Points on Plotting

Source: steampunk.com

1. Nothing should happen at random. Every element in a story should have significance, whether for verisimilitude, symbolism, or the intended climax. Names, places, actions and events should all be purposeful. To test the significance of an element, ask: Why this place and not another? Why this name and not another? Why this action, this speech, and not others or none at all? The answers should be: To persuade the reader of the storys plausibility; to convey a message about the theme of the story; to prepare the reader for the climax so that it seems both plausible and in keeping with the theme.

2. Each character has an urgent personal agenda. Too much is at stake to abandon that agenda without good reason. We may not share the characters urgency, but we should be able to see why he cares so much about what he is doing. A character who acts without real motivation is by definition melodramatic, doing outrageous things for the sake of the thrill it gives the reader not because it makes sense for the character to do so.

3. Plot stems from character under adversity. A mild-mannered person cannot achieve his goals by an out-of-character action like a violent assault, unless we have prepared the reader for it by revealing a glimpse of some suppressed aspect of his personality that can be plausibly released by stress. And the stress itself must also be plausible, given the circumstances of the story.

4. The plot of a story is the synthesis of the plots of its individual characters. Each character has a personal agenda, modified by conflict or concordance with the agendas of others. The villain does not get everything his way, any more than the hero does; each keeps thwarting the other, who must then improvise under pressure. If the hero is moving northwest, and the villain is moving northeast, the plot carries them both more or less due north at least until one or the other gains some advantage.

5. Foreshadow all important elements. The first part of a story is a kind of prophecy; the second part fulfills the prophecy. Any important character, location, object should be foreshadowed early in the story. The deus ex machina is unacceptable; you can not pull a rabbit out of your hat to rescue your hero. But you can not telegraph your punch either your readers do not want to see whats coming, especially if your characters seem too dumb to see it. The trick is to put the plot element into your story without making the reader excessively aware of its importance. Chance and coincidence, in particular, require careful preparation if they are going to influence the plot.

6. The plot begins long before the story. The story itself should begin at the latest possible moment before the climax, at a point when events take a decisive and irreversible turn. We may learn later, through flashbacks, exposition, or inference, about events occurring before the beginning of the story.

7. Keep in mind the kind of story you are telling. Any story is about the relationship of an individual to society. A comic story describes an isolated individual achieving social integration either by being accepted into an existing society or by forming his own. This integration is often symbolized by a wedding or feast. A tragic story describes an integrated individual who becomes isolated; death is simply a symbol of this isolation. The plot should keep us in some degree of suspense about what kind of story we are reading. Even if we know it is a comedy, the precise nature of the comic climax should come as a surprise. If we know the hero is doomed, his downfall should stem from a factor we know about but have not given sufficient weight to.

8. Ironic plots subvert their surface meanings. Here, an ordinarily desirable goal appears very unattractive to us: the hero marries, but chooses the wrong girl and turns his story into a tragedy. Or the hero may die, but gains some improvement in social acceptance as a result by becoming a martyr or social savior.

Checklist for Style of Fiction Writers

Source: steampunk.com

As you begin to develop your outline, and then the actual text of your novel, you can save time and energy by making sure that your writing style requires virtually no copy editing.

1. Do any sentences begin with the words "There" or "It"? They can almost certainly benefit from revision.

2. Are you repeating what you have already told your readers? Are you telegraphing your punches?

3. Are you using passive voice instead of active voice? Put it in active voice!

4. Are you grammatically correct? Are spelling and punctuation correct? (This is not mere detail work, but basic craft. Learn standard English or forget about writing novels.)

5. Are you using trite phrases, cliches, or deliberately unusual words? You'd better have a very good reason for doing so.

6. Is the prose fluent, varied in rhythm, and suitable in tone to the type of story you're telling?

7. Are you punctuating dialogue correctly, so that you neither confuse nor distract your readers?

8. Are your characters speaking naturally, as they would in reality, but more coherently?

9. Does every speech advance the story, revealing something new about the plot or the characters? If not, what is its justification?

Short Story Writing Tips

Source: fictionontheweb.co.uk

All the publishers always looks for plots which are new and well written. So following are the tips for writing short story.

1. Begin with an arresting first paragraph or lead, enough to grab the reader: make him or her curious to know what happens next.

2. Do not write a story as if it were a screenplay; for example, avoid writing the whole thing in the present tense.

3. Did you present the story line quickly enough to catch the readers interest or did you use up a third of the story with a long biographical preamble of the characters or with dialogue between two of them (often left confusingly unnamed)? You may know exactly who is speaking, but the reader may be left bewildered. Never underestimate the power of dialogue in conveying character, but it must contribute to the main focus of the story.

4. The story may be rejected if it is too slight in content or if the plot is too clichéd. No amount of careful padding and elaborate dialogue can substitute for a story line that is wafer-thin.

5. Do not signal the twist ending too soon.

6. Your successful story whether crime, romance, science fiction whatever its genre, must have one other ingredient. It must satisfy the readers, who must be left with its resonance, the feeling that they long to know what happened to the characters After you wrote that last word.

7. Present your story well. Readers are easily put off by bad formatting, bad punctuation or spelling mistakes.

8. If you are telling a fast-moving story, say crime, then keep your paragraphs and sentences short. It is a trick that sets the pace and adds to the atmosphere you are conveying to the reader.

9. If none of these faults are yours, having put that story away for at least a couple of weeks, you will find you can read it with a certain amount of detachment. You will spot any shortcomings and hopefully be ready to revise.

10. Revise and revise. Get rid of every unnecessary word, tighten all sentences, until you are absolutely satisfied that you cannot improve it any further.

Make Writing a Priority

Source: pgtc.com

Some people enjoy writing but doen not seems to have time for wrting. But three simple things you can do:

1. Schedule time for writing

My first advice was to write in the "cracks" of your schedule. That is fine once you have gotten started, and for some people it is all they ever need. But most of us need a little more than that. You are going to need to go over your schedule, meticulously, and decide where you can carve out some time for writing. Get out some paper, and write down your usual weekly schedule, keeping an eye out for time you could put to better use. An hour here, two hours there it makes a huge difference.

The trick here is knowing where to draw your lines. Of course writing is not your first priority, and probably not even your second or third. You probably have a job to worry about, a family to consider, and many other obligations. But writing is probably more important than a lot of things. So do not sacrifice your family time, or your job but perhaps during your lunch hour, instead of eating, you could eat and write? Instead of watching television after dinner, maybe write? You have to make the calls. But at some point, writing is going to have to be more important than something to make it into your schedule. Its the only way.

2. Make everyone aware of your schedule

Now that you have decided on your schedule, you need to let everyone who is going to be affected by it know about it. For instance, in my office (before I started telecommuting), if I was at my desk, I was fair game for problems and questions. If your office is like this and you have decided to write during your lunch hour, you may need to let the people you work with know. Even though you are at your desk, you are still at lunch. For that hour, while you eat and write, you are just as unavailable as if you had gone out for lunch.

Particularly if you are a woman with a family, this can be difficult. It is easy to say "from now on, as soon as the dinner dishes are cleared am I locking myself in my room for an hour to write." It is quite another getting the others in the household to understand this. You will need to lay down some rules except for emergencies, you are not to be disturbed during this time. Be prepared to gently remind family member of this over and over. Eventually it will become part of the routine.

3. Defend your schedule

This is the hard part. Things are always coming up that need to be done, people who need your assistance or attention, and the easiest thing to do is just use your writing time to take care of it, "just this once". Try not to do this! It is the kiss of death for your writing plan. Once that time becomes expendable, no one will respect its purpose; not even you. It is important, especially at first, to take a hard line about this. Emergencies are of course one thing, but if it is something that can be done some other time, then do it some other time.

You are going to have to be uncompromising with yourself, too. For some reason, no matter how much you love to write, as soon as you sit down to do it you will instantly think of and endless litany of other things you need to be doing. Ignore that! You will have time to address those other things later. During your writing time, write. Thats how major authors continue to turn out new works so regularly; by setting themselves a writing schedule and sticking to it. And during your writing time, you write.

Format of Manuscript

Source: sfwa.org

Over the years, publishers have developed certain standards to make their jobs easier. Manuscript format is one of them, and something that often creates some heated discussion in various newsgroups. There are several points that you need to remember:

1. The standards are there for a reason. They are not arbitrary and are generally set up to make certain jobs easier.

2. It is not your job to design the manuscript. You supply the words; the publisher supplies the format.

3. The wrong format or font will not destroy your chances; it may not even hurt. It a question of whether you are willing to take the chance that you're writing is good enough to overcome the difficulties you will cause by not doing things properly.

4. You do not have to stick to the format except in the final version. If you prefer something else in your drafts, fine. It is simple to change the font once you're printing out the final version.

5. As a personal aside, I have noticed the people who fight hardest against the standard format usually end up using Times Roman instead which, on most computers, is the default font that comes up automatically. Hard to believe they have put much thought into their choice.

Rules for standard format:

1. Manuscripts must be typed, double spaced, on one side of the paper, with wide enough margins (min. 1-in.) for the editor to make notations.

2. No fancy formatting within the manuscript. Indent each paragraph five spaces. Indicate italics by underlining. Indicate boldface by drawing a wavy line beneath the text and writing "bf" in a circle in the margin. Do not hyphenate words. Do not right justify the text (you may like it, but it is harder to read especially on long paragraphs and it messes up word counts).

3. Indicate a blank line by placing a # in the center of the line. The # indicates space to a typesetter.

4. At the top of the first page, type your name and address at the upper left corner. Type the word count at the upper right corner Skip down to the middle of the page. Type the title of the story, centered. Go down a line. Type by Your Name (if you want to use a pen name, type it here; the check will be sent to the name at the upper left). Go down another line and begin the story.

5. On each additional page, put your last name and the page number in the upper right corner: Name/2. You can also include a keyword from the title of the story: Name/Keyword/2, but this is optional it is rare that you have two manuscripts in a position when they can be mixed up, and if at the last minute you decide to retitle your novel, you only have to change the title page instead of printing out the entire thing with the correct keyword.

6. At the end of the story, center the word "end".

Making Memorable Characters

Source: writing-world.com

Before you begin your new story, take a little time to create fresh new characters that are your own. Using someone else well-established formula will only brand you as a hack with potential editors.

Think of yourself as the Master Planner this is your story and only your characters are going to fit in it. Custom build them to suit your unique story world. If you really must use real people you know, then try to disguise that person's identity as much as possible.

1. Begin by giving your main character a name that you are comfortable working with. Remember, you'll be with this character for a while, so you should choose a name you at least like.

The name must not only suit the character, but must also be easy on your intended readers. If you decide the name wyzwt is the only name that suits your character, bear in mind that the reader is forced to stop and stumble through the unfamiliar word, which means he is no longer engrossed in your story. Aside from this, you'll also have to write or type this name everytime your character appears.

2. Create a short biography for your new character. You'll need to decide which physical aspects best suit your protagonist height, weight, hair and eye color and age. But these alone will not be enough. Consider creating a personality outline as well.

3. It sometimes helps to scour newspapers, magazines and even the internet to find a picture of someone that fits the character you are creating. Tacking an image onto a corkboard at your workstation with a brief bio beneath it can give you a wonderful visual image to work from.

So now you have a character to work with, but this information is not enough to bring him or her to life. Using the principle that all good stories are about unique, individual complex people, you will need to map out a few more points.

When you are creating your characters personality description, decide what his great strengths are. Give him several strong traits and then add one major glaring weakness. Your character must still be at least likeable, but the glaring weakness must form the underlying tension that drives his behavior.

Now create a staggering problem that preys on that weakness. It must be a difficult or fearsome problem for your character to overcome, so that the story can recount his struggle to turn his weakness into a form of victory at the end. Above all, never let the protagonist know he is going to succeed. That way he can not win unless he surrenders something of inestimable value to himself.

4. Remain with your protagonists point of view for as long as possible. If your character does not see it or hear it himself, then the reader should not either. This builds a sense of empathy within the reader for each piece of information he uncovers through your story.

Stuck at the Start

Source: bilkent.edu.tr

Does this ever happen to you? There's a story clunking around inside your head but you just can't seem to get started writing it. There are some suggestions below:

1. You may be having trouble because you are trying to get your opening perfect before moving on. You have deleted your first sentences a hundred times because they do not sound just right. If this is your problem, then you need to forget about it and go on with your story. You can come back to your opening later. Once you have a first rough draft of the story written out, you will then have a foundation to build on. Then it may be easier to polish up those beginning sentences.

2. So you have tried to get a rough draft. But the story just does not seem to come! No matter how you try to begin nothing flows. So skip the beginning! Try going to a different scene and write that. You could even start with the end if you want, or somewhere half way or two-thirds of the way through. Once you have something of your story written down, you may be able to get some of those other parts that have been so stubborn.

3. This is not working. You still can not write that story. In this case, you might want to try and leave off for a while and come back later. Let the story sit around, maybe start on a new one. Then when you try again on this one you may find that it comes easily! Not only that, but you may be able to do an even better job than you could have done earlier. Sometimes story characters will become more clear in your mind and develop more if you let them alone for a while. Or some new idea will pop into your brain that will really add to your story.

Novel Synopsis

Source: fictionwriters.com

Who needs a synopsis?

Anyone beginning a novel, contemplating one, or who has just completed one.

When is the best time to write the synopsis--before or after the book is written?

Either time can work. You can write your synopsis first, before you even begin to write the book. This will help you with your plotting and the synopsis can be a guide for you while you write. It is much easier, by the way, to write a synopsis before you write the book. You don't get bogged down in all the details, mainly because you aren't aware of all the details yet. Of course, what often happens is that once the book is finished, you need to go back and change your synopsis. The book will probably take on a life of its own and there is no reason you have to follow your initial synopsis to the "T. But you might find the rewrite much easier when you have an initial synopsis to work with.

There is another reason to write a synopsis before you write the book. Once you already have an agent and you are discussing future projects, you can present your ideas in this one-page synopsis format for your agent to look at and give her opinion on.

What is a synopsis?

1. It's a narrative summary of your book--with feeling.

2. It's written in present tense.

3. It's written in third person.

4. It's written in the same style of writing your book is written in. If your book is "chatty," then your synopsis is, too. If your book is serious, literary, filled with dialect, or any other style, so must your synopsis be.

5. The synopsis introduces your main characters and their main conflicts, all woven together in the narrative. (It does not list your characters.)

6. Weaving, by the way, is important. One paragraph should flow logically to the next. If you are switching ideas, you need to make sure you build in a transition to connect your paragraphs.

7. You do not have to include every character or every scene, plot point, or subplot in your synopsis. But your synopsis should give a clear idea as to what your book is about, what characters we will care about (or dislike), what is at stake for your heroes, what they stand to lose, and how it all turns out.

8. Yes, you must put the conclusion to your novel in your synopsis. No cliffhangers or teasers. Agents and editors want to know that you know how to successfully conclude your story. (Often agents don't read the synopsis until after they've read the entire ms--but not always.)

Synopsis Checklist:

1. Does the opening paragraph have a hook to keep the reader reading?

2. Are your main characters' conflicts clearly defined?

3. Are your characters sympathetic?

4. Can the reader relate to them and worry about them?

5. Have you avoided all grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes?

Historical Research for Fiction Writers

History at its most basic level is a record of events that take place in the past. While that past can range from moments to years ago, the main characteristic of historical records is that the recorded events actually happened. The physical record of those events can be almost anything: a book, an oral recounting like a poem or even a painted wall. For a writer, using historical settings, events and people is a smorgasbord of story opportunities for all types of fiction.

Historical resources can be broken down into two basic categories: primary sources, which are contemporary records of the time period that you are researching; and secondary sources which are written after that time period. Primary and secondary sources each have their advantages and disadvantages.

Using a primary source like a diary or letters from the time period has the advantage of immediacy. Its a source using the language, slang expressions and phrases used in everyday life by the people who were right there. However, the same things that give that sense of immediacy also mean that those sources often do not have much perspective. Your average letter writer of the 18th century, for example, would probably focus on his or her daily life. Class divisions and educational differences would have meant that many people who were literate enough to write letters and diaries were often not familiar with the lives of people outside of their social class. It is also worth remembering that diarists and letter writers did not have to prove their facts or justify their conclusions since they were generally not writing for publication.

Secondary sources, on the other hand, are written after the fact. They have the advantage of some perspective as well as being intended for publication. Where this is helpful to the fiction writer is that the authors of secondary sources provide proof of their assertions. There are bibliographies, resource lists and notes that tell you where they got their information. Often the writer is using multiple primary resources as well as other secondary sources.

Using secondary sources can provide a fiction writer with a broader historical context, not one limited to the activities of a unique individual. However, this can also function as a drawback because the writer of the secondary source does not have immediate knowledge of the time frame and is dependent on the information available to her/him. Writers of secondary sources also have their own biases and may be less open about them than the narrator of a primary source. In addition, meanings and interpretations of historical data often change over time and can be viewed from number of perspectives. There is no such thing is total objectivity.

Given the drawbacks and advantages to both types of sources, its a good idea to try and read a broad selection of both primary and secondary sources. Using both should help you get the detail and the perspective that you will need to make your work come alive. The more you know about a time period, the easier it can be to write about it.

To begin with, you need good research tools. These tools may be found at libraries, archives, museums, on the Internet and a variety of other locations. Start in your own community by getting to know your local library and librarians; they can often provide a wealth of information. Some libraries even maintain reference librarians who can research questions for you. Even if this service isn't available, they can introduce you to research databases, electronic and paper card catalogues and archives.

But since libraries are not usually open twenty-four hours a day, you will need other resources for information. It's worthwhile to have some references at home, such as an atlas and an encyclopedia. See what sources are available to you and check out library book sales, used bookstores and the Web for additional materials that you need. For example, I maintain a small library of books and journals about daily life and glossaries of slang terms for my chosen time period. In addition, I have good books on clothing, weaponry and several folklore encyclopedias. I have links to a number of websites with useful historical information on my web browser so if I have a question, I can research it easily.

Other writers maintain notebooks and scrapbooks full of information that they can refer to. Another possibility is to set up a database for information names, dates, bibliographies and all the other things that come in handy when you want to verify something. One great starting place to find this information is the bibliography of a good secondary source. Take a look at some of the works that a historian is using to research his or her own work and see what you can track down.

But remember that all the information you're looking for will not just be in books. Many writers join historical reenactment groups or organizations that focus on aspects of the time period that they are interested in. Some examples include the Society for Creative Anachronism (medieval and Renaissance); the Jane Austen Society of North America (Regency England and all things Jane); the Victorian Society; and Civil War reenactment groups. These organizations often have knowledgeable people in them who are pursuing research projects of their own and like to share.

Try watching films and plays about your chosen time period, go to museums and travel if you can. Check out local restaurants with the cuisine of the area you're writing about. There may be community education programs on culture, language and travel at local colleges: try taking a class or attending a talk. Writing a medieval romance? Learn to ride a horse or shoot a bow and arrow or do silk embroidery. A mystery set in ancient Rome? Learn how to make pasta from scratch or take a beginning Latin class. At best, it will be great fodder for the fiction mill and at worst, you may find an interesting new hobby.

For more information click here

Checklist for Critiquing Science Fiction

Theme and meaning. Does the story move us? So we emerge from our fictional journey emotionally engaged, or wiser than we went in? Do we remember the story after we're done? Along the way, does the story force us to think? Do we re-examine, or see afresh, things we take for granted in our mundane universe? (If not, why is the story in an sf setting?) Does the story have a theme? Is the theme integrated with the events?

Literature. "Literature is worth reading even when you know how the story comes out?" By that standard, is the story literature? When we read it, are we conscious of the author's artifice or awkwardness, or is the experience so strong that we are lost in the action and forget even that there's an author talking to us?

Creating the Universe

Imaginativeness. Are we taken to a strange, new, exotic or interesting place? Are the new creations aliens, technology, societies, all the microchips of life fascinating? Are their rules of engagement consistent and credible? Are they integral to the new world we are visiting, or just arbitrarily stuck on? Do they fire out imagination?

Premise. How well does the fictional universe come across? Is the reader truly transported into another place, a place he could imagine living in? Is the fictional universe vivid? Is it complex? If we could go there, would we want to?

Internal Consistency. Does the fictional universe hang together? Are its institutions, governments, cultural mores, technology, history, and other large-scale actions credible? Do you believe that the society shown could really exist as it's portrayed? Can you slam its doors without worrying that the knobs will fall off?

Peopling the Universe

Characters. Do we care about the characters we meet? Do we cheer when they succeed, cry when they fail, boo and hiss when they're evil, applaud when they overcome their weaknesses? Do they have depth and complexity? Do we find the peripheral, ficelle, and one-scene characters entertaining in their own right?

Motivation. Do the characters care? Do they act according to their motives (rather than being pushed around authorially like chessmen)? Do they struggle? When they oppose one another, are their conflicts logical from each one's point of view? Do they make sensible choices given who they are and what they know?

Believability. Do we see ourselves in these characters? Where they differ from us, do we understand how they came to be who they are? Do we say, "there but for the grace of God, go I"?

For rest of the checklist click here

Difference Between Synopsis and Outline

Source: fictionfactor.com

There is a lot of conflicting information out there on the difference between a Synopsis and an Outline.

Synopsis

A decent rule of thumb is 1 page of synopsis for every 10,000 words of manuscript. That is a guide, not set in stone. If you are smart, you will find out what length synopsis the editor you are targeting prefers. Some like 1-2 pages, others want 25. So they are all over the board on preferences.

In the synopsis, you do not get into deep details; again, it is an overview. You do want to focus on character and conflict, and establish the setting and tone of the novel by writing the synopsis in the same style.

Now, on character, you must show that characters goals and motivations. This is how you will, at the end of the synopsis, show that they have changed as a direct result of what they have experienced during the course of the novel. That character growth is what the editor/agent is looking for to see if it is logical, rational, and believable as a result of the story events.

Those story events should be as a result of the characters motivations and goals. That establishes their conflicts. Your main characters should have internal and external conflicts. These should be evident in the synopsis by what the character encounters in story events and how the character emotionally/physically/spiritually reacts to those events.

Again, this is an overview of the novel. It always even if you have done chapters to send along with it starts at the beginning and progresses through to the end of the story holding all the key pivotal points in the novel.

Outline

This is not an overview document, but an explicit one that breaks the book down chapter by chapter and scene by scene. Consequently, it is usually much longer than the synopsis. Here, you establish the events and rational of each scene and the scene resolution.

Scene resolution is not conflict resolution. Lets say the goal of the scene is to find out if a person has information on the major conflict of the story. In that scene, the characters interact and the scene concludes. The resolution of that scene is either the character wanting the major conflict information got it, did not get it, or still does not know if the other character has the information. The scene, not the conflict, resolved.

So in an outline, you work through the scenes, again including from the beginning of the book all the way through to the end, providing more detailed information on each scenes' content.

Ways to Improve your Writing

1. Write about what you care about. Write about what moves you, what touches you in some way. The more you care about something, the more passion there will be in your writing--and the readers will feel that. Write the kind of stories you like to read. Don't try to write something because it's the current trend--write what is important to you, and your writing will likely find a home.

2. Learn the nuts and bolts of fiction writing. Intuition is helpful, but when you open yourself up to writing technique, your writing will improve. Just like any other artist, there are techniques that will hone your style and voice. Read some good how-to books on writing fiction, peruse the articles online, or take a course. Submerge yourself in technique until it becomes a part of you--a part that you draw on, and twist to fit your own voice. Take only what works for you and discard the rest.

3. Learn the way you work best, and stick to that, build on it. Every writer is different. Just because a method worked for one writer doesn't mean that it will work for you. Don't try to force yourself into rules or a mold that doesn't feel right, just because someone else says it's the only way to write, edit, get ideas, etc. Reject all advice, including mine, if it doesn't work for you. Listen to your intuition--and write the way you need to.

4. Write. Just get what's inside you out onto paper. Don't judge it, don't censor it, just write. Allow yourself to write "badly." The time to polish your work, to really pull it together, is when you do revisions.

5. Edit your work. A lot of writing well is about revising. Don't just submit a first draft, or even a second one. Revise your manuscript until it feels right.

6. Read your work out loud when you edit it. Often our ears will hear things that our minds don't when we read silently to ourselves. Reading aloud is also an excellent way to spot dialogue that sounds forced. Listen to how the sentences sound when you read them aloud. Listen to the rhythm. If you find yourself stumbling over a word or phrase, or the rhythm is off, go back to that spot and work on it until it sounds right.

7. Find a reader you trust to give you honest, helpful feedback-not someone who only praises your work, but someone who gives you praise and honest feedback--and listen to them. This doesn't mean that you make every change they suggest--but it does mean that you give each piece of feedback real thought. Make sure your reader gives you a mixture of praise and criticism. We all need to know what we're doing well.


Rest of the tips at: cherylrainfield.com

Steps to Publishing Success

Following are the steps to achieve success in publishing.

1. Read

Read everything you can get your hands on. Devour articles, scan newspapers and check out reviews. Read great books that hook you and suffer through really bad books. Learn to spot what makes them so enjoyable, and look for the pieces that make a piece of writing bad. Remember to keep these things in mind for your own work.

Reading other people's work can be a wonderful source of inspiration, but it can also teach you much about your own writing.

2. Plan

Have a basic idea what you are going to write before you begin. If you are working on an article, or a short story, know what points you are going to include and how you are going to end it.

If you are writing a longer piece, such as a novel or biography, take the time to sit down and plan where the story is going to begin. Create complete character outlines. Know the world you want your readers to immerse themselves in better than your characters do.

Be sure your plotline is filled with tension and plenty of conflict to keep readers turning those pages to see what happens next. Make absolutely certain you have a strong ending planned that ties up all of your plot's loose ends and won't leave your readers disappointed.

3. Write

This step sounds so logical but, surprisingly, a lot of people don't do it. They have plenty of great ideas, and loads of inspiration, but nothing concrete goes down on paper (or on the screen, as the case may be).

Many find they do not have enough time to write. Some suffer from an attack of the procrastination bug. Others simply have not found a way to break through their stubborn writer's block yet.

But in order to get published, in any form, it is essential that you WRITE something. Unless you begin writing, you will never know if what you have created will be worth anything. Who knows? You might just surprise yourself with a spark of hidden talent.

4. Revise

If you are lucky enough to have been born with the amazing gift of being able to write professional quality prose on your first draft, then this step is not for you.

Most people, though, do need to revise what they've written. Sometimes more than once. Think of the editing process as a great way to learn about the strength of your own writing. Honing your work, correcting any spelling problems, polishing each scene until it shines, defining a character until she dances off the page - all of these things are the finishing touches to any piece of writing.

Print out your story or article on paper. Seeing your words on a different medium can highlight problems that are not always so apparent on the screen. Use a bright red pen to correct anything that strikes you as wrong or unnecessary. Make notes in the margins and between the lines.

Be ruthless with your revisions. Edit out any scenes or sections that detract from your main point. Add a few details you might have missed on the first draft about how your character is dealing with a particular problem.

When you think you've edited everything there is to edit, join a workshop or critique group. Perhaps an impartial reader will pick up a few things you might have missed, and when you have some critiques to work with, REVISE AGAIN

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Useful Information for New Writers

SASE: SASE stands for Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope. A SASE should be sent with a request for information, guidelines, etc., and with each manuscript submitted. (Sending more than one story with only one SASE is an excellent way to get all the stories rejected at once, even if the editor might otherwise have held one of them for further consideration.) With manuscripts you want returned, you send a large (9" x 12" or 10" x 13") envelope with enough postage to cover the return of your manuscript plus an extra ounce (30 gm) for a letter from the editor. If you do not want your manuscript returned you can use a #10 envelope (approximately 9-1/2" x 4" -- it's the size that holds 8-1/2" x 11" paper folded in thirds.) It also helps the editor's peace of mind if you write "disposable copy" on any manuscript you don't need returned.

SAE: Self-Addressed Envelope. This is used when sending something to another country. Postage must be that of the country of mailing; putting, for example, Canadian stamps on an envelope to be mailed from the US doesn't work. So what you need to do is send an SAE and two or more IRCs. Please remember that envelopes designed to hold A4 paper are too narrow to hold the standard US 8-1/2" x 11" paper. A US #10 envelope is approximately 24 cm wide.

IRC: International Reply Coupon, also called "Coupon-Reponse International." These are available from your post office, and they must be stamped by your post office to be valid. Each one is worth the amount required to send a 1/2 ounce letter (one sheet of paper and an envelope) via air mail. If you want a manuscript returned you need to send at least 4 coupons, more if your manuscript weighs more than 2 ounces (60 g).

Money: Most small US companies and almost all fan organizations need US currency, in the form of (1) a check in US dollars drawn on a US bank, or (2) a money order in US dollars. You can get postal money orders in US dollars from your post office. Some groups also take Mastercard or Visa.

Paper: If you are sending manuscripts to the US, you need to take into account that US letter-size paper is 1.5 cm shorter than A4 paper. You should not have anything on the last 4 cm at the bottom of the paper; that area gets cut off when the manuscript is photocopied or cut down to fit with the rest of the manuscripts.

Copyright: It is not necessary to put a copyright notice on your manuscript; this only tells the editor how long you have been sending this manuscript around. Your work is automatically copyright from the moment it is placed into "fixed form" (written down). The copyright will be registered by the publisher when the work is printed, and the only way you can lose your copyright is to relinquish it in a written agreement.

Source: sfwa.com

Mistakes New Fiction Authors Make

Following are some of the mistakes that writers usually make while writing.

1. Lack of Editing

The best writers re-write and re-write. New writers tend to think that editing merely means a brief read through for typos and spelling errors. That's the very last thing to do. The first draft of a short story is like a lump of wood. Removing unnecessary waffle, sharpening up images and choosing the exact word will reveal the beauty of the grain.

2. Dull Writing

Too many new writers don't give their imagination full rein. They seem afraid look beyond and beneath the surface. Their characters are dull and lead dull lives. Above all, fiction must intrigue and entertain. Avoid stereotyped characters and situations. Why can't a rich business man be kind and compassionate? Why are unemployed men always lazy and sit around in their vests swigging out of cans? Why can't one or two learn Latin or take up line-dancing?

3. Too Much Irrelevant Detail

In short fiction especially, include information only if it furthers the plot, aids characterization and provides a sense of place and time. Too much background information makes a story all tell and no show. Don't go into detail about characters if they have no significant part to play in the fiction. Never give bit part players a name. If all a postman has to do is deliver the all-important letter, don't say he's Stan, the postman whose wife nags him and has a bad back after falling off his bike in 1976. His function is just to be a postman. Don't lead up to an event. Jump in straight away. Drip-feed vital information subtly. Don't drop in heavy indigestible chunks of history or description. Make it a central part of the current action.

4. No Attention to Language

Too many writers are so busy "telling a story" that they fail to choose their words carefully enough. All writers should try to increase their vocabulary; not by using fancy words just for the sake of it -- writing should always be clear -- but by using intriguing language in new ways. Wind doesn't only blow. It can rip, roar, strangle, whip. Be imaginative. It's not only what you say but the way you say it.

5. Absence of Imagery and Reliance on Cliches

Too much fiction is flat because it lacks vibrant images. Cliches are similes and metaphors that have been so overworked they cease to mean anything and sound limp and stale, like as cold as ice, as black as coal. Don't say, "she sighed with relief"; think of another way someone might show relief. Match your imagery to the story and character. If your main character is always rushing about, use imagery relating to speed. Send him to the greyhound track to act out his scenes or place him by a railway line where express trains thunder past. If your character is depressed then send her into tunnels, underpasses, cellars and basements. Reinforce the prevailing mood, but avoid the obvious. Don't draw the reader's attention to what you're doing. Just do it.

6. No Sense of Place

People are not only the result of their genes, but are shaped by their environment. Show the readers where your characters live and work. If it's the sprawling suburbs, then show us. What does a suburban avenue, sound and smell like? How does the light shine on it? Show us its life -- a man delivering charity bags from door to door, wheelie bins standing by gates. If someone lives in a filthy hovel behind the gasworks, let's see, hear and touch it. Too many writers let their characters float around in a vacuum. Don't forget to engage all the senses. Most writers describe how things look, but how does fear taste? How does anger smell? What does beauty sound like? Be adventurous.

7. No Shape or Structure

All fiction, but especially the short story, works best when it concentrates on one person in one situation that takes place in a reasonably short space of time. A short story expresses a moment of change and charts the journey through this change and shows what happens at the far end. Begin the story as close as possible to the moment of change. Don't waffle on once the change and its aftermath has happened. Don't allow yourself to be sidetracked. Learn how to pace a story, when to give and when to withhold information, when and how to create tension, speed things up, slow things down. This is done by carefully choosing words, not only for the sound they make but the length of syllables etc. Writing is a craft as much as an art. If a writer needs to introduce flashback, it should be carefully sign-posted in and out, to avoid confusion. Shifts in viewpoint should also be carefully introduced.

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Places to Find Story Ideas

Stories can be created from a simple thought, a word, a headline; even a line from a song can inspire your creativity and motivate you to write. The little things from life's daily events can also provide dozens of ideas. Anything you do or anywhere you go could supply fodder for your next story. You simply need to keep your mind open.

If you are having trouble coming up with that perfect story idea, here's a list of 25 unusual places that can spark your imagination:

1. Market research

Read through market listings and guidelines, even in areas you do not normally write. Make note of what the editors are looking for. Many times an editor's request will set off a new idea for a story or article. Even if an editor is looking for a nonfiction article about cloning, that may spark an idea for a science fiction story.

2. The TV Guide Channel

Everyone watches TV. Check out the channel that lists TV and cable movies along with a one-sentence summary. Use it as a study of what's been done, and what's been successful. Then create a new plot with a unique twist. Your story could be the next Movie-of-the-Week.

3. Greeting cards

People buy greeting cards as a way of expressing their feelings. Browse through your local card store and seek out the section that best matches your writing. For example, if you are blocked on a romance idea, read through the relationship section. If you need some humor to get you going, check out the funny cards. Then use a card's theme as your starting point.

4. Yellow pages

Believe it or not, the telephone book is full of creativity. Often, a catchy name for a company or service can stimulate ideas for a title or story. The telephone book is also a great resource for character names.

5. Newspaper articles

Read through your local weekly papers, as well as the freebies, and think of ways to develop the news into your writing. Real life stories are also good starting points for fiction. They show the drama, motivation and feelings of the characters of life. Court trials also offer details on characterization. In addition, headlines, especially those of the tabloids, make great titles.

6. Lyrics

Listen to the radio for inspiration. A line from a song or poem can provide the germ of a story. Relaxing to music also allows you to release your worries and helps to open up your creative side.

7. Other people

Non-writers are especially good for playing "what if?" Try probing your family and friends for plot points, titles, and ideas; you may be pleasantly surprised.

8. The Bible

Nowhere else can you find more plot, characterization, setting and voice. The story of all stories provides the basic plot for any type of writing. It can also be used as a basis for inspirational writing, which continues to run on a strong publishing trend.

9. Science and technology magazines

Read these for the latest discoveries and technological advances. They are particularly helpful when plotting science fiction and futuristic stories.

10. Comedy sketch shows

Watch shows like "Saturday Night Live" and "Tracey Takes On..." They are prime examples of characterization. Study the characters and note which attributes make them humorous and memorable to you, as well as what makes them popular. This will help you create likeable characters your readers will remember.

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Tips for Fiction Writers

Fiction writers learn to write by writing. Although writing is an art, there are skills, tools, and techniques that can be learned in order to develop talent. And constructive criticism and feedback can help this process.

To be a good writer you need to read a lot, listen and observe everything about you carefully, and write a lot. Writing a lot takes discipline, because writing can actually be hard work- but very satisfying. Setting up a routine for writing is important; it is very easy to find something else to do besides writing. A compulsion to write is very useful.

Fiction writers should have a good grasp of the language, but most of all they must be storytellers. A really good story can compensate for less-than-brilliant writing, but brilliant writing will not save a bad story.

Readers of fiction want very much to find the writer's work to be believable. It is the task of the writer to produce a story that does not jolt the reader into recognizing that the narrative is just the writer talking, just fiction. The writer should write about what he or she already knows through experience or can learn about through research. The narrative should read as if the writer really knows what he or she is writing about.

Important components of Stories

1. Plot is the organization of events that will take place in the story.

2. Characters are the people or animals who will be in the story.

3. Setting is the physical time and place in which the story takes place.

4. Dialogue is the spoken words of the characters in the story.

5. Point of view is the relative identification of the narrator with the characters.

6. Theme is the main idea or meaning behind a story.

7. Style is the writer's use of the language.

Advice for Beginning Writers

The life of a writer is always depicted as a life of glamour. Hobnobbing with glamorous stars and going to . Not to mention fabulous getaways and movie premieres. Now back to reality. Beginning screenwriters enter this field with wide eyes and it's completely understandable. Articles that feature first time screenwriters selling their first scripts sounds sumptuous to the writer's ear. Who wouldn't want to write a screenplay? Still, unless you plan on writing for yourself, you have to get the structure right. That's where you earn the name of a writer.

This advice is not only to first time screenwriters, but to first time novelists as well. Put the pen down! Save what you're writing, however, but do not write anymore! Diving into screenplays and novels is like diving into a waterfall. It's a long way down and unless you have experience in swimming, you will drown. Ideas are good to have. There are tests to go through to see if the idea will work and in what medium they would work in. I highly suggest starting with the great all American short story. There are numerous positives to starting with the short story and in the end you will one step closer to seeing your work on the shelves.

First of all, beginners rarely have their own voice when they start writing. Almost 85% of beginning screenwriters are copying what they see in movies and television. At the same time ignoring the great literary word that was around long before the big screen. Reading books and novels help you to see how characters are drawn out through their actions and thoughts and how they interact with other characters. Screenplays are especially hard because of the lack of narrative writing as opposed to literary works. Study your favorite authors and how they handle their characters within their writing. It’s common to find yourself copying the style of your favorite authors or authors who write your favorite style of books. This style may not be best suited for your voice. Short stories help you find your voice and your style in a small narrative fashion.

The other problem with screenplays and novels are the length it takes to write them. Screenplays vary in size from as little as 90 pages to as big as 130 pages while novels are normally around 40,000 to 75,000 (roughly 160 pages to 300 pages). Short stories can be as little as one page to twenty and will be an easier sell. You can sell a short story for a few bucks and get published to get your name out there.

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Rules for Writing Children Book

Following are the rules and advice for writing children books.

1. Have a very clear idea of the age group you are writing for. Vocabulary, content and length has to be spot on.

2. If you are aiming at young people rather than children, it helps to be aware of the current curriculum and set books for young people.

3. Avoid sexism, rascism and anything that is going to immiediately stand out as old fashioned. Publishers or agents will spot flaws a mile off.

4. Read, read, read research your market. Look at what currently sells and excites young readers. But do not be derivative the world does not need any more Harry Potter imitations.

5. If you are writing for younger children, books must always be illustrated.

6. Estimate your length carefully. Picture story books consist of 16 or 24 pages, 4 of which are end-papers.

7. Be aware of the way children or young people perceive the world. If there is some kind of a problem to be solved in the story, it should be the children who find the solution, rather than adults.

8. Unless you are a wonderful artist, do not try illustrating books yourself. Just indicate where pictures should appear and what they should be, and leave it to the professionals.

9. When you are writing your covering letter to publishers or agents, do not bother telling them how much your children/grandchildren/nephews and nieces loved the book. It will not make any difference to the way they read the material and it can make you look unprofessional. The book will speak for itself.

Source: writewords.org.uk

Writing Short Fiction Story

Short stories can be an excellent way to break into the competitive field of fiction publishing. Novel publishers are more willing to look at work written by an author whose work has already appeared in print. Magazines and periodicals love the short form, so selling the work can often be simpler than pushing an entire novel manuscript. Readers are more willing to pay money for work from an author they are already familiar with. Most importantly, though, short stories provide a fertile ground for bigger ideas to spring from.

The difficulty lies in mastering this challenging form of writing.

Some shorter stories manage to leave a lingering impression on readers long after the final word was written. Others leave readers with the feeling that they have missed the point entirely.

So how do you strike a balance between writing an effective, memorable short story and creating a short, aimless length of prose?

To make your short stories more effective, try to keep in mind these following points:

Theme

Establish a clear theme before you begin writing. What is the story about? That doesn't mean what is the plot line, the sequence of events or the character's actions, it means what is the underlying message or statement behind the words. Get this right and your story will have more resonance in the minds of your readers.

Bang!

Begin your story with a conflict scene. Throw your protagonist in the deep end. Open with the action. Hook your reader into the story by beginning in the middle of something big. Forget the scenery, or the bad guy who got your hero into this mess in the first place, or the reason your protagonist is dangling by his feet from a sheer cliff. There will be time to sprinkle those details throughout the story later. For now, concentrate on forcing your readers to wonder how he got into that situation. A reader who wonders this is a reader who will continue reading to find out!

Snapshot

An effective short story covers a very short time span. Picture it as a snapshot of a particular moment in the life of the story. Of course, the character has a history and will often have consequences to face after the story's conclusion, too. But for the sake of this short story, only the explanation of the event is relevant. This explanation should be the illustration of the underlying theme to your story.

Characters

Don't overload your story with too many characters. Each new character you introduce will bring a new dimension to the story, but it can also add unnecessary length. Too many diverse dimensions (or directions) will dilute the theme. Have only enough characters to effectively illustrate the theme.

Description

Space is extremely limited with short stories. Many publications adhere to strict word-counts and will not accept longer pieces. You need to make every word count. Edit your draft carefully and remove any obsolete words or phrases. Find a more compact way to say want you mean. Dig through a thesaurus to find words that more accurately convey what you want to say. Finding one perfect, strong noun can be more compelling than a whole descriptive paragraph.

Twist

Surprise your readers. Add a little twist at the end of your story that leaves them wondering about your protagonist long after the story ends. Avoid the overtly predictable ending and make publishers remember your style.

Focus

The best stories are the ones that focus upon a narrow subject line. History, external details, surroundings, other characters - all extraneous details should fade into oblivion while you focus on your story's central theme. It can tempting to digress, and often more tempting to expand the fledgling idea into a full novel-length work. The tighter you squeeze the focus of the story, the more the reader will be pulled into the event you have drawn.

Denouement

Don't leave your readers hanging in the dark at the end of your story. Be sure that your conclusion is satisfying, but not too predictable. Readers need to be left with a feeling of resonance, a feeling that they long to know what happened to the characters after you wrote that last word.

Important Tips for Writing a Publishable Novel

1. Write from the inside out.

Determine what is fascinating about you, as well as what you find fascinating in life, and write from your unique perspective. That we each possess a story that we alone can write is the biggest advantage any of us have in the publishing industry. Use it!

2. Establish author authenticity, which is what allows your reader to suspend disbelief.

Authenticity is established by seamlessly blending factual information into your story by virtue of those “telling details.” Authenticity is not achieved by the authors simply knowing that his story is “how it really happened.”

3. Anchor every scene with telling details.

Allow your reader to easily form a mental picture. Remember to remind readers what your characters look like and give your characters a tag so that they can be sorted out quickly. This allows your action to feel real and pulls the reader into your story.

4. Accept the possibility that you might be writing or have written the wrong book.

We writers are too often derailed at criticism of our early attempts at fiction. We can keep trying to improve our initial work, as though we are incapable of selling any manuscript if we can not sell this particular one. No writing is ever wasted. You will carry what you have learned to your next manuscript.

5. Build your plot so that each action leads to a reaction that heightens the suspense.

The adult novel typically requires twenty plot points in which an action is taken or a discovery is made that forces the characters to react.

6. Start immediately before the inciting incident that will shift the balance of your main character’s life.

Let your reader in on how things were before this key shift of power occurred that has changed the heros life. Thats the fastest way to engage your reader in the story.

7. Never let your character eat an apple when he can be eating fried Cheerios.

This is another way of saying: Make every word count. If you can, in this example, show your character eating something unusual, you enliven your prose and characterize at once.

8. Wonderful, compelling characters can compensate for almost anything.

We read fiction for characters. Without them, the plot is just a string of events, and we can read about events in the newspaper. As you write, remember that each and every one of your characters has lived for many years before page one takes its first snapshot of their lives.

9. Conflict is the heart and soul of fiction.

Strand your hero on the face of a cliff and throw rocks at him. When you are being nice to your hero or heroine, you are being bad to your book. Keep the conflict—and hence the suspense going till the very end.

10. Do not shoot yourself in the foot.

Its surprisingly tempting to send off a manuscript when the writer knows it’s not quite as good as it can be, or to send it to an editor or agent who isn’t looking for this type of work. That provides a ready excuse for why the book was rejected, but also all-but guarantees that it will be.

Source: fictionfactor.com

Tips for Writing Novel

The elements of a novel are illustrated in dozens of how-to manuals and websites. As beginning writers, we visit these sites and read the books in an effort to craft the perfect fiction stories. We take classes and workshops. We write exercises and outlines, but how far can these go to improve the quality of our writing?

As a member of several on-line writers' groups, I am always amazed by the number of writers who timidly toss out story ideas and ask if the group feels they're worth pursuing. Character exercises and setting descriptions flow through my in-box almost as quickly as the porn spam. Unlike the ads to enlarge my non-existent male anatomy, I actually read these and I wonder how I can help these inexperienced writers gain the confidence they deserve.

Unfortunately there is no magic spell that can bestow this gift. It has to be earned but not in the way you might think. Becoming published isn't the only way to build confidence in your writing. Ask yourself this question:

If a musician, athlete or scholar is expected to practice and study to improve their talents, then why isn't a storyteller?

Why do we expect to put pen to paper and create a masterpiece the first time we try? Many of us have played games of skill, studied for a test, or learned to play an instrument. We knew we had to work to improve; yet we don't carry that expectation over to our writing.

In an interview with Orson Scott Card, he told me, "And since every writer has about ten thousand pages of utter drivel in them, you might as well start now so you can get a good portion of that out of your way while you're still young. After all, you learn more about writing from writing a 100,000-word manuscript than you ever will from any writing class or writing book (and I say that as a teacher of writing classes and a writer of writing books)."

We have to practice. We have to work to improve our talent. It doesn't matter how old we are. It doesn't matter what level of talent we have. We will never improve if we don't start somewhere.

So don't question your story ideas. Write them. Put them to paper and then put them away for a day, a week, or a month. Read a new author. Try a new genre. Then go back and reread what you've written. How does the story affect you? Do you feel you've captured that elusive element of 'storytelling' and not just written what the how-to books and classes tell you is required?

The writers we remember are those that tell a good story. Even if they work from a formulaic plot, we continue reading them because they're "storytellers". They don't just "talk" on the page, they tell a story that comes to life and lives inside our mind while we read. Some of them write flowery prose that almost sings, while others remind us of down home relatives talking about everyday things. Whatever their style, we read each page with anticipation.

Source: fictionfactor.com

Checklist for Critiquing Science Fiction

Source: sfwa.org

1. Theme and meaning. Does the story move us? So we emerge from our fictional journey emotionally engaged, or wiser than we went in? Do we remember the story after we're done? Along the way, does the story force us to think? Do we re-examine, or see afresh, things we take for granted in our mundane universe? (If not, why is the story in an sf setting?) Does the story have a theme? Is the theme integrated with the events?

2. Literature. "Literature is worth reading even when you know how the story comes out?" By that standard, is the story literature? When we read it, are we conscious of the author's artifice or awkwardness, or is the experience so strong that we are lost in the action and forget even that there's an author talking to us?

Creating the Universe

3. Imaginativeness. Are we taken to a strange, new, exotic or interesting place? Are the new creations -- aliens, technology, societies, all the microchips of life -- fascinating? Are their rules of engagement consistent and credible? Are they integral to the new world we are visiting, or just arbitrarily stuck on? Do they fire out imagination?

4. Premise. How well does the fictional universe come across? Is the reader truly transported into another place, a place he could imagine living in? Is the fictional universe vivid? Is it complex? If we could go there, would we want to?

5. Internal Consistency. Does the fictional universe hang together? Are its institutions, governments, cultural mores, technology, history, and other large-scale actions credible? Do you believe that the society shown could really exist as it's portrayed? Can you slam its doors without worrying that the knobs will fall off?

Peopling the Universe

6. Characters. Do we care about the characters we meet? Do we cheer when they succeed, cry when they fail, boo and hiss when they're evil, applaud when they overcome their weaknesses? Do they have depth and complexity? Do we find the peripheral, ficelle, and one-scene characters entertaining in their own right?

7. Motivation. Do the characters care? Do they act according to their motives (rather than being pushed around authorially like chessmen)? Do they struggle? When they oppose one another, are their conflicts logical from each one's point of view? Do they make sensible choices given who they are and what they know?

8. Believability. Do we see ourselves in these characters? Where they differ from us, do we understand how they came to be who they are? Do we say, "there but for the grace of God, go I"?

Storytelling

9. Plotting. Does each action follow naturally from its predecessors? Is it a natural outgrowth of the personalities of the people who create it? Are the storyline mysteries natural (rather than manipulative)? Are the characters whacked around by powerful large forces that we know and appreciate? Are big things at stake? Are the characters locked in to their problem?
10. Pacing, tension, and drama. Does the story hook us? Does it hook us quickly? Are we intrigued by the end of the first page? Are we drawn forward by events, always wanting to know more? Does tension swell and contract like a muscle, building to a powerful climax? Does the climax resonate with the theme? Are we on the edge of our seats?

11. Dramatic economy. Do the things in which we readers invest at the story's beginning pay off by its end? Does the story reward the careful reader with cookies of sparkling scenes, characters, insights, and dialog? Does it punish the careless one by peppering the text with information vital to the story? If we skip any twenty pages, have we missed something that we have to go back and re-read?

12. Language. Is the language striking? Are we hit with eyeball kick images that make us stop and gasp? Do the sentences flow? Do they create mind pictures? Does dialog bring characters to life? Can you tell who is speaking even without attribution? Is description maintained throughout the action so that we never feel blinded or muffled/ Is the imagery rich? Is the language worth reading aloud?

Ten Ways to Improve Writing

1. Learn the nuts and bolts of fiction writing. Intuition is helpful, but when you open yourself up to writing technique, your writing will improve. Just like any other artist, there are techniques that will hone your style and voice. Read some good how-to books on writing fiction, peruse the articles online, or take a course. Submerge yourself in technique until it becomes a part of you--a part that you draw on, and twist to fit your own voice. Take only what works for you and discard the rest.

2. Write about what you care about. Write about what moves you, what touches you in some way. The more you care about something, the more passion there will be in your writing--and the readers will feel that. Write the kind of stories you like to read. Don't try to write something because it's the current trend--write what is important to you, and your writing will likely find a home.

3. Write. Just get what's inside you out onto paper. Don't judge it, don't censor it, just write. Allow yourself to write "badly." The time to polish your work, to really pull it together, is when you do revisions.

4. Learn the way you work best, and stick to that, build on it. Every writer is different. Just because a method worked for one writer doesn't mean that it will work for you. Don't try to force yourself into rules or a mold that doesn't feel right, just because someone else says it's the only way to write, edit, get ideas, etc. Reject all advice, including mine, if it doesn't work for you. Listen to your intuition--and write the way you need to.

5. Edit your work. A lot of writing well is about revising. Don't just submit a first draft, or even a second one. Revise your manuscript until it feels right.

6. Find a reader you trust to give you honest, helpful feedback--not someone who only praises your work, but someone who gives you praise and honest feedback--and listen to them. This doesn't mean that you make every change they suggest--but it does mean that you give each piece of feedback real thought. Make sure your reader gives you a mixture of praise and criticism. We all need to know what we're doing well.

7. Read your work out loud when you edit it. Often our ears will hear things that our minds don't when we read silently to ourselves. Reading aloud is also an excellent way to spot dialogue that sounds forced. Listen to how the sentences sound when you read them aloud. Listen to the rhythm. If you find yourself stumbling over a word or phrase, or the rhythm is off, go back to that spot and work on it until it sounds right.

8. Join a writers' critique group, in person or online. If all you get is negative or critical feedback, leave the group and find another one. But if you get a balance of encouragement and helpful feedback, stay and listen. You don't have to take every suggestion--in fact, you wouldn't want to--but listening to the responses and sorting through them can give you some genuinely helpful advice, and help you see things that you wouldn't have alone.

9. Read a lot. Read everything that appeals to you, and most especially the genre that you love and are writing in. You will develop a feel for the genre, and you'll build your own voice. You can learn from badly written books as well as well-written ones, by observing what didn't work and why. Read both classics and current material; you'll learn from both. Try to read with a writer's eye. Read a book the first time for pleasure, the second time to note how they did things--or make a mental or written note as you go along.

10. Set deadlines for yourself, to keep yourself writing. Set reasonable goals; don't set yourself up to fail. If you work better with an outside deadline, tell a writing friend your goal for the day, week, or month--and remember to check in with them. Or tell your partner, or even your editor, when you'll be done a certain chapter, or the entire manuscript. Remember to also be kind to yourself--and to keep hold of your love for writing. It won't help your writing if you work yourself too hard or beat yourself up if you don't achieve your goal--but it also doesn't help to let deadline after deadline slip by. Try to keep on track--the track that works for you.