When Writing a Story Are too Many Characters a Good Idea or Not?

    When first starting to write a book one of the first two things you should look at is your characters and your world building.  Now, with characters, this can be somewhat hard when you are first creating them because a lot of times you might have a particular character in mind, but usually, the supporting characters generally are the problem.  The reason I say this is sometimes you create a story for a character so that the story has everyday substance.  For example, we wouldn't want our reader to think our main character doesn't have any friends unless this is the kind of story you are writing.  The other thing you have to consider when adding characters that there has to be a reason for having them.  I have to admit sometimes when I am reading a book and find that there are a lot of characters being thrown at me all at once that I have a tendency not to want to read this book.  Now, I realize this is just my opinion, but when reading a book I like when characters are slowly presented to me.  I hate reading a book when a character is presented to me and in the end, I discover that the book didn't need the character to be successful.  In fact, I wondered why the character was even in the book.  (Here is a video below that talks about this).

     So when writing a book you need to consider if the characters that you are creating for it are really necessary, or if there is another way to tell your story without some of the characters that you want in your book.  Don't get me wrong, if you want a lot of characters I would suggest spreading them out, and also making each character with different types of characteristics.  When two characters are similar this can cause a problem as well to your reader.  Then the other thing is their names.  You've got to be careful that your names are not so similar to another character because this can cause a problem as well with giving your readers a lot of confusion.

    In my next blog article, I am going to talk about naming your characters and how important this can be to your book.

    So stay tuned!

 

How to Avoid Distractions When You are Writing a Book

        When sitting down to write often times we find that there are so many distractions that getting any writing done just doesn't happen.  I don't care where you write, whether it is your home, office, or some other place there will always be some sort of distraction which will prevent you from getting the writing done that you are attempting to accomplish.  And, if all that isn't bad enough, you have to hope that you and your family stay healthy throughout your writing project.  I can't tell you how many times being sick can interfere with whatever you are attempting to write; not to mention all the times you find yourself tired from working a long, hard day.  

     So if you want to get more writing done without too many distractions, I found a video that has helped me a great deal with doing just that. (See video below)

     And here is another video that offers 10 tips for avoiding distractions when writing that I also found has been quite helpful to me, and just might help you as well.

     Personally, some times I find that the best way to avoid distractions is to wear a pair of headphones and play some soft music as I write.  I don't know why this seems to help but it does.

     Hopefully you have found some tips and techniques from this article that you can use to help you avoid distractions when writing.  If there is something that you do that wasn't mentioned above I hope you will leave me a comment and tell me what you do.  Thanks.

     In my next blog article, I am going to discuss if it is a good idea to have a lot of characters or just a few in your story.

     So stay tuned!

Writer's: Why Do You Want to Write and Publish a Book?

   When self-publishing made a drastic change back in 2009' with the electronic, digital download of something called the eBooks the world of publishing changed.  Then self-publishing took a major turn when an author by the name of Amanda Hocking came along and took the world of self-publishing by storm.  If you don't know who she is, here is a video below of one of her earlier interviews from 2011' on her self-publishing success.

     Amanda Hocking proved that self-published authors really could make a veritable success online without a traditional publisher.  Yes, she admits she tried the route of traditional publishing without any success and decided just to try her hand at self-publishing.  She had no idea at the time that it would change her life the way it did.  Not only that but eventually a traditional publisher did come knocking and she decided to sign with them.

    So when new writers ask me if they self-publish whether it would hurt their chances of ever getting traditionally published I always refer them to the Amanda Hocking story.  There are a few other self-published authors that started with self-publishing and went on to be approached by traditional publishers.  One of the most notable self-published authors to do this was E.L. James when she first self-published "Fifty Shades of Grey", which later was picked up by Vintage Penguin Random House. 

     If you would have asked either one of these ladies if they ever thought they would have had the success in publishing their book through self-publishing, in the beginning, I am sure they could have said no.  So now as I write this today many people have self-published at least one book, if not more.  What was interesting for most people was that they now see publishing their book as a dream come true.  Although, I have heard some authors say that some people who publish are just out for the money and don't really care about the quality they are presenting to possible readers.  One item, in particular, is the writer who publishes using a ghostwriter.  (See video below about this subject).

     Now I'm here to tell you that ghostwriting has been going on even with traditional publishing and there is nothing that says you can't have someone else write your book.  So this particular self-publishing industry exists and many authors using a ghostwriter this way are making a whole lot of money.

     Some authors hate this and some have no problem with it.  I personally wouldn't use a ghostwriter because being a published author is something I had wanted to be since I was in 3rd grade.  Sharing my own stories are extremely important to me.  I'm the kind of creative person that if I ever did contemplate using a ghostwriter that it probably wouldn't help me because I would end up re-writing what the ghostwriter wrote.  (Creating a story of my own is my passion).  

     Have you published a book?  Did you write it yourself?  Do you have any problem with using a ghostwriter? 

     There are many reasons why today people are jumping on the bandwagon to self-publishing, and believe it or not, there has never been a better time to do just that.  So whether you are writing a book yourself or using a ghostwriter the wave of self-publishing is still growing every day. 

     I found this podcast yesterday given by the owner of smashwords.com (Mark Coker) who says today has never been a better time to publish.  I've been listening to this podcast and the free information he is giving to authors, as well as upcoming authors in this podcast is invaluable.  If you would like to start listening to this see below for URL.

https://www.smashwords.com/podcast

     Whatever your reason or reasons might be for wanting to be a published author just know that as long as there are people who love to read, your book has the chance of being read by someone.  So if you are still working on writing your first book, keep plugging away because readers are waiting.

     In my next blog article, I am going to discuss how to avoid distractions when you are writing a book.

     So stay tuned!

     

  

How to Persevere as a Writer When You Want to Give Up

   I know I have said this many times on this blog, but writing a book is hard.  What makes it so hard is the time you have to devote to your creative endeavor.  Just because writing is my passion it doesn't mean that I don't have times when I doubt myself and wonder if I should continue writing.  Then I realize that I would be totally lost without it.  Yes, sometimes I have to walk away from my writing for a time, but I always find my way back to it.  I was happy to see that I am not the only author who ever felt this way.  (Here is a video of a fellow, self-published author who has felt this way at times also).
 

     I have also found that most new writers who have never published anything have a higher doubt of wanting to quit as they go through the process of writing their first book to completion, and then having to continue with fine-tuning, editing, and all the other things a writer has to do to get published.  And, if you are planning on self-publishing, then it will be even harder when you aren't sure about all the things you have to do to get published this way, and all the things you have to do after you self-published.  Believe me, you have to really have a love for writing in order to deal with all the headache that will follow you around when you are in this process.  If writing the book wasn't hard enough, the other part is just as hard.

     I have had newbie writers tell me that they have abandoned their writing of a book because they felt it was just too hard, and that in all honesty, they were just plain scared.  Yeah, I can relate.  There was a time that the thought of publishing something that I had written for the whole world to read was extremely difficult and horrifying.  Yes, horrifying!  Don't get me wrong, I always wanted to be a published author since third grade and just because self-publishing is a whole lot easier today than when I was younger, it doesn't mean that this made it easier for me.  It is one thing when you are writing a book and you love your story, but it is another thing having others read it.  Let's face it, not everything you write will appeal to everyone and that is one of the biggest reasons why writing a book is so difficult.  There will be people who read your book that will judge and analyze it to death. (Nobody likes to be judged this way, but as writer's we are subjected to this).

     I have also talked to newbie writers who have told me that they have actually finished writing their book and have fine-tuned it to perfection, but the thought of taking that next step of either trying to get traditionally published or self-published makes them drag their feet to the point of just taking their manuscript and placing it in a drawer.

     Taking that leap of faith in one's ability in anything is difficult, but taking that first step to sharing your story is another.  This is usually when I hear a writer say that they decided not to pursue publishing their book at all.  Oh, don't get me wrong, they will admit that they did go as far as having a paperback created on createspace.com and sharing it with their family, but this is usually as far as it ever goes.

     I chalk all of this up to the PERFECTIONIST WRITER syndrome.  If you haven't read my previous article about this you still can HERE!  The best advice I can give you if you are dragging your feet, and are just downright scared of publishing your book, is to just keep moving and progressing forward even if you have to take baby steps to get there.

     One last thing, don't just publish one book thinking that you will take off to a million dollar career.  I have news for you, this rarely, if ever, happens.  If you write a book and finish it...GREAT...now write another, and another, and another.  Don't stop no matter what because there will be times when you want to, but just remember if you truly love writing then just do it regardless of whether people are buying and reading your book or not!

     In my next blog entry, I am going to talk about writing and publishing a book, and why so many people today want to be published authors. Some people write for the love of it.  Some write to become rich. Some write because they want to share their story, and some don't really know why if you ask them.

     So stay tuned!

Writer's Block and How to Deal With it!

       If you are a writer then I don't have to tell you how difficult it can be when you suffer from writer's block.  In fact, I saw something funny in regards to this and it made me laugh.  It said:  "Writer's Block happens when your characters stop talking to you".  I guess in a way this is true, at least for me it is.

     So what should a writer do when this happens?  I have had some writer's tell me that they have abandoned their writing project altogether, which actually surprised me.  For me, when I hit a writer's block I do several things.  First, since I am a writer that writes every day I am here to admit that I generally work on several books throughout my day. When writer's block occurs in one book, I jump to another book that I am working on and this I have found has helped me.  Another thing I do is take a break and try to clear my head.  I have found that usually when writer's block hits me it is because I am either tired or my mind is locked on something else in the story that is further up ahead and it is stopping me from working on the current scene.  There are times I'll just work on the scene ahead in my notes which I find unlocks my brain from the current scene that I am trying to write. (Here is a video below that offers some cures for conquering writer's block).

     In all honesty, I think the biggest reason for writer's block for me and I'm sure for some others writer's is that your brain is just plain tired.  So does this mean you should stop writing?  NO!  Like I said, trying to clear the mind by doing something else and then coming back to write might just help you.  And the only other suggestion I can give you is since writer's block usually happens in your first draft just give yourself permission to write some garbage while telling yourself that you will fix it in the second draft.  When I have done this I have found when I finally got around to working on the second draft of my story I can generally fix this garbage.  The other thing I have done in the past is I just type parenthesis and make a note of what I think should be written in this scene and close the parenthesis.  Then I move on with my story.  This has worked because like I said by the time I usually get to the second draft I'm ready to write this scene, or I have an entirely different idea by then.

     Whatever you do to try to cure your writer's block, the best advice I can give you is to not ever stop writing and to never give up.  The story that you are writing came from somewhere, so believe me wherever it came from the rest of it is locked somewhere in your subconscious and if you just give it the time it needs it will get onto your paper.  Good Luck.

    In my next blog article, I am going to discuss when you are writing and you get that feeling that you just want to give up and quit writing altogether. And, what you can do to persevere through this.

    So stay tuned!

How to Stay Sane While Writing a Book

   As a self-published author, I can tell you from my own personal experience that when writing a book sometimes you feel as if for some reason you are being taken over.  Okay, maybe not exactly, but there are times when I am writing I find myself going down a path that seems to be so far from anything I would have ever thought about writing. (You see, I am more a pantser than a plotter.  I generally like to write from the seat of my pants.  Most of the time my idea of an outline consists of a beginning, a few notes, and if I am lucky I will have an idea for an ending.  Whereas, the plotter will outline every detail all the way to the end of their story.  This just doesn't work for me). 
 
     I have found that because I am a pantser that a lot of times I start writing something and then all of a sudden my story turns into the complete opposite from anything I would have ever thought.  For example my erotica book:  "The Ugly Side of Paradise", I would have never thought in a million years that this was something that I would have ever considered writing.  Yes, I generally write in the romance genre and there is usually sex in the books that I write, but to write a book like the "The Ugly Side of Paradise" filled with a whole lot of sex and foul language was just not something that if someone would have told me a few months before I ever started writing this book that I would, I most definitely would have told them NO WAY!

     So have any of you had this happen to you?  You start writing and then you're led into some other type of story?  Did this story change work for you?  Did it make you somewhat uncomfortable?  Did you write it anyway; only to not ever show it to anyone?

     Then there is the situation as you write the sick, sadistic, slimy story how to keep your sanity throughout it.  Yes, you can always stop writing it, but for me, for some reason, I felt driven to write "The Ugly Side of Paradise".  Every time I tried to abandon this story my brain wouldn't let me until this book was finished.  You would have then thought that I wouldn't have gone on to publish it, right?  Well, if you've been reading this blog then you know I did, in fact, publish this book.  You could only imagine what it was like for me to find the right beta readers to read it.  

     Anyway keeping one's sanity as you write a book like this is not too easy to do.  I knew when I decided to write this book and publish it that I was going to use a pen name.  (You can still read the article about pen names and whether they are a good idea from a previous article on this blog HERE)!

     I have to admit here that when writing a book about a subject that you generally don't write can be harder than the average story that you usually write.  In fact, I found that I had to take many breaks, and when I wrote this book I sort of had to separate myself from it.  I guess what I am saying is that sometimes when you write outside your comfort zone you have to basically become someone else.  Luckily, when I decided to use a pen name I just told myself E.S. Hart was the type to write this sort of book even if I wasn't.(lol)  I know this probably sound sort of strange since E.S. Hart and I are one in the same, but if you are a writer I'm sure on some level you understand what I am saying here, especially if you are using a pen name as well .

    So in the end, when writing a story that you wouldn't usually see yourself writing, try to take a break every hour for at least five to ten minutes and do something that would get you away from it like; taking a walk outside, reading someone else's book that is more uplifting, or what I like to do is watch an uplifting, music video like the one below:

     Sometimes this even helps when you are having writer's block and just need to clear your head.  Whatever you do breaking up the monotony this way generally will help you in the long run.  (At least it does for me).

    In my next blog entry, I'm going to talk about writer's block and how to deal with it.

    So stay tuned!

Writer's: Are You Ready for NaNoWriMo?

     If you don't know what NaNoWriMo is, it stands for "National Novel Writing Month", and it is a time when writers from all over the world and all ages will participate in writing a novel with at least 50,000 words in one month.  Now I have to admit here that I have never participated in this event, but if you are interested you can still sign up since this doesn't start until November 1st.

Go here:  https://nanowrimo.org

     I will not be participating again on the actual site, although I do try to write more in the month of November since it has been declared as National Novel Writing Month.  One of the reasons I've never actually participated in this is because I don't like placing a strain on my creativity.  Don't get me wrong, I think NaNoWriMo is a great event.  I think anything that helps people from all ages and all walks of life to write and enhance literacy is a good thing. It's just that as a writer, I already place enough on me to getting a book written and published that I personally don't like to have to deal with whether or not I make it to 50,000 words in one month or not.  (Here is a video below that I found on youtube from a fellow writer who feels basically the way I do about NaNoWriMo):

     Anyway, to those of you who are planning or already have registered on the NaNoWriMo.org site and will be participating GOOD LUCK!  (Here is a video that just might help you win NaNoWriMo).

     I think the Tips about Sprints are a good idea.  In fact, I'm going to start doing this when I write every day regardless of NaNoWriMo. Since I will be at least trying to write more during the month of November, I decided to start writing a new book, even though I am currently writing a historical, romance novel.  There is this book that I had written some notes on back in 2007' in longhand.  The notes are a couple of pages and I thought I would begin this book on November 1, 2017, when NaNoWriMo starts and see just how far I'll get in the one month.  I figure if I don't get to 50,000 words at the end of the month I know I will be farther than a couple of pages of notes that I currently have.  The book will be a medical romance, and since I'm not going to be registering on the Nanowrimo site, I decided that I would blog my progress here and let you know just how far I get from time to time until the end of November 2017.

     So whether you participate in NaNoWriMo or not, I hope you at least write a little bit more in the month of November like I am going to try to do.  Who knows I just might be able to do 50,000 words or more even if I don't sign up on the actual NaNoWriMo site.

     In my next blog entry, I am going to talk about how to stay sane while writing a book.  I think this article might help you when you start down your path with writing 50,000 words for NaNoWriMo or whenever you are writing.

     So stay tuned!