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Previously, I spoke about being a plotter or a pantster and how I fall in the middle of the spectrum. I’d like to add that for me, every book is different. Some require much more detailed planning in advance of starting, others simply have to be written and forget the outline you dashed down because we’re going on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride with this one.

I am very much a character-driven writer, so no matter whether well-plotted out or using the sketchiest outline possible, I need to know my characters well. They need to become real people to me. I imagine different scenarios, outside the story line, to see how they will react. I have imaginary conversations with my characters to get a sense of who they are and what their opinions and attitudes are.

Not all authors have to know their characters like I do, but for me, if my characters are not real people to me, I can’t write the story. So before I put one word on the page, I will spend a lot of time staring at the screen, the ceiling, off into space … listening for my characters to speak. One method that usually works for me is putting in headphones and going for a walk. Or going for a long drive. Until I know WHO I’m working with, I don’t have their story.

Writing the story is just the beginning. Once you get the story down on paper (or on a computer file), you then go back and re-read and revise. You are looking for mistakes (like missing words) as well as changing some of the story. EVERY writer makes changes to their work because they always find something that they want to change, something that will make it better. No one starts with a story that doesn’t need changes. It doesn’t matter how many times I review a story, I will always see something I want to change, so for me the hard part is determining when the story is polished.

One writing teacher I had stated the ability to write a story was the ability to keep your behind in the chair long enough. Inspiration of what to write is the wonderful part because your brain is bubbling with ideas and they take hold and haunt you until you put them down on paper. Then comes the work of staying in a chair long enough to get the whole story down — and to review it more times than you can count.

The post YWS: How Writers Write – Take 2 appeared first on Be the Cat.

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I’d like to share with you a little about the writing process. Of course, I can’t tell you how all authors write, but I can share my process as well as those of some authors I know.

There is a popular theory that if you had a room of monkeys typing on a keyboard and infinite amount of time, they would be able to replicate all of the great works of fiction or indeed any book ever written. It is called the infinite monkey theorem—and the idea has always tickled me because I cannot conceive of a roomful of well-behaved monkeys sitting for as long as it would take to create the complete works of Shakespeare. Jesse Anderson created a fun visualization of what it would take for the monkeys to recreate Shakespeare … hover the cursor over the text and the box on the right shows how many attempts it would take to create the highlighted phrase. And at the bottom of this post I have included a computer simulation of how those random phrases might occur. So I guess my biggest problem is not having enough monkeys to do the writing for me.

Another theory is that to write a story, you start at the beginning, keep writing until you reach the end and then stop. This sounds easy, but when you start to put the words down all sorts of questions start cropping up. What is the beginning? How will I know when to end? How do I get from the beginning to the end? Getting started is tough when looking at the blank page, but sometimes knowing when the story is done is even harder. YIKES!!

Some authors create a very detailed outline of their story before they start to write it. They need to know every plot point before they can start writing the story. Once they have all of the details mapped out, they put the words on the page and the characters in the story follow the map. They are called plotters.

Some authors don’t know where the writing is going to take them, they don’t map out their story line first, but just start with a concept (a setting, a character, an event) and see where it takes them. They approach writing with a “let’s see what happens next” attitude. They are called pansters.

I actually fit in between the two. I need to know the basics of my story, but as I write, there are twists that happen that I didn’t know were going to happen. It’s almost like the story takes on a life of its own and the characters go in directions that I didn’t know they were going to go in, but eventually, they meet me back at the story line that I started with. It’s fun when your characters start taking on a life of their own, because at that point, they start writing the story for you. Maybe I do have monkeys in a room somewhere. Or maybe I’m the monkey.

Another thing to keep in mind, is how you approach the story may depend on the story itself. Some take more planning and others need to be left more to where the characters take you. Where do YOU fall on the spectrum? What is your writing comfort zone?

The post YWS: How Writers Write – Take 1 appeared first on Be the Cat.

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This is the third of three posts focusing on 8 tips for the writing environment. In order to help you do your best writing, you have to know what it is that helps you focus on the writing.

Missed the first post on Location, Essentials, & Time? Find it here.
Missed the second post on Noise and Light? Find it here.

Temperature, Snacks, & Clutter

6. Temperature: Pay attention to the temperature of your writing area. If it is too cold, or you get too hot, you will start thinking about your comfort, which interrupts your writing process. I usually need to cool my writing area down or at least get some air flowing. I’m super sensitive to a stuffy atmosphere, and sweat easily. And trust me, when sweat is dripping in your eyes and stinging the heck out of them, you won’t be accomplishing any word counts. I have been called a polar bear by some (yes, I’m looking at you, Hope Collier) because I’m comfortable at temps where others are thinking about putting on a jacket. But an environment that is too cold is just as bad as one that is too hot. If you’re shivering and blowing on your hands and your toes are so cold you can’t think straight — again your word count suffers. What is the right temperature? The one that feels the best to YOU.

   Do what you need to, to make your environment comfortable. While most of me is hot most of the time, my toes and fingers easily get cold, so I make sure I have something soft and fuzzy for my feet and in the winter, I use fingerless convertible gloves to keep my hands from getting too chilly.

7. Snacks: Do you write better with things to eat close to hand or not? Writers on deadline have notoriously bad eating habits because they are working furiously to get the current task done. So often times healthy eating goes by the wayside to be replaced with junk food like Cheetos, chocolate, chips, candy — sweet and salty items that don’t have to be refrigerated, can be kept on hand by the bagful to allow the butt to stay in the chair long enough to accomplish what needs to be done. A friend of mine, Branli Caidryn, shared the neat little trick of eating cheesy snacks with chopsticks to keep the cheese dust off the fingers and keyboard.

   I am definitely not recommending the above snacks as normal fare. It is much better to keep some healthy snacks on hand, or maybe even better yet, take snack breaks to get up and stretch and get away for a moment to rejuvenate and refresh. I like to write with a big mug of tea to the right of my keyboard, within easy reach, so I don’t have to think about where the mug is, but can just grab it while I am thinking. And in my office, I keep a small refrigerator, a portable kitchen island, and a tea kettle.



Photo: Alamy

8. Clutter: Is your writing area well organized? Some people believe an uncluttered leads to an uncluttered mind, but I have always liked this quote by Albert Einstein: “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?” Some people like to have toys around to help them in the creative process. I like to have a few familiar things around me as a stark writing area for me creates a blank mind rather than an uncluttered one. And while I start with a neat desk, throughout the writing process, more clutter accumulates, and then I purge once again. It’s cyclical. (And no, that is not a picture of my desk.)

By the way, all of the these tips are also good for creating a good environment for doing homework as well.

The post YWS: The Writing Environment – Part III appeared first on Be the Cat.

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This is the second of three posts focusing on 8 tips for the writing environment. In order to help you do your best writing, you have to know what it is that helps you focus on the writing.

Missed the first post on Location, Essentials, & Time? Find it here.

Noise and Light

4. Noise: Noise is definitely a factor. Some people can’t work with noise and some people can’t work without it. I find the noise of television or conversation a distraction and will most times listen to music while drafting and have been known to sing along. What do I listen to? Whatever will make my characters talk to me. I have learned to make it their choice because I get a lot more done that way. Some characters are very specific about what they will work to.

   Melody and Katie are my most finicky about music. Katie loves to listen to Country, Sara Evans is her current fave. And Melody loves Pentatonix and Chase Holfelder, but is much more eclectic in her music tastes, so we’ll see how many different varieties of music and artists the book will take. My crew of Seventh Graders prefer music with no words — which is good because with so many kids all talking at once it is sometimes hard keeping up with their conversations. And Angela likes 70s pop. Whatever will take me into the writing zone as quickly as possible with the characters is what I listen to … always low volume, so as not to distract or clash with the words in my head. After all, I have to hear what the characters are saying above the music, don’t I?

   Oddly enough, one of the sounds I have the most difficult time in blocking out is the hushed tones of a library. The low-level noise keeps me from being able to sink into the manuscript, and pretty soon I’m frustrated and packing up my things. If you do like noise while you work, then play music or have the television on low sound. The last thing you want to do is to distract yourself from what you are working on.

5. Light: Light makes a difference in your concentration factor as well. Do you like the light soft, or bright, or even no light at all? I do the majority of my writing while looking at a computer screen, so my optimum light is a soft, indirect light — if I use any light at all. The mole and I have something in common — a love of the dark.

   Overhead fluorescent lights tend to bother me, so if I am in a place that has those, I turn them off so I am do not get a headache from the glare that they cause. In the workplace, my desk is known as the dark side because I do keep the fluorescents off in order to ease the strain on my eyes and keep me from getting a headache. Others need a great deal of light to keep from causing eye strain or fatigue. Writing outdoors? Is the day sunny enough to require sunglasses? Do you need the sunglasses even on a cloudy day to cut down the glare (answer for me is yes.) Be sensitive to your needs and figure out the optimum light to reduce eye strain and keep you focused on your writing tasks.

That’s it for this segment on the writing environment. Check back soon for the next installment of tips. And happy writing.

The post YWS: The Writing Environment – Part II appeared first on Be the Cat.

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Since I am getting ready to start working on some new material, I thought it would be a good time to share some of the things that are important to determine before you begin writing. In order to help you do your best writing, you have to know what it is that helps you focus on the writing. This is the first of three posts focusing on 8 tips for the writing environment.

Location, Essentials, & Time

Anna Tan

1. Location: Where do you do your best writing? Is it in your bedroom, the living room, the local coffeeshop, or somewhere outside? Where do ideas seem to flow for you? Wherever that place is for you, that’s where you should set up your writing space.

   I recently met up with a long-time Twitter writing friend, Anna Tan, and we discussed our preferences in writing environment. Some writers seem to focus better while life swirls around them. I have several friends who go to Starbucks for writing time. I get too distracted writing in public because I can’t reach my writing zone because I’m too busy eavesdropping and looking around — even when I use headphones. So, confession time — any time I post that I’m going to Starbucks to write … it really means I’m going to socialize and pretend to write.

   While I was writing my first book, my best place was the kitchen table. I thought it would be my bedroom because, after all, it was my sanctum, but for some reason, in my bedroom I kept getting off track and couldn’t focus on writing. Perhaps the bookshelves were calling me too loudly. Now I do my best writing in my office. Wherever your best place to write is, make sure it is comfortable and you have everything you need to hand.

2. Essentials: Make sure you have a comfortable seat — it could be a chair, a bean bag, a nice tree to lean against. And don’t forget to get up and stretch and move around every so often. Unless you’re able to write while walking on a treadmill, writers tend to stay in one position, usually sitting, for far too long of a time, which is not good for your body. When I get in the zone while writing, I completely lose track of time, and my back reminds me later that I didn’t get up enough.

   What are your essential writing utensils? If you write using pencils, make sure you have several sharp pencils and erasers available. Or if you use pens, keep more than one on hand so you won’t run out of ink. The last thing you want to happen is for the lead to break in your pencil or your pen to run out of ink right in the middle of a scene where the words are flowing. If you don’t have spares, you may not be able to recapture the moment.

   Do you have enough paper? I work on the computer, so I don’t have to worry about pencils, pens, or paper during the creative process, however; what happens if I’m working without an electrical outlet? How long will my battery last? And MOST importantly, if I do cut it down to the wire, will I save my changes in time? For me having a nearby electrical outlet is essential because I will lose track of time and would hate to lose my work because I didn’t plug in. And above all, I need to make sure that where I am working is properly setup and comfortable.

3. Time: What time of day do you get your best ideas? Is it morning, during the middle of the day, or at night? The middle of the day can be problematic because of school or work.

   Are you prepared to capture your ideas no matter what time they come? Some writers keep a mini-recorder with them, or use their phones to capture ideas when they hit. Some use notebooks for jotting ideas down. Once again, the computer is my friend (and I make sure I have copious backups of everything in case of mechanical failure.) While I have a method for notating story ideas for the future, I’m still searching for my best way to capture things like priority, status of the project, etc. What happens if an idea hits me while away from my machine? I keep the files on dropbox, so can use my phone if necessary to jot down the essentials and get it posted. Even that is not always convenient … I once had a story hit me hard while driving, complete with the opening lines. I nearly had to pull over to the side of the road, but kept going and repeating the lines over and over until I reached a point where they could be recorded.

   Do the times you get ideas correspond to your best working time? Ideas will hit me at any time during the day or night, but I have always done my best work at night going into the wee hours of the morning. For some reason, the creative juices seem to flow much better for me then and I can concentrate more clearly while my characters become alive for me. It’s almost like I can feel the creative vibrations in the air. Others work best when they first get up … or before the household is awake. And others need that first cup of coffee, and a little time for their brains to wake up before attacking the page.

That’s it for this segment on the writing environment. Check back soon for the next installment of tips. And happy writing.

The post YWS: The Writing Environment – Part I appeared first on Be the Cat.