Starting a new book is like falling in love all over again. I mentioned before that I re-visit my characters from previous books occasionally, just to say “hi.” After all, I was in love with them once. It’s like running into your high-school boyfriend (unless he was a complete dog) and feeling that rush of affection for what once was. They will always hold a special place in your heart. You move on, though, and meet new characters (literary and real) and you fall in love again. Recently, I had some time off and started a new book. I had a beginning, a middle, and an end all queued in my mind. I was developing the characters. I had a purpose. What I didn’t have was love. Writing every day became a chore. I dated a guy once who became a chore. I had run out of things to say to him and even going to see a movie was painful. I had thought that I would like being with him, but I was wrong. There was just no connection. So I moved on–from the guy and from my book. As much as it pained me to give up on a book that I had dedicated so much time to, I set it aside. Within 24 hours, new characters came knocking in my brain, and I can’t stop writing. I wake up early, anxious to get back to the story. When I’m not writing, I think about my characters and how long it will be before I can get back to them. I’m falling in love all over again.
Tag Archives: writing tips
Creating Conflict
I am the most non-confrontational person you will ever meet. I will walk a mile out of my way to avoid facing conflict. In fact, my secret power is the ability to hold grudges. I could do a lecture series on how to hold grudges for amazingly long amounts of time. So you can see why one of my biggest challenges as a writer is introducing conflict into a story line. There are times that I find myself writing pages and pages about how wonderfully the main characters are getting along. Twenty pages later, I think to myself, “Who would want to read this crap?” We want harmony in our own lives but we need conflict in our books. We want to see our main character face challenges and learn how to lift herself/himself above them. We have nothing to cheer for if the character has not been given something to fight for. So, while others might daydream of upcoming vacations, the love of their life, or winning the lottery, I am imagining conflicts and satisfying resolutions. Everyday me could probably learn something from writer me.
Finishing a novel…
Finishing a book is just like you took a child out in the back yard and shot it.- Truman Capote
I probably would have found a different way of saying it (Capote and I have different writing styles!) but I had to laugh when I read this quote. Despite the “ouch” factor, his words are true. It is so difficult to write the ending of novel. You are saying good-bye to your friends, your enemies, and your family. You want to do them justice and give them a deserving send-off, all while figuring out a way to live without them. I will admit that I cried while I wrote the end of “The Happiest Day.” All right, I sobbed. I wondered how Rachel could go on. Fine, I wondered how I could go on. I usually go through a bit of a withdrawal after finishing a book. Remember when you were a teenager and after a boy broke up with you, you drove by his house a few times? That’s what I do with my finished novels. I go back and read bits and parts. I’m just visiting, I tell myself. However, usually within a few days, there is a knock at the door of my brain and a whole new cast of characters moves in.
Writing every day…
You hear it from every successful author: you must write every day. In the beginning, I didn’t follow the advice. I had every excuse. I was busy being a wife, a mother, a full-time employee. The house was dirty, I had to go grocery shopping, The Walking Dead was on. Suddenly, I had a computer full of half-written novels to my credit. I worried about my work ethic. Why couldn’t I finish a novel? Then I tried something new. I began writing every day. I set a goal of 2000 words a day and I must admit that some days were pretty difficult. Just like any other change to one’s habits, it got easier as time went by. Then something amazing happened. I began finishing novels! I realized that by writing every day I was staying engaged with my characters. They stayed alive in my imagination, they talked to me every day. They didn’t get bored waiting for me to find time to spend with them. You have to nurture your writing and give your story the respect and attention it deserves. So my advice? Write every day. Make an appointment with yourself. Stack the dishes, DVR your favorite shows, lock yourself away from all distractions, and write, write, write.
Handling Bad Reviews
“From my close observation of writers… they fall into two groups: 1) those who bleed copiously and visibly at any bad review, and 2) those who bleed copiously and secretly at any bad review.”
― Isaac Asimov
In my opinion, one of the great mysteries of life is how to handle a bad review. I’ve heard it all: we should use bad reviews constructively to improve our writing, we should ignore bad reviews, we should embrace bad reviews, blah, blah, blah…
The simple truth is, bad reviews hurt. You’ve spent months, even years, turning the thoughts in your mind into a story. Hopefully, it’s a story that you like (if not, you should consider who it really is that you’re writing for) and you put it out there, hoping that everyone else likes your creation. You devour the good reviews like a jumbo sized bag of M&Ms. They feed your ego. You begin to believe that you’re the next Hemingway. Then one bad review, stops the train with a screeching halt. Like a cow stuck in the middle of the tracks, you can’t get past it. Why didn’t they like it? Why didn’t they like me?
The best advice I can give is, LET IT GO. Crumple it up in your head like a piece of paper and throw it in the virtual trash. Remind yourself why you write and for whom you write. Think about books that you didn’t like and how quickly you moved on from reading a bad book. As a writer, if you must read the bad reviews, read them and then just move on. You can’t please everyone, any more than everyone can please you.
That having been said, bad reviews still hurt. The negativity of one has the power to wipe every good review right from your memory. So I’ve developed a strategy. I have my husband read the reviews. If it’s a bad one, he says things like “They don’t know what they’re talking about” or “They weren’t even constructive, they’re just being mean.” You always need a loyal friend in your corner to soothe the hurt, to protect you from the barbs. I allow myself a few minutes of self-pity, then I turn back to my computer and keep on writing.
Sandy Huth 