Write My Friends. Write Beyond the Dark Days!

I have thought about my post for this week. To be honest, I didn't know what to write. This is very controversial to my character because every week I always have something planned to write and talk about. But honestly, this week I have been a discouraged writer. I haven't hit this point in my writing journey in a long time so I know the positivism, the spark, it will come again. Every time I crash and hit the lowest pit, I have hope the light will come again and I will find the joy in my craft. I will find the enthusiasm I had a week ago and I will find the excitement and passion that fills my writing.

I haven't yet discovered what really takes away my passion in writing. It doesn't make any sense at all. Maybe exhaustion? Because there are the days and weeks and even months where I know I'm doing the right thing. I write. So obviously, I'm a writer. But what does it actually mean to say I'm  writer. Does that mean I am cooped up in my room, left out of this world, and placed in my own world with my own characters? Partially true. But that statement can scare new writers. It scared me. When I discovered my love for writing I was scared. I didn't want to do it alone and be alone and be looked upon as a psycho. Let's face it, when we think of writers, we think of those people who wear shabby clothes, shower once a week, isolate themselves from society, and have weird philosophies about the world and universe being one with our mind. But when I refer to myself as a writer, I don't refer to myself as living the writer life. I hone the craft, but the craft doesn't hone me. If that makes any sense learn from it.

But as for this week I have been a discouraged writer. I am working on a novel right now and sometimes I feel as if I'm going nowhere with what I'm doing. I have hit a block in the road so many times this week and if I hit another block, I don't know if I'll have the strength to climb over it. I usually don't express my feelings when it comes to my work and yes, writing is my job, but I figured anyone can learn and even relate to this. We have our bad days and our bad weeks. They will come with such power, trying to knock us down and make us look ridiculous, as if we can't conquer anything. Perhaps our characters are confused and they aren't working for us. Or the setting sounds unrealistic and an incident that just happened sounds impossible. But it's your work, your writing and no one has the right to tear you down. Kind criticism, the type that will grow you is acceptable, but the one that rips you apart and makes you feel worthless, I command you to throw it out. If you truly believe writing is your passion, the one thing you drive on, then go for it and fight against those crummy days or weeks. They will come. I've had mine this week.

I woke up one morning this past week and one of the first thoughts entering my mind was, "I'm not made for this. I will never publish. I have been rejected and it's too hard." Those few words tore me down for the rest of my day and even now it's hard to get out and believe otherwise. But last night, I had an epiphany, I guess you can say. Who am I writing for? Audience. People besides myself. People beyond my family. People apart from my friends and those in my area. But if I don't start with the immediate circle my feelers won't be tested. I need to test my writing in the water I'm comfortable with and then go out and beyond. It starts in steps. The first step is to know you want to write. Second step you must write. And third step, you must write no matter what comes your way.

So for the remaining of this week and next week, who cares what the enemies of your craft say. It doesn't matter. And when you're having a down day with writing, be encouraged, brighter days come right after the dark ones.

Where Are All the Writers?

I have discussed the important elements of writing. What you need to do when the book is done and where to go. Find your market and make sure that publishing house will accept the manuscript to propose. As I mentioned last week, make sure you send your work to the right publishers. You don't want to send a book focused on a romantic theme to a publisher who avoids all sorts of romantic work. Find a publisher who shares your interest of writing and is willing to work with you alongside with your genre. So today I want to talk about writer friends and how important they are.

When I first started writing I was alone. I literally felt like those people in the movies who isolate themselves and create their own life away from society. I was in my room for hours writing. The first novel I tackled kept me occupied because I couldn't get my characters out of my mind. I had to keep the story going because I was curious to know what would happen. I know, it sounds so weird. I am in control of my characters and I set things in their way but oftentimes I don't know what will happen until I write. I start with a plan and then it goes out of the window. Besides that point, I was alone in the writing world. I would go to the library and check out at least ten books at a time and read them. I read on the craft of writing, gaining your writer's voice, writing fiction, the rules of novel writing, and so much more. Many times I would sit in the library reading and taking notes on this craft. I wanted to get the most information possible. But I was still alone. There were nights where I was up until past midnight writing. I would wake up in the morning and still write. Sometimes my mind didn't even shut down. Believe me, I've had plenty of dreams about my characters, it's actually disturbing, especially when something terribly happens to my protagonist. 

Eventually the word got out that I was a writer. People began talking about it and spreading the word that "Vanessa is a writer." Now, I always chuckle when people say that. Some will say it with such enthusiasm whereas others will say it with this query sound in their voice, almost as if I'm not doing anything. I'm sorry, I might be bias on this but being a writer IS NOT easy. You struggle against criticism all the time, a foggy brain, nonexistent characters who want to live but only live in your world, and of course the snide remarks from the outsiders. But somehow we still keep writing. We ignore the critics and know that in the end if we just write for ourselves, it'll still be rewarding. But yes, writer friends. Where are they? Believe me, they are out there and there are plenty of them. And once you find a writer friend, you'll have so much to talk about. I found my writer friends at a conference I went to. I remember one night I was up until past midnight discussing the amazing aspects of writing. There's this special connection with writers. There are many things that are related and the similarities are incredible. You can bounce questions off of each other, ideas, inspirations, complaints of course, and insights. I remember having a two hour conversation with another writer. We talked about our characters as if they were real people. We discussed the setting and even though this writer composes fantasy, talking about her fictionalized world seemed so real. 

I encourage you to find writer friends. Those who understand the many toils you experience with honing the craft of writing. There are many English lovers out there, the ones who find enjoyment and relaxation in writing. You are not alone in what you do. Believe me. You ought to go on a little scavenger hunt and search for them. Look for them just as you looked for your passion in writing. But the importance of having a writer friend is for your benefit. You can go to this person and cry when you're rejected and they will understand. You can ask them questions and hear their opinion. You can be weird with them and talk about your characters and how you can't sleep at night because they are running in your mind. And once you find your writer friend, I encourage you to not let him or her go. Just recently a writer friend asked me to look over her novel. We all need each other. Sharing your writing isn't easy at first, but once you establish that friendship and trust, it'll become easier and easier. We all go through the same things. The insecurity and shyness of presenting our writing. So search. And once who find that strong friend, keep him or her around. You will grow from each other and eventually, it might lead into three, four, five, even ten friends. 

Keep pushing your creative juices this week and go beyond the limit you did last week. 

A Writer on Writing

The past few weeks I've been talking about different aspects and avenues of writing. I've discussed the many roads you can take and various things you can write and how it all starts with one action: write. I talked about writing a book proposal and staying consistent with yourself. But today I'm going to talk about myself. What am I working on what right now? I think it's always encouraging to hear from other writers and know what they're working on, it helps perk the brain a bit. To be honest, today is one of those days where I'm struggling. I can't think of anything, my mind is foggy and feels a bit overwhelmed. I know the cause of this though. I have a terrible test for school today so this is definitely taking up my entire mind because I am worrying about it. Anyway...

My writing. What am I currently working on? A novel. Yes, I have tackled writing another novel and currently I love it. I'm not sure if I love it more than my past novel but it's definitely a favorite. I know I have said this many times already but it doesn't hurt to say it again. I love my characters in this story. My goodness. I have fallen in love with my protagonist because in many ways she's just like me, except for being overtly emotional.  There's one scene I wrote a while back and I can barely read that scene without feeling the hair on my arms stand up. By that motion, I know I composed an amazing scene because I was moved. I once heard that in order to move your readers you yourself have to be moved. I one hundred percent agree with that. You cannot expect to move your readers if you weren't by the least touched with what you wrote. There was one scene I wrote where I grew angry with a character. I was upset, torn, and disappointed with this move he made. By the time I was over my little fit I realized I wrote that scene and am the only one to blame.


So, yes I'm working on a 95,000 word novel right now. My goal is to complete this book by the fall and then get it into the whole publishing ordeal again--honestly I hate that process. But yes, I write every day, no matter what the day brings forth. The weekends tend to be a bit up in the air at times so I normally give myself some room on those days. But throughout the week I write up to 6,000 words in five days. I don't stop until I've reached the 1,000 word mark on any given day. Once I've reached that point, I'll stop. I'm also reading a novel this month. I make myself read a novel a month. This month I'm reading one from Karen Kingsbury. Last month it was Francine Rivers. I have a friend who endeavors sharing his novels with me and I have to admit, they are very good. I read novels to get ideas and open my mind with reading that I write. You cannot expect to be a novelist and hate reading novels. With that said, I'm always working on some sort of writing. If I'm not working for a publication I'm working on my own kind of work because I have anticipation to work with a publisher when I'm done. Set reasonable goals for you day. I plan my month with big goals I need to accomplish and then break it down into weeks and then days. Set your goal. Write as many words as you can in a day or go for time. 

• BUT ALWAYS WRITE.

Another thing I do that you might find helpful or not is not look back at what I just wrote. I will write and write and write and won't read what I wrote until the entire product is done. Now if I'm working on a short story I do a total different approach. But with my longer pieces of work I take my time and write until the certain word count (usually 95,000) is complete. I then take two or three days of a break before I get into my editing mode. Once I go, I don't stop. This is my way. You might have a total different approach, something that works for you. If so, leave me a comment, I'm curious to know. 

With all that said, keep writing and enjoy what your characters are showing you and telling you!

Third Person Perspective

To be honest, this is my favorite kind of writing. It's easy and comes naturally--or at least for me. The thing about third person perspective is that you as the writer are the narrator. You get to know ALL of your characters. You're stuck in your character's minds and you decide what to do, not the main character deciding or others deciding for you. If you want to kill someone today, then do it. I tend to just write in this perspective, just because I'm most used to it and find it the most enjoyable. This perspective allows you as the writer to have more freedom in how the story is told. You may decide to change a particular character's thinking a bit, but don't go out and change it drastically. Remember to stay consistent. I believe writing in first person and third person both have their advantages and one, more than the other, will have its place in a story. It depends on what your motive is. What are you trying to say? And will it sound better in the third person perspective?

• Third Person Limited--narrator only knows the thoughts and feelings of a single character
• Third Person Omniscient--narrator knows all the thoughts and feelings of all characters 
• He, she, it, they 

If you want to know all of your characters then choose to write in third person omniscient. If this isn't a concern for you, then write in third person limited. Perhaps it's easier and more natural for you to just know one of your characters in and out. It might be confusing to know all of your characters, perhaps it's too overwhelming--understandable. Don't overwhelm yourself with your writing right away. Writing does get overwhelming the moment you're on a deadline, but if you're writing just for fun, don't stress out about it, have fun. 

Third Person Limited: Janie Smith, she doesn't know a thing about her brother, Johnny. If she only had a single idea what was going through his mind, things might make it easier for them to relate. She wants to know, but he won't open up to her. Ever since papa died, the family died with him. Johnny is cold-heart and broken, the opposite from Janie. She is open, willing to work through the disaster and open a new door. Her papa always told her to work things out, if only Johnny understood. 

Third Person Omniscient: The house was too quiet without Mary and Joe. They were the ones who always brought it to live, even on the rainiest days. A single tear slid down her cheek. Susan peeled her coat off, resting her lazy and tired body on the sofa. If only Mary and Joe were still around. Fall always had a way of tearing people apart, that's what Mary always said anyway. 

Find YOUR aspect of writing. I have covered each perspective so now that you have this down, it's time for you to choose your alley and get writing. If you have been writing for weeks already, congrats. But if you're still waiting for that perfect moment, wake up, the perfect moment never comes. You need to write in order to find it! I'll start a new "mini" series next week. 

Keep writing! 

Second-Person Perspective

"You don't know much about her, yet you're trying to find out the most possible. Your thoughts run day and night, wondering about her and if you'll ever see her again. But more importantly, you are curious if she thinks of you. You try to leave hints here and there along the way, though you're not sure if it's obvious enough. And last week when that sleeker accompanied her to the dance, you nearly lost it. Your blood boiled, the hair on your back stood  up, you had to control yourself from not..."


This is the most uncommon perspectives from all of the points of view in writing. Second Person. Second person can be so weird to write, very unfamiliar and almost foreign. It not only seems awkward when writing but can often feel weird when reading this perspective. The author is writing to you and you may feel more than a part of the story, you may feel right there with the character. The writer is writing to you, speaking directly to your face and telling you what's going on. There's a connection through second person, though it needs to be done in the right way in order to make sense or be interesting.

If you choose to write in this perspective it's advised to write what you already know about. It always helps to know your topic but it's even more helpful if you can relate to it. In this type of writing the reader has become the main focus. The only pronoun used is "you". You are riding along with the narrator, being your very own character in the story. It's not an easy point of view to tackle, part of the reason why many avoid this kind of perspective is because it takes an adequate amount of time to master. It's not an easy one that you can simply write out. It takes time. It takes thinking. It takes skills. It takes mastery.

But second person can be done so beautifully. It can be creative and experimental. If the author succeeds and does a great job, a wonderful story can take place, allowing the reader to hop along on a journey. The key is to describe how "you" feel, what "you're" going through, what are "your" struggles, and what goes on daily. The author must know you and must know it's audience in order to succeed because if not, then it can topple.

Second person can fail so easily if the author makes a simple mistake and changes a minor aspect about "you". The reader may then feel out of connection and not in sync with the story/character anymore. Become acquainted with the story and what you as the author are trying to display.

The reader BECOMES the protagonist.

This point of view is more common in nonfiction selections, keeping the one personal and relaxed. I have been writing in second person throughout this entire article. It happens to come across more natural. Second person is best used in a limited way, as a prologue, in certain chapters or passages to heighten suspense, or in a short story.

Again, find your voice. Perhaps you want to tackle this perspective and maybe you'll achieve and find enjoyment when doing it. It's one of the hardest aspects about writing because you need to stay consistent. But I promise, if you're mind it made up, do it! 

POV--First Person

I said. You said. He said. 

POINT OF VIEW (POV)! Another important element when writing fiction....which one out of the three should you write in? There are four different angles you can write from:

• First Person
• Third Person Limited
• Third Person Omniscient 
• Second Person

Each perspective has its place in fiction/novel writing. The kind of view you choose is entirely up to you. The first three perspectives are relatively common, the last one is the oddball. I haven't read too many books writing in second person, all because it's a whole different world. Recently I read a book written in first person and I was immediately captivated. It felt as if I were walking with the protagonist, experiencing her problems and struggles. After that book I went straight into another book, now told from third person limited--a TOTAL different approach. I'm more used to this kind of writing but once I read the first person story, it was hard to switch over. Because this is a wide topic to discuss, we'll go through each perspective over the course of four weeks. I'm partly doing this because there's a lot to remember and I have a sprained wrist...ha, a sprained wrist and a writer don't match. It's a writer's worst enemy. I feel limited to SO much this week. Okay, I won't complain about my incapability. With each week I'll cover one of the perspectives and then write a brief example. 

First person.

A novel written in first person is written from the account of one person. You'll ride along with this person and go through whatever journey they are faced with. You'll experience what they are experiencing, feel what they feel, react how they react, and relate to similar things. Writing in first person can be exciting but also daring. If the job is done well the reader will feel as if he went right along with your main character. 

Writing from this perspective will teach you the many uses of the pronouns "I" and "we". You'll explore with these pronouns and learn how to build a story around the protagonists life. Every detail must be filtered through the storyteller. First person point of view is the most friendliest all of writing. The reader feels well acquainted with the story and the character, almost feeling like a best friend relationship. There are things the character will tell you the reader but no one else in the story. First person view point is fun to write and explore with. You can create a story of fun, drama, tragedy, horror, mystery, romantic, or imaginary. The moment the story starts the reader will be stuck in the character's mind. For beginner writers this can be a trickier kind of viewpoint because you need to know your character. You need to choose which character will be impacted and tell the story. Once you have that figured out, you'll have to bond with your character in an inseparable way.

Remember to keep your point of view consistent throughout the story. What I mean by this is, you cannot change the viewpoint every single scene. You'll confuse your reader for sure. In first point view the character will do all the talking, you're just writing. Don’t let your first person story turn into simple observation (Show, don’t tell!). The character needs to be involved--to react to events physically and verbally--not just describe the reactions of others. First person creates an intimate perspective. You'll feel connected and if the author does an outstanding job with placing the character on a beach, you might find yourself having to dump the sand out of your pocket once you're back from the beach. Describe the emotions, physical attributes, mental images, and anything else occurring. 

Have fun! Get to know your character first and then get writing. You need to be relaxed when approaching this kind of writing or else your reader will feel the tension through your character. You may discover that first person is not your type of writing and that's okay. Explore, it's the only way you'll figure it out. 

This week's example! I wonder why I'm still awake when I really should be asleep. Why did he have to react that way? Doesn't he know how much I care for him? Doesn't he know that all I want is for him to listen? I wonder if he even thinks of me? I doubt it. Who am I that he would even care? I guess I'll never know. I'll be here, alone and clueless about everything. I don't even understand my thoughts anymore, and my toes are freezing. How I hate winter and being alone! -----> clearly we know that the character is unhappy. 

Who's that Guy?

Sarah. John. Michael. Rick. David. Karen. Emily. Nancy. Bill. Bob.

What do the words above have in common? It's an easy answer...you don't have to be a super English nerd and genius in order to answer the simple question. But I won't make you sweat anymore longer and freak out about a simple question that perhaps has caused you to grow anxious. They are all names. Proper nouns. That is the correct answer if you're like me, a crazy-nutty-English-freaky-nerd. But I'm not looking for THAT answer. The answer I'm looking for is, names. The above words are all names. They belong to someone, someone holds that name. 

Okay, so in writing you would call this person a character. Aha! We have reached my most favorite part of all writing. I know that I have caught myself saying this more than once, "Oh I like this aspect of writing! No, dialogue is better. But oh wait...ah, setting is the most fun!" I think ever true writer has their moments of going crazy about a certain something and for me it's characters. I love building my characters. I can sit for hours and just think about one character in particular and describe her from top to bottom. I can tell you exactly what her dislikes are, what irritates her, what's her style like, how does she talk, the way she socializes, her favorite color, what she loves to eat, her peeves, and on and on I go. Eventually I have this perfect picture of my character in my mind and when I'm out and about I sometimes see her in the grocery store. Of course a light chuckle escapes my mouth because I can't believe she actually exists in the real world. You see, my characters come from my world. They live in my mind. When they cry I want to comfort them and make the situation better. There was a point where I was seriously depressed. I couldn't think clearly and felt despondent. Finally my friend asked me what was the matter. When I told her that I killed my favorite character in my past short story she looked at me as if I lost my mind. I believe I did. 

So characters. Dress you characters. Write a character sketch about this person. Perhaps it'll be 4 sentences or 4 pages. It can be short or long. But imagine your character(s) coming alive. Imagine that the two of you are going out for coffee. You don't know this person yet. So on your outing you'll ask every question you can think of in order to build a connection, a feeling. Believe me, this is fun stuff. Building characters is something I enjoy doing. I get the honor to name them. Okay, so sketch it on a piece of paper. The good qualities, the bad characteristics, his/her fashion style, does she take awhile to get ready in the morning, or is he one who stays in bed until the alarm clock rings for the fifth time? You don't have to mention these things in your manuscript, but for you to know while writing who your main character is or actually all of your characters are is very important. 

You don't have to stress out knowing each one of your characters in details. Perhaps all you'll know about the cab driver is: the big rimmed glasses rested on his nose and every time he spoke a hint of alcohol filled the air. That's just an example. But get to know your main characters. Build the connection. Feel connected. If you want to get to know someone you'll ask them. Have this inner-dialogue with your character. And soon you'll realize how enjoyable it really is. Writing is an art. It takes time and patience. The same goes with your characters. Design them along the way and eventually you'll learn that you start dreaming about them and they follow you everywhere. 

Let me tell you a past experience of mine. When I was attending a class in the fall there was a girl who sat behind me. She was tall, sporty, very attractive, blond hair and blue eye ordeal, having the appearance of a barbie doll. The first time I saw her, I laughed. I couldn't believe it. I told myself that this is Jenny, my protagonist in the story I had going on. She was snotty just like Jenny. I figured I was well connected with my characters at that point because I saw them even at school. 

It's not weird. It's actually amazing to have imaginable friends. Because when no one understands you, your characters will. Remember, you are the architect. Create stories that come to life with real characters. And when the descriptive part is all done, search a name book for the perfect name. Make sure the name fits the character and the time era you're in. 

Characters need to live in you! Because when a reader opens your book someday their first question might be, "Who's that guy?" 

Very Important..Very Fun

I don't know about you but when I read any kind of novel I flock to the dialogue. It intrigues me to see how the author weaved his words in writing. There are many different ways you can make your characters speak. Since I tend to write contemporary style, my characters speak informally, almost with a slang. Though, it's very interesting how you can mess with your characters in various ways. You have the power to stir them in any direction. With the words that you choose you can make them do anything you want. The bottom line is what you think is the way your characters will move. Perhaps you want them to yell, well make them do just that. Or maybe the story has hit a deep point, a point where tears seem the most appropriate. Make them cry. I know this probably sounds ridiculous, but one of my favorite things to do with my characters is make them cry. It's amazing how you can make them cry without saying it. You don't have to say, "She cried." Instead say, "Tears fell down her cheeks, leaving wet streaks along the way." This is just one example out of many. So, before I get into the meat of this article I think it's important if I note one very, VERY, important rule. You'll hear this rule over and over again and eventually will get tired of it that you may want to shout, "I know!!!!!" but believe me, it's a VERY important rule.

Show, don't tell. 

Easy, right? I mean, there are just three words in that sentence and you know what each of the words mean so what's the big deal? Ha, believe me, this can be the trickiest rule ever. There are so many times where you'll catch yourself saying the action instead of writing the action. You'll captivate the reader's interest more by showing it. If you go on and say, "Brit was mad." Okay, we know he was mad, but how mad? Aha, show, don't tell. Try imaging this. "Brit's eyes narrowed, he clenched his fists and took long and steady breaths." You now know what he did and how he felt. He wasn't only mad, he was profusely angry, upset. Make your characters come to live. This is a fun aspect of writing. You need to have fun with it, don't let it pull you down and literally make you pull your hair out. Explore with this. Get to know your characters. This is an important aspect. You cannot write a story if you don't know your character(s). Know how they feel, what they're thinking, what irritates them, what makes them happy, and what're their fears. Understand your characters in and out. Be interested. If you aren't moved as an author, your reader won't be moved. If you didn't laugh, your reader won't laugh. And if you didn't cry, your reader won't cry. You need to build that connection with your writing.

I know I say this often, but allow your thoughts to spill through your words. If you have an overly emotional character, show it through her words. Describe how she's feeling when she talks. Dialogue is important and it shouldn't be abused. Use every word wisely, making it count.  And I know this is a lot of information to digest, but let me make one more point. Don't be too descriptive. It's so easy to get flowery and into your words that eventually it sounds too wordy. Cut. Chop. Kill the one too many adjectives. Be selective, but most importantly, be creative. Dialogue is fun to write. Write as though you are speaking. Readers like it when you're natural and realistic. Relate to them, you'll gain a wider audience that way.

Dialogue. Speak. Show. Entertain. Don't tell me, show me what happened. Make it exciting, so exciting that I can't stop reading.