Procrastination and how to deal with it

What does a writer plus procrastination equal?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Zilch. Zero.

Procrastinating is when you spend six hours watching videos of cats falling off a garden fence on YouTube, or when you go on Tumblr at 9am to look at cool gifs from the Hobbit, then close the tab at 10pm and wonder what you are doing with your life.
Procrastination is the reason you haven't finished your novel yet (unless you have finished your novel, in which case procrastionation is why you haven't finished revising it, or written a query letter for it, or- you know what I mean).

Fortunately, there is a way to combat procrastination.

You tend to procrastinate when you either don't want to do what you're supposed to be doing, or you don't know what productive thing you could be doing.

A good way to stop this is by making a to do list. Before you go to bed, or when you get up in the morning, write down everything you want (or need) to achieve that day, whether it's homework or writing or answering that email you've been putting off. If possible, set a time limit on it (so you don't spend a ridiculously long time on it or get destracted) or, for example, with writing, a word count goal. That way, when you have reached this goal, you know that you have achieved what you wanted. Then you can tick it or cross it off. This way, your day is more structured and you're less likely to simply go on the internet because you have nothing else to do.

Of course, the only way this works is if you actually do the stuff you right down. This is just a method to help. The real way to beat procrastination is by doing.

So, whatever you want to achieve, don't put it off until tomorrow. Do it today.*

*That sounded like a bad advert. Sorry.

Give them the time of day

As you're writing, you're probably more focused on the characters and the plot than the technical details. And that's how it should be. If you spent all your time in the little details in the first draft, you'd never finish it.

However, it does lead to an issue when you're revising, and you discover you've written one scene as taking place on Tuesday evening, and the one after the Monday before. Which would make sense if you were writing all your scenes backwards, but no so much if you aren't. Which is the more likely scenario.

This tends to creep in when you novel takes place over a long period of time, but even if it takes place within a week the timing can end up a little off.

For example:
Say your main character is the mother of an eight year old. Your main character drops her daughter off at school, then goes to pick up the dry cleaning. As she is leaving the dry cleaner's, she realises she's late to pick her daughter up from school and collects her.

See the issue here? Could she really have spent four to five hours at the dry cleaner's? Probably not (unless the dry cleaner is particularly chatty).

This example is a little exaggerated, but that sort of thing does happen. And it will mess with your reader's minds.
So, when you're revising, look out for when one of your characters has somehow spent the past seven hours in a cafe.

Oh, and remember your character needs to eat occasionally.

Revision, revision, revision

Now, it seems, is the time for revision, considering the amount of revision blog posts I've seen recently. I suppose it stems from NaNoWriMo.
But, whether it's your NaNoWriMo novel, or a project you've been working on for years that you've finished, here are some tips on revision.

By this time, you may hate your novel. You might think it's stupid, boring, whatever. Don't let that get to you. That's what first drafts a for. You've just thrown up an entire novel onto the page. No matter how long it is, that's a huge achievement. Now is the time to make your novel good, so remember what made you excited about it in the first place.

When you finish a novel, people often say it's a good idea to leave it a while. This step, I find, isn't necessary compulsory. For example, I found with my current project that I was having ideas for how I could revise it almost immediately. If I'd left it, I am likely to have forgotten my ideas, so I started right away. Really, you can do either. Which ever you think will work best for you.

First, it's a good idea to print out your manuscript. I know, it uses rather a lot of paper, but it allows you to see your novel with fresh eyes. Also, you can make notes in the margins in places you think could be written differently. Not grammar and spelling at the moment. That can come later. Look at the bigger picture.

My checklist goes like this:

1)  Is the plot exciting and believable?

2) Are the characters well developed? Do they ever act out of character?

3) Are there any areas where the plot drags, or is too fast?

You could also add ideas for new scenes or circle awkward sentences.

Next, considering the notes you made on plot, write an outline for your novel.

 

Yes, even if you already did one before you started. And no, don't just copy it out again. Actually think about it. Your ideas about how the novel should turn out may have changed as you wrote the novel. As it's the first draft, it probably won't have turned out exactly as you wanted it to originally anyway. Now is a good time to reevaluate how you want it to be.
I find Microsoft Excel really useful for this.

The headings I use for my outline are:
Chapter Number
Scene Summary
Setting
Characters
Conflict
Goal
Antagonist
Outcome
Day/Time
Outcome
1st line
Last Line
Notes

After you've done that, you may find you've rewritten or deleted or added some chapters. That's okay.

Now it's time to start revising your novel. Before you change anything, make sure you have a copy of the first draft saved somewhere, just in case. I tend to start at the beginning, but really, you could start anywhere.
At this point, don't worry about the small things. This is a major issues rewrite only - the time for adding, deleting, and reworking chapters and the plot, not spelling and awkward sentences. That's what comes next.

After the major rewrite, reread your manuscript. If you're mostly happy with the plot and characters, then it's time for the minor issues. If not, pinpoint the part/s you have a problem with and fix it.
However, don't spend too much time redoing it, or you'll edit it to death. You've got to stay excited about your novel.

Look through the novel for those run on sentences, places where there's way too much flowery description or next to none, badly spelt words, words you've used way too many times in one sentence, places that seemed to have exploded with commas, and its, it's, there, their, and they're. Correct them. Rework them until they sounds polished. Read them aloud to make sure they make sense.
Make sure the dialogue sounds realistic. Try reading just the dialogue in a little role play of the scene (it's okay to sound crazy. You're a writer).

Once you've done that, you're pretty much done! Give it another read through or two to check for any extra things you may have overlooked, and then sit back in the happy knowledge of a job well done. Eat some cake. Chocolate. Cookies.
You've just completed a novel. Not just the first draft. An actual novel.
Take a break. You earned it.

The Problem with Romance

I got a fair number of books for Christmas, and I've been powering through them. Most of them are in the Young Adult genre. And none of them are predominately Romance.

And one thing I've noticed about them, is the overwhelming romance in them. You can't get five pages in to the book without the main character describing the obvious love interest as 'gorgeous'.

Can I just take a moment to wonder why words like that are necessary? Most people don't read books to find out how good looking a character is. They tend to read them for the actual personality of the character. Mentioning the beautiful mysteriousness of a person's eyes may sound pretty, but does it really move the plot forward? Does it give the reader and insight to this character's personality?
No.

I wrote a post about character development here.

The only thing is does do, if the story is told in first person particularly, is make the main character sound rather shallow. If you want the reader to like the love interest and understand why the main character likes them, just like with any other character, work on their personality. Work out how this character would act in certain situations. Know the character, not the looks.

Another issue is insta-love, when your MC, or any other character for that matter, meets the love interest, and it is automatically Love At First Sight. They then go on to become an obvious couple immediately, even if it's not actually official, leaving the reader wondering why they like each other in the first place.
In real life, people don't fall for each other that easily. And neither should your characters.

I know I've hammered this point rather a lot, but a story sticks longer in your mind if you've connected with the character's personality.

How to survive NaNoWriMo...

...otherwise know as National Novel Writing Month.
For those who don't know, NaNoWriMo is a challenge for you to write 50,000 words (different ones, obviously) in one month.

I'm not actually doing it this month (I have exams) but seeing as it starts in a few days (1st of November) I figured I would give you some tips on how to survive, and hopefully emerge victorious.

1) Have a plan
If you don't know at least the basics, like how you'll begin, the middle, and how it ends, how can you hope to win? Even if you are a pantser, make sure you at least have a brief outline prepared.

2) Set aside time to write
In order to complete the challenge, you'll need to write about 1,667 words a day. Maybe you find that easy, maybe you don't, but the whole challenge will feel a lot more accomplishable (ok, not a word...) if you put aside time to write every day rather than stealing the occasional five minutes. You must commit!

3) Don't give in to those inner thoughts!
You know the ones I mean. That little voice in your head that tells you it's rubbish, you're not good enough, you'll never complete it. Ignore them. Banish them from your mind. Because if you really motivate yourself, you can do it. You will feel, at times, like there's no point continuing. But there will be other days when you feel on top of the world and that everyone should bow down to your awesomeness. Embrace those days, and ignore the others. Even if it isn't the greatest writing in the world, you can always edit it later. Your goal is word count, not beautifully flowing descriptions.
Don't give up!


Remember, NaNoWriMo isn't just about 50,000 words. It can improve your writing in other ways too. When I did it in August, I didn't reach 50,000 words. But I completed the longest novel I'd ever written in the shortest amount of time it had ever taken me, and my writing skills greatly improved. Since then, I have been able to write much more in far less time, and I've found it easier to get the words out in the way I wanted. NaNoWriMo has other benefits, so don't worry if you don't quite hit 50,000.

Good luck!

Gone, by Michael Grant

Whoops, it's been a month. Exactly a month in fact...
Anyway, onto the book review.

Suddenly it’s a world without adults and normal has crashed and burned. When life as you know it ends at 15, everything changes. There are no adults, no answers.

Those left must do all they can to survive.

But everyone’s idea of survival is different. Some look after themselves, some look after others, and some will do anything for power . . . Even kill.

For Sam and Astrid, it is a race against time as they try to solve the questions that now dominate their lives . . . What is the mysterious wall that has encircled the town of Perdido Beach and trapped everyone within? Why have some kids developed strange powers? And can they defeat Caine and his gang of bullies before they turn fifteen and disappear too?

It isn't until the world collapses around you that you find out what kind of person you really are.

I decided to read this because I was recommended to read Plague, the fourth in the series. While I enjoyed the concept, I didn't understand the characters or the setting or anything that was happening. But the concept was so fascinating, I decided to have a look at the first.
To be completely honest, I didn't approach it with high hopes. In the fourth book, there seemed to be so many characters, and I fears it would be the same in the first.
I was wrong.

Cover: *****
I love the cover. It stands out, with the black against green (or yellow, depending on the light), and it's ambiguous. It doesn't insist you think the characters look a certain way. I realise that there is another version, with people on the front. But I prefer this one.
Plus, the edges of the pages were bright green.

If all books had coloured edges, I would reorder my bookshelf so it looked like a rainbow. But I digress.

Plot: *****
It was engaging. The problems escalated throughout the book, constantly raising the stakes, and always causing me to ask questions (and thus forcing me to read on). And, even though there were lots of hints and clues, not everything was revealed. And so, obviously, now I have to get the next one.

Characters: ****
They were extremely well developed, especially considering the large cast. I could understand their actions, even when they weren't necessarily for the good. There was some real empathy going on here, even for the lesser characters.
My one problem was that there were so many, which led to head hopping. Sam was the main character, but I often found myself in Astrid, or Quinn's head, which could be a little disorientating.

Writing: ****
This book was extremely well written. Michael Grant has a style that, while urging you to read on, doesn't get in the way of the actual storytelling. It was seamless. The only problem was the occasional head hop, as I mentioned before.

Other:
If you look at the back cover of the book, you'll see a count down. The count down continues at the beginning of each chapter. And you don't find out what it's for until near the end. It was pretty exciting.

Overall, I would give this book five stars. Definitely recommended.

How to Create a Character from Scratch

In my opinion, characters are the most important aspect in a story. You don't have to agree with me, but just think of this: in the books that people seem to rave about (Harry Potter, Hunger Games etc) what is it that they reference most?
Not the plot.
Everyone remembers Ron Weasley (why didn't I say HP? Because, seriously, the clue's in the name) and Katniss. They are great characters, with personalities and goals. That's what drives a story.
Characters are also where a story can fall flat. You don't want to root for a cardboard cutout.

So, here's something to fill in to aid you in creating a unique character:
Name:
Age:
Internal Conflict:
What they will do about it:
External Conflict:
What they will do about it:
Enemy (ie the character's antagonist):
How they made this enemy and what they will do about it:
Hobby/skill:

Sometimes the answer will be short. Sometimes it won't. Whatever it takes for you to get a good understanding of your character.
Of course, this just gives you the basics. You won't have a full character quite yet. But this should be helpful for starting a story, plotting, and pin pointing the main things about your character.

Hope you found this helpful!