Tag: tips

Posted in Resources, Writing

Map Making

Posted on by Kassandra Carrillo

For the past week or so I have been drawing some maps for my fantasy stories. These include: Crimson Queen and Blue Moon. Blue Moon is more of a story that I have been working on the lore and the background story of how the world came to be once the story starts. I haven’t really started writing the novel yet because there’s so much and I need to make an outline for it once I figured everything out.

I will say that I have written a movie script for this idea. Actually, it all startes out as a movie idea and, as time went on, I began to realize that it would be good as a book series. 

So, overall, I’m not saying that I have never drawn a map of lands/worlds before. I’m just saying that it has been a while and they’ve never been so detailed before. How did I mange to do this?

For starters, all I used was a piece of paper and a pencil. Nothing fancy. I’m not an artist, I can’t draw but I do know the name of the town my story takes place in and a few more details. For example, there’s a river near town and a cave. I started off small. Well, it also helped that I had a world generator but more on that later.

Creating a map for Crimson Queen had me going back to the planning section. I needed to create a layout of the town but that wasn’t too difficult. I focused on the main points in town like the church, the Major’s mansion, and enforcement office. From them, I added all the other pieces. The buildings weren’t perfect and I didn’t create any floor plans but I knew where everything was.

After the layout, I zoomed out and focused on the surrounding areas. I added trees, a river, farm land, the cave, and even neighboring towns. Thanks to the map generated by the world generator, I was able to use set my towns on the map and be done. 

At least now, not only do I have notes on the distance betweens towns and those details, but I also have a visual aid. Sure, it might not be perfect but no one but me is going to see it. Plus, making a map makes the world come alive a bit more. 

Posted in Methods, NaNoWriMo, Writing

Half and Half -Part 1

Posted on by Kassandra Carrillo

I decided to try something different today. For the last seventeen days, I have been writing around 1,800 words (sometimes less) all in one sitting. This probably contributes to the reason of why I…

Source: Half and Half -Part 1

Posted in Writing

Showing vs Telling (Part 2)

Posted on by Kassandra Carrillo

Last week I talked about how to avoid info dumps in your writing. This week I will talk about how to fix info dumps and how to balance the slippery slope of exposition and action. As I mentioned last week, I started editing a project I have been working on for three to four years (on and off writing while in college). The first chapter had almost two pages of back story and I ended up rewriting those two pages into a new scene which took up four pages.

I don’t have an issue with adding to my word count or page count because the story I’m working on is fantasy and basically a novella. As it is now, it’s less than 35k words. Eventually, I want to increase my word count and revising the draft is a good way to do that. Not only does it make you read through your story, you can also see where there is information needed or not needed.

Rewriting your info dump into a new scene is one way to fix them. It doesn’t always work mostly because sometimes a new scene isn’t needed and then it feels out of place. Not only do I suggest that you read through it but have someone else read it specifically to point out if there are sections in the manuscript that need a bit of trimming.

Another suggestion would be to list all the information that you need the reader to know right off the bat. I usually do this in a chapter outline. I make a list of what needs to happen and the information that needs to be put in. That way, I can control how I write information. It’s all about planning for the most part. It doesn’t have to be a complete list but a rough sketch wouldn’t really hurt.

Having the information relate to what is happening at the moment in-scene is my next suggest. Say for example your character is talking to someone they lost contact with and the reason was because there was a lie or something. Not only could you use a quick flashback sentence to let the reader know about the beef the two have but you could also do it in the way they speak to one another, thoughts, and body language. That way, this information and scene says something about your character the reader wouldn’t know otherwise.

The important thing is to keep the story moving forward. In my opinion, I think it’s important to have something happening in a story whether it’s physical, emotional, or psychological. Keep it brief if possible and integrate it into the story. It’s like killing two birds with one stone. Your exposition is pulling double duty. If you have to have a huge paragraph with information then so be it. At the end of the day, work with your writing style.

One last thing I will say it that the most important thing to do is write. You can always go back and change whatever needs changing. Get the story down on paper or on a digital document and then stress out about editing and revising.

 

Posted in Methods, Writing

Showing vs Telling (Part 1)

Posted on by Kassandra Carrillo

There are many post/pages out there and warn against the dangers of showing vs telling. I’ve read many of them and the information basically stays the same with variation on how it is told. Although the information is stored in the back of my mind, I continue to click on those articles to see if there is anything new that I should know. Even if I don’t learn anything new, it’s refreshing to know that my knowledge is being reassured.

When writing, I always want to be an active writer (more on that in a later post). In that regard, I like to pay attention to what I’m writing and making sure that I don’t summarize information or info dump in a paragraph. These examples I regard as telling. Instead, I try to sprinkle the information through the story.

I happened to look back on my project and I completely failed my knowledge. I read through the opening paragraphs and I cringed. I had info dumps and trying to tell the reader about the world. While I do confess that I started writing this story three years ago, I never really went back to look at the beginning until recently. It just amazed me how different my writing had gotten from then until now. I knew it happened but everything time I take a look at old writing, it hits me in the face.

So, here’s a few tips on how to avoid info dumps.

First, I like to make a rough outline of my chapters. It’s like writing a synopsis with the only exception that you won’t show it to anyone. This sounds tedious and repetitive but I have found it to be really useful. With that outline, you can decide where you want to put those world building sentences and other sentences that deal with your character and their life up to that point. Not only do you dictate where that information goes but you have a clearer view of where everything goes.

Second, I ask someone to read over my work. It’s nice to have an extra pair of eyes for anything. I’m sure if you have info dumps and the information slows down the reading then, someone is bound to tell you. You could always read it yourself when you take a few days off and reread your work. That way, you don’t have the story in you head and you can read like a reader.

Third, practice. You don’t win a marathon when you practice for only one day. You don’t send your manuscript out to agents on the first draft. Everything takes practice and so does writing. I don’t believe you can get really good at writing without failing a few times. If you make yourself become super sensitive over avoiding info dumps then it starts to become second nature to you and your writing is better off because of it.

Lastly, read. Reading is very essential to your writing. Without reading, you can’t soak up all the techniques other writers are able to pull off. Did I mention that their published authors? Yes, they are. So, bottom line read. Get to see what works and why it works and see if you can’t incorporate some of the same techniques into your own work.

What if you have any info dumps in your writing? Next week, I’ll be making a post on how to fix info dumps. Until then.

Posted in Methods, Writing

Rewrite- How to?

Posted on by Kassandra Carrillo

Finishing a manuscript is one of the greatest accomplishments you can achieve. It’s tough work starting from scratch and typing up the last word but the rewards are great. However, sometimes, well, most of the times, it doesn’t end there. Next, comes editing and for the most part, this also includes rewriting some scenes, entire chapters, or maybe even the entire story.

There are many ways to edit a manuscript and there are many different ways it can be done depending on the writer. However, the most important part is to let the manuscript sit for a while before actually starting to edit it. If the story is still ‘fresh’ in your mind then you won’t be able to notice anything wrong with it. The time away from the manuscript depends on the person.

I liked to find a few close friends/beta readers and ask them to read my manuscript. Not only do I take some time off but it also gives me something to wait on e.g. critiques/comments. It’s also during this time that I like to look over my characters and notes. I’m not looking to change anything but I do think about the ways in which I wrote my characters and if I brought them to life on the page. I also tend to replay key scenes in my head and re-imagine them. What would happen if I change this particular line of dialogue? Or what if I make my character do this instead?

Although I keep repeating myself I will always say that no one method of editing is wrong or right. One way may work better for one person than another.

It’s also a good idea, I found, to convert your manuscript into a .pdf file and read it like a book. You can’t edit and it forces you to read your story without being able to change anything. I typically do this during my waiting time, looking specifically for sentences that don’t really make sense or could use improvement and for small typos. Usually when I read my manuscript I can get a hint of what is missing but they aren’t set in stone until I get back some comments. Usually, my suspicions are correct and some comments point out things that need improvements.

Taking critiques comes with a grain of salt. Some people might respond differently to your writing and that’s okay. Ultimately, it’s your choice as a writer that counts. If the plot is lacking, you usually have to rewrite the entire story but even then that’s nothing to feel dishearten about. I have rewritten one manuscript five times, from scratch, and though it has taken over five years to make it feel right,  it’s the best possible version that it could be. Scenes can be written and so can dialogue.

As long as you’re willing to make changes and abandon some things then rewriting will be easier. Accept the fact that it won’t be easy to begin with and go from there.