Want feedback on your work?

There are several places to get that much needed feedback on your work.  I have listed a couple of sites with brief descriptions of what you can expect to find there. 

www.critiquecircle.com  This critique system is free of charge as they utilize a credit system.  You leave a critique for a story and then you get credit.  You have to bank up so many credits before submitting your work. 

www.agentqueryconnect.com  This site offers numerous opportunities to get your work reviewed.  There is also a wealth of information for any writer at any stage of the game.

www.absolutewrite.com  Fast paced forums, lots of helpful advice.

www.writeoncon.com  This is a free online conference that happens every August.  Excellent info and while the conference is running, a great place to get some peer input on your work.

Depending on the level of critique needed, you can always explore other options tailored to your specific genre, but the above sites will provide a solid starting point.

Simple bliss

I feel one of the most important things I can do as a writer is help another writer.  Whether that is critiquing a story, offering useful writing tips, or promoting fellow writer's works/and or blogs, I have a complete sense of accomplishment knowing that I've played some small part in allowing someone else to glide over a hurdle that I struggled with.

So I want to take a moment to recognize a few fantastic blogs/sites who keep this a main focus:

http://writershelpingwriters.net/

http://www.publishingcrawl.com/

http://writeoncon.com


Do you know of sites that have content geared towards helping out fellow writers?  If so, please share them.

When descriptions become flat and how to deal with them

The last thing any writer wants is a cast of Flat Stanleys parading through paper houses.  That is exactly what poor descriptions do for any reader.  They don't want two dimensional characters that don't come to life for them and they don't need a full page to describe a front porch on a house, so where's the middle ground?  It's finding that perfect balance of words and character props.  Personally, I will put a book down if I can't place the MC in a specific setting. For me, setting is as important as the characters in it.  So if you, the author, can't visualize it, your reader's not going to either.  I run into this little road block every time I'm on a hot streak with any one of my stories.  I have awareness of where they are, but I sometimes don't take the time to go for precision, because, well, that's how I get to the end of a very rough, but completed first draft. 

This is my generic list of questions to ask when examining flat setting descriptions:

-can the setting make any of the characters struggle with something?  Maybe their shirts get stuck on thorny bushes as they sneak along a property line? 

-does the setting have a purpose?  Does the MC see ghosts in the mirror of the diner he frequents?

-if you place your characters in a different climate, would their interactions be any different?  Do they react to the climate?  Are they wiping the sweat off their forehead or shivering every ten seconds?

-are establishments too interchangeable? Why here?  Why now?  Do they need something from this building or house that they can't get anywhere else?  

-does the setting change enough?  Be mindful of boring places that don't offer your characters new emotions or reactions.

-does the setting change too much? Be wary of switching locations too often.  It may feel like blurred lines passing by in a car.

To get a crystal clear image, I like to picture the setting without the characters in it.  Then I let the elements take over.  What would fly through the air at a sudden gust of wind?  What will shoot out sparks if a pipe bursts and water touches it?  What would be the one thing in the room your MC would run for if a fire started?

Again, this is only a generic list, but a good place to start.  What are questions you ask yourself to bring life to flat descriptions?

Character quirks

When I meet someone for the first time, I try to associate them with something they were doing or wearing in order to make them stick in my head, so I will remember their name when I see them again.  It's a pet peeve of mine when I recognize a face, but can't place that person's name.  Well sometimes, I don't have to do that.  Sometimes, people just stick in my mind, making their persona a memorable one.  They may be charismatic, they may be a comedian, or they may be the most striking person on the face of the earth.  But not every character gets the proper amount of time to explain all their wonderful or horrible facets, so that is when a quirk makes them stand out.

That is my ultimate goal for any character in my story.  Whether they have a cameo or a solid part; if they're important enough to put in, then I use an association to remember them, so it guarantees less confusion when referring to them later in the story.

While there are too many behaviors to list, below is a small compilation of a few character quirks, whether annoying or funny, to get your own list thriving:

-snuffing when they chew their gum and snapping bubbles
-fearing something that others consider cute and cuddly
-chewing on their fingernails
-chewing on the end of a pen
-constantly tapping their fingers to a rhythm when there's no music
-nodding their head obsessively
-pointing whenever they talk
-talking in sonnets
-applying chap stick every two minutes
-breathing heavy in-between each word like they should be on oxygen
-moving in robotic movements but not on purpose
-their voice is so high pitched, dogs whimper


Just thinking of your own pet peeves can help you create a fantastic list of quirks to set your characters apart.  What crazy quirks can you come up with?

It's a matter of perspective

If media has taught us anything, it's that the truth can easily be bent.  The headline of a story can determine whether we like something or not without reading the article/hearing the actual truth of it.  The beauty of this is the same thing can be applied to writing your fiction.  You can make readers loathe a character or make them feel sorry for them just by releasing certain bits of information.

In the two examples below, we're looking at the same story, but slightly different information is given in each one.


The perpetrator ran out the back door, with the freshly stolen jewelry clenched into his fists.  As he flung the back door open, he failed to read the wet cement sign until his legs were suctioned firmly into the damp, but thick concrete.  He tried to move his legs, but wasn't able to lift a single limb.  He quickly whipped out his phone and dialed 9-1-1.


Obviously not the sharpest tool in the shed.  We already don't like this criminal and we are cheering him on for being dumb enough to call for help in this situation.

Now for the other version:

The child ran out the back door, with his mom's jewelry clenched into his fists.  As he tried to escape the mad man behind him, he flung the back door open and failed to read the wet cement sign until his legs were suctioned firmly into the damp, but thick concrete.  He tried to move his legs, but wasn't able to lift a single limb.  He quickly whipped out his phone and dialed 9-1-1. 


You feel different about this story, why?

... it's amazing what a few details either added of left out can do.

The Power of Observation

There are many ways to define your MC without a checklist.  Personality is often reflected through taste in friends, music, fashion, living space...etc 


Here are two examples of describing your MC's bedroom without listing:


If it's messy:


She added the pants to the mound of others on the floor, and walked over top of them in pursuit of jeans that fit better.


(We know she doesn't crave organization, but still cares about her physical appearance.  And we know what her room looks like.)


If it's tidy:


She slid her hand across the comforter, smoothing out the single wrinkle in it, while heading to her vanity, where she noted one of her bottles of fingernail polish wasn't facing label out.


(We know she is a control freak and thrives on organization.  And we know her room is well kept.)


Just by honing in on a couple minute details about each character's room, we get a good sense of setting and a look into their personality.

What does your MC's bedroom say about them?
What kinds of details can you focus on that do an excellent job of summing up personality along with setting?

Welcome

Writing can be fun, exhausting, rewarding, complicating, simplistic, frustrating, joyous, and full of self loathing, but the next time your writing slows down, think about this:


“You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
                                                                                             Maya Angelou


Here are a few questions to jumpstart your creative flow:


What would you do with a can of spray paint that could make things invisible?

Who is the first person you would walk past if you could suddenly read minds?

What if a german shephard started talking to you?

What if you woke up in someone else's body?

What if your best friend set you up to take the fall for his/her crime?