The Everything Writing Guide

THE EVERYTHING WRITING GUIDE

by

The Grand Rapids Region Writers’ Group

Smashwords Edition

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Copyright 2010 The Grand Rapids Region Writers’ Group

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction to the Everything Writing Guide

Chapter One: Getting Started

Why You Don’t Want to be a Writer: Dispelling the Myths

Just Write It

Setting Up Your Writing Space

The Long and Short of Short Stories

Secrets of a Successful Critique Group

Chapter Two: Mechanics: What You Need to Write Your Story

A Matter of Form

Ideas - Where Do They Come From?

Brainstorming Methods

In the Beginning

The Happy Hooker

Developing Believable Characters

Plotting

Goals, Motivations and Conflict

Please Don't Take a Trip to the Info Dump

Setting Up Your Story for Success

Painting Your Story

Narrative Voice

Point Of View

Epilogues and Prologues

Literary Techniques AKA Fancy-Schmancy Language

The Differences between Passive and Active Voice

Mugwumps and Waffle Words

Filters Are Only Good for Coffee

Show, Don't Tell

Story Pace

World Building

Research: Getting to the Facts

Editing Your Diamond in the Rough

Chapter Three: Elements of Writing – Deeper Nuances

Dialogue and Dialects

How to Make Conflict Your Friend

Nonverbal Communication

Secondary Characters

What Do They Mean by Voice?

Feelings. . . Nothing More Than Feelings

Believable Happily Ever After

The Big Black Moment

Chapter Four: Marketing and Publishing

Contests: To Enter or Not To Enter

The Synopsis and Query Letter

It's Finished Now What: A Guide to Submission

Do I Need an Agent?

Editor and Agent Appointments

From Manuscript to Bookstand

What to Include in a Press Kit

Publicity and Promotion

Successful Book Signings

The Pros and Cons of Electronic Press

The Writer - Editor Relationship

What You Should Know About Contracts

Chapter Five: The Care and Feeding of Your Creative Self

The Wonders of the Book of Wonder

Book of Wonder Character Grid

Constructive Criticism: How to Give and Take it with Grace

Decrease Stress and Increase Productivity

Gagging Your Inner Editor

Procrastination

Combating the Chapter Four to Six Slump

Rejection Letters and How to Use Them to Your Advantage

Writer's Block - Now What?

Writer's Fears and How to Best Combat Them

Glossary of Terms

Conclusion

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INTRODUCTION

You've dreamed about it. You've talked about it. For years, you've had this yearning, deep inside your soul. You want to write. Maybe you need to write.

The feeling might have begun when you were a small child, listening to fairy tales or stories from your beloved Golden Books ™. Or maybe praise from a favorite teacher planted the seeds of desire to write inside you. Maybe, you see stories all around you, waiting to be told, and they fill your head with ideas.

Whatever your reason, you have the desire and dream to be a writer. But, perhaps, you don't know where to start. Maybe you've already tried your hand at writing, but think your story needs something and don't know where to find the tools to help. Maybe you're like the baby bird hovering in the nest, waiting for something to push you from your safety zone and give you the necessary nudge to spread your wings and fly.

Well, now you've done it. You've bought this guide and made a commitment – however tenuous – to learn more about the craft of writing and start down that road to fulfilling your dream.

Whether you're a beginner, looking for basic instruction or an experienced writer interested in polishing your manuscripts, we think you'll find articles of interest in here and will have some fun while you're learning.

This guide is the joint effort of the members of the Grand Rapids Region Writers Group. We're an active group of published and unpublished writers who love to encourage and motive each other and new writers, too. We have several decades of writing experience in our group, and our members are both fiction and non-fiction writers. We created this guide to share with you things we've learned on our writing journey.

The Everything Writing Guide isn't meant to be read from cover-to-cover like a novel – although you're more than welcome to do that if you'd like. It's written to address topics of interest to writers. You'll find articles on everything from manuscript mechanics to query letters to suggestions for relieving stress. The articles are short enough to read when you have a few extra minutes or when you have a question.

You'll recognize a variety of writing styles and voices in the articles. They were written and edited by many different members of our group and are as varied as our members, who range in age from early twenties to retirement age. Some of us are new to the art of writing; others have multiple publication credits; a few of us are working editors; and still others have taken up writing as a second career. We come from a variety of backgrounds and life styles, too. But whatever our age or situation, we're all hooked on writing and love to share ideas and encourage others.

We're in love with the written word. We love to read, and we love the wonderful word portraits that can be painted with a well-turned phrase.

They say writing is a lonely profession, but we find it can also be a social one. We get together at our meetings and in smaller critique groups to talk about the writing process, share our experiences, support each other, and mentor new writers. We have fun, learn and, best of all, we keep each other motivated.

If we could, we'd reach through your monitor and pull you into the group and share our enthusiasm with you, too. However, the alternative is to share our love of writing with you on this guide. We hope it will inspire you to begin making your writing dreams a reality.

Remember, you aren't alone. We're here cheering you on.

Happy Writing,

The Authors of the Grand Rapids Region Writers Group

Andrea Dickinson, Ann Peterson, Arianna Skye, Bronwyn Green, Brynn Paulin, Chel Paulin, Cheryl Sterling, Cheryl Steimel, Chris Allen Riley, Cindy Arends, Emily Siler, Esther Jiran, Ginny Hebert, Ingram Medendorp, Jennifer Armintrout, Joselyn Vaughn, Julie Schuitema, Kimberly Monaghan, Leslie Burkhammer, Mary Timmer, Missi Bastiaanse, Patty Seino Gordon, Peg Hanchar, Simone Anderson, Stephanie Michels, Suzanne Graham, Sidney Ayers, Tanya Eby, Temple Hogan, Theresa Grant, W.S. Granger, Wendy Sinicki

http://www.grandrapidswritersgroup.blogspot.com

http://www.bit.ly/GRRWG

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CHAPTER ONE – GETTING STARTED

WHY YOU DON’T WANT TO BE A WRITER: DISPELLING THE MYTHS

Before you start perusing the articles on this guide, let's chat for a bit.

A lot of people have the wrong idea about writing. They let misconceptions build roadblocks all along their road to success. In the articles to come, you'll learn a lot of tricks and techniques for eliminating these obstacles or, at least, how to turn them into mere speed bumps.

You'll hear a lot about positive attitude and about visualization.

You're probably familiar with the saying if you can dream it, you can achieve it. There's a lot of truth in those words. Putting yourself in the right mindset, the I-can-do-anything frame of mind, will help smooth the road and head you toward your goal.

To help you on the road, the first thing we want to do is to dispel a few common misconceptions that can slow down your progress.

Remember what I said about positive attitude and visualization? Well, the first concept for you to grasp is that you must never say I want to be a writer.

Saying you want something implies you have a lack of it. It's the old glass being half-empty or half-full theory. Instead, consider this: You already are a writer. You became a writer the very first time you put a pen to paper or fingers to your keyboard. You just aren't a published writer yet.

When you start thinking of yourself as already being a writer, you'll set the stage for it to happen. It's positive attitude at its finest.

Here are some other myths that we sometimes find ourselves believing.

1- People are born writers.

Whoa! Stop the presses! Unless you're talking about some as yet undiscovered alien species, nothing could be further from the truth. People are not born writers, they are born babies.

Shakespeare certainly did not emerge from his mother's womb with a quill in one hand and a script of Romeo and Juliet in the other. Stephen King and Danielle Steele weren't born with silver ballpoint pens in their hands either.

Writing is a learned talent, and every writer had to begin the learning process somewhere. If you believe in yourself and you nurture your sparks of inspiration, you're heading on the right path.

Read, learn, and write every day. Practice, practice, and more practice will get you to your destination.

2- I’m too old (or too young) to learn something new.

Okay, I dare anyone to have told this one to Grandma Moses or to any person who went back to school after their retirement and learned new skills. Those people know you never stop learning.

Whatever your age, life is an unending education process. Every magazine article you read, every news story you watch on TV feeds your subconscious with new facts and information along with the entertainment. If you can absorb baseball statistics, learn weather patterns and keep up with political viewpoints, why would you think you couldn't learn something you really want to know?

As for being too young, People Magazine recently ran a series of articles about teens who have made outstanding contributions to our society. Whether it was providing backpacks for kids in need or collecting a million letters to send to our soldiers, young people have the energy and enthusiasm to conquer almost any goal they set. Couple that with their fresh ideas and fertile imaginations, and the combination is nearly unstoppable.

So, wherever you are on the timeline of life, it's never too early or late too embark on a writing career. In fact, today is the perfect time to start.

3 - If I were meant to be a writer, my words would flow easier.

We've all been attacked by this doubt before. Author and creative writing teacher, Dr. Laurie E. Rozakis, Ph.D. replies; Creative writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank piece of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.

While it may not be quite as bad as that, writing is not easy. Sometimes, it is downright difficult to get the ideas out of your head and on to your paper. You'll stare at a blank sheet or at your computer screen for so long, you'll begin to wish blood would form on your forehead just so you'd have something to do.

On the other hand, there will also be days when the words will flow, when your pen can hardly keep up with the flood of ideas. Those days more than make up for the others.

So how do you get more of the second and less of the first? One of the best way to ensure the good days happen more often is to discipline yourself to write every day, even if only for a half hour.

Don't worry about what you write. The point is just to write. Work on a different manuscript, write in a journal, start a blog. Better yet, try one of the writing exercises on this guide.

Don't go for perfection, just write. You'll be surprised how quickly ideas will come when you give yourself permission to write poorly.

4- If you want to succeed as a writer, you need to write full time.

Wrong again. Only a very small percentage of writers actually write full time. Most writers have - a day job. They might be anything from doctors, lawyers, and salesmen to waitresses, cab drivers and greeters at your local Wal-Mart store.

They write in the evenings, on weekends, and whenever they can squeeze a half hour into their schedule. Even those writers who don't work outside the house – busy housewives, daycare providers, and mothers – have myriad other things vying for their attention throughout the day.

Most have simply learned to carve writing time out of their hectic schedules. They write on lunch hours, on commutes, and when they're standing in lines. If you see someone with a notebook and pen at your kid's soccer practice, don't assume it's a reporter scoping out the team. It's probably just a soccer mom who works on her story whenever and wherever she can.

5- You have to be an expert on your subject to write about it.

While it's true that you can't write a handbook on brain surgery if you've never been inside a hospital, it isn't really necessary to hold a Ph.D. in a subject just to write about it. After all, your readers aren't looking for an encyclopedia or for a how-to procedural; they are looking to be entertained.

Let's say you have an idea for a story to be set in fifteenth century Scotland. However, your ancestors were Swedish, and the closest you've ever come to Scotland is that bottle of DeWars in your cupboard. So, should you put aside the idea as impossible? Of course not.

While it does add realism to your story to write about what you know, you can get mountains of knowledge about a subject through research. Today's computers, make researching easy. You don't have to juggle your schedule in order to devote hours at the library or buy hundreds of research books – although, the latter might appeal to book lovers. But really, all you have to do to immerse yourself in any topic is hit the information highway. And you can do that at any time of the night or day!

Going back to the idea of a Scottish story, you'll want to look up the names that were most popular in that era, check out the differences in clothing among the classes, find out about the political climate, etc.

The easiest way to start is use a search engine like Google, Altavista, Yahoo, Ask Jeeves or whatever your favorite might be. Just type in a few words, perhaps "15th Century Scotland and watch your screen fill up with relevant sites.

Start with a site like Wikipedia. There's lots of layman-friendly information there. History, climate, local flora and fauna, demographics, political climate, etc. You can bookmark important pages or print them on your home printer. From there, you might want to leap to a related link, or you can proceed to the next site listed in your search result.

Check out travel sites. The best ones have beautiful photographs that will put you right in a locale, and many have maps you can use, too. Explore the towns and villages listed there, making notes of when each was settled since there's nothing worse than having your characters visit places that didn't exist at the time.

With a good search engine, you can easily become enough of an expert to make your story believable. However, once you get started, your fascination may take you from one site to another until you're so caught up in the research that you don't get any writing done. To prevent that, set an arbitrary time limit for research then go back to your writing. You can work on a scene that doesn't require any backdrop or spice up one you've already written with a dash of local flavoring.

Okay, now that we've dealt with some of the most common writing myths, let's get on to the article in the book that will help you along the road to publication.

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JUST WRITE IT

If you ignore genres, there are really only three basic types of writers: Pantzers, Planners and Hybrids.

Pantzers are writers who have a story idea and simply sit down and start writing. They fly by the seat of their pants, so to speak, believing their character will lead the story in the direction it needs to go. Pantzers have a general idea of what their story is about, who their characters are, and where the action will be. But each day, they sit down and let their characters reveal the story to them.

Planners, as their name implies, take a much more structured approach to their writing. Planners usually don't write the first word of their story without having plotted and usually outlined it. Often they use character interviews and timelines to structure their stories, too.

Hybrids are writers who are neither Planners nor Pantzers, yet they use a little bit of each style in their writing.

There's a lot to be said for each type of writing, so let's take a little closer at each.

Planners know their story inside and out. They have plotted it, developed outlines, and usually have built character grids or done character interviews.

One of the Planners in our group sets up a detailed Excel spreadsheet for her stories. Before she begins to write the story, she has already planned each chapter's action and the closing hook. This writer could pick up her spreadsheet on any given day and say, I think today I'll write chapter 6 (or 9 or 3). Since she already knows what will happen in a chapter, she has the ability to work on any of her chapters at any time, in or out of sequence.

Pantzers, on the other hand, just sit down and start writing. They believe the characters will reveal their story as they go along. Pantzers tend to write their stories chronologically, from start to finish. That's because they're never sure what plot twist may develop.

Pantzers tend to have a strong ideas about their characters but have vaguer ideas about how the action will develop. They usually don't know until they write it what Character A will be doing in the next chapter or how they'll get from Point A to Point B. A writer who says I thought my hero was going to do X, but he decided to do Y instead is probably a Pantzer.

Chris Beaty, founder of the Novel in a Month (NIAM) program seems to favor the Pantzer approach to writing. He tells you to come up with a premise then start writing, learning about your characters as you write. Structure and fine-tuning come later, during the editing phase.

Most writers are Hybrids, a blend of both of the other types. Hybrids may start with a loose outline listing main action points and have a few character sketches. Using these as working tools, they will start to write, but will allow modifications that suggest themselves, too.

Another writer in our group is a good example of the Hybrid type. She does in-depth interviews with her characters before she tackles a story. By the time she actually starts to write, she knows how her characters think as well as what they look like. She also knows about their motivations, their childhood, and, sometimes, their next door neighbor's names. She may not use a fifth of the data she has in store, but by learning about her characters, she can usually determine how they will react in a given situation. However, she doesn't follow an outline as such for her story. She controls the direction, because she knows her characters so well.

None of these three approaches is better or more right than any of the others. Each writer has to decide what works best for him or her.

However, in this chapter, we're going to take a closer look at the Hybrid and talk about why this approach – with modifications – may be the best one for the new writer.

The biggest advantage of the Hybrid writing style is that it gets the writing out of your head and on to paper before the idea disappears. This style gives you permission to turn off the Inner Editor that resides in all of us.

Inner Editor is the biggest challenges to getting a story