Creating a new, fictional world requires a lot of planning: outlines, lists, brainstorming, and character sketches. But one thing I've also found to be very helpful for my new novel is the creation of maps! Maps have been crucial for me to visualize and better understand the world that I am creating — and especially helpful in keeping things straight.
Much like the benefits of outlining your novel before you start, visual representations of your fictional world truly add a lot to an author's ability to conceptualize the story before you really dive into writing. But for me, these maps have been particularly helpful during the writing process itself. Of course, I am not talking about full-color, picture book ready images here. But the more I have gotten into my story, the more detailed my maps and pictures become.
Regardless of what your visuals actually look like, the first benefit of these artistic representations is your heightened ability to visualize what your character is actually seeing. When you first determine the spatial relations of things such as a castle, the size of a city, or of an important room within the story, you then have a better sense of just how long it might take your character to get from one side of the city to another; or just where that secret key should be placed within the room so it is just above eye level. The more I understand the world in which my characters inhabit, the better descriptions and details I will be able to provide. And the better descriptions present within the text, the more my reader will ultimately be able to visualize the world herself.
Not only do these kinds of illustrated aids help me better visualize my characters' world, but they also allow me to keep my story consistent throughout the narrative. If your character only walks down a certain street once somewhere in the first third of your novel, and then, in the last third, you want to have her walk down the same street but head in a different direction it can be easy to forget if she originally went to the left or to the right. So, instead of constantly having to flip back through my pages to uncover this little but important detail, or having to flip through to find many of the other such details present in your book, referring to the map that you've created can be a great help. Not only does it provide consistency, which is definitely a key component of world building, but it also saves you a lot of hassle. It's easy to refer to the map of the square, or the palace, or the kingdom itself in order to make sure I am accurately describing the placement of a certain landmark in relation to another, or how a character would get from one place to another.
One trick that I've found to help me keep things straight as I work through my novel and refer to my variety of maps I've created is the use of cardinal directions, meaning north, south, east, and west. By placing a small compass rose in the corner of my visuals, I've been able to easily understand where everything is geographically and most importantly where things are in relation to one another. In terms of consistency this becomes highly important. Although I do have one map representing the entire world of the story, when I am working on both creating and writing about specific locations such as the castle or the city square, I want to make sure it all lines up correctly. Much like I need to make sure I know if my character took a right or a left to get to her friends house, because I know my character will be traversing the city many times throughout the story, and even go beyond the natural city limits later on in the book, I've found that using the cardinal directions has also proved helpful in remaining consistent.
Writing visually is a key component of all good novels. You want to make sure to place your reader inside your world, allowing them to get a true feel for the place. Maybe I'm not an artist, but your visuals really don't have to be. All you need is a basic sketch of your place, some labeled sections, and really, you're good to go.
These are all tools to help you understand the world better anyway. Because in the end, we're all creating something out of nothing — a place out of no place — so we want the world to be as well thought out and clearly conveyed as possible.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Wednesday's Writing Prompt — Present
Did he simply forget? Or was it out of malice?
What was the gift your character imagined they would receive? Imagine it was something that could have changed her life, or dramatically affected her situation. Or, was it something that would prove the person's love for her? How does she react? Are there people around her? How do they react? What are the ramifications both for your character individually, and the relationship between your character and this person?
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Wednesday's Writing Prompt — Switching Identities
If your character could choose to be anyone else, who would they choose to be? A super hero? A movie star? A professional athlete? A family member? Why would he want to be this person? What is the motivating desire behind his wish? Jealousy or envy? Aspiration or admiration? Boredom with his own life?
Now what would happen if your character could actually become this person, or trade places with him for a day? What would that experience be like? What would your character be forced to encounter that he wasn't prepared for? Perhaps it can only happen in a dream, but what does this switch reveal about your character? What does it change?
Now what would happen if your character could actually become this person, or trade places with him for a day? What would that experience be like? What would your character be forced to encounter that he wasn't prepared for? Perhaps it can only happen in a dream, but what does this switch reveal about your character? What does it change?
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Outlining — The Trick to World Building
The start of a new project means a return to the stage of prep work and research, note taking and just general brainstorming. But this time, as I dive into my novel, I've also incorporated extensive outlining in the early stages of my writing. A divergence from my normal practices, I've found outline to be extremely helpful, going far beyond what I expected and opening up lots of new ideas.
Typically, or, for my past three works, I didn't really do any outlining at all — not in the sense of a chronological, written down game plan of all the things that would happen in my novel or the events I wanted to make sure to get to. My "outlining" instead took place mostly in my mind. I thought about concepts and jotted things down, and overall, had a really strong sense of my story's characters and conflicts by the time I actually started writing. I also kept a decently extensive series of lists of characters, soccer diagrams, and a time line of events. I mean, when you have a whole soccer team to keep track of and you want to make sure that one boy is not being mistake for another, or place someone in the wrong position, those types of lists become pretty important. But these came as I was writing the manuscript, rather than before.
For this project, however, as soon as I got the idea, I know it had to be different. I couldn't just think about things and then take off writing. I had to do a thorough preparation; and a preparation that was entirely different than my usual plan of attack. It's funny how projects can mandate such different approaches, as if the idea was demanding to be treated differently and I just had to acquiesce. But that's what happened, and so, I began my outline. And man, has this outline been helpful!
I still did plenty of mental prep work in which I thought about major questions, characters, conflicts, and the story arc. But when I actually began outlining, I realized just how much this project, or really me — the writer of this story — needs an outline. It has helped me to see the greater story while also narrowing in on important little details and weaving them through the narrative. Because I know exactly (or presumably) what will happen in chapter ten, I am able to write a better chapter one, because I know where the story is going, and just what the reader needs to be aware of from the beginning.
To be honest, my new manuscript is a bit of a divergence from my regular ideas. I am entering into a world of fairy tale, and fantasy, and as such, the presence of an outline helps me to feel more comfortable. I think I need to know more about the plot with this novel, because fairy tales have certain conventions, and building a world that is so different from our own requires a new type of work from me. After talking to my new and truly fantastic mentor for the spring semester, Ms. Lauren Wohl, I was affirmed in my outlining process, particularly for this type of novel. Lauren said that with world building, the details and nuances of a society become more complicated, and outlining, as well as listing and diagraming and even drawing maps can help you build a world that is consistent and most importantly understandable for your reader.
She also mentioned that Walter Dean Myers outlines so meticulously, and with such extensive detail that when it comes time to write the manuscript, he is basically just typing, just connecting all the dots, as his outline is truly the draft of his novel. And not to say that we all have to create such a robust outline, but in many ways, outlining creates the foundation for a novel. It is like a map you draw for yourself to work your way through your novel, and ultimately arrive in your destination of choice.
Outlining has helped me have a clearer picture of my story, and where all the pertinent information needs to be inserted, and what that pertinent information even is at all. It's also inspired new creativity, as while I am working on one section, I often get a brilliant idea for a previous one, or one yet to come.
So perhaps I will continue outlining for every story I write. Who knows? But truly, I love it! Outlining has definitely helped me and I've only just begun.
Typically, or, for my past three works, I didn't really do any outlining at all — not in the sense of a chronological, written down game plan of all the things that would happen in my novel or the events I wanted to make sure to get to. My "outlining" instead took place mostly in my mind. I thought about concepts and jotted things down, and overall, had a really strong sense of my story's characters and conflicts by the time I actually started writing. I also kept a decently extensive series of lists of characters, soccer diagrams, and a time line of events. I mean, when you have a whole soccer team to keep track of and you want to make sure that one boy is not being mistake for another, or place someone in the wrong position, those types of lists become pretty important. But these came as I was writing the manuscript, rather than before.
For this project, however, as soon as I got the idea, I know it had to be different. I couldn't just think about things and then take off writing. I had to do a thorough preparation; and a preparation that was entirely different than my usual plan of attack. It's funny how projects can mandate such different approaches, as if the idea was demanding to be treated differently and I just had to acquiesce. But that's what happened, and so, I began my outline. And man, has this outline been helpful!
I still did plenty of mental prep work in which I thought about major questions, characters, conflicts, and the story arc. But when I actually began outlining, I realized just how much this project, or really me — the writer of this story — needs an outline. It has helped me to see the greater story while also narrowing in on important little details and weaving them through the narrative. Because I know exactly (or presumably) what will happen in chapter ten, I am able to write a better chapter one, because I know where the story is going, and just what the reader needs to be aware of from the beginning.
To be honest, my new manuscript is a bit of a divergence from my regular ideas. I am entering into a world of fairy tale, and fantasy, and as such, the presence of an outline helps me to feel more comfortable. I think I need to know more about the plot with this novel, because fairy tales have certain conventions, and building a world that is so different from our own requires a new type of work from me. After talking to my new and truly fantastic mentor for the spring semester, Ms. Lauren Wohl, I was affirmed in my outlining process, particularly for this type of novel. Lauren said that with world building, the details and nuances of a society become more complicated, and outlining, as well as listing and diagraming and even drawing maps can help you build a world that is consistent and most importantly understandable for your reader.
She also mentioned that Walter Dean Myers outlines so meticulously, and with such extensive detail that when it comes time to write the manuscript, he is basically just typing, just connecting all the dots, as his outline is truly the draft of his novel. And not to say that we all have to create such a robust outline, but in many ways, outlining creates the foundation for a novel. It is like a map you draw for yourself to work your way through your novel, and ultimately arrive in your destination of choice.
Outlining has helped me have a clearer picture of my story, and where all the pertinent information needs to be inserted, and what that pertinent information even is at all. It's also inspired new creativity, as while I am working on one section, I often get a brilliant idea for a previous one, or one yet to come.
So perhaps I will continue outlining for every story I write. Who knows? But truly, I love it! Outlining has definitely helped me and I've only just begun.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Writing Prompt — Decorations
What holiday does your character celebrate? And how does she decorate for the holiday? Write a scene in which your character chooses, unpacks, or hangs decorations. Does she do this alone or does she have help? Is she the more enthusiastic party, or is someone forcing her to participate in the decorating? Do the decorations remind her of a past time, or excite her for an upcoming celebration? If the holidays don't fall into the time frame of your story, pick another holiday. Perhaps something less celebrated like Arbor Day. Create a fun decoration idea, and explore how you can reveal your character or move the plot forward through the scene. Sunday, December 9, 2012
All About Agents — Why They're Important and Where to Start Your Search
Hello, friends! I hope you've had a good week with all of the things you're doing and just life in general. It was good for me to officially wrap up my classes, and now begin the transition into the new phase of looking for agents and starting my next book. Many of my friends have asked me questions about just what agents do and how they work for you as a writer. So I thought I'd blog a bit about that this week, while also discussing just where to go about gathering info about agents and trying to find the one that is best for you.
So, to start, here's a brief/simplified summary of what agents do and why they are helpful: Before, a writer used to be able to send their submission materials directly to a publishing house. Then, the editors would look through what was commonly called the "slush pile" and find your work and contact you. Of course, this is a bit of a simplified summary, but basically that's how it worked. Today, while some publishing companies still accept what are called "unsolicited manuscripts" when you just send your material in blindly, most no longer accept these, meaning you can't just send your materials in and hope someone will pick up your work. So this is where agents come into play.
Agents provide the link between authors and publishing houses. So instead of sending your materials to a publisher, now you send them to different agencies, hoping that an agent will like your letter and sample and want to see more of your work. If they then like your manuscript, and you both agree that you would like to work with one another, then your agent will be the one to reach out to the different editors at publishing companies and pitch your work. An agent thus serves as your representative, and in the eyes of the publisher, as someone who has pre-approved your work. Having an agent show your work to an editor may not mean it is right for their house or their current list, but it gives them the opportunity to receive a short pitch of the idea from a trusted colleague, rather than the more intensive process of sorting through the submissions themselves.
That's the short summary of what an agent does, but how do you go about getting an agent in the first place? Well, when you're ready to start the process of searching for an agent, checking to see who represents your favorite authors or books that are like the one you have written can be a great place to start. Thanks to social media and author's websites, a lot of this information is online. Authors tend to list their agent's name in their short bio of their Twitter page, or somewhere on their website or blog. Once you've collected a list of agents who represent your kind of work, it's worth checking into and reading the different agency websites to get a deeper idea of just what these agencies focus on, what they are like in terms of working with their authors, and what types of books they are currently looking for. Query Tracker is also a great resource for you to explore, as it allows you to sort through the lists of agents by genre or target age group, as well as providing a direct link to the agency websites, thus taking out a lot of the searching process.
For most people, finding an agent is an important part of the writing process. Of course, there are situations in which you could submit directly to an editor that you've met or established a relationship with, but with the way the publishing world is today, I would say that agents would benefit the majority of us writers out there. Particularly those who have yet to be published.
Putting your work out there can be a daunting task. You never know how many rejections you might receive, but you also never know just who might love your work and want to represent you. I'll be honest and say that while I've been preparing and planning to submit to agents for quite some time, now that I am here and my manuscript is polished and ready to go, I definitely have a fair amount of trepidation going into this. But I think those feelings of fear have more to do with how much I want to get published and less to do with the fear of rejection. Like many others, I know that I have worked so hard and poured myself into these pages, so the hope of them getting published and being read by others is so real that it can get a bit scary.
I personally believe that the best things in life, and the things you want the most, often are quite frightening when they finally appear in front of you. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't go for them, or that they aren't as good as you thought they were. I think this falls somewhere in that category. Searching for an agent could be the beginning of a wonderful journey that leads me to some of my dreams. And it could also be hard and not quite what I would have imagined. But that doesn't mean that I shouldn't try and try hard. You have to work for what you want, and you have to stay true to what you love. So hopefully, one day, I'll be able to tell you all about how wonderful it feels when someone decides they want to publish my book. But for right now, the important part is just taking the first step and putting my work out there. So that's what I'm doing. And I hope you'll do the same thing, too.
So, to start, here's a brief/simplified summary of what agents do and why they are helpful: Before, a writer used to be able to send their submission materials directly to a publishing house. Then, the editors would look through what was commonly called the "slush pile" and find your work and contact you. Of course, this is a bit of a simplified summary, but basically that's how it worked. Today, while some publishing companies still accept what are called "unsolicited manuscripts" when you just send your material in blindly, most no longer accept these, meaning you can't just send your materials in and hope someone will pick up your work. So this is where agents come into play.
Agents provide the link between authors and publishing houses. So instead of sending your materials to a publisher, now you send them to different agencies, hoping that an agent will like your letter and sample and want to see more of your work. If they then like your manuscript, and you both agree that you would like to work with one another, then your agent will be the one to reach out to the different editors at publishing companies and pitch your work. An agent thus serves as your representative, and in the eyes of the publisher, as someone who has pre-approved your work. Having an agent show your work to an editor may not mean it is right for their house or their current list, but it gives them the opportunity to receive a short pitch of the idea from a trusted colleague, rather than the more intensive process of sorting through the submissions themselves.
That's the short summary of what an agent does, but how do you go about getting an agent in the first place? Well, when you're ready to start the process of searching for an agent, checking to see who represents your favorite authors or books that are like the one you have written can be a great place to start. Thanks to social media and author's websites, a lot of this information is online. Authors tend to list their agent's name in their short bio of their Twitter page, or somewhere on their website or blog. Once you've collected a list of agents who represent your kind of work, it's worth checking into and reading the different agency websites to get a deeper idea of just what these agencies focus on, what they are like in terms of working with their authors, and what types of books they are currently looking for. Query Tracker is also a great resource for you to explore, as it allows you to sort through the lists of agents by genre or target age group, as well as providing a direct link to the agency websites, thus taking out a lot of the searching process.
For most people, finding an agent is an important part of the writing process. Of course, there are situations in which you could submit directly to an editor that you've met or established a relationship with, but with the way the publishing world is today, I would say that agents would benefit the majority of us writers out there. Particularly those who have yet to be published.
Putting your work out there can be a daunting task. You never know how many rejections you might receive, but you also never know just who might love your work and want to represent you. I'll be honest and say that while I've been preparing and planning to submit to agents for quite some time, now that I am here and my manuscript is polished and ready to go, I definitely have a fair amount of trepidation going into this. But I think those feelings of fear have more to do with how much I want to get published and less to do with the fear of rejection. Like many others, I know that I have worked so hard and poured myself into these pages, so the hope of them getting published and being read by others is so real that it can get a bit scary.
I personally believe that the best things in life, and the things you want the most, often are quite frightening when they finally appear in front of you. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't go for them, or that they aren't as good as you thought they were. I think this falls somewhere in that category. Searching for an agent could be the beginning of a wonderful journey that leads me to some of my dreams. And it could also be hard and not quite what I would have imagined. But that doesn't mean that I shouldn't try and try hard. You have to work for what you want, and you have to stay true to what you love. So hopefully, one day, I'll be able to tell you all about how wonderful it feels when someone decides they want to publish my book. But for right now, the important part is just taking the first step and putting my work out there. So that's what I'm doing. And I hope you'll do the same thing, too.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Writing Prompt — Teacher
Imagine this teacher has been away for whatever amount of time and now returns either to your character's delight or dismay. Has this teacher returned to teach your character a new life lesson? Is this teacher not the person who your character remembered? Does he twist the plot and disrupt your character's life? Play with the ways this teacher affects your character, both emotionally and situationally.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Shifting Gears — From Finishing to Beginning
Hello, everyone, and happy December! It's amazing how quickly these last few months have flown by, and just how much has happened during that time. As we move into the holiday season, and into the new year, I can contentedly say that I am finished with the final revision of my novel, and moving onto starting the next! Of course, this season will bring an interesting time known as the agent search, and hopefully some rest as well, but as I leave this one project and start on the next, I have begun to think about just how wrapping up one project provides a natural segue to the next.
As a writer, I think it is super important to always be thinking about future projects as you dive into your current one. Part of this goes back to the idea that you never know which novel, and which idea, will be the one that gets you an agent, or a contract, or a widespread readership. But also, being forward thinking and eager to create new, good ideas helps you in your commitment to the craft. Writing is no easy thing, and while it is great to take some time to celebrate your accomplishment of writing or revising your manuscript, you also want to make sure that you keep writing. There is no better way to become a better writer than to simply write more. I know this sounds totally cliche, but the more I write, the more I realize just how true this is.
Right now, I am waiting on the final comments from my mentor and then will officially be done with this novel. And part of me would love to kick back and relax for the next two months as I will admit I am quite tired from the hectic schedule of this past semester. But at the same time, I know it is time to move onto the next project and begin the process again.
I definitely think I am ready to move on from revision and begin writing something new again. While revision can be great, agonizing over sentence level details and deciding if the word "just" should go before or after the verb, and rereading a sentence with and without a contraction is really only fun for so long — at least for me anyways. You can really drive yourself crazy spending so much time on just one word placement when there are thousands of words you need to work through. Of course, this is not to say that revision can't have its great moments, but for now, I know I am ready to jump into the phase of creating anew, and leaving the meticulous nature revision behind.
I've heard some people say that after working with a project for so long, sometimes it can be hard to leave that world behind, with all of its characters and storylines and nuances that have really become a vivid reality to the author. I know I've spent a lot of time in my own fictional world and can see just how true this might be. But right now, because these three months of revision has been so intense and I feel at peace with where the story is at, I am happy to take a break and leave Carter and his world behind. But much like the way that every draft gets better, and your knowledge and craft of writing continually grows and builds upon itself, I think that Carter, and the stories I've written before, will always be part of the fabric of what I write next. They will never truly be left behind.
Your books become part of the fabric of who you are. And while some people might scoff at this idea as overly dramatic, it is really no different than the way that experiences and memories come to shape each of us. What you write, what you spend your time doing, all the things you think about, and all the lessons you learn about writing will carry on to the next project. However latent the role of these past projects become, they will always be part of your creative self, reminding you of the lessons you've learned and helping to shape your characters into more interesting ones and your plot into one of intrigue and action.
So as I move from the end of one project to the beginning of the next, I am confident that while I will face new challenges that I might not have dealt with before, I am better equipped to the write the story I am planning to write, and to write it well. It is time for the beginning of a new project, and thus I will take the lessons I've learned from Blinding and bring them forth into my new fictional world where characters will be created and imaginary lives will be changed. So wish me luck! Here's to many new lessons, new stories, and hopefully, even stronger writing :)
As a writer, I think it is super important to always be thinking about future projects as you dive into your current one. Part of this goes back to the idea that you never know which novel, and which idea, will be the one that gets you an agent, or a contract, or a widespread readership. But also, being forward thinking and eager to create new, good ideas helps you in your commitment to the craft. Writing is no easy thing, and while it is great to take some time to celebrate your accomplishment of writing or revising your manuscript, you also want to make sure that you keep writing. There is no better way to become a better writer than to simply write more. I know this sounds totally cliche, but the more I write, the more I realize just how true this is.
Right now, I am waiting on the final comments from my mentor and then will officially be done with this novel. And part of me would love to kick back and relax for the next two months as I will admit I am quite tired from the hectic schedule of this past semester. But at the same time, I know it is time to move onto the next project and begin the process again.
I definitely think I am ready to move on from revision and begin writing something new again. While revision can be great, agonizing over sentence level details and deciding if the word "just" should go before or after the verb, and rereading a sentence with and without a contraction is really only fun for so long — at least for me anyways. You can really drive yourself crazy spending so much time on just one word placement when there are thousands of words you need to work through. Of course, this is not to say that revision can't have its great moments, but for now, I know I am ready to jump into the phase of creating anew, and leaving the meticulous nature revision behind.
I've heard some people say that after working with a project for so long, sometimes it can be hard to leave that world behind, with all of its characters and storylines and nuances that have really become a vivid reality to the author. I know I've spent a lot of time in my own fictional world and can see just how true this might be. But right now, because these three months of revision has been so intense and I feel at peace with where the story is at, I am happy to take a break and leave Carter and his world behind. But much like the way that every draft gets better, and your knowledge and craft of writing continually grows and builds upon itself, I think that Carter, and the stories I've written before, will always be part of the fabric of what I write next. They will never truly be left behind.
Your books become part of the fabric of who you are. And while some people might scoff at this idea as overly dramatic, it is really no different than the way that experiences and memories come to shape each of us. What you write, what you spend your time doing, all the things you think about, and all the lessons you learn about writing will carry on to the next project. However latent the role of these past projects become, they will always be part of your creative self, reminding you of the lessons you've learned and helping to shape your characters into more interesting ones and your plot into one of intrigue and action.
So as I move from the end of one project to the beginning of the next, I am confident that while I will face new challenges that I might not have dealt with before, I am better equipped to the write the story I am planning to write, and to write it well. It is time for the beginning of a new project, and thus I will take the lessons I've learned from Blinding and bring them forth into my new fictional world where characters will be created and imaginary lives will be changed. So wish me luck! Here's to many new lessons, new stories, and hopefully, even stronger writing :)
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