Ani's Basic Writing Tips

     Hola everyone! 

    Lately, I've been answering some questions on the Reddit page r/writing. (If you came to this blog post from there, hello! Welcome!) Lately, it's been mostly people asking for specific types of writing advice that don't really seem to get any attention in the general writing community. I feel some of these things need a space to be seen and maybe given some thought. 

    As I always say, take what I suggest with a grain of salt. The things I suggest should be taken in stride and at the pace you wish to take. You don't have to take on everything at once either. 

~

Developing Characters

    When developing characters, there are many options. The one that works for me comes across as more of a casual conversation more than an interview or just typing random things. Usually, it involves me imagining myself being around them and casually asking them questions. It always starts with, "Well, is this something you're used to doing?" or "Wow, how did you manage to survive this?" in some form. After that, the conversation can go anywhere. 

    This process -at bare minimum- takes a day or two. I would highly recommend that as the bare minimum to get some sense of what kind of character you are working with. Of course, the longer you do this, the more conversations you may have. This comes with a warning though: If you go for too long with this kind of development, you may end up with a character so stuck in your head that you can't get them out. Then you end up like me and my menagerie of characters. 

What Genre Is My Book?

    I have seen this question and its variations pop up off and on the subreddit. It isn't something you should totally ignore addressing when you are getting ready to publish or submit for a query. 

    When writing, however, you can totally forgo the question. Getting the writing done is the most important thing. Polishing/editing it would be the next. 

    With this in mind, I would highly recommend scanning your writing for a pattern in certain elements. Usually, the types of object in your setting, types of plots, and even how you describe characters can give you a sense of what kind of genre you are writing. If none of those turn up an idea, take a look at the themes of your books. (Yes, a lot of us had to do it in school. But now there is a reason for it.) If you find that your book has a certain type of theme or a pattern of related themes, it can give you an idea of what genre you just wrote in.

Just Write

    This is probably the most important piece of advice that is over-given, but still important. Hence the emphasis. 

    If you are unsure of what is going on, or your motivation, or whatever is going on in your head, the best thing you can do is write. Write down all that you can, then save it. You can always come back to it, or make it into something new if you decide to. 

    With motivation in mind...

Motivation: Losing and Gaining It

    I saw one particular redditor (reddit user) comment on a post with the following (roughly recalled) phrase: "If you have no motivation, just get through it."

    While I agree that some situations require that kind of "motivation," writing something you are more passionate about should not. 

    If you find yourself losing motivation, write as much as you wish and come to a stopping point. Once you do, give yourself a break from that writing. I would recommend a week or two, but -at the bare minimum- at least two or three hours. It gives your mind a refresh and allows you to detach from the situation. Once the time has passed, come back to the writing and figure out what caused you to lose motivation. 

    Are the characters boring/not up to your standard? Develop them, or change them! 

    Is your setting causing problems? Figure out why and change it!

    Does your plot sound boring and it's hard to keep invested? Either throw something new into it, or pick a new plot entirely! 

    Are you just tired of the project? Shelve it and start a new one! You don't have to hold yourself to the idea (the exception to this project is for school or is for publishing).

~

    Hopefully, all of this advice is helpful to someone. There are more things I can give advice on, but I will save that for a different blog post if I need to. 

    I'll see you all on r/writing or on stream!