Tag: advice

Posted in Methods, NaNoWriMo, Writing

Preparation for NaNoWriMo

Posted on by Kassandra Carrillo

I haven’t mentioned this before, or maybe you got the idea but, I have a lot of projects I work on so I’m always busy with something. This also means that I never lack any ideas for stories/novels which is why this year, I already have the story I’ll be working on in mind. A little background on this story is in order.

The story is titled Phantom Blade. I posted it on wattpad a few years ago but somehow, it just wasn’t coming out right and it started to drag. I called it quits before I started hating it. Over the years, however, I have reworked the world and the characters and reworked the plot. Sure I don’t have everything set in stone but I have an idea of what’s going to happen and how it is going to end (more on endings later).

This also means that I have most of the characters already set and so I don’t have to start from scratch. I think that’s one of the benefits of having so many projects. You’re always working on something and, when you finally start writing, there’s not a whole lot that you have to worry about. Just like this story, all I have to do is write. Editing comes later.

Sure I’ll keep planning before NaNoWriMo 2016 starts but for now, I’ve started outlining my novel. For me, this is sort of like writing a synopsis. I basically type of the plot, scenes, and/or details of what I want to write for the story. These aren’t always concrete but sometimes I do write out dialogue or character development moments. It all depends. My outline isn’t always complete. I don’t write out the entire story because a. there would be no creativity left and b. I don’t know what’s going to happen.

The one thing I make sure to do is to be flexible. I know I have an outline but I use it more like a guideline. I allow the story to change because, otherwise, I would feel like writing would become a chore. I like writing and I don’t like being forced to write (like college essays for example *cough*). Not to mention that having an outline helps me keep writing without hitting a wall so soon.

Has anyone else started preparing for NaNoWriMo 2016? What tips or advice would you share? Thanks for reading.

Posted in Methods, Writing

Beta Reading

Posted on by Kassandra Carrillo

Recently, I was asked by a friend, let’s call him J, to read his story for him as a Beta reader. I’ve done beta reading before – changed some minor grammar issues – commented so, I like to say that I know what I’m doing. Plus the last 60 or so hours of college was all about reading, editing, and commenting on classmates’ work. I have experience under my belt.

There are a few things I have to keep in mind when I read over someone else’s work.

1. I read through it first.

I like to take it all in before I start to analyze a story. Mostly because if I’m confused on something and I comment on it but later the information is there then, I made a mistake. I also think its nice to just read a story and think about it afterwards.

2. Use a red pen.

Normally when I print a story out then, I tend to use a red pen. There’s nothing special about a red pen, in essence, but it helps me get into the mindset of editor.y job is to look for grammacial errors, minor mispelled words, ect.

3. Be honest but don’t be mean.

There’s a fine line between disliking something and being mean. At least that’s my opinion. In my comments, I’m honest. If I think something is cliche, I say it. However, I also include suggestions on how to fix or change whatever bothers me or I think needs to be changed.

4. With a grain of salt

I always tell the author  to take my advice with a grain of salt. Ultimately, it is up to him/her to decide what theu want to change or keep. All I can do is tell him/her about my thoughts on their story. It also helps if the author has a lot if beta readers so if there’s an issue everyone notices then that issue should be worked on.

5. Track changes.

MS Word has an awesome button called track changes. I like this because the author can see what I have changed and kept. Google Docs and I believe Drive also have a feature that let’s you see changes. This way, the author can knownwhat was changed without having to compare the documents side by side.

Lastly, my opinions and advice are my own. I don’t feel offended if an author disagrees with my comments. I’m just glad that they were willing to let me read their story.

 

Posted in Writing

Character Motivation

Posted on by Kassandra Carrillo

I have talked about having motivation to write but there’s an even bigger motivation that you have to keep in mind. Hence, the title. A few months ago I was told that one of my characters was lacking motivation. My reader couldn’t tell why (let’s call her Person A) she was putting herself in danger. Since Person A is the lead in this story, I knew that this was a very serious problem. How can I engage with the reader if they don’t know why my characters acts the way she does?

It’s not like I didn’t interrogate Person A until her ears bled. I knew all about her childhood trauma and even took step to mention that in the story. I even wrote a short story about her childhood trauma. That information ended up lacking and I’m very glad that someone pointed it out to me. An extra pair of eyes is always helpful.

The way I fixed this situation was by typing some lines that literally said why my character was putting her life in danger. I made it seem like she was also having her own moments of doubts before realizing her motivation. This might seem like the easiest – in my humble opinion- route to take but sometimes you can’t get away with it. Sometimes you just have to rethink your character or your plot. Actually, I hope this works out. If not, I have to go back and write an write a scene that gives more information about Person’s A motivation.

Don’t get me wrong. There are a lot of types of motivation; inner and outer motivation, villain motivation, etc. Not only does motivation give a deeper sense of who the character is but it also helps move the plot forward. If the character has a clear goal then most of the plot should fall in. Motivation and plot go hand in hand.

So if your character’s motivation doesn’t come across, it’s best to take a step back and dig a bit deeper and ask why. I found this cool link here that has a lot of other links for character development and questionnaires. Enjoy.

Posted in Resources

My List of Resources

Posted on by Kassandra Carrillo

This week I’ll share with you my list of go to websites when I need extra help in my writing. There are plenty of websites out there and I’m not saying some are better than others. I will say, however, that I have mostly stuck with the following websites because they have worked out for me so far. For the most part, this list is biased toward fantasy tools but there are other websites too.

1.Evernote

I use Evernote to jot down notes, story ideas that pop into my head, and copy down urls. Since I have the app, I can access all my notes on my phone so I don’t always have to be in front of a computer. There’s a free basic version that I think works well and the websites has other features you can pay for.

2. Donjon

This is a website for fantasy generators and it also has information/generators for D&D and science fiction as well. It has a world generator that you can customize and the websites shows an image of your map which is really cool.

3. Seventh Sanctum

This is another website with generators. This is more diverse than Donjon because you can generate armor, weapons, magic, technology, superheroes, and anime and manga.

4. Chaotic Shiny

This website does focus on fantasy (I’m finding a theme here). There’s generators for culture, people, places, accessories with a wide variety.

5. Fantasy name generators

Although it says fantasy, this is primarily a name generator for many things; places, real names, descriptions, and pop culture. For those of you who play WoW, Guild Wars, Diablo, this website is for you. There are generators for every race in the games; Warhammer 40k, LOTR, and so much more.

6. Plot Generator

I don’t use this one often but you can pick the genre you’re thinking about writing and fill in some blanks. With a click of a button, you get your plot. It might not be what you want to write about but I think it’s a good way to start.

7. Writers Plot Idea Generator

This is another plot generator but the website includes plot twists, character name, character profile, and location generators.

8. Fiction Factor

This websites has articles on writing and tips. There are also other genres they talk about with their own website like fantasy or horror.

9. Pronounce names

I use this website when I have no idea how to even pronounce a character name. This situation falls under all the names I make up in my head (or on a generator).

10. Celtx

Primarily I use this website for my scripts but they all have a novel function that you can use. They also have app that can be downloaded.

 

The list isn’t perfect and it all tailored to what I need.  If there are other websites out there that are really great, please tell me. I’m open to any suggestions on other websites that I can use. Like I mentioned, I don’t have all the list of resources but I found these very helpful.

Posted in Methods, Writing

Increasing Word Count

Posted on by Kassandra Carrillo

While rewriting a project, currently called Crimson Queen, it hit me that I only have less than 40k words. Plus, it’s a fantasy novel. Double punch. Make it triple. Right off the bat I knew that I could beef up my description a bit, perhaps add some flashbacks, and do a little more world building. When I really think about, perhaps my plot is too linear and needs more conflict than what I currently have.

Thinking back on what must have been my thought process was that I was more focused on the plot and making sure I didn’t get lost somewhere in the chapters. In practice, I think I was off to a good start. Most first drafts aren’t going to be perfect and mine is no exception. Perfection comes in many rewrite (IMHO). I talked about telling versus showing a few weeks ago and this ties back to that. Rewriting parts of a book that shows what the character is going through (he was anxious) with good description (his heart thundered in his chest. Every breath was strained) then it you add more words to your story.

Below are some suggestions that I have found, used and will used in future projects if the occasion calls for it again:

Pacing

Have you ever gotten to a really good part in your story and you just wanted to put it on the page? I have. Just recently I wrote a scene where a Council looked over information and discussed about the explosion in town and, although I don’t have the full word count, I’m sure it is less than 500 words. It’s fine to want to have everything on paper but going back and rewriting the scene to add tension, conflict or something that moves the story forward will help on the long run.

Subplots

I like subplots. To me, they add conflict and tension between characters that might even distract them from their main goal. It prevents the story from being too linear and they’re also a way for you to develop and/or flush out your character whether it’s your protagonist or not. Or you can develop these subplots further.

Minor Characters

We interact with a lot of people over the course of the day and they have a story of their own. The people in your stories are no exception. I’m guilty of not giving my minor characters enough page time and they pop in and out because the plot demands it. Give them more page time and have them talk or interrupt your character when their on their way visit a family member in the hospital. Or something like that.

New Characters

This kind of goes hand in hand in minor characters. These can be anyone from a friend from the past, a new guy, the guy that lives next door but you just noticed. There’s always an opportunity to complicate things for your character. That first prize art contest, have a new guy show up and he can paint/draw anything. Make him/her a rival and see where that goes.

Description

Use with care. Beef up those scenes that might need an extra push to make the world seem alive. When your characters are talking, don’t let them stand on white space. Have them move around the room or store. Have them pick up things. Do you stand still when you talk to someone? I don’t.

Complications

Nothing should go according to plan. That’s a motto I live by. Well, not really but I do some times. Saying that, if your character is racing to the hospital (different example, I promise) because his/her friend just cut their finger on a razor, you bet you have to pull them over or have their tire get a flat. This does sound cruel but you get the gist. Nothing should be easy because it isn’t.

Anything else I miss? What do you do to increase your word count? What works for you? What doesn’t? Thanks for stopping bye. Until next time.