Write What you Know?

This has always seemed like the most crazy advice in the world to me. Write what you know. Did J K Rowling experience Hogwarts? Did Suzanne Collins get chucked into an arena to fight to the death? Did Shakespeare commit suicide after seeing his love die?

No. Of course not. So my advice is this: write what you don’t know. Write about fairies, torture, war, dragons, alternate dimensions and true love. Write about fires, floods, frangipanis and frogs. Because in the end, people don’t want to know about your life. People read books so that they can experience something amazing. And more often than not, life doesn’t involve the stuff that happens in books.

But the “write what you know” oxymoron does have some worth. It does. But it has worth in a different context than what many people think. It’s not about places or events or beings – it’s about emotions and feelings. Everyone, at some point in their life, has felt angry. Everyone has been sad. The Dementors in Harry Potter signify depression.

If you didn’t write what you knew, people wouldn’t read your books. There would be nothing for them to relate to. If you feel like a book is NOTHING like you (for me, that’s Romeo and Juliet) you’ll put it down or you’ll probably hate it.

Write what you know. You know a lot more than you think you do. You know about sadness, about envy, rage, love and happiness. You know what a sunset looks like. You know what a winter’s day feels like.

Use that. If you’re writing fantasy, if you’re writing about aliens, use it. Use your experiences and your emotions to create something new.

If you’re the most boring person in the world, use that. If you have the same routine every day, use that. If you live in Australia, use that.

Use everything you have. Write what you know.

Naming your Characters

I’ve had many character names over my history of writing. Some, like my main character Rain, have specific meanings. In my WIP, I have a blind character called Thea (goddess of sight) because I wanted a specific metaphor. However, I don’t recommend names like this unless you’re trying to make a point (which I am).

I’ve known people to spend months looking for the right character name, convinced they can’t start their story unless they choose The Right One. Well, news flash: in the real world people have perfectly ordinary names like Chris and Daniel and Jessica. There are very few people named Thea out there, but I use her name with irony. There are very few people named Cinnamon or Yolanda or Blanket or Sunshine.

These are obnoxious, and your readers will most likely hate you and/or your book if your main character is anything like these names. In reality there are many more Plain Janes than there are Optimus Primes. Don’t agonise over choosing a name when the most successful book series of time is based off the character “Harry Potter.”

This is, of course, slightly different when you’re in the sci-fi or fantasy genre. Names like Katniss and Seneca are acceptable here, but they’re not so far from our names that they sound stupid. Zaphod Beeblebrox, for example, is a name that would annoy many people if it wasn’t specifically supposed to be ironic. When in fantasy or sci-fi, choose a name similar enough to ours that it won’t annoy readers.

Basically what I’m saying is that  it’s alright to have a Plain Jane or a Mary or a Sue (but perhaps not a Mary-Sue). Don’t wait for three years to start your story because you can’t find The Right One. Pick a name that fits your needs and stick with it.

Some things to avoid:

-          Names people can’t pronounce

-          Too many names that sound the same

-          Names that don’t fit their age, location, time, or genre, so a 12-year-old English girl wouldn’t generally be called Doris

       Names that sound stupid (see above)

      How do you name your characters? Do you find one right away or take a while to find one? Share your thoughts below!

Book Review: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

As the story begins, you are Arthur Dent, and a bulldozer is preparing to level your house even as an alien space fleet is preparing to level your planet. The incorrigible Mr. Adams has written new material and designed problems especially for this interactive story. So grab a pint of bitter and a couple for the road and join Ford Prefect, Trillian, Zaphod Beeblebrox and Marvin on a cosmic jaunt into the outer reaches where anything can-—and does-—happen. And don’t forget your towel!

I read this book because I wanted to know what all the fuss was about – plus I’ve been reading all the “must-reads” lately. I was not disappointed, but then again it wasn’t the best book I’ve ever read.

This book is hilarious if you enjoy incredibly complicated named like “Zaphod Beeblebrox,” which I don’t. However, even if you don’t you can still enjoy it, which is one of the best things about it. Here are some of my favourite bits:

“The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't.”

Which, you know…is a very correct and hilarious description of ships hanging in skies.

And this bit:

"You know," said Arthur, "it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse, and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space, that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young."
"Why, what did she tell you?"
"I don't know, I didn't listen."

Basically where I’m going with this is that it makes clichés sound extremely stupid. Douglas Adams has done the amazing thing of making science fiction funny – successfully. Reading The Hunger Games is all well and good when you want to be enlightened about the pitfalls of society and whatnot, but Hitchhiker is good if you want a laugh...that is, a clever, witty, "haha-I-got-the-smart-joke" laugh.

For those that don’t really like science fiction (like me) I suggest you read it anyway. Even for the few really funny bits in it, it’s worth reading. If you’re trying to write comedy, or even trying to put some comedy into a serious piece of work (almost unavoidable, but more on that in a later entry), read it.
It’s witty, hilarious and clever. It has annoying names. A crazy story. And I liked it.

Adverbs in Dialogue

Okay, this is another dialogue post, brought to you by the girl who has begun to hate adverbs. BUT ONLY RECENTLY. About a month or two ago I joined a writer’s group (which, by the way, is incredibly awesome. You need to get one). They gave me back some of my work, in which all the adverbs were deleted. And I thought, what? Adverbs are amazing! The convey exactly what you're trying to say, so why not use them? Right?

Wrong. Adverbs commit the horrible writing sin of TELLING, NOT SHOWING. Let me give you another of my awesome examples.

‘Hello,’ she said unhappily.

That sentence doesn’t tell us anything about her. How do we know she is unhappy? What is she doing that makes her seem unhappy? Okay, now I'm going to show you it WITHOUT the adverb.

‘Hello,’ she said, trying not to cry.

NOW we know why she is unhappy! She’s about to cry! Hallelujah. The point I am trying to make, ladies and gentlemen, is that you should omit adverbs where possible, because before long your readers will get bored - they won't feel like they're part of the story. Take a look at this:

‘Hi!’ she said happily.

‘How are you?’ he said joyfully.

‘I’m good,’ she said shyly.

‘That’s good,’ he said gladly.

Apart from the two really annoying characters up there, and the unrealistic dialogue, the adverbs on every line detract from the reading. Instead SHOW your readers why your characters are joyful or angry or upset.

‘Hi!’ she said, hugging him.

‘How are you?’ he said, stepping back.

‘I’m good,’ she said, smiling and looking down at her feet.

‘That’s good.'

In this example, we know a lot more about these characters. We know that, because she's looking down at her feet, she's probably shy. The point is that readers don't want things shoved down their throats; they don't want you to tell them that someone is shy. They want to figure it out for themselves.

That’s not to say, though, that you can’t use adverbs. Instead just use them when you really NEED to. For example: ‘I’m fine,’ she said automatically.

This works. This shows the reader that perhaps the character is answering too quickly; that they have something to hide. Adverbs in dialogue, when used right, can enhance your writing. But if you use them too often – cut them. Kill them all!

Adverbs, in most cases, are not your friends.

Please don't use them too often.

What are you thoughts? Did you used to use a lot of adverbs?  Do you still use a lot of adverbs and think I'm completely (haha, adverb) wrong? Comment below!

Words for Said

There are so many words for “said”: explained, shouted, yelled, whispered, complained, announced…you get the picture. In some of the work I critique, sentences go something like this:

‘Hello!’ yelled Jane.

‘It’s nice to see you,’ announced Mary.

‘What a fine day,’ John commented.

Right. It sounds terrible – not just because of the incredibly lame names I just used, but mostly because of the words for “said” I used. There is nothing wrong with the word said. Having so many different words for said draws even more attention than using it too much.

By comparison, below is an excerpt of my WIP.

‘Sure is,’ Chris says as he appears from below. ‘Best place in the school.’

                ‘Best place in Rain,’ Thea corrects him. ‘Is that what you were named after, Cloud?’

                ‘I don’t know,’ I say. ‘Robert – my dad – was going to tell me, but he got distracted.’

                ‘You call your dad Robert?’ says Thea. ‘That’s a bit strange. Actually, come to think of it, how did you get here in the first place? To the school and whatever?’

                ‘Long story,’ I say, because it is.

                ‘We’ve got heaps of time,’ Thea says. ‘Like, bundles and bundles of it.’

                And the bell rings.

                ‘Maybe not,’ Thea says.

Notice that even though I use “say” or “says” most of the time, it still sounds natural. Now, I probably should have used another example rather than mine, but you still get it…I hope.

The word said is not your enemy. Love it. Treat it with respect. Don’t use it every single time, but using it for most dialogue is fine…good even.

Other editors or authors might tell you not to use “laughed” as a substitute for said. But in that case I actually disagree, because I think it works. You might not be able to laugh while talking, but it conveys the image of someone laughing before or after. Which is a good thing. I would still tend to stay away from unrealistic “said” words most of the time.

Instead perhaps use them as action tags. “That’s hilarious,” he said, laughing. See? It works just as well.

In doubt about which word to use? Said. Said is your friend.

One final note: please don’t use “ejaculated.” Unless you’re trying to make people laugh. 

PS: In my excerpt above, her name isn’t really Cloud. Just if you were wondering.

International Left-Handers Day!

So as you might have guessed, I'm left-handed. We lefties have our fair share of problems: the right kind of scissors, having ink all the way down your pinky and the side of your hands, bumping into people when they're writing and drawing numbers backwards when we were kids (or was that just me?).

But that's not what I want to talk about. Today, in honour of lefties everywhere, I want to talk about the fact that we're often associated with being more creative. There are more left-handed people in jobs such as the arts and we're said to use our right brain, which controls creativity.

To be honest I'm not so sure. I know scores of people that are right-handed and are brilliant at art, music or, like we are, writing. Maybe that's just because there's a higher percentage of them. What I do know is that every single left-handed person I know is creative.

Leonardo Da Vinci was left-handed. So were Lewis Carroll, Bach and Michelangelo.

Have a very happy lefties day! If you're right-handed, we know you can be creative too!

Are you a leftie? Comment below. i'd love to hear your thoughts.

On Reading

If you’re a writer, you almost definitely like reading. But that doesn’t mean you like reading everything – in fact, you might only like reading fantasy or sci-fi or romance. Which is fair enough. To be a writer, though, you can’t just read the stuff you like, even if that’s that sort of stuff you want to write about. You have to read everything – classics, YA, romance, crime, fantasy, sci-fi. And you have to ask yourself, why don’t I like this? Because then you can figure out how to make your writing better.

Take for example two of the most popular book series’ around: Harry Potter and Twilight. You may like one of them or both; you may hate them both with a passion. Read them anyway. Ask yourself, why do I hate this book with every fibre of my being? Alternately, if you like it, ask yourself why does this book make me want to read it fifty thousand times in a row? That’s how you grow as a writer; by analysing and critiquing and thinking.

Reading is our only apprenticeship into writing. If you can’t read well, meaning critically, you can’t really write. So pick up your least favourite book, whether it be Pride and Prejudice or Fifty Shades of Grey, and read it. All of it. Why don’t you like it? Is it the characters, the unrealistic dialogue, the setting, the plot? Then think of ways that you would improve that book. It will help you in your writing. Trust me.

Writing Tips (Part 2)

In this edition of my writing tips, I’m a bit more specific. I hope you learn something!

1)      Don’t use adverbs. This is, of course, a relatively accurate direction. For the most part, don’t use adverbs. Instead of saying that someone said something “thoughtfully,” describe why they’re thoughtful. There are exceptions to this, of course, and sometimes adverbs can be more effective than descriptions. But if you use them too often, your characters will seem alien.

2)      Show, don’t tell. Showing is essential in writing. You can’t just tell us “Mum was sad.” You’ve got to write about why you think she’s sad. Is she crying? Is she staring somewhere without really looking at it? Don’t tell us someone is angry; show us their anger.

3)      Find your own voice. This isn’t a simple instruction, because it requires a lot of time and dedication to writing. Basically, you have to make sure that you are not imitating someone else. Since you’re probably a teen writer like me, this isn’t the easier thing to do in the world, because you’ve got writers you really look up to and aspire to be like. But you have to think past those role models and find your own writing voice. In my earlier blog post, which you can find here, I told you to write every day. Well, writing every day is one good way to find your voice.

4)      Try out different styles. If you normally write in first person, write in third person. If you normally have a female protagonist, try a male one. If you normally write in present tense, write in past. You get the idea. Basically just try to switch around what you write about, so that you don’t become accustomed to one style. This will help with your voice.

5)      Don’t create a character exactly like you. If you think at any time that this is happening to your character, it probably is. Make sure that, even if your protagonist resembles you in some respects, they aren’t a clone of you.

That’s about all for my writing tips. Share some of your own in the comments!

My Tips for Writing (Part 1)

      1) Read. A lot. Reading is our only apprenticeship into the art of writing, and to do that we must do it as often as we possibly can. Read as much as you can, even if you wonder how on earth it got published. Read newspapers, classics, sci-fi, romance, biographies and anything you can get your hands on. Why? It got published, so it’s doing a hell of a lot better than us. Ask yourself why it was published; learn from it. Your stories will grow as a result.             

     

     2) Write. This may seem like simple advice, but it’s surprising how many people don’t adhere to it. If you’re reading this blog post, you’re not writing. You’re procrastinating. Hey, everyone does it. I’m doing it at this minute, writing this blog post. Write every day; get into a habit of doing it. Even if you write 10 words; even if you write a journal entry. It will still count. 

    

     3) Do writing exercises. This follows on from number two. I’ve got a great little book called the Writer’s Book of Matches, and it has hundreds of writing prompts. Writing prompts are great if you’ve got the mysterious “writer’s block” (more on that in a later post) and can’t seem to get those creative juices flowing. Also, they help you take a break from a project that just doesn’t seem to go anywhere.

    

     4)  Plan your writing. This isn’t so much needed for short stories, but a must for novels. People have told me that they’ve given up on a novel because it “wasn’t going anywhere.” The real answer is that they didn’t take it anywhere. If you plan out the large-scale structure of your novel beforehand, it will save you a lot of time staring endlessly at a blank screen or page. To do this I mostly use the Snowflake Method, but you can use whatever works for you.

   

     5)  Have a writer’s group. I cannot stress this enough. It doesn’t matter how you do it; if you meet in person or on the internet or in space. Whatever. Just as long as you have other people that can critique your work. Chances are you’re either too harsh on yourself or too easy on yourself, but either way you’re not going to pick up as many things as another person will. Even if you hate what they tell you, listen to them. You're the writer, so you have the final decision, but you should still listen, because chances are they might be right.

     I'll cover some more topics in my post tomorrow. Do you have any writing tips? If so, share them in the comments below.