Tiffany’s Writing Journey

Making it Real

****Stay Tuned till the end of this post for a writing prompt to spark that creativity!****

Making it real. Hmm…How do you make your stories seem realistic? Well what I mean by that is to add qualities that a reader can relate to. One way to do that is to include holidays and birthdays, among other things. But let’s start there.

The idea for this post came to me when I was spending a few hours last night trying to come up with birthdays for my characters. (I know this sounds a little crazy lol) My husband asked why I was looking at horoscopes, my response was that I need to find out what their birthdays would be based on what horoscope describes them best. So I read each one and tried to think of how close to their personalities they were to the description. (Again maybe a little over kill but I am thorough in my research lol)

I found myself wanting to come up with a birthday for each main character even if I wont be using it in book 1, I will have that information for book 2. My thoughts were, how can you be describing your characters lives and the ways they cope with certain situations without including real events in there. Like a birthday, theirs or a parents, or a holiday, considering the timeline for the first novel in my two part series starts in end of summer and continues on through the holiday season. Wouldn’t it seem abnormal to pass by such common events in ones life? So when its relevant to include those things in your stories I think it makes it more personal and relatable.

Other ways to make a story seem more real, is to add, real life issues. Maybe your character is…

-clumsy

-has a bad tooth

-a favorite pair of sneakers that has a questionable smell but they just can’t throw away lucky sneakers

– Maybe they have a limp

-a strong accent

-or a food allergy

Make your characters come alive, by giving them little quirks that ‘normal‘ people might have. Although I agree that no one wants to be considered normal because everyone is unique but its just an expression. Make them unique but real enough so your readers feel immersed in the story.

No one is perfect, so in turn whether or not your character is an awesome mythical being or just a librarian (no offense to librarians being an avid reader and lover of most things printed, I have the utmost respect for them) make them have a fault, or a relatable quirk. At the end of the day like I said no one is perfect and that’s what makes us all unique much like the stars we see in the sky each night.

****Writing prompt****

‘Clumsy’ she thought as the shirt she planned to wear to her 40th birthday party tonight just got a new coffee stain. She typed furiously so she could complete the article in time. Alone, the office was quiet as she struck the last key. The doors to the elevator across from where she sat opened but no one stepped out, all she heard was a strange noise…

Please feel free to comment your addition to today’s writing prompt below. If you haven’t already please subscribe below, and click the Facebook links below for my Author Page as well as my group page. Thank you for your support. Until next time,

JUST KEEP WRITING.

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Paper

Paper…A very simple title, very simple object, also very useful, even though it can be taken for granted. As writers, paper is one of the most important tools we use (Yes there’s our laptops as well but lets not get too technical lol). We use paper to write notes, story ideas, edit, and then finally to print our novels.

Personally, my writing started in little notebooks, journals or in the back of school notebooks when I was a kid. I didn’t have access to a laptop of my own until I was an adult. Honestly, I have a collection of notebooks and pages filled with story ideas I’ve written over the years. There’s just something about getting a new notebook and opening it up to that first blank page. Then writing in it for the first time. I know I may sound a little odd but as a writer, new supplies like paper and pens/pencils is exciting.

There is even a journal that my father got me that I haven’t been able to write in because I can’t think of what I want to write in it (maybe someday I will find something)(Fun Fact: It’s the same journal in the picture at the bottom of this blog lol). It’s just because I like it so much that I think it needs something special written in it. It may sound like I’m a hoarder of all things paper but maybe some of you out there can relate. I just like paper and respect where it comes from (without beautiful trees to inspire us and make what we write on… where would we be?).

Each story idea has come from a moment where I’ve been inspired enough to create, or a dream that I felt could be turned into something more. Sometimes I have pages that I write at a time, or sometimes just a paragraph. As I’ve said before I am interested in many different genres, so I have story ideas that reflect that. I’ve heard many times that authors write the story they want to read. That is partially true. I also write because I want to share what I think are great ideas with the world. I want to spark creativity and imagination. So each piece of paper that I use is important in my Journey as an aspiring author.

If I notice something that inspires me even for just a character in a novel, a name, a word (I have a long list of words in case I need one that I feel would work better lol), a food, place or even a color, I write it down (I try to refrain from using too much paper to save trees of course, so I use my phone sometimes). Every detail that inspires you is important because when you are sitting there at that laptop (or notebook) trying so hard to come up with that next paragraph you can open up those notes. You have the ability to inspire yourself by looking back on your journal or notebooks full of ideas.

For example I saw someone in the store one time who grabbed a bag of chips off of a shelf, so gingerly, so gently, as to not shake the bag even a little. I wrote it down because I had never seen someone be that gentle with their groceries before and it made me think that it may be a curious trait for a character in one of my books to have someday. It made me think what a character that would do that in the middle of a chaotic store might be like. Why they would do that? Not to mention how were they ‘personality wise’ outside of that scenario.

Paper itself is an inspiration to me because ever since I was little, a blank piece of paper made me feel like I needed to fill it. That it needed to have a story to tell. Every book I have ever read has inspired me in some way and as writers we should always strive to inspire, as all the authors have before us.

I’ve decided to add something new to the end of my blog posts…So please feel free to comment your idea prompted by the following writing prompt…

The cool morning air made my breath steam in front of my face as I went for my walk. Making it to the halfway point, the bench felt cool beneath me. As I looked down I noticed a worn leather bound journal sitting next to me. When I opened it, the pages were blank but as I looked closer…

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Describing a Feeling

***There’s a small Bonus list of LOVE words at the end of this article for anyone who writes romance or even just adds a little mild romance in their work***

Feelings or more accurately emotions, how do you describe them in your writing? Well in light of Valentine’s Day, let’s talk about those feelings. More importantly how your characters translate their feelings through your writing.

Describing any emotion means that as the writer you should be in fact feeling what that character is feeling. For those of you (and on the rare occurrence, me) who write poems that emotion may come naturally to you in that moment. However, there are times when trying to put it into words in a story can be quite the task. Figuring out what the right descriptors are to translate that emotion to paper, and not taking it too far.

That’s right us writers can put too much emotion on a page just as easily as we can put too little. The overuse of words like…

Angry
Sad
Happy
Jealous
Excitedly
Stupid
Sick
Shy
Nervous

Just to Name a few…

Can make a reader get tired of the overly dramatic approach, For example…

Jessica was so angry and sad that she stupidly succumbed to her jealously by confiding in her now suspicious boyfriend.

For the record that’s just an example…but its a little much right? I mean once you take out some of the emotionally descriptive words it sounds better…

Jessica was so angry that she stupidly confided in her now suspicious boyfriend.

Then even better if you use some not so commonly used descriptive words…

Jessica was so irate that she foolishly confided in her now suspicious boyfriend.

Again just an example of what to be careful of. Using too many emotionally descriptive words, using just too many common ones, or you can always use too little, making it a dull sentence…

Jessica was mad so she talked to her boyfriend.

I always try to feel what I would feel in that situation. Then I take that thought of how to describe that emotion and try to improve it with some different words, if I can, not too many, just to add ‘character’ to each sentence. Words that a reader wouldn’t necessarily hear on a constant basis like…

Apprehensive
Agreeable
Bereaved (A sorrow like no other)
Complacent
Euphoric (Perfect to replace a happy or joyous emotion)
Exuberant
Fulfilled
Inquisitive
Lackluster (I like this one a lot to describe something dull or uninspiring. I should use it more in my writing lol)
Petulant
Rejuvenated (A really good one to describe feeling refreshed or full of energy)
Tender (for those of you writing about love)
Vexed

Obviously you don’t want to overload your novel and make your readers feel like they are getting a vocabulary lesson either. But you do want them to feel like they can understand the intense emotion (whatever that may be), that you are trying to portray. You also want them to feel like you trust that they are smart enough to use the words that you can, to best describe the scene so they see it through your eyes.

As an added bonus for all you romance writers out there, whether its just for a small portion of your book or the entirety, here’s a list of LOVE words to inspire your creativity (Happy Valentine’s Day!!)…

Adoration
Amour
Cherish
Endearment
Lust
Passion
Tenderness
Trust
Enchant
Rapture
Yearning
Devotion
Longing
Bliss
Love (Of course a list of LOVE words would have love in it lol)

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Setting a Scene

Please follow the Facebook link above for my Author page. The second Facebook link is for a group I’ve started named Authors Promotional Network and Discovery with the sole purpose of allowing authors to promote their work everyday and for all readers to find new materials to enjoy. If you are interested please join, it’s a very small group now but I know it could be something special with your help.

One of the most important aspects in a writers work is setting the scene. For some this is easy but others it can be the hardest part. Personally I have my good days and bad days with describing it just the right way.

When I’m writing a first draft I just let the creativity flow as it wants because we all know our creativity has a mind of its own lol. Then for the first and following edits I make it a point to focus more on setting the scenes. If one particular moment didn’t come to me in the most detailed way the first time, I’ll revisit it. Trying hard not to let it hinder my progress.

To be honest there are times I’ve failed at that and just focused on a description for a scene as I work my regular job, because I wanted to get that part written so bad that I got the chilling writers block being stuck on that moment.

Ideally you want to describe what the reader would see if they were a character in your book. You want to immerse them in the moment so they feel the emotions that the characters do, so they understand the importance of it.

I’ve heard people say write what you know, so you can describe it the best way. Personally I don’t necessarily agree with that. If your writing fiction, describing a fictional place than you can make it a combination of what you know and what you can find. I mean just because you haven’t been to a certain country, or area similar to what you are writing doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to describe it.

Looking up a certain place, or item, food, flower, etc., that has likenesses to what you are setting the scene for, can help. For example you can look up a flower that is from the area, and how it is described to smell. Or look up articles from people who have visited the area and see how they described it. Certainly you may be asking yourself if that really makes sense. In reality you know the world you are creating better than anyone so you know what will work and what doesn’t.

I write a lot by feeling. Or in other words if the first thing that comes to mind feels right, I can tell pretty quickly. Descriptors are a writers bread and butter. Everything we write relies on our ability to use them. There are so many simple ideas for describing something and setting that scene all around you.

How it smells when you make a pie around the holidays (Like cinnamon and sweet apples with a hint of vanilla), how the dough sticks to your hands when you go to wash it off and the flour makes it so you have to rub your hands together but it still sticks under your nails because when water hits it, it reminds you of glue (Or I could tell they baked because they smelled like fresh apple pie and there was flour stuck under their nails).

A chill breeze made the trees sway ever so slightly and my bones ache. It was always easy to tell when a storm was coming because the leaves turned upside down expecting rain.

My checklist on how to describe something is very simple but helps guide me to what I want to say, and sometimes it helps to close my eyes to picture it…

What do I see?
What do I hear?
What do I smell?
What do I feel?

Those questions always guide me to what I want to say because in order to tell the story we have to put ourselves in our characters shoes, so what better way than to ask yourself what they would see, hear, smell and feel or in other words how would you in that situation.

So the next time it rains, step outside for a minute close your eyes and take in the scene then open them so you see what the rain does. Pay attention to the sound it makes when it hits certain things, or how it smells. Or the next time you enter a train station what do you notice? What stands out to tell you its a train station, and what details would others miss?

Thank you for reading my blog, if you haven’t already please subscribe below and until next time JUST KEEP WRITING.

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Making Progress

Progress is a great word, especially when it comes to your writing and completing a novel. So, I suppose because part of the reason for this blog is to document my journey to actually becoming a published author (Published of course being the key word there), I should probably talk about my progress.

To talk about my progress right now, I should probably reiterate that I am in the final self-editing stages of my novel. What does that mean? You might find yourself asking (as I do sometimes lol).

That I actually completed the novel (completed being the loose word there when you think of the extensive editing process that comes afterward). I’ve also already completed a few other edits/read through’s. But it is finally in the final edit that I will complete myself with some slight additions to the story line of some descriptors to help better describe scenes. As well as of course a spelling and grammar check.

In the future I am prepared for the fact that an agent, editor or whomever may be insistent on a small edit but that comes with the territory right? (I write this now, but am able to hide my concerned face behind the fact that this is a blog and not a video. Concerned because as we all know as writers having someone else read your work is always going to be a little nerve wracking. Based on the fact that your novel is your brain child and you vowed that you would protect it at all costs!)

While I am doing that my husband is doing a read though/ suggestion notes as well for me to look over. As I said before you are your own worst critic so letting your family members or friends read your work can give you a good insight, even if they don’t necessarily read that particular genre. Most importantly having a fresh set of eyes to read your novel for the first time helps to point out either errors or accomplishments in your writing. Don’t worry he’s been instructed to not hold back, that it is a free constructive criticism household lol.

At the same time I am researching some insights on writing a query letter, and everything else an agent likes to see when you find one. That is the real key here, actually finding an agent, to help me on my journey to getting published. So while I am doing everything I described, I am researching agents who might be interested in my work. Not just the Psychological Thriller genre but in a variety of genres because I enjoy writing many different story lines. My hopes are that I find an agent to represent me for several novels in the future.

In the long run my goal is to be published in many different formats including both the traditional publishing with an actual printed novel, and the eBook publishing because I want to corner both markets. Lets face it about a 1/3 of the world wants online reading available, the other 1/3 wants printed books they can hold and the all the others want both.

I am partial to both considering sometimes its easier to read on your phone when your away from home, instead of carrying a book. Or on the other hand I love the smell of a fresh new book, and being able to hold the book (new or old in my hand). Plus there is the rare occurrence that readers are ashamed to talk about when you end up being somewhere unprepared to wait for something and you have nothing to read. Well, that is solved by my eBooks always at my finger tips.

Basically, it sounds like a lot but I know if I want to get my book out for the world to see I have to put all this work into it. As well as be passionate about what I love to do.

Thank you so much for reading my blog, and if you enjoy what you’ve read so far, stay tuned and subscribe if you haven’t already done so. There is much more to come, until then, JUST KEEP WRITING.

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To Outline or not to Outline?

So this is a very touchy topic with many Writers out there…Do you need to spend a long time laying out your whole story idea in an outline? Making sure to come up with all the plot points, settings, characters, or just a generalized idea of where to take your novel. The truth is…I don’t outline anything to start. That’s right…this crazy blog writer/future published author is telling you that you can write without an outline. Maybe I am a little unique in the writing world, or maybe there are many more of you out there.

Whatever the case may be, to be honest I am big on notes, I just write a page of ideas as I get them and incorporate as I see fit. For example…

Mary gets into an accident (start at the beginning).

The nurse had deep voice, cold hands, wandering look, he looked out of place.

Make sure to point out how small (find better word for small) the hospital was.

She finds out the nurse, really helped cause the accident and wasn’t a nurse after all.

Massive lightning storm one day.

Point out that she’s allergic to peanuts.

Obviously that’s just a rough idea of how I keep notes but it works for me. Technically, I keep notes from small details I think of for the scene I’m working on, to major plot points in the story. Outlining is more of a preference than a requirement to writing. Some may disagree and argue till they are blue in the face that you MUST do an outline. I’m sorry but those people are wrong. It is YOUR choice to discover what works best for you.

Now, after the rough draft and when I’ve used up and checked all the notes off my list that have been added along the way (That’s right I do make sure to check off each one as I use it to keep track), I do set up tables to keep track of characters, vehicles, settings, important plot points, and do a timeline (I will write more about all those later on). But all of those pages of details, come after that rough draft, on my next read through. As you all know there will be many read through’s and edits for a single novel but that helps you keep track for the future ones.

I simply believe that during your first draft you should make it as easy as possible on yourself. Meaning, don’t over complicate what your doing, just write. If you come up with an idea for a later scene in the novel make a note and get back to writing. It is hard enough to transcribe the story in your brain to paper in just the right words, so don’t stress over trying to do the outline and have it figured out before you even write a single word. At least for me I get some of my best ideas while I’m writing. Let your words take you where you need to go. You may hear some writers talk about how their characters have a mind of their own, well that’s just the ideas flowing as the scene takes place in your head. Let your creative juices flow, and smile while you do it because ultimately we write because we love it.

Basically….To Outline or not to outline?….It’s up to you but don’t stress over it. If you feel better typing up that detailed outline then do it, if not than just start writing that first sentence and more will follow soon enough. Your first draft will be the most enjoyable time you spend with your novel (except for when you finally get it published, I’m assuming) because each edit and read through thereafter can become a daunting task at times. So just enjoy that simple unfiltered creativity while writing your first draft and smile. Creating, then seeing your idea on paper for the first time is a feeling that’s both indescribable and yet scary. Especially when you think of your brain child now being vulnerable to spell checks, timelines, edits and many pages of outlines in the future. So give yourself that honeymoon time with your novel to enjoy the raw potential of your creation.

Thank you for reading my blog, stay tuned and until then, JUST KEEP WRITING.

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Just sit down and write

Easy right?

Well not always and that’s ok. Amazing right? An aspiring author telling you it’s ok not to write sometimes. I mean certainly you should sit down and just start writing. Stop thinking so much and get what’s in your head on paper. Worry about the rest later. Obviously that makes sense but…here’s the thing…only you can make yourself write. No one can tell you to do it. Sometimes, life throws days at you where writing just doesn’t seem feasible, and that’s ok, just write when you can. Setting unrealistic goals doesn’t help anyone. Write because you want to and are able to focus on it. I know it sounds crazy but take that notebook, laptop or tablet into the bathroom if that’s your only down time.

See the thing is, is that your idea can only be written by you so if you have a bad day where you don’t feel like writing, than wait….get yourself back into the mindset the next day and try then. Or do what I do, sometimes…just ….think. Yup it’s as easy as that. When your working doing what ever task you can think about something else while doing (ie. Cleaning, stocking shelves, waiting for a machine press to finish, or driving etc.)…just think.

What I mean is you have your brain to help you brain storm (sounds like such a bad thing when it’s so productive). When your stuck on a plot point or a description of a setting, or what a person looks like etc. just think when you can. If you have an ah ha, light bulb moment than take a second to jot down a note on your phone or something that will remind you of the ideas. If your driving tell your phone to take a note for you or send a message and tell it to save it as a draft or something. You don’t need paper or a laptop to write. You can put notes anywhere.

Obviously, some of you may already do this but those of you who don’t, give it a try. I mean I’ve even gotten an idea at a restaurant or in the car before and written it on a napkin. Or gave myself key words to remember and repeated them over and over so when I got somewhere to write them down I just say those key words and fill in the blanks. I may look a little crazy whispering to myself around other people but it works. We’re not crazy, we’re just writers (might be borderline the same thing though lol).

So when you get a chance just sit down, or stand up whatever the case may be and write, in your head, on paper, your phone, or your laptop. It’s all the same, just find that time, cause the only one who can get that story idea out of your head to share with the world is you.

Thank you for reading my blog. Stay tuned, and until then JUST KEEP WRITING.

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Why I’m here

Well first off my name is Tiffany (if you haven’t already guessed).

As you may have well read on the homepage of this blog I am doing this to document a very important journey not just to me but to many other aspiring authors out there.

Getting published….

Many of you may be thinking, ok well that’s easy. Self publishing is all the rage now a days and is as easy as downloading a file online and posting it. However, what I’m doing involves quite a bit more than that.

Finding an agent and a publisher. That’s right, the whole shabang is what I’m after. Some of you may be wondering why go through all the trouble? Well, here’s the thing, even though many may be very successful with self publishing, it’s just not what my heart tells me I want to do. Now…I have nothing against it, I’ve even done research on it, posted a short story when I first discovered it (I was younger and it wasn’t my best work) and planned on putting more out there. That is until I decided it just wasn’t the goal I set for myself long ago when I started this passion for writing. I fell into the mind set of self publishing but ultimately it’s not the Journey I’m after. It may be for some of you who may read my blog and that’s fine, I complement you on your success and hope it takes you to the goals you’ve set for yourself.

So, yes I want to get my books out there to the world, but that’s not the only reason for this blog. The other reason that is as equally important is helping guide other aspiring authors. I want to share my ideas on how I have started writing, kept writing, and continue to write. Insights of the day in the life of a writer who loves what she does, even if it takes a lot of time and sometimes frustration to complete a story. Also some things I’ve discovered that help me stay as organized as one can be while writing and even share some mistakes I’ve made as well. Because at the end of the day, if you are a writer and are reading this blog than you are as passionate as I am about a sometimes unforgiving career goal.

My husband is my support system at home when I find myself struggling with an idea or a setting in my book. In fact, even though he does not have the writing addiction that I do, he is always there to help me brain storm when I need it. Even our two dogs play their part in letting mommy write, by snuggling one on either side even while I write this blog. A support system for anything in life is great to have. So not only should we have one at home, but this blog will hopefully help some of you as well, in your creative endeavors.

Thank you for reading my blog, there will be more to come, stay tuned. Until then JUST KEEP WRITING.