In working on my novel, I’ve discovered one of the less talked-about differences between screenwriting and novel writing: point of view.
I never realized what a luxury it was to be able to write without having to worry about which character’s point of view should be used for a particular scene. In screenwriting, the point of view belongs to the audience. Even if the main character is present in every scene, the story still unfolds from the audience’s point of view as they watch that character in action. In a movie, all the characters could be on-screen together in a single scene, but the screenwriter doesn't have to consider which of those characters' points of view should be used in the script.
With a novel, the reader is your audience, but the story is told from one or more points of view. If several characters are present in a single scene, the author needs to decide which of those characters should be the POV character, and the author needs to determine whether that character should be granted the POV for that scene alone, for several scenes or chapters, or even for the entire novel. Screenwriters never have to wonder if a scene should be written from [click to read more]
There is a lot of debate in Authorland about outlining. Some writers prefer to outline a plot before tackling the process of writing a novel. Other writers prefer “pantsing” -- writing by the seat of the pants, with no map to point the way.
Is one method better than the other? Does one alternative lead to better results? Those are the questions I’ve been pondering lately as I write my novel, and this is what I’ve discovered:
The answer depends on who you ask.
Lee Child, bestselling author of thirteen novels in the Jack Reacher series, never uses an outline. At Thrillerfest 2008, he described his writing process as beginning the story with a question, and then asking another question, and another, and so forth, keeping the reader in suspense and carrying the story forward until those questions are resolved.
John Grisham takes the opposite approach. He writes lengthy outlines -- sometimes fifty pages or more -- to map out the major plot points. Jeffery Deaver also creates a detailed outline before writing a novel. He describes his process in this video. Deaver has been known to spend up to eight months researching and crafting an outline to map out each plot twist and red herring.
In her How to Think Sideways online course for writers, Holly Lisle explains her process of writing a loose outline using a separate index card for each scene, making it easy to shuffle scenes around as needed. (The course is definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for ways to jumpstart your writing.)
Some writers don’t outline on paper but instead map out the story in their mind ahead of time. They know how their story begins and how it ends, and they have a few important events and plot milestones planned before they write a book.
My approach to outlining falls somewhere in between all the methods described above. I create [click to read more]
Whether you are new to writing or have been around the block a few times, you've probably heard the writers' mantra: "Show, don't tell." Unfortunately, most how-to books don't do a very good job of explaining exactly how to go about showing rather than telling.
Holly Lisle recently created a terrific little video demonstrating the "show, don't tell" maxim in action. She walks viewers through the process using before-and-after examples to improve a sample piece of writing. If you enjoy this video, check out her Writer Crash Test site for more videos about writing.
Every writer has her own style and approaches writing differently. Some write in an office while others write at the corner coffee shop. Some have time to write non-stop for hours each day, while others can squeeze in only an hour here and there. Some have a strict routine while others take up their pen on a whim.
No matter what your style, applying discipline to your writing habits can go a long way toward improving your writing. While some might say following a routine squelches creativity and prevents the writer from fully succumbing to the muse, the evidence says otherwise. The top writers in the world — best-selling authors and screenwriters alike — consistently mention the routines they adhere to in order to get their words down on paper.
Getting the words on paper is what makes the difference between just saying you're a writer and actually being a successful writer.
The key to adopting a disciplined approach to writing is to [click to read more]
Clustering is a simple brainstorming method you can use in a variety of ways. Its biggest benefit is that it helps you push past your analytical mind and reach into your subconscious mind for ideas that resonate on a deeper level. A single clustering session can produce dozens of great ideas.
In The New Diary, where I first encountered the technique a few years ago, author Tristine Rainer presents clustering as a journaling method for personal transformation. In the How To Think Sideways course, we used clustering to explore ourselves via a process that generated a wealth of material to mine later for story ideas.
The potential applications for clustering are numerous, but today I'm going to describe how I've been using the technique to develop realistic characters with depth. [click to read more]
I've come to the conclusion I truly deserve to be crowned Queen of Procrastination. Procrastination is a big kingdom — especially with so many writers taking up residence there so often — so Queen of Procrastination is a title one would expect me to be proud of, yet somehow I don't feel quite as proud as I should. Instead, I'm burdened with the weight of the lurking feeling of guilt one gets after living in Procrastination far too long, which brings me to the topic of this entry: how to move away from Procrastination and into the much more rewarding place I like to call the Writing Zone.
The Writing Zone is a beautiful, magical place. It fills us with a vibrant excitement that gets our blood pumping and our skin tingling. It puts us on a high unlike any other. It's a powerfully addictive drug, only without all the messiness and legal problems.
Think back to the last time you wrote an incredible scene, a scene that just flowed from your mind and through your fingers onto the page. Think of how [click to read more]
I have an addiction. I've tried to overcome it, but my efforts have been met with an amazing level of resistance. My body fights me. My mind fights me. I often wonder if I'll be addicted to this stuff forever. So many times I've tried and failed to quit, by this point it is hardly more than a joke. What am I addicted to, you ask? Well, I'll get to that detail later in this article, and I'll even fill you in on how I used my own personal addiction as inspiration when developing one of the main characters in my current writing project.
Why do characters need flaws? Perfect characters are boring, and sometimes even annoying. Perfect characters don't have to struggle as hard to achieve their goals. After all, they're perfect. Things come easily to perfect people. If there's no struggle, there's no conflict, and conflict is what makes good writing. Character flaws provide sources of conflict. They can be sources of conflict with other characters, conflict with the environment, and, in many instances, conflict with self.
In most cases, you want a character who isn't perfect but is in some way better than average, or at least a character who has the potential to be better than average. Fulfilling that potential -- overcoming obstacles and growing into that better-than-average self -- will become part of the conflict that drives your story. You want a hero, someone willing to take action, not a passive wimp. Readers are living vicariously through your characters. They want to feel special, and for that you need special characters. At the same time, a character who is too special, too perfect, seems [click to read more]
While working as a freelance script consultant, it was my job to help writers raise the quality of their writing to the highest level attainable. In the course of any given day, I came across a problem appearing in each of the scripts crossing my desk, and I have since noticed the same problem cropping up in book after book.
The problem? The unnecessary "that."
It is a wonder how one little word could worm its way so firmly into the hearts and minds of writers, yet the word "that" has done just . . . well, that.
The word "that" has become ingrained in our daily vocabulary, and many people have difficulty recognizing how often it is misused. It pops up in sentence upon sentence, yet nine times out of ten it is not needed. In a screenplay or manuscript, where space is limited and every inch of text is precious, unnecessary words are a death sentence.
Consider the [click to read more]
If you are an aspiring writer, you need to check out Holly Lisle's new writing course, How To Think Sideways: Career Survival School for Writers. It is a six-month class offered entirely online, and it covers an immense range of material. One of the students even referred to it as "grad school for writers", and I wholeheartedly agree with his assessment. The course is perfect not just for novelists but for screenwriters as well.
I can't recommend this course highly enough. There is nothing else out there like it. It will change the way you think about writing, and it will change how you think about yourself as a writer. It is incredibly motivating. The lessons are interesting and thought-provoking, and the techniques are practical and useful no matter your writing style. There's something for everyone. The sheer volume of information offered in this class could fill a library of how-to books about writing, publishing, and marketing.
Here are a few of the things you'll [click to read more]
