for something simple…

  • Mary
  • Jennifer
  • John
  • Jane
  • Bobby
  • Rose
  • Brittany
  • Marie
  • Peter
  • Henry
  • Tiffany
  • Jack
  • Rachel
  • Samantha
  • Edward
  • Stephanie

Then here is a list of very unique names for those of you looking for something different…

  • Zebulon
  • Xerxes
  • Zaire
  • Aviana
  • Adalius
  • Brinley
  • Brixton
  • Cosima
  • Caius
  • Farren
  • Garrick
  • Maurizio
  • Nye
  • Paloma
  • Rowen
  • Syden

Thank you for reading my blog, I hope my lists help you with your work and finding the right names for your characters. Please follow the links below to my Facebook author page as well as my group page. Also if you are interested in recieving an email everytime a post a new blog article to stay up to date on what I’m writing please enter your email below and subscribe.

Until next time…JUST KEEP WRITING

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