Anna's Top Tips

Although it's been a wonderful journey, there are a few things Anna wished she knew before she began. Would've saved her a lot of time and energy. These largely apply to writing novels but some work for any type of writing life.

Start with Storycraft

Most teachers are good with words. It's a fairly regular part of the job no matter how old your students are. Of course, we can always improve on this skill but it's important to take time to learn storycraft in the early stages. Although I began with the traditional three act structure advice, it always felt a little disjointed to me.

Then I found Anatomy of Story by John Truby. It is hands down the best resource I've found for structuring a story. Truby is a script doctor but his advice works for stories of any kind. His 22 steps can feel overwhelming, though, so just remember to learn the basics and then adjust any of them to suit your own writing. His work is useful guidance-not a prescription. You can understand the basics of his work through this comprehensive podcast interview.

Disregard Advice

Ok so that's not exactly what I mean (and yes I recognize the irony of placing this in a tips article). There are thousands of blogs, videos, and podcasts with amazing advice on every facet of writing from trolling for stories to self-publication. But we teachers have a tendency toward perfectionism. We want to have as much research under our belt as possible before launching any endeavor and this translates to writing as well. It's the biggest mistake most debut novelists make.

As you take in the torrents of sage advice, you'll start to notice some repetition. Only you know when it's time to stop, but when you start to get that sixth sense that you've reached a saturation point, it's time to stop reading and start writing.

And even as you do, it's tempting to return to your favorite channels to fine tune your craft. It can be useful to do but for every minute you spend listening to someone else, promise yourself you'll listen to the muse in your own head at least as long. Writing is an art and there's no one way to do it. Stephen King may abhor adjectives but if they're working for you, then fucking use them. No one puts baby in a corner.

Write Consistently

Some writers will tell you to write every day and it is, without question, the best way to get the chapters knocked out. Trouble is, the schedule of a teacher can be a little challenging. If you're tutoring before school, coaching after, and moonlighting at night it can feel impossible to find a consistent time. Although writing every day might not be possible for you, it's important to be consistent. Perhaps the club that meets once a week offers a chance to anchor your writing. Although many writers have a word target for their writing time, I prefer Dan Brown's advice. He has his writing block of time and as long as he writes for the duration, he doesn't care how many words it is. Personally, this helps pacify the neurotic side of me who freaks out whenever I spend an hour on a single paragraph, which thankfully isn't often. If that tends to be the case for you, the word count might be a better bet.

Protect Your Process

Every writer you encounter has developed a process over time. Although many writers are 'pantsers' (writing by the seat of their pants) teachers probably tend to lean more toward the plotters end of the spectrum. We plan everything and it's hard to shut that off even in our leisurely pursuits. No matter which way you lean, pay attention to what works and doesn't for you. And then stick to it. It's very easy to continue finding great new advice but don't accept it if it just doesn't work for the process that has given you results in the past.

Behold the Power of the Shitty First Draft

Although many writers (particularly pantsers) cringe at such notions, this is probably the most important thing I've learned. Getting the full story down in all its disheveled, telling not showing, adverb-ridden glory is key to identifying mistakes early. The first half of my first novel was absolutely gorgeous. And completely wrong for the story's direction. So I had to go back and throw out pages of carefully crafted dialogue and narrative. It just didn't make sense for the character arc. Had I remained focused on the story's direction instead of wordcraft, it wouldn't have been so painful to 'kill my darlings' as it were. Depsite the despair it inflicted, it was no doubt the right call.

And this doesn't just apply to the first draft. It's so easy to go back and revise over and over and over until you think it's perfect. But then beta readers get a hold of it and they suggest changes that sound strangely familiar. Because they were in your first draft but were dropped for the seventh. And if you're going the traditional publishing route, then you find an agent who has a few ideas. And then the editor, of course, has a go. No matter which publishing route you choose, others will weigh in and it's a little less daunting to make changes early than later when you've committed so much time and love only to agree with the suggestions and change it anyway.

Feedback is Good...Up to a Point

That last one may have thrown you into a panic attack but here's where it all gets better. Yes, getting extra eyes on your work is generally helpful. Just remember those eyes interpret the world differently and you can choose which advice fits your vision and which has more to do with the person giving it than the work itself.

Beta readers are great for that first 'does this even make sense' look over your finished product. They can be found in professional groups on GoodReads but you can also use any writing group you've joined or even see about trading work with another writer. Many Facebook and Twitter groups do this. Of course, family and friends familiar with your genre can be an excellent source as well (just keep in mind they might not be as brutally honest as you need them to be).

The key, I've found, in soliciting useful feedback is in the way the guiding questions are asked. You know as a teacher that a student who has received a grade with no explanation or even a clue as to what they got wrong is not a happy camper. When we offer detailed feedback and suggestions it helps them learn. It's a little different with writing because the feedback you seek is an opinion. Asking readers if they liked the book is about as useful as that grade. I find when I ask questions like these, I get a better sense of what to change:

What character was most interesting to you and why?
What character bothered you the most and why?
Was anything about the plot confusing?
At what points in the book did you put it down?
What parts did you find yourself skimming over?

Questions like thee help me figure out character arc and pacing, which can be difficult for me. Whatever you think you're struggling with, ask pointed questions but be sure to leave them open enough so the reader can go in unexpected directions that may be useful for you.

Remember, though, that you are the writer. Advice can be helpful but if it doesn't ring true for you or for the story you're trying to tell, trust that. Your intuition is the best feedback mechanism at your disposal.