General Writing

How To Write By The Seat of Your Pants

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Ruth Ann Nordin

If anyone out there outlines (and succeeds by this method), please leave a comment below because I would love to feature a guest post on the plotting method.

There is no one method that works for everyone.  You need to write in whatever way will get the book finished.  Some of us write by the seat of our pants, others need to plot everything out ahead of time, and others fall somewhere in between.  Today, I want to talk about writing by the seat of your pants because I am that type of writer.

Now for the post…

1. It all begins with knowing your genre.

And when I say “an idea”, I mean that is pretty much it.  There is not much more to it than that.  I write romances, so I know a couple of things going into any book.  I know there is a hero and heroine, there will be some obstacle they will have to face, and there will be a happy ending.  I’m sure other genres have their general rules of thumbs as well–some basic elements that must be in the story.  So that’s where you start.  What are the core components in your genre?

2.  Pick a plot.

This is the funnest part of it.  You get to select whatever plot you want to have, and this plot can be boiled to one sentence.  For example, I want to write a story about a hero who rescues a heroine from a stagecoach robbery.

3.  Pick your setting.

This is where your story takes place.  What country does this story happen in?  What year is it?  What month is it?  Etc.

4.  Pick your characters.

This is another fun part.  You get to select what your characters.  Since this is a “seat of your pants” style, characters can change their personalities within the first couple pages of the book, so I would be very broad.  I’d name them, describe their physical attributes, and give them free rein to develop as they will.  You can have an idea of how acts before you go in, but it’s not until they’re being written do you truly get to know them.

5.  Pick your opening scene.

This is where it all begins, and besides this scene, you won’t have much else in mind when you begin writing.  You might have snippets of other scenes that you “hope” get included but they can change or never see the light of day.  What you might also know is the end.  In romance, this is pretty easy.  The hero and heroine are happy.   But as a general rule, I don’t know how the hero and heroine end up happy or what the final scene is like.  I just know they’re happy.  So if all you really have is a vague idea of what the first scene is like, you’re right on track for this method of writing.

6.  Start writing.

Steps 1-5 take all of a couple minutes, but they are usually thought out well in advance, usually while you’re away from the computer and let your mind wander.

This step is where the real work begins.  Most of the time, it all boils down to writing down the first sentence.  I know that sounds like it won’t go anywhere, but I find as soon as I get that first sentence down, the next one flows along and then the next and so on.

7.  The first three chapters.

I consider these to be the most important ones because these are the ones that let me know who my characters are and I start to figure out how the story is going to go.  The characters are pretty much fleshed out (their motives, their personalities, their fears, etc) by the end of chapter three.  The rest of the story is not fleshed out, but there is usually an idea of where it’s headed and what twists and turns might pop up along the way.  However, it’s not uncommon for those plot ideas to change as you keep writing.

8.  The most important thing to do is to keep writing.

There is no sense in looking back to edit.  Light edits (such as changing someone’s hair color or favorite song) are okay to change, but extensive edits or proofing don’t work well until after the book is finished.  Why?  Because there might be a scene coming up in the book that will change something you already wrote.  Character A might decide they aren’t the villain after all, which means you will have to go back and change a couple of things they said or did to make them more sympathetic.  But the problem is, you won’t know what changes will pop up until you’re writing them.

So my advice, make a note on things that change but keep on moving forward with the story.

I will make an exception to this, though.  If the twist that a character throws at you is so big that it changes everything else that comes later in the story, go ahead and do some light revisions, rewriting, or move scenes around.  If you feel that your characters are falling in love way too soon (that there needs to be more build up to that moment), then by all means, go back and write some extra scenes in.  If you figure scene A would be better after scene B, then switch them around.  But I would not do any cleaning up (polishing the content) until after the first draft is done.

9.  Add more than you think you’ll need.

And as a rule of thumb, it’s easier to delete things than to add them later.  So if you find you are repeating yourself or adding things in that might not make the final cut, go ahead and put them all in.  You can always cut them out later.  I’m the kind of write who hates writing additional scenes after I finish the first draft, so I will throw in more stuff than I’ll need later.  I typically throw out about 3,000 or more words during the second draft process.  I rarely ever add word count to my book once the first draft is done.

Also, with repetition, maybe something is stronger to write in at scene D but weak in scene F.  Well, all you have to do is delete that repetitive thing from scene F and your problem is resolved.  So in first draft mode, repeat your little heart out.  You just don’t know how things will work out until the story is all done.

10.  Don’t sweat the word usage.

Too many adverbs, adjectives, using the same words over and over again, etc?  During the first draft, the goal is to write the story.  So if you say the same word five times in one paragraph, that’s okay.  If everything is “magical” in a chapter, that’s okay, too.  If the hero is always grinning on a page, let him.  Trying to figure out the right word to use or a way to reword a sentence at this stage of the game isn’t necessary.  You can always do this when you’re working on the second draft.  The last thing you want to do in “seat of the pants” writing is to stop writing to figure out the right word for the way the heroine is walking.  In the first draft, she just walks.  In the second draft, she can stroll.

11.  Don’t question the characters.

This is hard but I’ve learned if the characters are changing the plot on me (and most of the time they do), then I need to trust they know what they’re doing and let them lead me along.  Whenever I have fought them on it, I end up getting stuck in the story or the story ends up with serious rewrites.  So when your characters do something unexpected, go with it.  Part of the fun of writing by the seat of your pants is that you get to be surprised.

12.  Highlight and go back to things you question.

While I do my first draft, I don’t search for things I’m not sure about unless I can do it in a minute or so.  If it’s something quick, like “what was South Dakota called before it became a state?”, I’ll take the time to search.  But if it’s taking a couple minutes, I highlight the word I have a question about and go back to it during my second draft where I’ll do the research I need to make sure I’m right.  Once you stop to research something, it hinders the “flow” of your writing.

13.  If you get stuck, jump ahead to a scene you are sure will fit in the story.

Usually, the tricky period in a first draft is somewhere in the middle.  I find the beginning and ending to be the easiest parts of a book to write, but I do get stuck at some point between 20,000 to 35,000 words.  I think it’s because I need to connect the beginning to the ending but want to make sure there’s a point to each scene I put in there.  Every scene must have a purpose.  So when I find myself in the “what the heck comes after this scene?” mode, I jump ahead and work on a scene I know is coming up.  (And by 20,000 words, I do have a couple of scenes I know will be coming.)  So if you know a scene is coming up, and you’re stuck on the place you’re at, go ahead and write that future scene.

14.  If you can, write more than one book at a time.  (Works best for multi-taskers.)

Sometimes when I am stuck and truly don’t know what to write, I work on another book.  I have an easier time when I work on 3-4 books at a time because I can switch to another story if one isn’t progressing as nicely as I’d like.  This method doesn’t work for everyone, but it works great for me.  It’s very common for me to take ten minutes to write in one book then switch to another one for five or ten minutes until I know what I want to write in the first one.  Why this method works for me, I don’t know.  But I am the type of person who can’t sit and do just one thing at a time.  It just drives me crazy.  Usually, I listen to music while I write or do housework because I’m doing two things at once.  So I think writing more than one book at a time works best for people who are multi-taskers.

15.  End the daily writing in the middle of a scene.

Some writers hate this idea, but I love it.  If I stop in the middle of a scene and I already know how it ends, I am in a much better position to pick up writing the next day than I am if I finish the scene.  The reason for this is because when I get back to my story the next day, I already know what I’m going to start off writing.  This helps me move forward so I can get an idea for the next scene because I usually figure out what the next scene will be by the time I end the one I’m currently on.

This doesn’t work for everyone.  It depends on what your style is.  I have a friend who would go crazy leaving a scene hanging.

***

Final thought

Those are my tips for writing by the seat of your pants.  If you write by the seat of your pants and have a way of writing that I didn’t mention or is different from how I do it, please comment.  We all have our own way of writing, and the best way you should write is the way that works for you.  Don’t let anyone tell you there is only one way to do it or that you need to do it their way.  Whatever gets you to finish the book is how you should do it.

Categories: General Writing, Rough Draft | Tags: , , , | 60 Comments

Myths About Being a Published Writer: Part 1

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Ruth Ann Nordin

Today I thought I’d go over some common misconceptions about what it’s like being a published writer.  This is part of a “I wish I knew this when I was starting out” post.  Hopefully, what I had to learn the hard way will be something others can learn the easy way.  I’ll start off with part 1 and add more to it as I think of more to add.  :D

Myth: Once I make it big, I’ll be on easy street.

Fact: The truth is, sales fall and your next book might not be as big of a seller as the one that just made it big.

There’s no telling which book will sell better than another.  I’ve written books I thought were going to be popular because I received emails requesting them (seemed to have a big demand so they had great potential to be good sellers), but in the end, they didn’t sell as well as some of the ones I didn’t think would do well at all.  It’s like playing the lottery (in some ways) because you invest months to years writing the book, hoping your work will pay off.  You never know for sure what your next book will do.  All you can do is write more books to add to your odds of “winning”.

Myth: I can write whenever I feel like it and thrive as an author.

Fact: Writing is like any other job…and you need to do it even when you don’t feel like it.

This is not an easy job, and it’s not for the faint of heart.  Like any small business owner, you will have to deal with everything yourself.  (I’m talking specifically to self-published authors, not traditionally published ones.)  Everything is on your shoulders, and it’s a lot of responsibility if you’re going to treat it like a job.  You’re going to have to establish deadlines because if you don’t have deadlines, you will probably keep putting things on hold.  A business needs to produce a service or product on a consistent basis if it’ll have the chance to thriving.  You can’t sit and wait until you feel like writing.  Some days will feel like you’re pulling teeth just to get a few sentences down on the page.  If you have a job outside the home, you will find a way to do it.   The same has to be true for writing.  It has to be a priority, not something that happens when it’s convenient for you.

The exception to this is when an emergency comes up (ex. illness, death in the family, tornado blew your house down).  You can’t write when under tremendous stress like that, and if an emergency came up when you are working outside the home, you will take the time off of work to tend to that emergency.  Same is true with writing.  Treat it like an outside job and use common sense on when you need to take time off.  But don’t take time off just because “I’m bored” or “I don’t want to write today”.  If you’re not writing, then do something to add to your business: make a book cover, outline a future book, work on some blog posts, answer emails.  But make sure you aren’t using the extra stuff to get out of writing.  Writing is the key job you have.

Myth: Once I make good sales, all my financial woes are over.

Fact: Your financial woes will be over when you learn to manage your money effectively.

Sales have nothing to do with your financial well-being unless you are smart about how you’re handling your money.  You can sell a ton of books and be a mega-star in the self-publishing industry, but if you didn’t plan for real life, then you’ll be up a creek without a paddle.  People seem to assume that more money = less stress.  I think the opposite might be true.  With more money comes more taxes, more demands from family members to get stuff (and it’s hard to say no to your spouse when your spouse really, really, really wants something), and you’re tempted to get more things because suddenly the money is there.  It takes a lot of discipline to put aside money into the tax account so you can pay your quarterly vouchers, stay out of debt, build up an emergency fund, and save for future expenses.  This is all common sense stuff, but when you make sales, the temptation is there to spend the money as fast as it comes in.  You just can’t do it.

Myth: Everyone will love my book because it’s THAT good.

Fact: There will always (and I mean ALWAYS) be someone who hates your book.

It doesn’t matter what the reason is.  The fact of the matter is, you can’t please all the people all the time.  Tastes are too subjective and human nature is fickle.

Myth: I got 1-star reviews.  That means I suck as a writer.

Fact: Not necessarily.  

1-star reviews does not mean you suck as a writer.  It could mean the people reading your book don’t agree with something you put in your book.  Say your book features a smoker and the person reading your book hates cigarettes.  They probably won’t like your story because you have the smoker in your book. Or it could be some other factor.  (I got a complaint from a reader saying she’d never read one of my books that featured a smoker in it.  I got another complaint from someone who didn’t like the fact that one of my families I feature in some of my books have blond hair.)  So the reason could be minor.  It could also be huge.  Religious and political differences could be a reason that someone will hate your book.  Any time you write a story, you have to select characters and situations those characters are in, and there is bound to be something in there that someone will hate.  It’s part of the game.

Categories: Business Plan, General Writing, Psychology of Writing & Publishing, The Writer & Author, Writing as a Business

What Writers Should Do (My Opinion)

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Ruth Ann Nordin

Today’s post is inspired by an article I just read where four people gave their personal ten tips on writing in the “What you shouldn’t do” category: http://threeguysonebook.com/50-things-a-writer-shouldnt-do.  (Note: This is an old post.  It dates back to 2009, but I still love it.)

I thought this was such a neat idea that I’d imitate them with a list of things I think writers should do.  Keep in mind these are my opinions.  Ultimately, you will have to decide what you want to do or not do.  

So here goes….

Here’s what I advise other writers to do…

1. Tell a good story.  Don’t sweat the need to make “beautiful language”.

No matter how sweet your prose is, if you don’t have a story that compels someone to turn the page, it’s a flop.  The problem is that writers are so hung up on “how” they write, they often neglect to consider “what” they write.  I was in a writing group with this person (X) who mastered the art of beautiful language.  To listen to her read was like opening a bottle of fine wine and delicately sampling a piece of expensive dark chocolate.  X was, to say the least, weathly in terms of how she wrote…until you listened to content.  Most of the time, I was left wondering what the heck the scene she read was even about.  It’s like those commercials on TV that are flashy and appealing, but at the end, you ask, “What product were they selling?”

Content is key.  If you can tell a story that draws people in and makes them lose sleep because they have to finish it, then you have succeeded.  BTW, a poorly edited book won’t keep someone reading because they’ll get stuck working through your errors.  So good editing is assumed in telling a good story.

2.  Make it clear who is talking.

In writing groups, I was told ”don’t repeat” and mentioning the person by name over and over in a dialogue of three people was on the “don’t repeat that person’s name” list.  But you know what?  When I started getting feedback directly from my readers, instead of other writers, the readers said they wanted me to just say the name.

And another trick that writers say “don’t do” that you probably should is use the verbs ’said’ and ‘replied’ just to simplify things, esp. if what you want is to make the reader focus on the actual dialogue.

I have a writer friend who still goes ballastic when I say the person’s name more than once in a dialogue scene and dare to say “said” or “replied”.  But you know what?  My readers are thanking me, and they’re the ones buying the book so…  Yeah.  Who is it wise to listen to?

3.  If you write a scene, make sure there’s a point.

Every scene in your book should advance the plot.  A lot of authors get hung up on word count or they learned something neat that they want to slip into the book.  The problem?  There’s nowhere to put that exciting tidbit of trivia fact, so they opt to write a scene to slip it in.  The problem?  The reader might end up skimming this fact so the author has just wasted their time.  If a reader skims your book, chances are, they won’t read another book you write.

And let’s face it.  If you make each scene count, what is the harm done?  I say, better err on the side of caution and only include things that make the story stronger.  Like I’ve been told in the past, “Sometimes less is more.” If a lower word count makes your story better, go for it.

4.  Don’t take crap from readers who give you a hard time.

Seriously, this is a lesson I learned the hard way, and it wasn’t an easy one to grasp.  The sooner you get it, though, the better off you’ll be.  There is always a whiny, complaining, snobby person who thinks that your job is to bow down and write your book their way.  It doesn’t even matter what the topic of their discontent is.  If you used something in your book that matters to you, keep it.

The fact of the matter is that you can’t please everyone.  So why try?  Yes, readers get downright rude and nasty when you stand up for yourself and don’t take their “suggestions”, but they are free to write their own books or to find another author.  You are not the only author on this planet.

But…

You are unique.

Don’t let readers treat you like a buffet table where they dictate what you put into your book and what you throw out.  And there’s never any reason why you should put up with verbal abuse.

5.  Don’t let someone else tell you how to publish or tell you what success is for you.

This is your journey, not theirs.  Their method of publishing and their definition of success is not yours.  Some people write to have a memoir or a gift to hand their friends and family.  And there’s nothing wrong with that.  Others are writing in hopes of being the next JK Rowling so they can make it to Hollywood and be a household name.  Then you have others (probably the majority) of writers who fall somewhere in the middle.  If you’ve reached your goal, you’ve succeeded….and please don’t let someone come in and tell you otherwise.  This is your life, your dream.  Live it to the fullest and enjoy the fruits of your labor.  If someone tries to tell you that your dream is not enough, tell them to “talk to the hand” because you’re not doing it their way.

6.  Do the marketing you want to do, not what the “experts” tell you to do.

If you’re not having fun, then chances are the social media you’re doing is not going to be effective.  Some people hate blogging.  I love blogging.  Some people love Twitter.  I hate Twitter.  There is no “one size fits all” marketing strategy (except for write the best book you can, polish it up, get a great cover, and write your next book).  All the other things are optional.  Should you run ads?  Should you do book trailers?  Should you go on Pinterest?

What do you want to do?  I have my name set up on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, You Tube, and Google + but I spend most of my time blogging.  I heard of someone stealing an author’s identity and pretending to be her on Facebook and Facebook refused to remove the person unless the author set up an account.  (This was a traditionally published author.)  After hearing that, I made it a point to have a presence on Facebook and on other sites.  You have to do what you can to protect your identity.  But it doesn’t mean you have to be active in these places.  Now, I’m not saying you should go around and establish an account on every site you can find.  I’m just saying I did it on the most popular social networking sites for this reason.  But I spent most of my time blogging.

Bottom line: if you are enjoying it, you’ll stick with it.  If you aren’t, it’ll bomb.  So do what interests you.  There is no “one” way to do this.

***

Well, those are my six tips.  Anyone have any they want to add?

Categories: Book Promotion, General Writing, Psychology of Writing & Publishing, The Writer & Author | Tags:

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