Author: Writing your first novel-Some things you should know

Character Development

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There are a few things you need to keep in mind when creating characters, whether they are your protagonists or antagonists.

Sure, you are the author, and you can use your imagination to make your characters be or act anyway you like, but there are some guidelines you should follow when writing.

-Make sure they behave the way they are supposed to. Don’t force them to fit a narrative.

-Your characters have to be in some type of conflict. Happily ever after doesn’t fly until the very end.

-Your characters must grow like real people who are faced with adversity in life. We learn and grow. This should be reflected as the novel moves forward.

-Even the most passive protagonist must in the end choose to do something. Hopefully your protagonist isn’t passive at all. Give them character. Make them strong, caring, and likeable. They are the hero after all.

-Have your character do what’s true to them. Sweet Mary Sue is not going to go out and rob a bank. Mean ornery Billy Bob is not going to smile and ask how you are doing.

-It also would be nice if the characters were capable of surprising you occasionally.

Some things to think about 🙂

-Jan R

Character Development

Have You Set Your Goals for The New Year?

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I’ve been writing this blog for over Eight years. It’s been my goal to do two posts a week. While I’ve been mostly faithful in my commitment, I must confess the past year or so has been really hard for me.

I’ve had a lot more outside commitments that are occupying my time, but it feels like it’s more than that. Have you ever wanted to just stop doing everything and reset? Take a break from life and catch your breath? How did you motivate yourself to work through the lulls?

I have read a lot of information on the internet and in books on motivation and how to jump start your battery when it dies (my analogy). Maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but you get where I’m going.

I’ve also wondered if getting a full proposal request has taken some of the steam out of my boat, and I need to take a break and prepare for the next stage of the game.

It hasn’t been easy. It’s required a lot of time and dedication on my part. I wasn’t an English major and literally had to learn how to write a publishable novel.

Every step I’ve taken so far seems to be the hardest step. I’m currently in the waiting game again. Queries for my second novel have been sent out along with one requested full proposal. The ultimate goal is to get this work published. I’ve met a major milestone, with the full proposal request, but I can’t lose sight of my final destination.

The one thing that has motivated me and kept me moving forward, is setting goals for myself. I may be dragging my feet right now, but I know where I’m heading. With my eyes set on the finish line, I will get there.

Do you have goals set for your life or are you just wandering aimlessly hoping that things work out? You will never get to where you want to be without a plan in place to get you there.  Set those goals! Work that plan! It could mean the difference between failure and success.

-Jan R

Have You Set Your Goals for The New Year?

That Word Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Does

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, , Leave a comment

I spent the morning reviewing some of my older blogs and ran across this one. I still have problems with misused words and thought the reminder would be good for my readers too 🙂

There are so many misused words out there I couldn’t possibly list them all, so I concentrated on the ones that I have problems with. 

I’m sure you have words that would make the list as well 🙂

a lot, alot, allot: There is no such word as alot.  A great number is a lot. If you mean allocate, you use allot.

advice, advise: Advice is what you get, advise is what you do.

aggravate, annoy: If you mean pester or irritate, use annoy. Aggravate means to make worse.

all ready, already: If you mean all is ready, use all ready; if you mean in the past, use already. It already happened.

all right, alright: All right is always two words.

all together, altogether: All together means simultaneously. Altogether means entirely or wholly.

among, between: If only two people are dividing something use between. If more than two people are dividing something use among.

appraise, apprise: Appraise is to give value; apprise is to inform.

bazaar, bizarre: Bazaar is a marketplace; bizarre is strange, weird.

cavalry, Calvary: Cavalry are soldiers; Calvary is the place Christ was crucified.

can, may: Can-physically able to do something; may-you have permission.

climactic, climatic: Climactic refers to a climax; climatic is related to the weather.

council, counsel: Council is an official group or committee; counsel is to give advice.

elicit, illicit: Elicit something is to extract it, bring it out; illicit is illegal.

fewer, less: Fewer means not as many, it is used with countable nouns (cookies, gallons of gas, cars); less means not as much and is used with uncountable nouns (gasoline, money, cake).

forego, forgo: Forego is used for something that has gone before (a foregone conclusion); forgo to do without.

imply, infer: A speaker implies something; a listener infers.

lead, led: Led means in charge of or guided; otherwise use lead.

literally, figuratively: Literally means precisely as described; figuratively means in a symbolic or metaphoric way.

nauseated, nauseous: Nauseous means disgusting; nauseated means sick to your stomach.

set, sit: Set is to place something – there has to be an object; sit is going from standing to sitting in a chair.

Stationery, stationary: Stationery is paper you write on; stationary is something that lacks motion.

supposed to: I included this one because people incorrectly omit the d.

than, then: If you mean next, therefore, or at that time, use then; if you want the word that shows a comparison, use than.

that, which: For clauses that don’t need commas, use that. For nonrestrictive clauses, which need commas, use which.

your, you’re: Your means belonging to. You’re is short for you are.

What words do you misuse?

-Jan R

That Word Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Does

Remember – Your Mind Is a Battlefield

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, , Leave a comment

If you are constantly looking over your shoulder, you may not finish your novel. You will be too busy battling the thoughts of it not being good enough. No one wants to be humiliated or rejected. Your inner critic will paralyze you by telling you just how bad it really is (even if it’s not).  This is an obstacle that I have had to overcome. It hasn’t gone away, I’ve just learned to deal with it.

I remember doing a Bible study on the battlefield of the mind. Though it’s primary purpose was dealing with spiritual warfare, it also related to many of the issues that we deal with in our everyday lives. Our mind is a battlefield. In writing, for example, all of us worry about looking dumb and never getting published. Fiction writers make a business out of being scared, and not just looking dumb.

It took me six months from the time I started writing my first novel, to tell my husband what I was doing. When I finally told him, I was a mess. I knew he would be excited for me and encourage me in my endeavor, and I didn’t want to let him down.

For the longest time, I treated my novel as a hobby. That’s not a mindset that will get you published. When I finished and sent it out to the first few agents, I was more than a little anxious. The first few rejections confirmed my beliefs. I just wasn’t good enough.

Note that I said, “I wasn’t good enough.” Well, that’s not exactly true. The truth is the novel wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t ready. The fact is, it was filled with grammatical and structural errors, there was some serious head hopping going on, and my on-the-nose writing was all but bringing the story to a complete halt. If you are not familiar with these terms you should be. Go back and read the posts I have written or surf the web.

I don’t know that the inner critic will ever go away. So how do you combat it? You keep moving forward and growing in your craft. Don’t stop writing.

Remember all professions require training and experience. A brain surgeon didn’t just wake up one day and start operating on patients, nor did a successful author sit down and start producing best sellers.

I still question my work at times, but I know, that I know, that I know, that it’s a lot better than it was when I first started on this journey.

-Jan R

Remember – Your Mind Is a Battlefield

Friends Don’t Let Friends Use Filler Words – Revisited

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I’ve been a little busy the last few months and have revisited some of my favorite posts. I hope you enjoy this one. Most of the concepts I write about are simple. I just never really gave them a lot of thought before I started writing novels.

When writing, remember less is more. Stay away from qualifiers. They weaken your prose, and the result is the exact opposite of what your were trying to achieve. I know why you use them. I’m hooked on ‘very’. Other people are hooked on the word ‘too’. If you are resorting to qualifiers for emphasis, odds are, you are using the wrong word in the first place.

These qualifiers are the words your English teacher dreaded seeing, such as very, too, really, and sort of. When you overuse these words, your writing will seem lazy, as if you haven’t taken the time to look for the right word.

This pasta dish is very good.

This pasta dish is superb. (Better)

I’m feeling sort of sick.

I’m feeling nauseous. (Better)

You look really nice!

You look radiant. (Better)

Since ‘very’ is my nemesis, I thought I would provide a list of more powerful words to use to replace ‘very’ ___________.

  • very fast                    quick
  • very dry                    parched
  • very dirty                  squalid
  • very afraid               terrified
  • very angry                furious
  • very hot                    scolding
  • very hungry             ravenous
  • very large                 colossal
  • very clean                spotless
  • very clever              brilliant
  • very beautiful        exquisite
  • very ugly                 hideous
  • very pretty             beautiful
  • very thin                 gaunt
  • very tired               exhausted

I think you get the picture. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope this got you thinking.

-Jan R

Friends Don’t Let Friends Use Filler Words – Revisited