This week I have less of a rambling posting about writing concepts, and more of a concrete list of some of the best practices I adopted over the course of writing my fist manuscript. It's an ever evolving list, as well it should be. I urge any aspiring writer to develop their own toolbox, and to regularly clean it out and update it. Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my fiction writer's best practices:
1. Find a system to track your progress - I admit, it's a challenge to stay motivated and on task with your writing. This is why I previously recommended hosting your manuscript online so you can access it at any time. For me, I found that if I marked off my progress for each calendar day, I would start to build a streak that I wouldn't want to break. There's a very simple and easy site called "Don't Break the Chain!" specifically designed for this purpose. There's even a plugin for Google Chrome (and I'm sure other browsers) that let's you update your daily chain without even navigating away from your work. Start modest and count any writing you do each day, even if it's just a few words. As you start to build momentum, you can start to set time goals, and eventually word goals (1,000 words a night, etc.). The motivation to see the chain grow will, hopefully, keep you going.
2. Identify the worst aspect of your writing - I freely admit, I write crappy dialogue. It's sometimes awkward, and usually stiff. But that doesn't mean it has to stay that way, and nor should it. Being able to recognize your shortcomings will let you improve upon and overcome them. Make it a focus point, and dedicate some time and effort towards improving. You could even make a new chain just to work on your weak side. I'll never write banter like Tarantino, but I've most certainly improved through studying, reading guides by other authors, and paying attention to dialogue I enjoyed in books I appreciate. Shore up your weakest point, and you will make large strides in improving your writing.
3. Likewise, identify the best aspect - Your writing should give you the opportunity to emphasize what it is you do best in prose. I feel I write excellent descriptions, especially of highly technical items and mechanical objects. As a science fiction author, this is a beneficial skill to have. Embrace what you do well and showcase it. It's important to have an ability that you can use to rope in readership and get people excited about your writing. As you leverage this skill more, not only will you improve it, but you will also find ways to integrate it into other aspects of your writing, improving on your complete authorship package. My technical descriptions have led me to start focusing more on describing natural settings and environments, boosting my prose.
4. Expand your vocabulary - This one I had to sneak it because it's a stickler for me. Outside of basic linguistic functions, I can't use the same word I just used in the previous sentence, God forbid if it's in the same one. Modern writing has seen composition in the vernacular, incorporating slang and new formats for dialogue and paragraphs. This is fine. However, it's too easy to give in and use this Internet accessibility to publishing as an excuse for poor writing. Take time to benefit yourself, and you will see it benefit your readership. Your vocabulary will help you no matter what kind of writing you are doing. Do you want to read about a "dark room in a dark building," or a "ink black room contained within a shadow consumed structure?"
5. Find something that gets you in the mood to write - Many times I don't want to write. It's hard to work creatively, especially on a regular basis. I think this is true whether you're being expressive in prose or in mathematics. Find something that jazzes you up, and puts your mind in association with the subject you're writing about. I love hopping online, hitting up YouTube, and blasting my favorite cyberpunk playlists. It never fails to paint pictures in my mind of all the things I love of the genre, and since I'm already right there at the keyboard...
6. Regularly revisit and revise your best practices - As with all things in life, the needs of your writing will change. This list I have is not the end all. I will write other genres. My tastes will change. I will need new things to motivate me. My abilities will grow and diversify. I would be doing an injustice to myself if I did not go forward by coming back, by reexamining my needs and reapplying myself to discovering what needs to change in my best practices so that my prose can continue to develop. Remember, amateurs practice until they get it write, professionals practice until they get it wrong. Find your failure point, then push past it.
A.C. Harrison
Support indie authors! Like me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.
1. Find a system to track your progress - I admit, it's a challenge to stay motivated and on task with your writing. This is why I previously recommended hosting your manuscript online so you can access it at any time. For me, I found that if I marked off my progress for each calendar day, I would start to build a streak that I wouldn't want to break. There's a very simple and easy site called "Don't Break the Chain!" specifically designed for this purpose. There's even a plugin for Google Chrome (and I'm sure other browsers) that let's you update your daily chain without even navigating away from your work. Start modest and count any writing you do each day, even if it's just a few words. As you start to build momentum, you can start to set time goals, and eventually word goals (1,000 words a night, etc.). The motivation to see the chain grow will, hopefully, keep you going.
2. Identify the worst aspect of your writing - I freely admit, I write crappy dialogue. It's sometimes awkward, and usually stiff. But that doesn't mean it has to stay that way, and nor should it. Being able to recognize your shortcomings will let you improve upon and overcome them. Make it a focus point, and dedicate some time and effort towards improving. You could even make a new chain just to work on your weak side. I'll never write banter like Tarantino, but I've most certainly improved through studying, reading guides by other authors, and paying attention to dialogue I enjoyed in books I appreciate. Shore up your weakest point, and you will make large strides in improving your writing.
3. Likewise, identify the best aspect - Your writing should give you the opportunity to emphasize what it is you do best in prose. I feel I write excellent descriptions, especially of highly technical items and mechanical objects. As a science fiction author, this is a beneficial skill to have. Embrace what you do well and showcase it. It's important to have an ability that you can use to rope in readership and get people excited about your writing. As you leverage this skill more, not only will you improve it, but you will also find ways to integrate it into other aspects of your writing, improving on your complete authorship package. My technical descriptions have led me to start focusing more on describing natural settings and environments, boosting my prose.
4. Expand your vocabulary - This one I had to sneak it because it's a stickler for me. Outside of basic linguistic functions, I can't use the same word I just used in the previous sentence, God forbid if it's in the same one. Modern writing has seen composition in the vernacular, incorporating slang and new formats for dialogue and paragraphs. This is fine. However, it's too easy to give in and use this Internet accessibility to publishing as an excuse for poor writing. Take time to benefit yourself, and you will see it benefit your readership. Your vocabulary will help you no matter what kind of writing you are doing. Do you want to read about a "dark room in a dark building," or a "ink black room contained within a shadow consumed structure?"
5. Find something that gets you in the mood to write - Many times I don't want to write. It's hard to work creatively, especially on a regular basis. I think this is true whether you're being expressive in prose or in mathematics. Find something that jazzes you up, and puts your mind in association with the subject you're writing about. I love hopping online, hitting up YouTube, and blasting my favorite cyberpunk playlists. It never fails to paint pictures in my mind of all the things I love of the genre, and since I'm already right there at the keyboard...
6. Regularly revisit and revise your best practices - As with all things in life, the needs of your writing will change. This list I have is not the end all. I will write other genres. My tastes will change. I will need new things to motivate me. My abilities will grow and diversify. I would be doing an injustice to myself if I did not go forward by coming back, by reexamining my needs and reapplying myself to discovering what needs to change in my best practices so that my prose can continue to develop. Remember, amateurs practice until they get it write, professionals practice until they get it wrong. Find your failure point, then push past it.
A.C. Harrison
Support indie authors! Like me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.
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