Writers - Writing Tips PART 3

By now, the honeymoon phase of inspired genius has dropped from memory like Cyril Duffet (who?!) and you would likely have agonised over your weak characters, the pasty plot and expressed the ‘I will never be good enough!’ Do you know that’s all okay? It’s in the manual. Some never get past this point but, as you know, you will.

You will face your fears head-on and conquer them! You will stand in the long shadow of adversity and you will not quail! You will smite the nay-sayers with your smitery sword of destruction! Uh erm...

Another part of editing is taking note of all those things your English teacher tried to beat into your skull. We only list some of the most common errors here. Part of the required weapons for a writer is a good grammar book, dictionary and thesaurus, so add them to your Santa’s list.

If you’re an avid reader you should be able to pick most of them up yourself, whether or not you fell asleep in class...

16. SPaG
This means Spelling and Grammar. You may be amazed to see how many people couldn’t care less about simple spelling and grammar errors. MSWord leaves red gashes and slimy green trails all through their work and they blithely submit their work as ‘complete’ and say “My story speaks for itself! I am an artist, not a school teacher!”

I’m sorry to burst that silly bubble, but when you write, one of the basic elements is checking your SPaG. Sometimes you will opt to break language rules, but only do so purposefully and with the intent on enriching the story. Don’t break them because you’re lazy and expect someone else to fix it for you. If you can’t show your work the respect it deserves, don’t expect someone else to take it seriously.

Errors do occur – a typo here and a missed word there, or some obscure grammar rule eludes your memory... that’s okay. But if you are not sure, or if the language you’re writing in is not your first language, try to at least get someone to proofread it for these errors before submitting your work anywhere.

17. HAD –ING
Every time you come across the word ‘had’, ‘-ing’ is sure to lurk. When you come across these, red flags, alarm bells and *billowing* smoke should pour through your senses. A panic attack should be imminent. Poke your glasses between your eyes and demand “Are you very sure there is no other way you could word this?”

Consider: “The billowing smoke had drifted across the street...” versus “The smoke billowed across the street...” The first will bump your reader out of the story and leave them to watch the scene unfold from behind a thick sheet of glass. The second version, places the reader in the middle of the street. It’s the difference between a ‘nice story’ and a ‘I-couldn’t-put-the-book-down’.

18. POV
An omniscient being who can read every person’s thoughts and can see what everyone’s doing must get so bored. No surprises anywhere. Would you like to subject your reader to an unsurprised and boring view of your carefully crafted work? No? Then watch out for changing POV’s (Points Of View). This happens more often than we like to admit!

If the current scene is told from the MC’s POV realise that, unless he’s a mind-reader, he will have no idea what’s going on in someone else’s head – what they’re thinking or feeling. A person’s gestures, words or expressions may give the MC clues, but never presume to give another character’s POV without physical evidence.

And if you do decide to swop POV’s, make the changeover very clear. Like a new chapter, for instance.

19. TENSE
Most stories are written in the past tense. To write in the present tense is an exercise in precision. Only attempt this as an exercise or if you are already a proficient writer. The present tense can set the reader’s heart racing with its immediacy, but it’s not easy to pace or read for extended periods.

It is natural to write (and read) in the past tense, as long as you maintain it throughout your story. Beware of the ‘had’ and ‘ing’ as mentioned before and also be careful of present tense verbs slipping in where they do not belong. This also happens more frequently than we like to admit!

20. CHARACTERISATION
Here are some tricks you can use to build vivid characters. People have different speech patterns, mannerisms, likes and dislikes and of course they look different. But what makes the difference between a just another character in a book and one you can remember years later?

Whatever ‘tricks’ you employ, remember that fiction should normally be larger than life. So if someone lisps, everyone notices it to the point of misunderstandings. They don’t have hunched shoulders, but a looming hump shadowing their head. The woman wasn’t old, but gnarled. Use bright, solid colours rather than dishwater with a dash of pigment.

These tips work for MC’s as well as the supporting cast:

• Firstly, it’s a good idea to draw up a character list with their basic characteristics you can always refer to.


• Give each character a name that resonates with their personality – and one that can be pronounced!


• Next, give them one dominant physical feature that you mention at intervals throughout the story. This will place them immediately in the scene without the reader having to guess who they are. For example: steel-grey eyes, pronounced limp, always impeccably dressed no matter the situation, pudgy fingers...


• Every good personality needs a quirk or two; the more contradictory it is, the easier it is to remember. For instance, the grimy bartender who always plays chess and wins. The skinny old wizard who loves food and never gains weight. The megalomaniac scientist who sleeps with his teddy bear...


• Give a character a favourite saying or way of referencing conversations; but don’t allow this to become annoying. Unless that’s your intention, of course – but then point out how annoying it is.


• Keep as few characters in a scene as possible, especially in the beginning of the story. This keeps the reader’s attention on individuals and doesn’t mix strange personalities into a glutinous mass.


• And finally, give your character a role in moving the story forward. If you can’t find them a solid role, chances are you don’t need them. There is (almost) nothing worse than a token character only added in for the MC to bounce off.

21. DRAFT & EDIT, DRAFT & EDIT
Once you have pounded your first draft into submission, you’ll have a shining new second draft, free of SPaG errors, characters that leap off the page and a plot that’s engaging and you are ready to email it off to the first publisher who will recognise your genius...

But you are not done yet. So far, you have only used a 4-pound hammer and chainsaw to hew a living thing out of rock. You are tired and your masterpiece is looking better than ever. Don’t be deceived, for your tears and sweat will mean nothing without now fine tuning the features. “Third draft: The rush of discovery is over. The comfort of completion far off. You bleed syllables. One an hour” ~Clive Barker. You have been warned!

It’s a good idea to sometimes put a piece aside for a while. Get a haircut and start on a new story or chapter... A week or a month later, haul it out again and review it as though it doesn’t belong to you. This space makes it easier to separate yourself from the piece, makes it not as personal, therefore easier to edit.

This is one of those fine lines writers need to walk – over-editing can also kill a piece as well as your passion to write. If you spend too much time editing and not enough time writing, you’ll never finish the book. Editing can join the legion of excuses to not write, so tread this line carefully!

22. READ ALOUD
If you can’t read it aloud, something is bound to be wrong – not with your voice but with the writing. When words leap away from your tongue and plunge back down your throat, it’s a good indication you may need to revise. If they argue amongst themselves as they leave your mouth, they will not concentrate on their destination: your audience.

The words need to flow with each other, painting a picture the audience can see, taste and smell. Good punctuation, accurate and succinct descriptions and paragraphs that move the story forward with every sentence all contribute to a story that leaps off the page. An audio conversion will help you spot where the words become stuck.

And here’s a biggie: if you can’t pronounce it, don’t use it! Words we can’t pronounce (and in the case of made-up words/names, at least be able to say without having to memorise an entire website dedicated to their etymology) are easily forgotten and they tend to drag the others down with them too.

23. REMEMBER THIS IS FUN!
There is no joy like writing and if you’ve read this far, you know what I mean. We’re not saying ‘writing something good’ or ‘writing something that gets accepted by a publisher’ – although those have their own joys. But the thrill of inspiration, the hard labour of creating, the growing lines of words across crisp white pages, the three-worded sweetness of balance...

We may write many stories never to see the light of a bookshop until we’re dead and famous. We may never finish a story because the plot just fizzles out and our love for the characters die. And that’s just fine because if the thrill is gone, it’s gone. But there will also be those stories that stalk our heads like a crazed lover, or those that woo our senses like a summer’s day. There will be those we coax out of hiding with patience and titbits on a string, those we wrestle to the page in a mad frenzy and those we flirt with outrageously.

Whatever you’re going through, no matter what anyone else says about your abilities or responsibilities, always remember that there is no joy like writing!

24. IN THE MANUAL
Despair and feelings of hopelessness can sweep us away at anytime – just remember to always have safety lines anchored by your will. Forgive yourself those wobbly-kneed plots, those profound statements written when drunk and that clichéd, sucrose-laden imagery you proudly showed off to your friends. It’s all In The Manual.

Anchor lines could include taking a break – going for a walk, chatting with friends about the hairball the cat brought up or treating yourself to a new pair of shoes/PC game.

Another anchor line could be chatting with other writers either online or people you may know in your community. You’ll soon discover you are all at different levels and experience similar doubts and fears. It’s all In The Manual.

Go crit someone else’s work. You’ll find you’re not the only one making those mistakes! Somewhere, someone is writing worse than you are!

Reading is research, so if you can’t handle the pain of your own work, haul out a favourite story (or a new one) and let yourself be swept away by its honed magic. If you’re not swept away, refer to ‘Crit Someone Else’s Work’.

And remember that you are a writer. It’s nasty and grisly work. Get over it. It’s all In The Manual.

I AM WRITER, HEAR ME WRITE!



We would love to hear from you on whether these tips have helped you or not. We don’t expect everyone to agree with everything, so please share your thoughts. Complimentary views accepted too! If there is a topic you feel should be included here and we’ve neglected to do so, please share your wisdom either in the comments box below or email us: fictionbitz@gmail.com

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