How do I start writing my story?

So you’ve got a great story idea…but how – or where – should you start?

How to start writing, what to do first, or what the “right” way to go about writing is are questions I see popping up in online writers’ groups all the time. In this video I talked about the importance of just writing and leaving your critical mind out of the creative process…but even then, often that’s easier said than done. How do you know you’ve got enough of an idea to start writing? Where do you start?

I started to think about this recently when a new writer posted a question in a writers’ group asking how they could start making their ideas into stories.

There were lots of varied replies to this writer’s post. Some people suggested learning all elements of craft and reading a lot (which is all good advice) so that the poster would feel more confident to write and craft their story. Others suggested just writing out everything, just getting thoughts out onto the page without restricting them (like writer-editor Ann Bolch discussed in our interview series). This is also great advice, but even then the question can arise of “Where?”.

My own advice was to start with whatever you feel most passionate about or inspired by at the time.
I mean, why wouldn’t you start with your strongest idea, the one that distracts you when you try to start where you think you “should”, and that grows your confidence, rather than eroding it?

When I wrote that, it was a bit of a surprise to me. But it shouldn’t have been. It’s the advice that helps me the most…when I accept it.

Blog posts, manuscript appraisals…I always take a while to really get started. I wrote hundreds of essays for my literature degree, putting my heart and soul into each because I simply couldn’t help it, and every time I would stress and fret and waste time to not knowing where to start. My love of the books made me passionate about the secrets and structures within the texts, and I’d map out in dot points the general structure of the essay and what belonged in which paragraph…but it didn’t do much to help me start writing.

By the end of my degree it was easy. I’d practiced and leant a lot about myself as a writer, researcher and student, and I could write in three days what had taken me almost two weeks. By that point, I’d worked out that the only way I could start was by writing about the thing I cared most about in that particular moment first. Create a big word splurge, leave a gap if the thoughts move on to different areas or ideas and write those new ideas down too, express your sentence in multiple ways while you’re figuring it out, but just give into your passion and your creativity and start with the best bit first. You’ll be distracted by that brilliant idea you had in your head anyway, so you may as well write out the good stuff before you forget it, and leave the start for later.

So, what’s your best idea? What’s that snippet of dialogue, that piece of a plot line, that ending or twist that’s drawing you to write? What’s the thing that makes you excited? If you’re scared or stuck, start where you are most passionate, wherever that is. Be kind to yourself, let your passion shine, and you’ll build your own confidence and enthusiasm.

Writing through the Fog

We can’t always execute things perfectly…

Picture the scene: It’s all taking much longer than you want it to, but you’re determined to just get this bit done. You promised yourself. But, the words you’re writing are, to be honest, a bit rubbish. Maybe you’ve re-written the same sentence 10 times. Maybe the tone sounds a bit childish. What are you going to do?

This is how I found myself writing a lot of my uni essays. (Who am I kidding? It was definitely all of them). I knew I could write better than that, but apparently I couldn’t that day. And the deadlines were creeping every closer…

I think it helped that I didn’t have a choice. I knew that I cared about what I was writing, I knew that I’d done my research…and I just had keep throwing words onto the page so that I could sleep that night. And do you know what happened? At some point when I was writing, whether it was that paragraph or the next or the next, I’d find myself writing something intelligent and astute again. It came back when I wasn’t stressing, or after some food, or when I was so tired that I didn’t have the energy to doubt myself anymore.

I’d then go back through that earlier mind-fog writing and tidy it all up. And it actually helped that I’d left everything there rather than deleting the poorly executed paragraphs. All the ideas and references and connections were in place, and my now-sharp mind could work through the dodgy paragraphs in minutes, not the hours it would take to re-write them from scratch.

So, what was this post about? It’s about the fact that sometimes you just have to deal with a shoddy execution for a while so that you can move onto better things and write your way out of the fog.

(This post began as part of my A-Z of Writing Struggles series)

What next? What to do after finishing your draft.

You’ve finished your draft. Well done!

It takes a lot of time and work to finish your draft, but what do you do when it’s finished?

Here’s a bit of a break down of what your next steps might be:

1. Let it sit for a while.
You’ve put your heart and soul into writing your draft, and it’s probably taken months or even years of effort. It’s a great idea to just leave it for a while, whether that’s weeks or months. Give yourself time to appreciate what you’ve achieved and to distance yourself emotionally before you let in the criticism, even if it’s constructive.


2. Get it read for fun.
This first reading should be someone you trust, whether that’s a friend, family member, partner or writing buddy. Again, build up a little confidence before you invite in the criticism, so that you don’t feel defeated and scrap the whole thing.


3. Get it read for feedback.
Again, this should be someone you can trust, but with a bit of knowledge in the area. This is normally where a beta reader fits in, and may result in some feedback or suggestions you can take on board.


4. Start re-writes.
If you’ve got some useful advice or helpful suggestions, take a bit of time to re-write the sections in question. And if you’re inspired to add or change more, do!


5. Get it appraised.
A manuscript assessment or appraisal is a great place to start when it comes to editing. It’s much more comprehensive than a beta read, but written as a letter or report so there’s no need to fear the dreaded red pen/track changes yet. An appraisal will go through the draft and point out which areas are strong and which ones could do with some revision, and offer suggestions to help you. (Authors don’t usually seem to know about this service, but they love the results!)


6. Continue the re-writes.
Hopefully your appraisal has left you feeling inspired or re-invigorated. If you’re starting to doubt how good your writing is now, try to remember that you’ve learnt so much by this point, and your standards are getting higher.


7. Consider a developmental or structural edit.
If you’re planning on publishing your work, an important step before copyediting is developmental editing. This could be like a second manuscript appraisal, or more of a track-changes type deal with comments in the document itself. Its job is to check that your plot, characters, setting, etc. are as strong as they can be, and to follow-up on any issues raised in the manuscript appraisal.


8. Get it copyedited.
Copyediting involves fixing the grammar, punctuation and sentence structure of your finished manuscript. A copyedit can also sometimes comment on issues of consistency and factual accuracy. It’s good to check what the editor will cover so that you know you’re on the same page.


9. Get it proofread.
Proofreading is the last editing step, and involves checking for any remaining errors and also checking typesetting issues if you’re preparing for publishing.


10. Achieve your dream!
Whether you’re submitting to a competition or a publisher, or publishing yourself, it’s time! Your book/short story is the best it can be. Congratulations!


This is, of course, just a guide. Your writing journey doesn’t have to look like this, it’s just to give you an idea of the order of some of these steps.

You might do one step multiple times. You might also need the services of a line/stylistic editor, or a sensitivity reader. You might not be able to afford edits at all (editing is expensive, but worth it if you can afford it), or have to stick to a tight budget.

Whatever your circumstances, I’m happy to help. Get in touch with any questions about my editing services, or to talk about what we can do within your budget.

Get in touch

(This post began as part of my A-Z of Writing Struggles series)

The A-Z of Writing Struggles

MK Fiction editing is nearing its first birthday, so I’ve been celebrating with an A-Z of all the things we love, and hate (and love to hate) about writing. This A-Z was originally posted at https://www.facebook.com/MKFictionEditing

Do you think of yourself as an author?
Yes, technically an ‘author’ is published and a ‘writer’ isn’t, but with the rise of self-publishing and even in editing terms like ‘authorial intention’, that difference kind of goes out of the window.

For me, whether you only write on weekends or during your holidays, whether you’ve got a small following online or whether your best friend is the only person who’s seen your work, thinking of yourself as an ‘author’ is about attitude and approach, and whether you take your writing (and yourself) seriously so that other people can, too.

It’s a big part of my job to treat your work as I would any other book. Of course it’s likely to be an early draft, maybe even unfinished, printed out on A4 paper and held together with the biggest bulldog clip I could find, but I’ll never really experience the story properly unless I read it through once in a comfy place, cup of tea in hand, so that’s what I do.

What is more daunting than a blank page, or the pressure of knowing you need to get something done?

Not knowing where to start a story, what element to work on first, or just being too daunted to begin anywhere are all things I’ve heard from writers over and over, and things I’ve experienced myself. I find that this is enough to make me forget what or why I was writing in the first place. And then the doubts and over-critiquing set in.

So, what is the best way around this? For me, inspiration. Work on what gets you talking quicker, or scribbling faster, the bit you keep circling back to when you’re trying to focus on other things. A phrase, a character, an ending…it doesn’t matter where you begin, it just matters that you do.

Are you sitting on an unfinished project or an early draft? Are you scared to share it for feedback, or even to finish it, because you doubt whether it’s ‘good enough’?

Yep. Plain and simple, confidence is a big struggle for everyone, both in writing and in general. It’s easy to lose confidence, to worry and re-write your words over and over again or just put your WIP away and try not to dwell on it. But, the problem with not doing something because you lack confidence is…you don’t do it.

We’ve all heard that famous phrase “fake it ‘til you make it” but if, like me, you’re not quite that bold, my advice is to just try and remember why you started in the first place, what magic you experienced that convinced you to first put pen to paper. If it was enough back then, why not now? And if that doesn’t work for you, there’s also that weird phenomenon whereby you feel like you’re worse at something the more you learn about it…so, perhaps your doubts and extra-hard work are signs that you’re becoming a better writer…

Do you struggle to write ‘good’ dialogue? Do you try to avoid it as much as possible?

Writing dialogue is hard, but there are some golden rules that can help you through it:

1. Always make sure that your dialogue has a purpose.
Speech in fiction is very different to speech in real life, and dialogue should always help to advance the plot or characterisation in some way.

2. The protagonist should not be the only person who speaks.
They need to hear from others to further their development, and we need to hear from others to build up the world and the scene we are immersed in.

3. Dialogue is as much about how things are said, and how things are not said, as what is actually said.
Think about what you can imply or hint at: a secret? an emotion? something yet to come…

4. Dialogue doesn’t (and shouldn’t) exist on its own.
When you are having a conversation with someone, you might use your hands or body language for emphasis. you might find yourself edging away from or towards the other person, you might find your opinion of them warming as they’ve said something you like, or cooling as they make a point you can’t agree with. And, most of all, you’re likely responding to what they’ve said with thoughts inside your head, even if you say nothing aloud. These things can be a goldmine for creating a scene and using dialogue as action.

5. Worry more about these things above than you do about speech tags.
Sometimes speech tags can be dropped in a conversation if it’s clear who is speaking first. Sometimes it’s good to shake things up with a “She screamed”; you don’t want to distract the reader with too many out-there tags (“She concurred”), but there is also a risk of making all speech sound monotonous. Overall, though, none of this matters as much as what is being said, and what it means for the character and their story.

What do you think of when you think ‘editing’?

‘Editing’ can mean lots of different things. Of course, most people think instantly of fixing spelling and punctuation errors, but that is a small part of what ‘editing’ is.

Editors can edit for consistency, for structure, or to help analyse a work’s strengths and to help develop its ideas well before we get down to the copyediting issues of grammar. For writers, ‘editing’ can mean revising, trying to get your work ready or tidy enough to share with friends, editors or competitions.

And, to top it all off, terms like “developmental editor” (AUS) and “line editor” (US) are geographical, while other terms (like ‘structural editing’ and ‘developmental editing’) are sometimes, but not always, used interchangeably. What a struggle!

Do you struggle to get into a good writing flow? Me too.

Some people recommend writing every day so that the practice makes the words come more naturally. Others like to book out a chunk of time and do nothing but write, immersing themselves in the creative process with no distractions.

What’s your best tip? Mine is to find whatever small bit you’re passionate about and go from there.

What genre is your work-in-progress?

If you can answer that confidently, what do you love about your genre and its possibilities? And if you can’t…does it matter right now?

Yes, genre is important for things like ensuring that your work will have a readership and tailoring it towards them, but sometimes genre can get in the way – it’s another thing to fret over, another thing that can stop you from writing at all. And, like all aspects of writing, you can sure up your WIP’s genre in a later draft. Sometimes it’s not obvious what a story will be until it’s written (it’s one of the things I can comment on in an appraisal or developmental edit), and that’s okay.

Have you heard of head-hopping before? Have you been told you do it?

Head-hopping is moving from one character’s thoughts/perspective to another’s (and sometimes back again) without a clear reason/indication that you are doing so. It often happens by accident, and is fairly common in fiction writing.

For example:
“Would you like a sandwich?”, Jane asked, worrying that they weren’t up to scratch. Surely Maisie would notice the lack of mayonnaise. Maisie took one. “Oh, thank you”, she said, regretting that she hadn’t been brave enough to tell Jane that she was gluten-intolerant.

This is written from Jane’s perspective (limited 3rd person). How can she know what Maisie is thinking? She can’t. So, how can my limited perspective know this? It can’t.

Instead, maybe Jane could notice something in Maisie’s facial expression. Maybe Maisie ends up saying this out loud. Or, maybe the next chapter is written from Maisie’s perspective, and she reflects on the interaction as part of her next step.

If you really do want to show multiple perspectives on the same scene at once, there are other, clearer ways of doing this that can be explored so that your reader can understand and keep up with your intentions.

How wonderful it is when you have a brilliant idea and it spurns you on to do a whole project. It can be great when an idea gives you confidence, passion and direction…but what if it doesn’t? What do you do when you’ve just got an idea, but no idea what to do with it? Or when you have a project to do, but no idea of what to do next?

Well, I always think it helps to talk these things through with someone, even if they have no context or deep understanding of your project.

One big thing I learnt writing academic essays for five years: it’s more about what you discover when you’re trying to explain your problem than what the other person can say to help you.

How often do you put aside your critical hat and just write?

J marks the 10th entry in this A-Z of writing struggles, and already it seems like there are so many things we have to contend with and battle through when we write. It can be hard, but the only way through is to just write. The revision and the editing and the doubts can come later. 

You’ve probably heard this phrase before, but do you know what it means?

“Kill your darlings” is some pretty common advice for writers when they start editing and revising their manuscripts. Some find the wording a bit dark or cliched, but all it really means is that to make your work stronger, you’re going to have to let go of some of your favourite bits.

Have you ever loved a character or a subplot or even a sentence, and then had a reader say it makes no sense or seemed counterproductive? Well, getting rid of that for the sake of the readers’ experience and the overall integrity of the book is what “killing your darlings” means. And it’s okay (you can just save that bit for another project!). 

Yep, like so many hobbies, passion projects and jobs, writing is a process of constant learning and development. Sometimes this is great, and you can’t wait to try out a new genre or technique you’ve learned about…and others it’s overwhelming. All I have to say here is don’t forget it’s about practicing and exploring and having fun, too!

Are you a planner or a ‘pantser’?

I myself love a fluke and rarely use a plan that’s anything more than a rough skeleton. But, when it comes to editing or critiquing a piece of writing once it’s written, mapping out what happens, to whom, and when and why can be a great way to spot plot holes and inconsistencies. Also, if you’ve written what you had in your head and don’t know what to do next to progress your idea into a story or manuscript, a map or plan can be perfect to show you the way ahead and unearth more ideas. 

How do you come up with names for your stories, characters and settings?

I’d never really considered this before I started editing, but some writers seem to put a lot of effort into coming up with names. I’ve seen writers splicing names together or researching names from different languages to make sure the meaning fits and, quite frankly, I’m in awe.

Of course, the names you pick, and the importance of those names, will have a lot to do with the genre and story world of your manuscript. For example, if you’re writing in a historical setting or a fantastical realm certain names will stick out like a sore thumb. So, consider whether a name matches the setting, language, and culture of your setting to avoid distracting your reader.

Tip: You can search Google for when a certain name was popular, or for which names were common during a specific time. 

So, you’ve worked your way through the struggles of confidence, flow, head-hopping and killing your darlings…are you still optimistic?

It can be impossible to remain positive after so many setbacks and reality shocks, all the twists and turns that have popped up since you decided you had a great story idea…

So, now is the time to celebrate how far you’ve come, how much you’ve achieved, and how rewarding writing can be. Nothing else today, no criticisms; just be pleased with your progress, and hold on to that.

Do you plot out your novels?

Plotting involves deciding what parts of your story will happen in what order so that the story is told in the most interesting, engaging way.

Do you start with a later scene and then go back to the start? Do you start with your protagonist as a child, going through a few key events in their life before they begin their quest as an adult? And, beneath that, it involves deciding what type of plot structure your manuscript follows.

So, when it comes to plotting, make sure you’re asking yourself this question:
What order will tell your story best?

Writing and asking questions go hand in hand:
“Why would this character do X?”, “How can the story get from this event to the next?”, What do I do to make X make sense?”. But, what do you do if you can’t work out the answers?

A big part of my job is also to ask questions…and to make suggestions to help you come up with answers. So, what advice can I offer to help you answer your manuscript’s questions?

Sometimes the solution lies in my burning need to know something as your reader, sometimes it’s based on a theme or plot point common in the genre, and sometimes it’s there in the manuscript, but it just takes a fresh set of eyes to see it.

It can be hard to re-write the draft that you’ve spent so long agonising over…but the rewards are almost always worth it.

Whether it’s a small change like re-writing a scene or merging side-characters or a bigger restructuring of the whole thing, re-writing based on the feedback you’ve received is terrifying, but can really unlock the potential of your story.

So, how can you bite the bullet and just do it? Have faith in your beta readers or your editor, they want to help you. And, if you really don’t like something, you can always try out the re-write but decide not to use it, or re-write it in a different direction. You’re still the boss!

“Show, don’t tell.” “Write scenes, not summaries.” Have you had this advice before?

I have. A uni tutor told me that my writing did too much telling and not enough showing…and to be honest I had no idea what she meant even after she tried to explain it. But, being re-taught the whole business as an editor, it made much more sense:

Your reader wants to see, feel and experience your characters’ journeys first-hand, not reported back to them.

Think of it as if it were a tv show.
Would you be happy if someone was sitting in front of the tv, telling you everything that was happening but not letting you see or hear it for yourself? Of course not.

Yes, some bits of summary are necessary, but if something important is happening, if there is action, or a conversation, or if the protagonist is coming to a realisation, your reader wants to see this frame-by-frame. Give them the whole scene, including the setting, characters, emotions and significance surrounding what happens. Use your scenes to show your reader.

Finding time to write can be hard. Some people can make use of short bursts here and there, while others require a few solid hours of uninterrupted creativity (I’ve always been a bit of both).

Whatever writing time you can find or make, my best advice is “Don’t be too hard on yourself”. The fact that you are still writing is what matters, and you’ll make the best of it if you’re not constantly thinking “I should’ve done more”.

And if you feel you’re not getting the most out of your writing time, maybe you could switch it up. Write in short bursts or before you have to go and do something to jolt your brain, or set aside a few uninterrupted hours if you can. Or maybe try writing in a new location (cafes, gardens, at the house of a writing buddy). It’s amazing what a small change can do!

What do you do with unhelpful thoughts and influences? Criticism has its place in the process of writing, but what if its stopping you from writing in the first place?

Fears and doubts arising from starting something new or different, the frustration of writer’s block, imposter syndrome and comparing yourself to other writers and full-out writer’s burnout (have you heard of this before?) all cause unhelpful thoughts, and are caused by them.

Of course, you can’t simply shut these out (that would be very impractical advice). But, what you can do is work through them, try to quieten them, pair up with a buddy or a group to tackle them together and, most importantly, do your best to not let them stop you.

Unhelpful thoughts are just that: unhelpful. They may slow you down, but you can still push on and win.

Have you found your authorial voice? Have you found your character’s voice?

Voice is one of those tricky things in writing and editing that can be hard to pin down and explain.

When it comes to your characters, they should have a unique voice that sets them apart from the other figures in the book, and which suits the characteristics and backstory you’ve given them. When it comes to authorial voice…it’s not so clear cut.

We all have a unique voice when we write – it’s conveyed in our word choices, use of grammar and sentence structures, and in the things we emphasise. In fiction, your authorial voice is what ‘makes’ the book: it helps the reader to be drawn into the story, it’s their guide, and it is both distinctive and unnoticeable at the same time.

Your own authorial voice is a reflection of you, of which parts of a story or scene you find most important, of your ideologies and experiences. It’s the reason why you and I could tell the same story in very different ways, and it’s the reason why we can hear the same basic plot over and over again but still find it new and exciting.

Most of all, your authorial voice needs to be genuine. A great authorial voice is confident and comfortable with itself.

Check out the full blog post, ‘What next? What to do after finishing your draft’

It takes a lot of time and work to finish your draft, but what do you do when it’s finished? Here’s a bit of a break down of what your next steps might be:

1. Let it sit for a while.
Give yourself time to appreciate what you’ve achieved and to distance yourself emotionally before you let in the criticism, even if it’s constructive.

2. Get it read for fun.
This first reading should be by someone you trust, whether that’s a friend, family member, partner or writing buddy.

3. Get it read for feedback.
Again, this should be by someone you can trust, but with a bit of knowledge in the area. This is normally where a beta reader fits in, and may result in some feedback or suggestions you can take on board.

4. Start re-writes.
If you’ve got some useful advice or helpful suggestions, take a bit of time to re-write the sections in question. And if you’re inspired to add or change more, do!

5. Get it appraised.
A manuscript assessment or appraisal is much more comprehensive than a beta read, but written as a letter or report so there’s no need to fear the dreaded red pen/track changes yet. An appraisal will point out which areas are strong and which ones could do with some revision, and offer suggestions to help you. (Authors don’t usually seem to know about this service, but they love the results!)

6. Continue the re-writes.
Hopefully your appraisal has left you feeling inspired or re-invigorated. If you’re starting to doubt how good your writing is now, try to remember that you’ve learnt so much by this point, and your standards are getting higher.

7. Consider a developmental or structural edit.
If you’re planning on publishing your work, an important step before copyediting is developmental editing. Its job is to check that your plot, characters, setting, etc. are as strong as they can be, and to follow-up on any issues raised in the manuscript appraisal.

8. Get it copyedited.
Copyediting involves fixing the grammar, punctuation and sentence structure of your finished manuscript. A copyedit can also sometimes comment on issues of consistency and factual accuracy (but check this with the editor).

9. Get it proofread.
Proofreading is the last editing step, and involves checking for any remaining errors and also checking typesetting issues if you’re preparing for publishing.

10. Achieve your dream!
Whether you’re submitting to a competition or a publisher, or publishing yourself, it’s time! Your book/short story is the best it can be. Congratulations!

This is, of course, just a guide. Your writing journey doesn’t have to look like this, it’s just to give you an idea of the order of some of these steps.

Do you see what I did there?

Sometimes it doesn’t matter whether a sentence is perfectly executed, whether a manuscript is completed perfectly. I’ve done my best to do what I need to and carry on with this A-Z, and it’s just fine.

Perfecting your execution is all part of editing, sharing and learning. Perhaps after I’ve done a few more A-Zs I’ll come up with a much better X word. Perhaps I could talk it through with another editor and come up with something better. But for now this works, and I can move on to tomorrow’s post.

For more on execution, check out my longer blog post.

Okay, so the word might be a little laboured but the point still stands: knowing why you write, what you’re getting out of it and what your intentions are at the end, is very important.

For yourself, knowing why you’re writing and what you’re getting out of the process is what will keep you going when things get hard. And whether you’re writing to develop your craft, to submit to magazines and competitions, or to publish one day, knowing what you’re reaching for and celebrating your achievements is key.

For me (or another editor) to help you, knowing your writing goals is important so that I can make sure my advice is really useful for you. (For example, if you’re aiming for a traditional publishing deal, issues of genre expectations and marketability are much more important than if you’re writing for yourself or to publish online).

So, why are you writing, and what are you hoping it will yield?

To be ‘in the zone’ is a marvellous thing…but it’s not always easy to make that happen.

How do you get into the writing zone?
Do you need a nice half-hour buffer to relax and get the creative juices flowing before you start?
Do you have a specific time of the day that you write, come what may?
Do you listen to a specific playlist to help focus your mind?

I find I always write best when I’m not overthinking too much. I need to not be hungry, not be cold, and not sit in silence. A nice big cup of tea never goes astray, either…

Feel free to share your tips for getting into the zone below!

So, that’s it. They’re the struggles we face, and my best tips to start to overcome them. Feel free to leave a comment below if you liked this, or if you think I missed something, and get in touch if you’d like help overcoming these struggles. As always, happy writing!
-Megan

Just write.

It’s Thursday evening, one day more until the weekend begins.
For some of you, that might mean only one day left to write before a busy weekend of entertaining children or catching up on that very long to-do list. For others, there’s just one more day of work between you and some devoted writing time. Either way, I just wanted to pass on a bit of advice that I’ve heard a lot recently; something to help you make the most of your time: just write.

We’ve all spent time staring at a blank screen or doodling on the edge of a piece of paper because it’s hard to get started, because it’s hard to work out what to say first or because we’re worried that it isn’t very good. The late Douglas Adams understood this issue very well, saying (in my favourite quote of all time) “I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by”.

However, there are a few other quotes that I’ve heard recently that I think also ring true. In his book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Stephen King talks about the importance of not sitting and waiting for inspiration but getting straight into working, and writing on even if the work doesn’t seem to be good. Renowned marketing expert Seth Godin talks about writing something every day (and publishing that something, regardless of what you think of it). He says that the good stuff will come, and you’ll get better at the writing and enjoy it more if you just persevere every day. Just begin.

Closer to home, I’ve been speaking to writer and editor Ann Bolch, of A Story to Tell, and she had some really important things to say about the need to just write; to just purge all the story, all the characters, all the thoughts in your head onto paper without even thinking of what’s good or bad, without deleting or crossing out. She says the writing part of the brain can’t work properly if the editing brain is there criticizing and distracting it, and vice versa.

So, if you’re a weekend writer, or if you have one day of the week left before things get chaotic, make the most of your available writing time and just write.

Oh, and Douglas Adams has a bit of clever advice for this, too:
Don’t panic.

You know, you just don’t know that you know, you know? A few words on the ‘feedback sandwich’

A few weeks ago, I went live on Facebook to talk about the biggest thing I learned in my fiction editing course, and how I thought it could help you, too:

So, you’re probably familiar with the idea of the feedback sandwich.

On the top layer you have the light, fluffy feedback, the recognition all the things you’ve done well. On the bottom is more of the same; a final reminder or reiteration that you’re working on something great, that you’ve done a lot of good things, and a plea for you to not be discouraged. And in the middle…well, the middle is where you’re crushed by the knowledge of all you’ve got wrong, and all you have to fix now. This is the bit that makes you want to slam the computer closed and go eat some ice-cream until you feel better again. The thinking seems to be that the more praise you can put in, the easier the criticism will be to take. And the easier it is to give, too.

In my editing course, run by the wonderful Ann Bolch of A Story to Tell, the art of giving feedback was pretty much lesson one. Actually, it was the pre-lesson one homework: make sure that the author can see the strengths of their writing, rather than just the areas for improvement; don’t scare a writer into scrapping it all and throwing the baby out with the bathwater. This is very important, but it wasn’t until we started writing our manuscript appraisals that I got it: it’s not about saying “You’ve done this well, you need to work on this, this, and this, but don’t forget you have done some really good things”, it’s not a case of using the good to mask the bad. Instead, it’s about saying “Because you’ve done this, this, and this so well, I have every confidence that you could extend this skill or technique to improve these areas, too”.

This is absolutely the best part of my job: showing people that they already have it in them to create the most engaging, exciting scene, or a beautiful, rich setting that is so well described that you’re instantly transported there. And from that basis…who knows what’s possible?

Which brings me to that very well expressed “You know, you just don’t know that you know, you know?”

So, say you’re great with characterisation but you’re not sure about how to create an immersive setting. Maybe it would help you to think of the setting as another character- as well as a basic description, there must be something engaging about it, something important, something that makes it individual and important to the story. Maybe thinking of the setting as a character will help you to think about the character interacting with the setting, playing off against it, engaging with what it has to say or what it represents.

Or, if characterisation isn’t your forte but you’re great at setting, use that depth, use that attention to detail, that playfulness of the waves on the sure or the rummages in the undergrowth, to inspire you to notice the minute habits of human interaction- the looks, the glances, the intonation of voice.

Ultimately, a good character is not too different from a good setting or a punchy line of dialogue:
just focus on your why, on the reason for creating this interaction, character, or story in the first place. Map out or list all the hints, the tension, the nuance you want to convey, understand clearly why and how this furthers the plot, and start writing.

So, try using your praise to address your criticisms. Re-read the feedback you’ve already received from family or friends or your writer’s group bravely, and see what they said your manuscript’s strengths and areas for improvement are. Trust your strengths, and try going back to the things you weren’t happy with and thinking about them a different way.

I hope this way of thinking helps you get back on track, or serves as food for thought.  And, If you’re not really sure how to tell what’s what, I’m here to help.

Knock, knock. Who’s there? Oh, it’s crippling doubt.

What’s the biggest thing standing in the way of your writing? For me, it’s this guy.

Impostor syndrome, writer’s block…whatever you want to call it, it seems we all suffer from that inability to proceed with confidence at some time or other.

The countless articles and blog posts on this all seem to say the same thing: “Just keep writing”. Just keep going, and eventually you’ll get out of the rut (which is what I’m doing here with this first blog post).

So you keep writing. You do what they say and set some time aside every day to write, to get your ideas on a page, to try to get a flow…but what if it still isn’t working? What about that doubting voice that whispers over your shoulder “Okay, you’ve managed to do that bit…but what now?”

Well honestly, I think it’s okay not to know for now.
Perhaps it’s time to take a break, to go pair those socks or bake yourself a nice cake. Come back later and see if you can find your way forward again. You could try talking things over with someone: your family, your friends, your dog… Sometimes it’s not really about who you talk to, just that you force yourself to articulate where you’re at and what your problem is.

Because you 𝘤𝘢𝘯 do this. If you’re passionate about writing this piece or telling this story, then you’ll keep going until you work it out. And you 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 work it out. (Look, I did it!)

Sick of feeling stuck with your writing? Short on time? I’m always here to help.

-Megan 🖋

Why should I get a manuscript appraisal?

If you’re looking at this page, you’re probably going to have this question.

Well, I like books. Actually, I love books. I love that magic that allows words written a year ago, a decade ago, even a century ago, to conjure up the same pictures in my head as they have in millions of others. And, if you’re here reading this, you probably do too.

But those timeless, beautiful words in books don’t come about overnight. Nor, indeed, are they the efforts of only one person. After all (as I am painfully reminded by that time I accidentally forgot the “not” in the “is not” of a university assignment conclusion), we tend to be blinded by enthusiasm (or exhaustion) when it comes to our own writing. And even when you can see that something’s not quite right, it’s not always easy to work out what it is or how to fix it.

So, what do we do in this situation normally? Well, when you can’t think of a word, or when you can’t remember who was in that TV show or who sang that song, you ask a friend to fill in the blanks. And that’s what I can be: your learned friend with a BA in Literature and IPEd-affiliated training, here to address your queries, offer practical advice and suggestions, and spot the things you might have missed.

If you want more information on my services or have a niggling question about your writing, don’t hesitate to ask!

Happy writing!
-Megan