For Beginners Like Me

Not 100% accurate, but close.  

I started my newest project over 30 days ago and although I'm a total newbie, I've learned a few things that could be helpful to other aspiring authors.    

Without further ado, here are a few tips for beginners like me. 

Character Development
When I first started writing, I wanted the reader to be in love with my main character.   After a few weeks, I decided that although the reader should definitely feel something for the character, for me, it doesn't have to be "liking." Right now, I'm okay with the reader being angry, disappointed and/or disgusted by her actions.  I want the story to evoke emotions and those can be either positive or negative...as long as the story is interesting enough for people to continue reading.    

Scrap Notes Doc

I do most of my writing in Google Docs and the Scrap Notes Doc I created has been a lifesaver.  I use my scrap notes doc to cut and paste lines and paragraphs that might not fit at the time, but seem too good to delete.  There have been a few times so far that I went back and used a paragraph or a line that didn't fit when I wrote it but was perfect at another point in the story.  This also helps to keep things organized and under control.  

Keep Things Organized and Under Control

The Scrap Notes Doc is helpful with this.  Its so important for me to keep things organized.  It drives me crazy to see a bunch of random paragraphs and sentences all over my pages.  It also makes it very difficult for me to go back and edit.  When ideas come to me, I jot them down as they come, however, I can only do that for a few days before I have to go back in and organize.  I put pieces of my scenes together and scrap the parts that don't fit.  Its also very helpful because I use the main ideas I've written down to fill in story details later.  

Arrange Scenes in Order 
Since I decided on the plot, my mind has been flooded with ideas for scenes.  They come to me at all hours of the day and night and I try my best to immediately write them down even if its only a line or two.  One thing that helps me is arranging the scenes I have written so far in order.  Even if the whole scene isn't complete, arranging it in order helps keep things flowing and reduce my own confusion.  It also helps me because I can think ahead based on what's already written.

Allow Yourself to Think Ahead...But Not too Far

For me, the plot is constantly unfolding and I still don't know how my story ends. My advice is to let your story build on itself.  Don't try to write all the plot points from A-Z at one time.  When I first started, I had an idea of how I wanted the story to go.  However, a month later, my story is completely different than it was when I first started.  The basic idea is the same but there have been so many changes since then and they all arose on their own.  
When I was tied down to my original plot idea and story ending, it frustrated me when I couldn't get things to fit into that mold.  Once I started to let the story unfold on its own, everything started to flow more freely.  It was amazing.  My characters came to life and the plot has become richer.    

Look for help

There is a virtual writing center on the web for aspiring authors.  Its so awesome that there is so much DETAILED help on the net from other writers.  You can search for tips on any aspect of creative writing and find a wealth of information on how to fix your current problem.  It might be a good idea to do this before you start writing as well.  Incorporate tips from blogs as you write and during the editing phase.  If you read a good tip that works in one situation, try to apply it to other similar situations in your book.  

Get in the Zone!  

Make writing a habit.  Do it everyday.  Some people think its difficult to write everyday but its really not.  If you're trying to eventually write full-time, you'll need to build this skill now in order to make that goal a reality.  Writing everyday keeps things moving forward, keeps the ideas flowing and keeps you excited about your story.  Show up everyday to write like its your job.  Invest this time in yourself and pretty soon it could be your job.  

Do Away with Doubt
This is a tough one for me.  Since I have never written anything besides papers for school, I wonder if I can actually do this.  I know that eventually I will be finished, but will I have written something that others want to read?  Will I have wasted 6 months of my life?  Will my story be good?  Will it make any sense? Is it stupid?   Has someone already written something similar?  So many doubts have crept into my mind during this process. What I do now is chase those thoughts away as soon as they come to me. I've realized that all I can do is write.  I cannot control the outcome. Do everything you can to write the best possible book you can and let the rest go.  

And Finally...

Focus on the process...not the result

Its not going to happen overnight...and probably not over the next 180 nights either.  Give yourself a break.  Unless you're in some contest or have someone pointing a gun at your head, there is no need to rush.  If you do, it will be reflected in your work.  Take the time to learn as much as you can and enjoy this part of the process.  If you pay attention, you will see how much you are learning and how much better you're getting at writing.  You'll be proud of the fact that you could hang in long enough to complete it and amazed by your own abilities.  I'm not even close to finished but I am already super proud of myself for hanging in this long.  *pats self on the back*

Once again, I want it to be clear that I am no expert and these are just a few tips I've come up with through my own process.  Please share your own tips, thoughts and experiences in the comments below :) 

I Think I've Found My Happy Place

Reprinted from Seth Godin's Blog.  Check the original post here: 
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2014/08/end-of-summer-book-roundup.html

If this is true...I'm all in.

I came across this blog post by Seth Godin a few days ago and was instantly inspired.  When I first read the title, I thought it was going to be a post about why authors should be more competitive with each other. Jaded, right? However, once I started reading, I was very pleasantly surprised.  

The post appealed to me because at most of the jobs I've had, I've been faced with a decision: be myself or morph into this corporatized beast who will stab, maim and kill to get "ahead". People I respect and trust have told me that I should always be myself just "not at work." At work, it's okay to be deceptive, its understandable if you lie and above all, do what(ever) you have to do to put yourself in front of someone else. To me, that attitude is the exact recipe for ensuring that nothing good will happen for you.  

When I dropped my daughter off at Penn State last weekend I took a picture of a quote by Joe Paterno that I loved.  It says "Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it won't taste good." To me, that quote is exemplified in Seth's post and I hope its true of this new world I'm about to enter.  I need to be around people who feel that way and most importantly behave that way.  

With this new venture, I'm hoping to be a part of a working world where people don't feel the need to hog everything for themselves.  Where competitors are confident and satisfied enough to be happy for each other.  Of course I want my book to be successful, but that doesn't have to mean that I want someone else's to not be.  It just feels ungrateful. There's enough everything for everyone and me trying to get more than my share isn't good for any of us.  

The bottom line is that I want my success to taste like rainbows, lollipops and sprinkles.  What about you?  Have you ever been in an environment that made you feel you couldn't be true to yourself? How did you handle it? Have you noticed a sense of camaraderie among writers?