Angela Booth's Writing Blog

Plotting A Novel: Plotting And More For NaNoWriMo Authors - Writer Angela Booth

Want to confidently plot your novel in an hour?

You can.

Plot your NaNoWriMo novel in an hour

Nervous about pantsing your novel? (“Pantsing”: writing by the seat of your pants; winging it.)

When I received requests for an offering on our plotting program in time for NaNoWriMo, I agreed.

Whether you’re doing NaNoWriMo or not, you need plotting skills. Want to write a page-turner? Commercial Fiction Secrets: Plot Your Novel In 60 Minutes Or Less will help. It’s suitable for people who enjoy plotting as well as for pantsers.

via www.angelabooth.com

NEW: First Scene Guidance (for fiction authors)

Your first page is the most important page in your novel; it's part of your first scene. (After the prologue, if you have one.)

Your first scene establishes:

• Your plot (answering your reader's "so what, why should I read this?" question);

• The novel's main character. What kind of person is he/ she? What challenges threaten him/ her?

• A setting: the world of your novel. Is your reader drawn in?

• Curiosity and tension in your reader, who's eager to know what happens next...

Do you have confidence in your first scene?

Perhaps you need guidance.

via www.angelaswritingclasses.com

Write A Novel: 4 Tips To Achieve NaNoWriMo Success

If you’re writing fiction, I hope these success tips will help you, whether or not you’re participating in NaNoWriMo.

Let’s start with the most vital activity for any author…

Write a novel one word and one minute at a time

Here’s what I know after almost 40 years of writing. (Wince.) You write a novel one word at a time. The operative word is write.

Please be aware that… “Write” means words on your computer screen, NOT in your head.

Of course you can muse and think about your novel as you go about your daily activities. However, when it’s your scheduled writing time: WRITE. Write words. One after another. On the computer screen—or on the page, if you’re writing by hand.

So, our tips begin with your writing schedule.

via www.angelabooth.com

Fiction Author: 3 Plotting Secrets For You (If You Hate To Plot)

Whether you’re accepting the NaNoWriMo challenge this year, or are pushing forward with writing fiction on your own, these tips will help.

NaNoWriMo author or not, a fiction pitfall to avoid

In their first novels, beginners stick to what they know — they tell their own story, or a version of it, and try to add drama and pizzazz with words.

Sadly, their stories quickly become boring; I’ve no idea why, it just happens.

Let’s look at the secrets.

Here’s the biggest secret: forget reality.

via www.angelabooth.com

NaNoWriMo: How Important Is Setting In Your Novel?

NaNoWriMo: start planning (and plan your settings too)

Our group’s discussion about settings in fiction centered around how to make your settings “come alive.”

One author said that in his reading, he skips long descriptions in a novel. He wants to get on with the story. Another author said that she focuses primarily on characters and plot and rarely thinks much about setting.

That’s a valid point. I’m torn. I skip long descriptions too, especially if I’m rereading a novel. On the other hand, if I don’t include some material on setting in a novel I feel as if I’m cheating readers.

via peneloperedmont.com

Weekly Offerings: Your Short Fiction Formula

This week’s offering: Your Short Fiction Formula: The Easiest-Ever Writing Process.

Imagine getting an idea for a short story one morning and publishing it that afternoon. This workshop is packed with tips, tricks and strategies to help you to make short fiction part of your publishing plans.

via www.angelabooth.com

Freelance Writing: Are You Ready For The Christmas Sales Season?

Freelance writing: it’s the season to get in touch

For freelance writers, the last quarter of the year is the season to get in touch. You’ll never have a better reason to contact businesses and publications. Nor is there a better time to get hired.

New blogger? You can make money from your blogging side hustle in the next few months.

Are you a self-publishing author? Boost your creativity to boost your sales

What about self-publishing authors? I know many freelancers also self-publish.

Three words for you: publish and advertise. Publish some holiday-themed short stories and novellas.

Let’s look at how you can set your freelance writing and/ or self-publishing business humming.

via www.angelabooth.com

Write Fiction: 3 Tips To Convey Emotions - peneloperedmont.com

What does: “he was angry” mean?

It could mean anything. The character might be sulking. He could be in an icy rage, or berserk: a red veil’s descended behind his eyelids—he’s no longer in control.

When you’re writing the first draft of a novel, highlight where you’ve used labels for emotional states. In revision, delete the label, and show.

You might show the angry character driving to his ex-wife’s house, then using a sledgehammer to destroy her car. Or you might show your angry character crushing a soda can in her fist. If she’s female, she might throw a dinner plate against the wall.

via peneloperedmont.com

Writing Tools: Save Time, Save Energy With Markdown

One of my freelance writing students recently talked about the hassle of converting her content between HTML, MS Word, PDF etc for her clients.

“Are you using a Markdown editor?” I asked. One of the joys of Markdown editors is one-click conversions.

Essential writing tools: Markdown editors

“Markdown” is basically plain text, with minimal markup for formatting. Using an editor, you can convert your plain text to many other formats.

Here’s a simple overview of Markdown.

I write everything other than fiction in Markdown in the Ulysses editor (image below), because conversions are so simple.

via www.angelabooth.com

Organic Plotting A Series: Grow Your Plot While You Write

2. Write a short journal entry by the main character: “OMG!”

This step is FUN. Write a journal entry as your main character. Your character is going about their daily life and realizes that something has gone badly wrong. Make this journal entry their OMG! realization moment.

Staying with Megan above, write as Megan: write the journey entry for Megan’s realization that a serial killer is murdering patients.

Free yourself and write: Megan’s journal entry won’t appear in your novel.

Here’s what the journal entry will do for you:

• It will make your character more real to you;
• Gives you ideas for at least one scene;
• (Often) Helps you to develop the character’s voice (style);
• and… It creates the seed for your novel, and ultimately, a series.

via www.angelabooth.com

Fiction Exercises: When You’re Not In The Mood To Write

Fiction exercises prime the pump: kickstart your imagination

Experiment with these fiction exercises from Commercial Fiction Secrets: Plot Your Novel In 60 Minutes Or Less. They’ll help you to get into the mood to write any scene you choose.

Do these exercises right within the typescript of your novel in Scrivener or MS Word.

And keep the exercises, because rereading them tomorrow or next week will trigger fresh insights and ideas.

Start by writing the phrase, then keep writing for a sentence or three (or even longer.)

via www.angelabooth.com

Writing a Novel: Begin It With A Bullet Or A Sunrise?

Writing a novel: try writing the beginning later

Ultimately, you write as you prefer. You may even change how you write from novel to novel.

Some of our authors who are pantsers write chronologically, but know that they’ll rewrite their novel’s first scene later. I do this.

The biggest discussion that evening however was between the authors who like to start with a bang, in the middle of the action, and the others: those authors who like to set the mood and introduce a character first.

Let’s look at two strategies for beginning your novel.

Will you begin with a bullet or a sunrise?

via peneloperedmont.com

Fiction Author: Keep Your Idea Factory Humming From Idea To Novel

Writing fiction? Everything starts with an idea

An idea can come from anywhere. Write them down; if you don’t, they’ll quickly fade because they’re ephemeral, like dreams.

Give your ideas time to gestate, but not too much time. Use the ability of your subconscious mind. As we said, the subconscious mind works in mysterious ways:

Your muse (subconscious mind) takes an active part in your writing. Give her time to do her part of the work.

Let’s look at how to manage your own idea factory.

via www.angelabooth.com

Fix Your Novel: From Dud To Fiction Bestseller

1. Remember suspense: aim to intrigue readers (keep readers wondering)

Another E.M Forster quote:

“Scheherazade avoided her fate because she knew how to wield the weapon of suspense – the only literary tool that has any effect upon tyrants and savages.”

SUSPENSE is the only literary tool which has any effect on readers too. Keep your readers wondering, always. Avoid info dumps: as soon as you spot them (they’ll proliferate in your first draft), move them to another file, out of your draft.

Here’s what I do.

via www.angelabooth.com

Struggling With Fiction Outlines?

Do you find outlining fiction a challenge? Many authors do.

Authors want to:

• Hook readers from the first page… This makes the first scene important; it freezes authors into endless procrastination;
• Avoid reader-boredom in the sagging middle of their novel, so procrastination strikes again.

Outlining fiction: the most important tip

Please don’t let your inner editor take charge, telling you what you “should” do.

Nothing comes from nothing.

Write.

via www.angelabooth.com