10 Super Important Things NaNoWriMo Taught Me

NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month, is officially over, but the lessons I learned will last.

This is where the introductory paragraph would go, but most people skip it because they just want to read the top 10 list...so here you go.

10 Super Important Things NaNoWriMo Taught Me

1. Don't edit. It slows you down. Save that for AFTER you've finished the book.

2. Writing every day for an hour creates a habit of—you guessed it—writing every day for an hour.

3. Writing in short bursts was more prodective than longer times in front of the computer. Being committed to that one hour meant I only wrote for that hour. It's amazing how much you can get down when you DON'T check social media.

4. Write the chapter ending first, preferably a nice cliffhanger or a shocking reveal. Psst...here's a post where I talk about 4 different cliffhanger ideas for that very purpose! This is a trick I learned a few books ago that made a big difference in shortening the time it took me to write a chapter. It's was easier to finish the scene when I knew where my characters were supposed to end up.

5. Don't look at the word count until you've finished your scene. Word count is a helpful measure, but we can sometimes become obsessed with it as well, taking our energy and focus off the words.

6. Write the next few lines of the next chapter so you have a spring board for the next session.

7. Put fresh air and exercise in between your writing time. Yes, get back to your life, recharge. Return to your novel the next day refreshed and ready to go!

8. Before I started my one hour writing sessions, I'd post it on Twitter, then return when I'd finished and comment on my stats. It wasn't always the word count, sometimes it would deal with what music I was writing to or a plot hole I'd uncovered or a character I had to kill. Regardless, it made me more accountable for the time frame, plus it helped me connect with other writers and in turn I was there to help cheer them on too.

9. Writing with others was fun and helped me be more productive. It's not a competition. We're all in this together and only a writer can understand what another writer is going through.

10. If you're stuck in a scene, add food and some weather. Seriously, it was a great way to jump start some of my chapters. 

I hope you found this helpful!

What did you learn from National Write A Novel Month?

3 Traits Your Villain and Hero Should Share

A great way to show this in your story is to showcase the following elements that both your hero and villain should share.

1. Personality

We all have unique personalities. Some days we're awesome and some days we're quick to temper and kind of miserable.

When writing your villain, you're actually using the personality of the hero, but spotlighting all less desirable traits, thereby showing what your hero could become if he makes the wrong choices and vice versa.  

In the Harry Potter series, Malfoy is basically the snobbish rich kid, but deep down he's insecure and wishes to be the best wizard. He tries to accomplish this by cheating and buying his way through school, but Harry has to rely on skill and hard work.

2. Values

Heroes and villains can have the same value systems, in fact stories are richer for it as opposed to having a soulless bad guy. The reader will have a greater connection with the villain if his motives feel rational. When both the villain and the hero fight for what they believe in the drama is two fold.

Consider, Anne of Green Gables, Anne perceives Gilbert her main competition in the classroom, however even though they both work hard for their grades, Gilbert takes a more cheeky approach to Anne's more serious attitude. This results in making her infuriated, creating perfect drama in their shared scenes.

3. Goals

This is probably the most dramatic trait you can create between your protagonist and antagonist. A shared goal is what creates conflict and provides a reason why these two characters keep crossing paths.

In the comedy, Pitch Perfect, our heroine's choir is up against two other groups (one cheating and the other is unworthy) for the illustrious grand prize.

Why is this important?

Because the easiest way to get to know your characters is to find out what they want and why. In order to create worthy opponents start making a list of the things they have in common. You'll discover this provides a framework for adding depth to your characters and the plot.

Who are some of your favourite hero and villain pairings?

The Best Writing Advice I Ever Received

Writing can be a solitary adventure— which is exactly the way we writers like it!

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By nature, most writers are introverts and enjoy the company of being alone with their characters. But every once in a while we need a little wisdom to help us along this winding path to the bookstore shelves.

I’ve been writing for ten years and have published seven novels. Over this time I’ve collected a few tidbits of advice. Some I’ve found through others and some are from my own experience. I hope one of these resonate with you.

1. Try to write every day even if it’s only one page. All those pages add up and it helps foster the habit of getting words on paper in a timely fashion.

2. Write the book of your heart and take as long as you need.

3. Ignore trends. Write what you love, what you want to read.

4. Don’t edit while you’re writing. This is the most free your writing will be, let it flow. Even misspelled words, leave them there. It’s all about moving forward.

5. You are writing for your characters. You are the only one who knows their story.

6. Be grateful for the gift of imagination.

7. Writing is hard. Respect it as such.

8. Even though it may appear differently, there is no such thing as an easy success, no matter how famous the writer. Remember that we’re all in the same industry and we want it to be thriving.

    9. Don’t forget about the weather.

10. When in doubt, add a food scene.

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Do you have any writing advice to share?

The Secret to Never Giving Up on Your Writing

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

I'm madly working on a secret project right now!

Okay, it's not that secret, but it makes it sound all mysterious and forbidden and I want to grab you by the suspenders so you'll keep reading.

Anywho, I've been trying to get a chapter written each day because I hate writing, but it feels amazing to have written, you know? I guess you could say I have a 'love hate' relationship with writing.

But the other day I realized I had gotten into the habit of thinking the same two destructive thoughts each time I opened my laptop.

1. I would look at the word count and think, There is no way I'm going to make this into a novel! Too much stuff has already happened and I have no plot left. (Maybe I'm trying to convince myself I'm almost finished) *evil laugh*

2. Then I would worry the story didn't have enough action. I need a fight scene, I'd think. Where can I fit in a fight scene? And what's going to be the next plot twist?

You can imagine how much I was able to write with that miserable frame of mind. *tsk tsk*

But...THEN! (light bulb) I started watching Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (based on the books by Douglas Adams) and had my mind blown! It's hard to describe exactly, but basically a bunch of weird stuff happens to four different groups of people who have nothing in common, but they're all connected by the most bizarre circumstances. The main theme Dirk kept relying on was that everything is connected and nothing is coincidence.

At the end there's an explanation you'll gladly accept because you've grown so attached to the characters you really think they exist and you want a happy ending for all of them.

*Ahem*

More importantly—besides being entertained—I came up with a story telling slogan to keep me typing; Everything is connected and if you keep moving forward all the random stuff will eventually meet and it will be awesome.

Say it with me.

So that's what I think of now when I open my laptop. All the other stuff I can't figure out will eventually make sense...it always does.

What do you do to help you through slog through a writing project?

4 Cliffhanger Ideas for Chapter Endings

Hook: a device designed to catch people's attention.

It's important to keep your reader's attention (that's right, make them stay up past their bedtime!) so I tend to put all of my cliffhangers at the end of the chapter as opposed to mid-way through. This keeps the reader invested in the story and the characters. If not, they'll lose that immediacy of what's happening in the now and will be reaching for that bookmark.

Don't let that happen!

So here are a few ways to keep your reader in the moment and wanting more.

1. Important Decision: A crucial choice your character has to make that will affect the direction of the plot. It's even more enthralling for the reader if we know either choice will result in some form of disaster.  

In this example from Asp of Ascension, the main character is desperate enough to believe the one person she trusts the least. 

      Terry's patience grew thin. "What am I supposed to do?" she demanded.
      The line was dead quiet except for Dr. Mullaca's steady breathing. Finally she said, "That should be obvious, girl. If you want to save your father, you have to find that missing asp!"



2. Physical Danger: When your character is in a life or death situation where there is seemingly no way out.

But of course there's a way out! There's a hundred more pages, so the reader really, really, wants to know HOW that's going to happen.

In Butterflies Don't Lie, the main character (through a series of bad decisions) ends up falling off a sailboat in the middle of the ocean. Too bad she can't swim.

I stumbled forward, groping for the safety stay, but I was already moving too fast. I tumbled headfirst over the edge and hit the water. The last thing I remember seeing was Blaine’s shoulders. He was turned away—as always—with his back to me.

3.Unexpected Revelations: This is one of my favourites, otherwise know as the plot twist! Something occurs in which the character (and hopefully the reader) discovers something so shocking that it changes the direction of the plot.

In Night Shift there is a particular 'holy crap' twist that I'm quite proud of, but I can't put that one here because I don't want to spoil it for future readers. So here's another example of an unexpected revelation in the book that changes the motivation for the character and even switches the track of the plot.

When he finally looked over, tears were running down Mary's cheeks, her lips quivering. "Daniel," she said, still pointing to the picture of the blonde woman. "This is Virginia."


4. Hinting at a Mystery: Keep the reader guessing. It's also more satisfying if the answer to one mystery creates more questions for the reader.

In Girl on the Run, the main character's inner monologue alludes to a secret guilt. At this point we know she's suffered a loss, but we're unaware of the full disaster.

     I used to care about provincial records and even the Olympics, but not anymore. Those were things I not longer had, and no longer deserved. I put my hand on my stomach, on the heaviness that was always there. A reminder of what I'd done and what I'd lost.

What ideas have you used to hook readers at the end of your chapters? Please share your own chapter endings in the comments section. And remember to add the title so we can find it at the bookstore!

9 Easy Ways To Create Conflict In Your Story

Stories need conflict otherwise your readers will have nothing to cheer for, nothing to be worried about, and no mystery to figure out. Conflict drives a story and keeps the plot moving forward. And most importantly, the conflict provides the catalyst for the growth of your characters.

Here are few sure fire tips you can start using today to get your character into hot water and keep your readers invested.

1. Let every stroke of good luck change the plot so that your character's path to their goal is now littered with new and potentially worse obstacles.

2. Get emotional! Show your characters' motivation in each scene. Pack it with resistance. Everyone can't be going for the same goal.

3. Your character should have a major flaw that prevents them from reaching their goal.

4. Give your protagonist two motives. They must sacrifice one goal in order to achieve the other.

5. Let the action be created by the character's decisions and not because of coincidence. This is especially effective if they make the wrong decision for the right reason.

6. When faced with choices, there should be positive and negative consequences. But your character must use motivation that makes sense for the situation.

7. Make sure that any solution they come up with to solve a problem actually makes things worse until they get it right.

8. Make one character passionately opinionated, always ready for an argument.

9. Take away your main character's greatest source of support at the most critical time.

I hope this was helpful. Happy writing!