http://christinadodd.com/christina-dodds-brief-and-random-writing-tips/
CHRISTINA DODD’S WRITING TIPS
About Characters
In romance, plot is important. Characters are more important. Readers must care about the characters. The hero and heroine must march through hell and survive — and triumph!
Hero and heroine can do anything, no matter how stupid or trivial, if they’re well motivated.
Motivate your hero and heroine with *big* things: important issues, dramatic experiences.
Always ask, “What’s the worst thing that could happen to this character?” Then write it!
If your heroine starts the book being a timid, bookish librarian in glasses, by THE END she had better become a wild, passionate, smart adventuress.
If your hero starts out the book as a rude, revenge-driven, sexy, rich brute…hey, I’m a happy reader!
Let me try that again.
If your hero begins as vengeful sexy rich brute, by THE END he had better be tamed by heroine’s love. Still sexy and rich, though. ;)
Torture your hero early and often; it develops his character, sort of like roasting nuts brings out the flavor.
Tortured, brooding, sexy, ruthless heroes…I love them. Everyone does. Not really a tip. Truth.
About Ideas and Synopses
Ideas are everywhere. Watch movies. Read books. Improve bad stories and re-work good ones.
Worried about writing a cliché? Clichés are clichés for a reason.
A synopsis is a roadmap of my plot. Want to write quickly? Work out every plot point before you start.
Divide your synopsis into chapters so you always know what happens next. Of course, changes happen…
A synopsis is a roadmap. Off-roading is encouraged! Change, revise, do anything to improve your story!
About Writing
Most important: Put your butt in the chair and write.
Very important! Write the book you want to read.
Very, very important! The more you write, the better you get. Yes, there is a learning curve. I wrote two practice books which were never published. So what? I’ve published over fifty novels and novellas since then, and had (and have) a successful career as a writer. Put your butt in the chair and write! A lot!
Very, very, very important! As long as you produce pages, your writing method is the best. Yes, if you’re writing without a synopsis, but the characters and plot is shaping up and you’re putting out pages, IGNORE WHAT I SAID ABOUT SYNOPSES! Ignore everything. You’re the writer. There is no correct way to write!
Research is important, but I’ll never get it all right. Just write the book!
Stuck? Change location. Move to bedroom, deck, Starbucks. Don’t know why, but this jogs my brain.
Writer and pal Heather MacAllister says vacuum cleaner is your best writing tool. Stuck? Think about getting up from your desk and vacuuming (or performing any other hated task) and inspiration fills your brain.
Writer and pal Susan Elizabeth Phillips taught me to set a timer for an hour and write. Don’t get up. Don’t check email, or look at Facebook or Twitter or Goodreads. Don’t answer the phone. Write.
Email, Facebook and Twitter too much of a temptation? Write on an Alphasmart Neo. No internet!
Are you editing too much? Write on an Alphasmart Neo. Forces forward progress. Yes — I do write most of my original material on an Alphasmart. It’s cheap, light, portable, and restrictive in important ways that work for me. No, I have no investment in the company and I get nothing out of recommending the Alphasmart.
Promo is not writing. Blogging not writing.
Writing a sex scene is full of pitfalls. Suggest critique group/editor/much revision. Read about the nuts and bolts of writing sex…
Typos & misplaced modifiers are inevitable. And funny. Again, suggest critique group/editor/much revision. Read about my funniest mistakes…
Motivation can be as easy as giving yourself an M & M at the end of each complete paragraph. Whatever works! (Also, you must exercise. Yes. Exercise.)
If your goal is 5 pages and you don’t make it, don’t yell at yourself. Next day, start new and write 5 pages.
Finished your manuscript? Go back and take out half of the stage direction.
Finished your manuscript? Go back and eliminate the “justs” and “suddenlys.”
Author is glamour overrated, especially at Costco in gardening clothes covered with dirt.
Best words in the English language = THE END. Better than “I love you” or “Here’s your royalty check.”
Don’t worry about getting it right the first time. Quality words on the page don’t matter on the first draft. Quality comes later in revisions. I revise every scene at least five times before the manuscript goes to the editor. Then I revise according to those comments. Then it goes to the copy editor who check grammar/punctuation/continuity, and I revise again. I spend at least as much time revising as I do writing. Revise! Revise! Revise!
My favorite book is the one I just finished or the one I haven’t started. Never the one I’m working on.
Miscellaneous Writing Tips
For my money, the best writing book Chris Vogler’s WRITER’S JOURNEY. Problems? Flip open to any page and get immediate help.
Win a contest? Finish a first chapter? Or a book? Publish your 40th book? --Celebrate!
Selling your first book is An Occasion that will never come again. Celebrate! I took the family to Disney World.
Some stories are hard to write, some easy. Doesn’t matter, doesn’t affect how the book is received.
Don’t sweat reviews; good or bad, it’s just an opinion.
The book of your heart is important, but if you want a writing career, your heart had better be TEAMING with books.
The best thing a romance writer can do for her career is to join Romance Writers of America. RWA has a monthly magazine with articles about writing and publishing local and online chapters filled with writers, both published and unpublished, and an annual conference with sessions on how to write and how to publish. I’m a long-time member, and every year, I learn something about important about writing from RWA.
Recap of the Most Important Writing Tips
The book of your heart is important, but if you want a writing career, your heart had better be TEAMING with books.
As long as you produce pages, your writing method is the best.
Put your butt in the chair and write.
Stop reading my writing tips and go write. Now.
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