writingtips

If you like to create characters and the world in which they live, then writing a novel doesn't have to be hard. It is time consuming and requires dedication, but it is also rewarding. I've been writing for many years and don't have any regrets. I saw my dream come true when my first romance was published and you can, too. Hopefully, some of the following can help.

Character Building: Romance novels have a hero and heroine and many have a villain. I give my characters a past; how they got from birth to where they are when the story begins. I give them likes and dislikes, jobs, goals for the future and why they want to obtain this goal, family and friends. I try to make them as real as possible, and with flaws. Some writers prepare a questionnaire and then have their characters answer the questions, but I don't go this route. I use a notebook to flesh out their appearance and past and then I spell out their goals, motivations and conflicts for the beginning of the story and how they change through the course of the story. Most times, I don't use every little thing in the story, but when I'm finished creating these people, I know them well.

I also do the same for my secondary characters, only not as much in depth. Here, I design their appearance, past and relation they have to the story. I don't use everything about these people in the story, but if Character G is only mentioned once, I know who he/she is, why he/she is in a particular scene and the value he/she adds to the scene.

World building: This is the most fun, especially if the place is fictional. I start out small, usually where the hero or heroine live since that is where the bulk of my stories take place. I design the interior of the home, in my head and on paper, and then go from there. Since I write westerns, I create the layout of the ranch or town and then I broaden the area to include meadows, streams, neighboring ranches, buildings and shops in town, the land outside of town and where all of this is in relation to the home.

If my story takes place in a real town, I research to see what the town was like in that time frame. I did this with Lady Luck, because I wanted Missy's home to be accurate in location along the Barbary Coast.    

The Five Senses: Sight, Taste, Touch, Smell and Hearing are all important to the story. I want my readers to connect to my characters and experience what they experience. Sight is easy in that I can describe a room or a street so the reader knows what the character is seeing. Hearing is also easy; a shrill train whistle, a high-pitched voice, the whiny of a horse. Touch can be something as simple as soft hair or the corse fibers of a rope. Smell can be anything; apple pie baking in the oven, the stench of rotting flesh. Taste can be tricky, if it's something not easily identified by most people. And sometimes smell can trigger taste, like that apple pie. The reader can relate to the aroma of the pie wafting on the air and taste the apples and spices in her mouth without actually having to take a bite of pie.       

Flavoring: I write historical westerns, therefore I want the reader to feel as though she is back in that time period. Whether walking through a barn or preparing a bath, she won't feel a connection to the old west unless I incorporate fashion, furniture, speech and customs of everyday life authentic to that era. In the 1800's, people didn't call each other on the phone and they didn't travel in air-conditioned cars. They sent telegrams and mailed letters, suffered the elements of nature on the back of horse and endured stuffy, cramped quarters inside a stagecoach or train car. Be true to your era, and if you're writing a novel that takes place in the future, incorporate your own terms, but make sure the reader understands the meaning.

Promotion:  The one word some of us hate, but we all have to do. Once my book is published, I want to spread the word. Emails to friends and family help, and so does the internet. There are a number of romance sites that offer promotion services to authors. Some services, such as interviews and reviews, are provided for free. Others cost a small fee; banners, covers, membership. I use several of these sites and have found the women who run them are both professional and friendly. You can find some of these sites on my Links page.

Website: Get one. Now. Even if you don't have a published work available for sale, park and reserve your name until you do. You'll thank yourself later, because no one will have taken your name for their own site. And if you're like me in that you either don't have the time or the patience to maintain your own site, hire someone. There are many talented people out there who design and maintain websites as their profession. Do your homework and research these professionals to find the right person for you. I recommend Rae. She does mine, and not a day goes by where I'm not grateful for having been introduced to her. She is wonderful!

Dedication: This is the most important part of writing. You can't get a book published and on the market for sale until you write it. I come across too many talented people who begin a story and then stop somewhere in the middle to either go back and edit and polish or begin something new, because they get bored. And then keep on repeating the process. This will get you nowhere. Make a realistic writing schedule based on your work and home life and stick to it, and the story. Write the entire book and then go back and edit and polish. Once you have your finished product and are sending it to agents and editors, don't take to heart rejection letters. We all get them--I did. They're not made to hurt your feelings or crush your dreams. They're part of your job. I used mine as a learning tool and kept sending the book out until I found a good home.

Last: Have fun. Be creative. Enjoy what you are doing. And always reward yourself, even for the small accomplishments. Writing is demanding, with those voices in our heads wanting and needing attention. Indulge in a piece of chocolate, take a bubble bath or spend the night with a loved one, but be kind to yourself and your efforts.   

 

juliesig