Every writer has experienced writer’s block – a period of time when it seems like the creative juices just aren’t flowing. Luckily, writer’s block doesn’t have to last forever. There are things you can do to get back in a creative mindset. Here are some ways to fuel your creativity for your next writing session and beyond.

Healthy habits

It might get old to hear, but healthy habits do go a long way. Healthy habits help you be more creative. Why? Because creativity comes from your brain! Treating your brain well will make your brain happy and productive.

Get adequate sleep, eat your vegetables, and do a quick workout to awaken the artist within. 

Create other things

Creativity breeds creativity. If you have hit a wall with writing, engage in another creative practice for fun. Drawing, painting, photography, playing music are all things that can help unlock a spark. Engaging in other art may relate to what you are writing, or it can be completely different. 

Community

The image of a writer as someone who spends all their time alone has never been entirely accurate. Writers have found community with each other and found inspiration from spending time with others since the advent of writing! Spend some time with people who energize you in order to get out of your creative rut. Whether it is friends, family, or another community group, inspiration for writing can come from being around others. 

Move to another part

If you have come into a part of your book that is stumping you, write a different chapter or go back to work on previous parts of the book. 

Take a short break

Sometimes writer’s block can be solved with a short break. Just like taking a break from studying when you were in school, taking a break during writing and coming back can make things click into place. Walk away from the desk for a half hour if you are stuck. 

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Below, McClelland shares her inspirations for writing the paranormal tale, as well as a dream casting for her characters!

Name: Delphine McClelland

Hometown: Statesville, NC, although I currently live in Charlotte, NC.

Book Title: Dark Obsessions

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance

Describe your book in ten words or less.

A Dark Tortured Love Story looking at love and hate.

How did you get the idea for Dark Obsessions?

The idea to write Dark Obsessions came to me from my co-worker John who is known for his role as the other brother Darryl on Newhart. He enjoyed the way in which I would retell him the stories of the various books that I was reading. Just by hearing my “stories” he saw a writer in me and pushed me everyday to write a book. I fought him and the idea to write this book for as long as I could until one day an idea for a different vampire story came to me through a dream that I had.

How long did it take to write the book?

It took me about three and a half to four years to write Dark Obsessions. Once the idea came to me it was all that I could do every second of the day until I was happy with the overall story and finally felt like it ended in the right place.

How did you name your characters?

All the names for the characters came to me randomly. I wanted something different and that I did not see in other books that I have read. All the characters names had to fit into the idea of who they were or to fit into there family story. For example the main female characters name is Skylar Montgomery. Her first name has a meaning that will play apart in her story and her last name fits into her family being an important and wealthy family in Charlotte.

What do you do when you have writers’ block?

When I have writers block I shut off my computer and watch tv, read one of the many books I have on my kindle or just hang out with my family to allow my mind to rest and recover. For me it helps my creative process when I allow my mind to focus on something else and then before I know it I have so many new ideas for that particular chapter or for the overall story. Chapters that I may have finished may even get changed to better enhance the new direction in which I am taking the story.

What was your favorite chapter to write?

My favorite chapter to write was Chapter 11 Drawn to Each Other. This is the chapter where the main characters Kairo and Skylar finally lay eyes on one another. Throughout the book they feel each others energy even though they do not know what it is or what is happening to them. Chapter 11 is the turning point in the book. It marks the point in which both their lives are changed forever.

If you had to be stuck on an island with one of the following people, who would you choose?

-A character from your book:

If I was stuck on an island the character from my book that would be with me would be Kairo. He was created with the type of guy that I like in mind so if I were to be stuck on an island I would want him because no matter what was thrown at us I know that I would always be safe and taken care of and I am sure the fact that he is a vampire would be a plus.

-Another fictional character:

A fictional character other than Kairo from my own book I would have to chose Daenerys Targaryen from A Song of Ice and Fire. With her and her dragons we would not be stuck for long and I think that she would be an all around interesting person to talk to and get to know.

-A celebrity, living or dead?

My famous person pick would have to be Bruno Mars. I am huge fan and have been since I stumbled onto the song Billionaire by Travie McCoy. I loved the song and Bruno’s verse and was hooked. With Bruno I would never be bored while stuck on the island as it is important to have great company and entertainment.

Besides writing, what are your hobbies?

Besides writing I am an avid reader. I love to read and can and will read an entire book in one day. I also love to hang out with my friends and family. They are very important to me. I love watching sports, I am huge Dallas Cowboys fan as well as a Tennessee Volunteer fan. I also love watching my nephew play baseball on his travel team the Carolina Bulls.

How did you celebrate the publishing of your book?

Still to this day I have not done any big celebrating of publishing my book. I still find it hard to believe that I did it and that people are actually liking my book. When I got my first author copy I did have dinner and drinks and celebrated a little with my best friend Becka who inspired the character of Angelina in the story.

If your book was made into a movie, who would play your characters?

If my book was made into a movie I would want Crystal Renee Hayslett to play Skylar. I love her as Fatima on Sisters and think that she embodies the fight and strength that Skylar has. The character of Kairo was created with Jason Momoa in mind so it I would love for him to take on the role of Kairo.

What did you enjoy most about working with Dorrance?

What I enjoyed most about working with Dorrance Publishing was having someone to lean on when things went wrong. My publishing journey was not always an easy journey as I ran into issues and problems from the start. What I loved about Dorrance was that every issue was taken seriously and handled. If all of these problems had of happened and I was the one to have to deal with them and fix them I am not sure if Dark Obsessions would have even happened. Despite the rocky road they produced an amazing product that I am extremely happy with and I would be more than happy to work with them again.

Do you have any book recommendations for your readers?

Deadly Declaration by Landis Wade for the mystery lover, For the paranormal crowd Unchained Desire by R C Alvarez, the Wicked series by Jennifer Armentrout, Everything my Elisa S Amore and the Raven Series by J L Weil.

What advice do you have for someone looking to publish their own book?

Follow your dreams and passion no matter what others stay, think or do, including that small voice of doubt that you may have.

Thank you, Delphine!

You can purchase Dark Obsessions at the Dorrance Bookstore.

Delphine has also been nominated for a Queen City Award for Author of the Year! You can vote for her here until September 24th!

Inspired to publish your paranormal romance novel? Contact us!

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Every good story has an established setting. Your novel has to exist somewhere – your characters can’t just float in space (and even that would be a setting!) Having a specific setting not only makes your story easier to understand, but can aid in the plot and characterization. 

These tips will focus on general fiction. For tips on worldbuilding in fantasy fiction, check out our blog post on fantasy writing.

Specificity

Choose a specific town or region for your novel to exist in. It can be a fictional town in an otherwise real place in the world, or the story can take place somewhere that exists completely in our world. Using the real world allows you to take existing qualities that may be relevant to your story (ex. a coal mining town having a hard-working populace.) Making up a city or town from scratch will allow you to tailor it to your story’s needs and give it the characteristics that make sense for your story. Give your town a specific name and geographic location. 

Setting and Plot Working Together

Along with choosing a specific setting, think about what the setting means for the plot of your story. A lot of plot tropes have to do with setting and plot being reliant on each other. For example, many stories begin with a character moving to a new place for a fresh start. The new place then introduces a conflict or an event that sets the story in motion (e.g. Bella moves to Forks, Washington in Twilight for a change of scenery sets off the events of the novel, and the town of Forks becomes integral to the plot.)

Even if the character doesn’t start the story in a setting unfamiliar to them, something else could happen in the setting that relates to the plot: a beloved business closes, a new landmark pops up one day, etc. As you sketch out your plot, think about how the setting relates to it. 

Senses

Describe your setting using the five senses. What does your character hear when they walk outside? What do they smell? Setting entails everything in the environment, not just geography. What do other people look like when they walk along the street? Are things old or new? Thinking about questions like these and answering them – when appropriate – will help you establish a sense of place for your reader using the senses. As the old adage goes, show, don’t tell. 

Time

In addition to what the world in your story looks and feels like, time is also part of the overall setting. What time period is your story set in? The present, the distant past? Making sense of time will help ground your story and help the other parts work together. It is easier to sketch out the town your novel takes place in if you have a general time period for it to be set in – for example, a novel taking place in a coal mining city in the late 19th century would be a lot different than a coal mining city in 2022.

These are certainly not all that needs to be considered with regards to setting in your novel, but they are here to get you started! Have fun as you embark on your writing journey.

For extra help, consider our writing coach program.

If your novel is already written and waiting to be published, contact us!

The post How to Establish Setting and Build Your Fictional World appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Vivid setting

Help your readers get into the story with strong descriptions and images of where they are. They will not feel the suspense if they can’t see the space the characters are in. Establish the geographic location of your story early. Establish what it looks like: urban or rural? What is the weather like? Imagine the places where the story takes place – the police station, the scene of the crime, the main character’s house. Sketch out these places ahead of time with words – or perhaps draw a picture!

Research and plan

Mystery and crime is not a type of story to write off the top of your head. Research the crime you plan to put at the center of the story ahead of time. By knowing the ins and outs, you can write it in a way that is believable and serves your plot. If something is completely unrealistic or off the wall, readers will disengage. Study real life examples of the crime and other novels with similar crimes or happenings at the center. Have details mapped out as to what weapons, motives, timelines, etc. are involved. Go ahead – link everything with a red string on a corkboard!

High stakes

No one will care about the mystery without a reason to. The stakes of the story must be high, and must be raised often in the story. For example, what is different about this murder that makes it so important to solve? What is going on in the main character’s life that makes the mystery important to them? Once the story develops, keep raising the stakes to keep the reader in suspense. Add new revelations, twists, and surprises until you arrive at the climax of the plot. 

Believable suspects

The best way to keep a reader guessing in a mystery novel is to have multiple suspects for a crime, or multiple answers to the mystery. Not only must there be many possibilities, but they all must be believable. Believable suspects for a crime will naturally occur if you develop well-rounded characters and stakes for them. Think about what each suspect might stand to gain or lose from committing the crime or being at the center of the conspiracy.

Avoid cliches

Avoid cliches in both your characters and plot. Sometimes cliches are good, but sometimes they might work against separating your book from others in the genre. If there is an opportunity to do something different, do it. Not every detective has to be a depressed alcoholic, for example. 

Overall, a mystery/crime novel today must not be afraid to be bold and new. Loyal fans of the genre will keep reading if you offer something unique. There are many ways to take a classic murder mystery and make it your own. 

Have a mystery or crime novel you want to publish? Contact us!

The post Tips For a Great Mystery and Crime Novel appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

In Dorrance’s long history, many different authors have come through our doors. One author who stands out is Clare Winger Harris, a science fiction writer in the 20th century. Harris is credited with being the first woman to publish under her own name in science fiction magazines. In 1947, she published an anthology of her science fiction stories with Dorrance when we were known as Dorrance and Company in Philadelphia.

According to a book collector and Harris’ Wikipedia entry, Harris was a housewife in Ohio who had the dream of being a science fiction writer. She published a romance adventure novel titled Persephone of Eleusis: A Romance of Ancient Greece in 1923. However, her science fiction dreams could not be ignored. 

An admirer of science fiction pioneers Jules Verne and HG Wells, she submitted and published science fiction stories in pulp magazines Weird Tales and Amazing Stories in the 1920s. Her first short story, titled “The Runaway World,” was published in Weird Tales in July 1926. In December 1926, she submitted a story for a contest being run by Amazing Stories editor Hugo Gernsback. Harris’s story, a space opera about Martians who steal earth’s water titled “The Fate of the Poseidonia,” placed third. Harris would go on to write for these cult-favorite magazines and eventually published her anthology of science fiction stories in 1947 with Dorrance titled Away From the Here and Now.

Little is known about Harris’ life, but according to census records and an interview with her grandson it is known that Harris and her husband divorced after their kids were grown. Clare then moved to Pasadena, California to live out the rest of her life until her death in 1968.

Crucial to Harris’ life as a writer was the fact that she was a woman. At the time of her writing in the 1920s-1940s, it was common for female science fiction writers to adapt gender neutral pen names out of a desire to be taken seriously as writers, as well as to not be ignored by the male-dominated world of science fiction. Clare Winger Harris chose to use her full name on all her publications. She is the first American woman to use her actual name for science fiction. Because of this, she is seen as a pioneer for women in science fiction by feminists and science fiction hobbyists alike. 

Away From the Here and Now, Harris’ anthology published by Dorrance, contains eleven stories that were previously published in the magazines Weird Tales, Amazing Stories, and Science Wonder Quarterly. Dorrance is proud to have had a small part in the career of such a pioneer!

Sources:

Post by Jeanie St. James in Book Collectors Facebook group

Clare Winger Harris – Wikipedia

Away From The Here and Now – Worthpoint

AbeBooks

Have a science fiction anthology YOU would like to publish? Contact us!

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Name: M.W. Gats

Hometown: Portsmouth NH, currently reside in South Berwick ME

Book Title: The New Assassin’s Field Guide & Almanac

Genre: Thriller

Describe your book in 10 words or less.

A professional hit man explores the depths of his honor; professionally & personally.

What made you want to write your book?

I wanted the story to exist. They say, “Write the book you’d like to read”

How long did it take you to write your book?

Roughly 3 years.

How do you choose the names of your characters?

Several ways: other books, articles, relatives, friends and enemies, all mixed and blended.

What do you do when you have writer’s block? 

Work on something in a different genre. Your whole brain is never blocked.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

Chapter 27 “Rintrah Roars” It was part of the short story (revamped) that the character originally appeared in (Dan Ketch)

If you were stuck on an island and had to have one person from each category with you, who would they be and why?

1. One character from your book: Mors, because he is resourceful and fairly skilled. Ex military man.
2. One fictional character: Elijah Snow (‘Planetary’ – Warren Ellis) because he’s immortal and has other powers
3. One famous person: Amy Sedaris because she’s one of the funniest people in the world (and I had to reassure my wife that it would be platonic!!! And it would be!!)

Besides writing, what are your other interests?

Art, Reading, (MANY genres) comedy, music, travel

Do you keep a journal?

Sort of!

How did you celebrate the publishing of your book?

With very expensive whiskey!

If your book was made into a movie, who would play the main characters?

Dan Ketch – Robert Pattinson

Mors – Jason Stratham

Jieufeng – Claudia Kim

Kestrel – Stanly Tucci

Rupert – Jack Black

Bleach – James McAvoy

Dagny – Natalie Portman

Five favorite books of all time?

‘Shogun’, ‘A Separate Peace’, ‘The Stand’, ‘Anansi Boys’, ‘Lonesome Dove’

What was your favorite part of working with Dorrance Publishing?

Opening the box of my first published novel!

Thank you, M.W.!

Have a thriller novel you’d like to publish? Contact us!

The post Author Spotlight: M.W. Gats appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Develop Your World
What sets fantasy apart from other genres is its immersive worlds. Take some time to think about and plan your far away fantastical setting of your book or books, either before or after you know the details of your plot. Having the mechanisms of your setting planned out will help you write the novel more smoothly. It will help you convey your world to your readers in a way that draws them in.

This not only means the physical landscape of the world, but the politics and culture of it as well. Every society has a culture with a set of rules and norms – even mythical ones. It is even more important to flesh these out ahead of time for a fantasy story than for one that takes place in our contemporary world, for both yourself and your audience. You may think you have your fantasy world entirely in your own head, but planning out the world can help you avoid continuity errors – elements of the plot that contradict a previously explained element. Use notes or a graphic organizer to sketch out your fantasy world, as well as the rules and norms for your fantasy society. There are many resources online to help you in this task.

Character and Narration
A similar amount of care and devotion should be used to develop your characters and their voices. Decide if your story will be told through first-person narration, third person limited, or third person omniscient narration.

First person narration will be told through a character with the use of “I” and an intimate knowledge of their inner mind, thoughts, and feelings. In third person limited, a reader has intimate knowledge of a main character and follows them. The degree to which they are known is up to you, the author. In third person omniscient narration, an outside observer knows about and follows many characters.

Deciding on what route to take with narration will affect the structure and flow of the story. Ask yourself: Is your story better told through one singular character, or many characters whose lives interweave?

Know Your Audience
Fantasy is an interesting genre in that it is quite popular with children, teens, and adults alike. It is unlikely, however, that your story will appeal to all audiences. It is important to decide who your audience will be – or, what the “rating” of your novel will be. A novel for teens should not have the same levels of violence and mature subject matter as one for adults. A fantasy book for children will be much shorter than one for middle grade students. Use discretion and decide early on who your target audience will be. Additionally, there are a number of subgenres within fantasy that might be worth considering – it’s not all wizards and dragons. Steampunk, magical realism, and urban fantasy are examples of other popular fantasy subgenres. Find your niche early on.

The Conflict
Of course, it wouldn’t be a fantasy book without the plot – the central conflict that drives the story. Every story has to have an action that kicks off the plot and sets things into motion. From there, a character will have a mission or a goal. When you zoom out, you will see your main character or characters having conflicts with other beings, ideas, the nature of their world, or even themselves. Conflict will make readers care about the story and ultimately lead to the overarching message of the story. That message is entirely up to you. Ask yourself: what do you want to say with your book? What lesson do you want to teach?

Think About – But Don’t Necessarily Avoid – Cliches

As you take stock of your characters and your plot, you may find that you use cliches of the fantasy genre. The wise wizard, a prophecy that must be fulfilled, or a main character that is “the chosen one” are all examples of fantasy genre cliches. While some may say to avoid these devices, a more interesting approach is to use a cliche but to make it your own. Put a slightly different spin on these cliches, and they will no longer be cliches. Readers will take pleasure in something that is familiar to them, yet something new at the same time. For example, maybe the wise old wizard that mentors your main character isn’t really that wise after all.

Take your time to think about all of these aspects, and have fun as you embark on your fantasy writing journey.

For extra help, consider our writing coach program.

If your fantasy novel is already written and waiting to be published, contact us!

The post Things to Think About Before You Write Your Fantasy Book appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Why? Because we want to start the New Year off by giving you four quick tips that’ll improve your writing.

After all, one of the biggest pieces of the book-writing puzzle is cultivating your writing skills.

So, without further ado, let’s jump right in.

Four Quick Tips to Improve Your Writing

1. Remove the fluff – Fillers just add noise to the message that you’re trying to articulate. Rather than writing wordy sentences, do your best to pare them down. Here are a couple examples to show you what we’re talking about:
   1. It’s fun to ride a bike. – Riding a bike is fun.
   2. There are a lot of people who sing. – Many people sing.
2. Switch it up – Vary the lengths of your sentences when writing. Short sentences help with the flow of your story while long sentences can help you define and explain ideas that keep the plot moving forward.
3. Don’t go comma crazy – It’s no secret when we say that there are a lot of rules associated with comma usage. However, when writing, you don’t want to abuse this form of punctuation. Here are some comma quick tips:
   1. Use a comma after an introductory clause, phrase, or words that come before the main clause. (Ex: While I was sleeping, the dog barked at the door.)
   2. Use commas to separate items in a series. (Ex: I packed a bathing suit, sunblock, and sunglasses.)
4. Revise – We’ve mentioned this tip countless times before but we still feel that it’s important to share again. When revising your writing, make sure to read your work out loud. Sometimes, our eyes skip mistakes and grammar issues, but, when we read something out loud, we’re more apt to hear the errors.

Whether it’s a journal entry, quick email, or a chapter of your book, you always want to put your best foot forward. Keep these tips in the back of your mind the next time you sit down to write to help refine and sharpen your writing skills.

Copyright Dorrance Publishing, 2018

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This stage can, by far, be the most difficult in the entire writing process. However, we’re here to help ease the difficulty by providing you with three easy book revision tips that you can apply to your work.

Let’s get started.

Get organized.

First things first, you’re going to want to get organized. You should approach the revision stage like you did when you were writing your book. Come in with a game plan and a checklist of what you want to accomplish each time you sit down to work. By writing down what exactly you want to achieve, you’ll be able to focus your attention on one area at a time.

Take note of ideas.

A fresh set of eyes will allow you to see things you might not have seen while you were in the midst of writing. That’s why it’s imperative to keep a notebook or a new file readily available to jot down your new ideas, notes or additions to your book. If you don’t write them down, you likely won’t remember them, so take the time to note them so you can come back later and determine how you can incorporate these new ideas into your work.

Keep an eye out for typos.

The revision stage is the time to go through your work with a fine-tooth comb searching relentlessly for typos. Don’t be alarmed at the amount of typos you’ll uncover! When you were writing, you didn’t want to be slowed down by checking your grammar and spelling, you just wanted to get your ideas on paper.   Now that you’re in the revision portion of the process, this is where you can really be on the lookout for any misspellings. A great way to see if there are glaring issues is by reading the words aloud. This will help you pick up on any strange sentence structures, misused words, words that might be spelled correctly but aren’t used accurately, etc.

If you’re nearing the revision stage or are currently working through it, keep these three tips in mind to help you along the way.

Copyright Dorrance Publishing, 2017

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While many think a protagonist is the most important part of your story, the antagonist holds just as much, if not more, importance to how your plot plays out before your readers’ eyes.

The entire purpose of an antagonist is to act as a roadblock that inhibits the main character from reaching his or her goal. More times than not, the antagonist is represented as a villain or someone who has evil intentions. But it’s important to note that the antagonist doesn’t have to be evil. In fact, the antagonist can add comedic relief to your plot as well.

If you’re looking to develop an antagonist in your story, check out these three tips to get you started.

What’s the goal?

Just like you would for your protagonist, you want to go in with a game plan and have a goal in mind for your antagonist. What are they working toward? How are their actions going to lead them to their overall goal? The goal of your antagonist can be something humorous, or it can take a dark and twisted turn that directly conflicts with your main character’s ambition. Whatever route you choose, make sure that you solidify a plan and stick to it, as a strong antagonist is trying to achieve something for their own benefit. What’s your antagonist’s goal?

What’s the motivation?

Working from the previous point, every goal needs a motivating force. Just like if you wanted to lose weight (your goal), your motivation could be your summer vacation or a big upcoming event. The same goes for developing your antagonist. What is the motivating force that’ll help them work toward their goal? Antagonists are commonly motivated by deep-rooted emotions of anger, jealousy, or greed, or even a power struggle. Whichever driving force you choose, make sure that this emotion remains clear in your antagonist’s actions from start to finish. The presence of the motivation is essential in creating a cohesive struggle between your main character and antagonist.

What are they hiding?

Your antagonist isn’t dumb. In fact, they have the street smarts and the book smarts to potentially outwit your main character. It’s this characteristic that makes them interesting and keeps your readers on the edge of their seats trying their hardest to anticipate their next move. Your antagonist isn’t going to fall for the obvious. Their motivation and their goal are in sync and in direct contention with the main character’s own unique drivers. The antagonist grows and changes to stay a step ahead of their nemesis, so developing both storylines in tandem will help you carry out your character-driven storyline.

So, as you work to develop the antagonist in your story, keep these three tips in mind so that you can create a character that your readers will love to hate.

Copyright Dorrance Publishing, 2017

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