1) Just Start

This may seem like a fairly obvious one, but you have to start somewhere right? Admit it, for months every time you’ve set aside time to write you’ve chickened out at the last minute. You suddenly find yourself very busy with chores you’ve invented or… hey, who put that remote in your hand? Don’t you dare start a new Netflix show… If you want to get out of your writing rut, you need to set aside time to write and actually stick to it, no excuses.

2) Start Small

When you’re picking up a pen after a long absence, it may be too much to expect yourself to jump right back into working on your manuscript. You’ll never fully lose your writing mojo, but you’ll definitely be rusty. The easiest way to get some practice without putting so much pressure on yourself is to do some writing exercises. Find some fun and short writing prompts and set aside an hour to challenge yourself. Perhaps the exercise will task you to use a character from your book or maybe you’ll have to write something entirely new. Either way, it’ll get your creative juices flowing again and it’ll help you start to get your confidence back.

3) Make a Schedule

One of the excuses you’ve made over the past few months is likely that you ‘weren’t feeling inspired’ enough to write. Not only do you know that’s just a poor excuse, but if writers only wrote when they felt inspired it would take five times as long for them to finish their books. Instead of continuing to use that as an excuse to let yourself drift off schedule for another few months, create a diligent schedule that you know you can stick to.

When it comes to making your writing schedule, our number one suggestion is to be realistic with yourself. If you realistically can only write once a week for a few hours, just put that on your calendar. The last thing you want to do put too much on your schedule and then keep missing your writing appointments that you set for yourself. Because every time you miss one you’ll beat yourself up, feel like you’re not a real writer, and before long you’re back to where you are now. It’s much better for your schedule and your writing confidence to make appointments you’re sure you can keep.

4) Join a Writing/Reading Group

Look into local writing or reading groups in your area. If you can’t find a good one, start your own with a few close friends! It may feel intimidating, especially when you’ve been out of the game for a while, but these groups can be a great way to hold one another accountable and bounce ideas off of each other.

If you’re planning on starting your own, there are a few options on how to structure it based on your needs. If you want to try to read more books to help improve your craft, you can start a book club and hold discussions about the material. If you want to workshop some writing, you could do a writing workshop where you take scenes (from either your book or specific prompts) and read/workshop them. Finally, if you have a few friends who are working on books/scripts/etc. you can host a group to simply bounce ideas off of one another. You can meet once a month, run each other through what you’ve been working on briefly, talk about any points where you’re stuck, and see if they have any suggestions.

5) Forgive Yourself

This is the toughest one because, ultimately, it’s the reason your absence from writing got so out of hand in the first place. Is your writing always going to be perfect? No. Are there going to be weeks where you genuinely don’t have time to write? Yes. That doesn’t make you any less of a writer than anyone else. Every writer has written bad prose. Every writer has taken absences that have stretched out longer than they should. You have to forgive yourself when you miss your writing days and on days where you feel like your writing is bad. Don’t let these things make you feel bad and don’t let them make you too afraid to pick up your pen again.

The post How to Pick Up Writing Again appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Identify your market

You may think you’ve already done your work as far as identifying your market when you chose your genre, but it’s actually more complicated than that. Will your story be high fantasy? YA or Adult Fantasy? Urban, steampunk, or grimdark fantasy? A common misconception about fantasy writing is that it all fits into a very J.R Tolkien type of world- elves, dragons, trolls, etc. But that’s not always the case. Many experts, for example, would argue that Star Wars would be considered Fantasy as opposed to Science Fiction.

Essentially the difference between the two genres boils down to the details. If we’re receiving detailed explanations on how the technology works, how the world works, etc. in a story, it’s likely considered science fiction. If, however, the details are vague and/or mythical then it would be considered fantasy. Making sure you know what genre you’re going for and which subgenre will help you know better how to write for your specific readership.

Write your novel/series bible

The ‘bible’ for your series or novel is the history of the world or realm you’re writing about. Any legends or lore that are important to your story need to be written out in great detail because these legends and histories will greatly inform the current state of the world you’re writing from. For example, take the highly acclaimed series Game of Thrones. George R.R. Martin creates an incredibly detailed and rich history for the world and for each of the families that play a large role within that world. He details the period of time where the ‘mad king’ brought the downfall of the Targareyan house, the time where the Baratheons fought for the crown, etc. You can even find detailed family trees going back generations for each family. Now, obviously, this whole history isn’t detailed in its entirety in the series so you’ll likely only use bits and pieces of your own ‘bible’. However, having all of these details solidified and relayed through dialogue and action throughout your series will make it feel more like our own world, which also has a rich history.

Plot everything before writing

This is true for essentially every genre but is especially important for fantasy writing. You’ll likely have several character threads going, several species to introduce and explain, and several versions of history at play simultaneously. For the series to read as effectively as possible, you must plot out each thread as you’d like it to unfold as well as the POV and how and when the information will be revealed to the reader.

Use all five senses

Fantasy writing, regardless of the subgenre, should be incredibly detailed. It’s a very romanticized genre, and avid readers want to be fully immersed in the world and completely escape from reality. In order to create this to its fullest extent, all five senses must be utilized. If you’ve done your job right, your readers should be able to see, taste, smell, hear, and feel some aspect of every scene you’ve written. If you have the tendency to miss a few of the senses, make sure you do exercises to practice as you prepare to tackle your book(s).

Give the world internal rules

Although fantasy books shouldn’t have detailed explanations on how certain elements such as magic work, creating rules for the world will allow it to feel more real. For example, how is this world governed? Is there one person ruling on an iron throne or is there a magical government that exists right beneath our noses? How did this power structure originate (something to be answered in your book bible)? How does this power structure effect or dictate how citizens live in this world?

Let’s say your world includes some type of magic or power. While you don’t need to answer how magic works, there are a few questions that you can answer that will help the world feel more realistic- where does the magic or power come from? What are the limitations of the magic or power? Is it different for everyone or the same, but some are just more powerful than others?

It’s important to be organized and careful not to break your own rules throughout the story (unless you do it on purpose). For example, you can establish a rule that people have a certain limitation on their powers, only for us to later realize that our protagonist doesn’t have this limitation in true ‘chosen one’ fashion. However, if you establish early on that someone’s powers will drain if used frequently, you can’t have them using them frequently in an epic battle without them draining and with no explanation whatsoever. Make sure that any breaking of established rules is both acknowledged and explained in your story.

Choose meaningful character names

OK here comes the fun part, guys. One of the most enjoyable aspects of fantasy writing is getting to choose your character names. Keep in mind when you’re doing this that fantasy readers are very astute. They’ll research character names, the prefixes/suffixes, the meanings in different languages, etc. Therefore, knowing this, it’s fun to give them little treats. As one example, J.K. Rowling chose her character names with great care. Each name has a specific meaning that gives the reader a clue into either the personality or nature of the character itself. For example, take the character name Remus Lupin. The name Remus is in reference a mythological character who was raised by wolves, while the last name Lupin comes from the Latin ‘lupus’ which translates to ‘wolf’. The name is very fitting seeing as (spoiler alert) we find out that he’s a werewolf in book three.

Make your characters complex, not archetypal

Although worldbuilding and plot are extremely important in fantasy writing, characters and character development are equally important. You can have the most well-crafted plot in the world, but if your readers don’t care about your characters then they won’t care what happens to them. Therefore, when you’re doing your bible work prior to writing, make sure you create detailed character summaries and create characters with complex personalities, wants, and desires. Don’t rely on cliche archetypes like ‘the loyal best friend’ or ‘the wise old man’…readers have seen simplified versions of these characters in fantasies too many times before. Part of making your series or book stand out is making your characters stand out too.

The post Genre Focus: Fantasy appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Step One: Start One

The first step is obvious before you can host a Book Club you need….well… a book club. You’ll need to decide whether you want it to just be family and close friends or if you want to make it something open to the public. If it’ll be more open, you’ll want to post the gathering on websites like Meetup to find potential book enthusiasts in your area. It may also be helpful to find a public space like a coffee shop that would allow you to meet every so often.

Step Two: Don’t Overcommit

The last thing you’ll want to do is push both yourself and your fellow book club members on what they can read. During your first meeting, ask everyone what a reasonable reading goal would be for the group and use their input to decide what would be best for your group. Book clubs can be like New Year’s Resolutions- they’re abandoned all too quickly if the goals are unrealistic. For most book clubs, typically a reasonable reading goal would be one book per month. If that’s what the group ends up agreeing on, you can either meet up once every week/two weeks to go over progress or just once at the end of the month to go over the book at large. Again, ask for everyone’s input to see what works best for each group member’s schedule.

Step Three: Decide what your book selection process will be

Now, to decide what books your group will read. If you want your Book Club to exclusively read books of a specific genre, that’s OK. Just make sure you put that in any advertisement or notice for your book club so potential members will be readers with that specific interest. If you’d rather your club be open to all genres and reads, that’s great, too.

Though you’re the group leader, the last thing you want is to be the only person choosing the book club books. Book clubs are tight-knit groups and you’ll want each person to feel their voice is heard. Typically, books are selected one of two ways. At the end of the month (during your month’s discussion) everyone brings a new book to pitch for next month’s read. After everyone has the chance to pitch their book, the members vote on which one they’d most like to read (not being allowed to vote for their own). This selection process makes sure the majority of the group is excited about each month’s read.

Another method you could use is a rotation. So select a rotation order for the group by giving them each a number (or month) and, whichever number they draw will be the month they choose the read for the group. This may mean there are some months where the majority of the group doesn’t enjoy the monthly read, but it also means everyone will get the chance to choose a book.

Step Four: Come to each meeting organized

As the host, one of the most important jobs is to come to each meeting organized. This partly involves coming prepared with your thoughts and questions for the group already written down. As far as your overall thoughts on the book, construct them in a way that is conducive to conversation. It may be helpful to break them down into the positive and negative aspects of the read. So start by asking yourself: What did I like about this book? Think in terms of characters, character development, plot, arc, themes, writing style, character choice, tone, etc. Next, ask yourself: What didn’t I like about this book? Break it down by the same categories and perhaps use bullet points as well.

When you’re going through each of your bullet points, don’t just lecture the group- open it up to the discussion. For example, let’s say you’re talking about how you felt a particular character didn’t necessarily add to the story. Open it up to the group by asking, “Did anyone else feel similarly? Did anyone else feel differently and why?” Make sure you let the group know that they’re free to jump in as you’re going through your list. The list isn’t meant to just allow you to get your thoughts out, it’s to give the group things to talk about.

After you go over your bullet points, ask the group if they had any thoughts on the book that you haven’t covered. Typically this will lead to more discussion, but if not make sure you have a list of questions prepared to keep the conversation going. Some fun questions to ask would be: “Who was your favorite character and why?” or “What was your favorite part of the book?”

If you wouldn’t always like to be the one leading the discussion, you can also have a rotating discussion leader. This person will fill the same role of bringing in bullet points to talk about, asking questions to the group at large, and keeping the conversation flowing. Though, if you started the group, we recommend you going first to give the other members an example of the discussion leader’s roles.

Step Five: Make sure everyone is heard

There are a few different ways to handle group discussions, but the most important part of them is to make sure everyone in the group is heard and feels like an active member. There are a few different ways you can conduct the group discussions. The first is to keep them structured by going in a circle and having one person talk at a time. So, every time you ask the group a question, you’d go clockwise around the circle so everyone gets a turn answering. Though this may take a while, it assures everyone has their opinions and thoughts heard.

The other way would be to have more of a free-form discussion, allowing the group to answer questions freely. Though less organized, this allows people with similar thoughts or ideas to bounce off of each other, rather than having to wait their turn to speak. If you decide to go this route, keep in mind that your more introverted members may struggle to be outspoken on their thoughts. We suggest that, should you go with this strategy, make sure (if you notice someone has been quiet for a while) to call on them and ask their thoughts on the question being discussed. Through time and experience, every member will grow to feel more comfortable speaking their mind and the conversation will flow more naturally with each meeting. And, before you know it, you finally have a group of like-minded book lovers to force all of your passion upon. And your other friends can breathe a huge sigh of relief.

The post How to Start a Book Club appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Finish your book first

We cannot stress this enough- do not start applying to agents before you have your book finished. Agents want a finished product, they don’t want a half-baked book- no matter how good yours is. Agents will typically allow submissions from one person only one time so there’s no quicker way to cut your options in half than by submitting when you have absolutely no chance of being accepted.

Write a Synopsis & Query Letter
Literary agents will typically ask for a few things initially: a synopsis of your book and a query letter. Your synopsis should be roughly a page long and it should focus on charting our the main plot of the book. This isn’t your chance to show off your writing prowess or pitch your book to the agent (that’s what the query letter is for). The synopsis is just to chart out the action of the story so the agent knows where the story is headed before they request it. If there’s a big plot twist or genre shift in the middle of your book, the agent will want to know about it before they read.

The query letter is one of the most important parts of obtaining a literary agent. Agents don’t initially ask to read your full manuscript, they’ll mainly look toward your Query letter as a way to gauge their interest in your work. This letter should be an approximately 300-word pitch to get an agent interested in your work. Every writer and agent has different advice on how to format your letter, so do your research and figure out what’s right for your book. This is the first thing an agent will look at, so don’t be afraid to enlist an editor or query expert for help if you need it.

Review your first three chapters

The last thing that agents will ask for is a small sample of your book. Every agent has different requirements, but they’ll typically ask for anything between one to three chapters of your manuscript. If your query letter has them intrigued, they’ll go on to check out this sample. From that point, they’ll decide whether they want to read your full manuscript. Make sure you comb through the first three chapters and edit them to perfection. Make sure they’re exciting, full of action and that they’re not bogged down with a lot of exposition.

Research Agents

Once you have your book summary, query letter, and first three chapters ready to go- start to query literary agents. You’ll need to do some research to find agents that are right for your book. Make sure you’re only applying to agents that specialize in the specific genre and subject matter that your book consists of. You’ll be wasting your time querying an agent who specifies in horror books if yours is a romance. It doesn’t matter how good yours is- they’re not going to take it. Some good websites to get you started are Publisher’s Marketplace and Agent Query.

Follow Directions & Stay Organized

One of the biggest no-no’s of applying to agents is failing to follow directions. Each agent will have different specifications on what they want to see when you initially submit. Some will want a synopsis, others won’t. Some will want only your first chapter, others may want your first three. Make sure you’re looking at all of the information and following directions. Agents won’t even look at your submission if you didn’t submit properly.

In addition, because you’ll likely have to submit to dozens or even hundreds of agents- it’s best to stay as organized as possible. We recommend keeping a spreadsheet of agents submitted to, their credentials, their contact info, and whether they’ve responded. Otherwise, you’ll run the risk of submitting to the same people over and over again. Not only will that waste your time, but if the agent was considering you and you submit three separate times they’ll likely turn you down, thinking you’re difficult to work with. Think about it: if you gave someone your number and they immediately left you three separate voicemails, would you call them back?

SaveSave