How to Write a Novel: The Middlish-Beginning

By this time in your novel, you're probably thinking two words.

1) Bored
2) Stuck
3) Level 12 "Failure"

Okay, so that's really three words. Oh, wait, no...one, two...four, not including the numbers. Well, it's easy to feel this way. Actually, around this area is where the Writer's Block sets in. But we won't let that happen, in case you've forgotten.


1. The New World

So, your hero just accepted the challenge fate has handed to him. He's pulled the sword from his sheath and charged into battle screaming war cries of either terror and/or courage. So, what now?

Well, it's important to set out a new world for your character—something totally different from what he's used to. Frodo's new world was the land beyond the Shire, traveling with the Fellowship. Luke Skywalker's new world is space and the ways of a Jedi.

This may seem like an obvious point, but you would be surprised at how easily this is overlooked. It's not just about sticking your character in a new environment he's not used to. You must make sure he's forced to act in ways he's not used to. If a dragon shows up, your hero can't run away anymore. He has to face the beast head-on, mano a mano, for whatever reason. This is what creates a believable New World.

But remember to make your hero's progression to actual heroism an upward slope. He can't just magically become a master of all magic and whap all who cross his path. You understand, right?


2. The Villain

I know (or at least I hope) by this point you have already figured out who your villain is and what he's doing to make a mess. Well, around this point, your hero becomes straight-forwardly against the bad guy. He's not a watcher anymore, he's an actor. He won't stand by the sidelines and wait for the right moment, he goes looking for the right moment.

The villain should become directly involved against the hero at this point as well, if he wasn't already. He may think, My my, what a foolish boy, or he may say, Oh dear, now I may actually have to watch out for him. Whichever your villain tells you, act upon it. If he's sort of indifferent to the hero, you may want to just test him out, feel for a weakness, maybe by sending a couple thugs to see how he reacts. Or maybe he's the type to immediately try to wipe him off the face of the planet. Create conflict based on your villain's view of the hero.


With these little sweethearts under your belt, you're off to a WB-free middle.

OR ARE YOU...?


A.C.

The Whimsically Dramatic and Totally Pink Angelina Zoe

Hello, fellow enthusiastic writers! I, the obsessed Angelina, am honored that you would read about me. Me! Out of all the authors, and you chose to read about me. Thank you.

So anyways, more about me. Well, what’s there to tell? I LOVE writing! But who doesn’t? Other than my older brother who absolutely abhors it! Can you imagine that? I can’t. It absolutely horrifies me! It’s like living without peanut butter on your pancakes! Oh! The pain! The agony!

Enough about pancakes, though. I’m getting hungry. Well, when I’m not writing, I’m either experimenting with brownies (I’ve recently made marshmallow brownies! [delicious!]), trying to convince A.C. that Marvel is cooler than DC (don’t even get me started, Anastasia!), writing about elves, dreaming about her elf characters (especially the ones who look like Legolas), writing about elves with Mel Cholly and A.C., trying to draw the characters from my books (with little success), working hard on not twisting my ankle while trying to do a pirouette on pointe, playing the piano (my absolute favorite pieces are the ones from the movie Tangled[especially Kingdom Dance]), watching awesome animated movies (like Wreck-It-Ralph, or Tangled), or trying to keep my black Labrador Retriever from barking so I can write, or sleep, in peace. I also like to have “quoting wars” with my little brother, and absolutely enjoy watching any Marvel movie (IF IT’S APPROPRIATE!).

But I'm not just a fantasy elf lover kind of writer, I like writing about other things, too. Recently I've been experimenting with war books and historical fiction. But it's very hard to write about sad things like war because I'm such a happy person. And it's equally challenging to write about historical fiction. I think it's because I have to stay in boundaries of what happened, and I can't write my own... history. But still, I try...

But alas, everyone I meet says I am one strange bunny. But that is for you to decide, dear reader. Of course, I think I’m an odd bunny too. For instance...

Whenever I see a jagged, white flash of lighting across the black sky, I immediately get a sensation, a rush of feelings that collide with each other to make one word. Inspiration. That might not sound weird to some people, but to the type of people I live with, it’s absolutely insane! Yes, that is the dramatic part of me shining through. I believe I should’ve been an actress. But instead I’m stuck writing. Not that it’s a bad thing.

Also, another note about me. Whatever I touch becomes pink! Well, mostly. I even paint my dog’s toenails pink! And my ipod is pink. My laptop isn’t, but I’m thinking about painting it. Don’t know if that’ll work, though. Even my Bible is pink! And most of the verses underlined in my Bible is with a pink highlighter (almost every verse in my Bible is highlighted). My whole room is pink! Pink! The word is so happy. Like the word Yellow! That's a fun word to say over and over.

And that just a fraction of what I am. Angelina Zoe. The pink. The dramatic. And the whimsical elf lover.

Farewell, my fellow readers! Until next time!

Angelina Zoe

Watzzit Tooyah: The Strange Man Behind the Curtain

Hello readers.  It is I, your beloved host, Watzzit Tooyah.  I welcome you to this, the post of my life.

I was born in a simpler time, when mice were mice, men were men, and the fluffy stuff under the bed did not introduce itself to me.  Since then, all of that has changed, making my life more complicated than it needs to be.  Now, besides remembering the names of my schoolmates and coworkers, keeping my grades up, and remembering to feed myself, I must remember the name and feeding habits of the thing under my bed and figure out whether that man standing over yonder is indeed a man and not a mouse (or vice versa).

But I, dear reader, digress.

I currently live somewhere (where I live exactly is still under investigation, but at least it isn't nowhere), where I typically can be found writing, playing Kingdom Hearts, or hoarding gummy bears from my various family members.  It is a hard life we writers live, reader.

One day, I was sitting on a couch, blissfully writing my little heart out, when suddenly, it hit me.  My mind froze, my hand cramped, and sudden randomness invaded my mind.  In a blind stupor, I quickly dialed 911 right before the randomness struck me unconscious.  When I awoke, I was in a hospital with an ominous looking doctor standing before me.

"Sir," this masked man articulated, like a bad actor from a soap opera, "you have Writer's Block."

Since that day I have devoted what's left of my random-infected mind to finding a cure to WB.  Oh, look, reader, a monarch butterfly.  And there is a cloud.

For the sake of writers everywhere, and for mine own sake, we must crush this terrible disease affecting millions of writers galaxy wide.  Until we finally find a cure, I will continue to be unable to focus on my book for more than a moment before sinking into the fog of randomness.

Help me, dear reader.  Please.

Oh look, out that window.  It's a small mammal.

That is all.

-Watzzit Tooyah.

Melancholy Mel N. Cholly

People ask me what I do, and I reply simply: “I’m an author. I write books, I hide in closets, I cry about non existent people, I astonish psychiatrists, and I’m completely obsessed with a world that doesn’t exist. Frankly, I’m proud.” Then they slowly walk away with a slightly disturbed look on their face.

People also ask me why I read Amish romance novels. I have no answer to this. Nothing, in this dreadful world of ours, is quite as humiliating as being caught even near the dreaded books. I read them only because I see them as a reminder of how not to write a fantasy book. Or a fiction book. 

But I am getting ahead of myself.

Let me begin somewhere near the beginning. I would tell you my entire life story, moldy ice cream cone and all, but I believe you would simply die by the sheer boredom of it all. You would simply lie down on whatever floor may be under you at this moment—wood, tile, asphalt, concrete—and die. So in short, I am an author of fantasy books. I would say that is all, I could say you have no business knowing. You’re probably wondering what I’ll decide. Perhaps you’ll never know. 

I like long walks in the park as rain soaks through my underwear and makes a terribly dreadful walk home. I like wrapping myself up in a big fur coat to go out in the summer. I also love chocolate, Miss Cross would be pleased to know, but I believe the consumption of the amount of chocolate she inhales is rather detrimental to her health. Poor young women like herself don’t need that much chocolate, and I believe it is messing up her poor brain. Has anyone, anyone at all, wondered why Willie Wonka was so strange? I, dear reader, will tell you. His over consumption of chocolate at a young age. With this piece of knowledge, I bid you to step slowly away from your grandmothers chocolate bowl and start munching on a carrot stick.

Now, if you want a list of my books, just to be vain, I am currently writing several books: The Tower Series: Isles of Ruin, Chasing Shadows: Fear Strong, and Ty Skyy’s Guide to Life. If it pleases you to know, I have finished none of them. I have started all, but finished none. I fully plan on, one day (as soon as I can pull my torn heart together) finishing these books.

Now let me tell you about my Moldy Ice Cream Cone. 

No, I don’t think I will. Yes, I know, I am quite evil. I have to admit, I do enjoy a good villain. The legend of my dear cone lives on. So does it’s memory in my heart. 

...Excuse me, I get emotional. May it rest in peace. I must leave you now.

Until, of course, I die,

Mel N. Cholly

How to Write a Novel: The Beginning

THERE'S A GIANT PINK MAN-EATING VAMPIRE BUNNY ON YOUR HEAD!!!

Yeah, that got you hooked, didn't it?

Anyways. Today I would like to present to you the age-old question asked by people all over the world.

How, in the name of Bob the Monkey, do you actually write a novel that people will look at and say more than, "I liked it, it was good" after the first chapter?!?!

Hmm...good question. Hard to answer in one post, but I will do my best.

Writing a novel is like painting a picture or creating the perfect mushy fudgey brownie. It takes time. And there are rules, but only if you want a really good story that knocks J.K. Rowling out of the water (not guaranteed, but we can try, can't we?).

When I first started out noveling, I just wrote scenes as they came to me. One moment, my characters would be like, "AHG THERE'S A MONKEY OVER THERE!" and then go straight to a tea party without a second thought. It wasn't until I hit middle school that I began to wonder, "Okay, for real, is there some secret recipe to writing a good novel? I mean, this stinks!"

That's when I took One Year Adventure Novel, which taught me the basics of a good novel. (NaNoWriMo helped as well. Their book, Ready, Set, Novel!, is a creative way to get a head start on noveling.)

So, we get to the beginning of a novel. DUN DUN DUUUUUNNNNN....*cue really dramatic expression*

THE BEGINNING

Yup. That one part we all dread. That little paragraph of misery that holds us captive until we can't stand looking at that blank sheet of paper anymore. This is where we tackle it and grab it's neck and tell it who's wearing the big hat here.

I think I'll put that bold imposing thing here now in little stinky letters so it will look less fearsome.

the beginning

There, not nearly so bad now, is it?

The beginning of a novel serves to show readers what world our heroes are living in. What is the setting? Do they live in a magical land filled with dragons, or a post-apocalyptic desert? What is the hero's story up to this point? Sometimes you may want to keep this secret, but if not, it's good to clear up your main character's past as soon as possible. Once you figure out these important facts, it's time to move on to the writing.

1. The Hook

What do you first notice when you open your favorite book? What really catches your eye and holds your attention? Well, I hope you answered 'the first sentence of the book', because that's the right answer! The first sentence of a novel is called the hook. The hook is meant to grab the reader's attention and make them say, "WHOA, now THAT'S a book I could read!"

This said, you definitely want to start your book out with a really conflicting scene. A character combing her hair isn't nearly as interesting as a character who's facing the ultimate bully in the janitor's closet, right? What I usually do is start the book as close to the conflict as I can. For instance, if the story was about a boy who's battle was against the school bully, I'd start it with the hero and the bully fighting it off in the cafeteria instead of the hero on his way to school. In other words, make the first scene count.

Here's a good example of a hook sentence (or, more like, group of sentences, which counts):

      "Success.

      It was Dirco's only thought as he blinked past the ashes flecking his eyelashes and stared down opponent. The thin, smirking elf, who stood about twenty feet away, fingered the hem of his dark blue robe in that infuriating way of his, simpering at Dirco as if he was an utter failure.

      Failure. The word must not be considered."

And, for good measure, here's a really bad one.

"Bob opened the door and took the mail from the mailman, then walked back to his table, set it down, and poured himself a cup of coffee."

...Yeah. I know. It makes a huge difference, trust me.

If you're having a lot of trouble with the very beginning of your book, try starting it out with a big dose of conflict. Make your hero fight his sister. Or have him spar a friend. Or put him in a pie-eating contest. Hey, it could happen.

2. The Inciting Incident

So that may not make much sense up there (that little number 2 and the bold letters you don't understand?). Let me clear that up. Inciting means 'to stir up', and an incident is an event. So, Starting the Book would be more appropriate, but the alliteration of 'Inciting Incident' is just really cool.

What is the single moment—the huge decision, the big problem, the tornado that hits Dorothy's house in Kansas, if you will—that really gets your book diving into the story? What happens to the hero that throws him into the jaws of terror? This is the Inciting Incident. Most writing courses teach to fit the Inciting Incident into the first chapter, but it doesn't really matter. In my book The Journey, the first chapter sort of tells the readers what the setting is and who the heroes are before leading up to the Inciting Incident, and that's okay. Just don't make the beginning drag, or it'll get boring really fast. Readers like the story to start when the book starts. Make sense?


That just about covers the first chapter of a structured novel. Keep in mind that the first chapter of your novel should NOT make you bored. If you're bored, the reader will be too. The job of the first chapter is to grab the reader's attention, leave her wondering what will happen next, and force her to keep reading. That's all you could want out of Chapter 1.

Check back soon to learn about The Middlish-Beginning (Act II).

Until next time,

A.C.

How to Write a Novel: The Outline

BOOOOOOO-RIIIIIIIINNNGGG.

That's what you're probably thinking right now, if you just read that post title. I know I did, just typing it. The truth is, I completely HATE outlining a book. It's probably the most tortuous thing I can possibly think of doing, besides sitting in a dark room with flying baboons and clowns force-feeding me furry green pudding. I just want to get to the writing part, if it's okay with you. Enough of the technicalities. Gimme the pen and paper and let me do my thing.

That's what I once thought (silly me) every time I sat down to work on a book. It wasn't long before I found, about halfway through the story, that I had no idea where I was going. I didn't know what happened in the end, or the middle, or even the beginning. I just started with the characters and went from there.

I think this is a big problem in a whole bunch of young writers. They think the characters are everything. Well, I can tell you from experience that characters are the biggest part of the book, but they alone don't cut the biscuit. To get a whole, completed, readable novel, you need to know the generic outline of a basic story.

The Outline:

1. The Beginning (Act I)
a. The Hook
b. The Inciting Incident

2. The Middlish-Beginning (Act II)
d. The New World
e. The Villain

3. The Middle (Act III)
f. Conflict, conflict, conflict

4. The End (Act IV)
g. The Black Moment
h. Facing the Villain
i. The Smackdown
j. Happily Ever After (or not)


As you can see, there are many sub-acts that happen during the main Acts. Now, this isn't a guideline to all of the good writing in the world—it is just what I find most important in a book. Goodness knows there are so many other things you can add to a story: death, true love, betrayal, secrets, surprises...

Anyways. Back to the main point. Since discovering these important facts, when I start a book now, I force myself to not get too excited and jump right in and take time to write out an outline. Here is a webpage that gives good templates of writing outlines.

Well, there you have it. You have just made a commitment to write a better book. Congratulations! Now have more fun outlining it than I do, and come back tomorrow for the next post on THE BEGINNING (dun dun duuuuuunnn...*cue dramatic look off to the side*)

A.C.

The Mysterious and Chocolatey A.C.

Okay, so A.C. is really just a lame nickname for Anastasia Cross...mainly so I can yell "WHO TURNED OFF THE A.C.?!" and laugh to myself a little bit. But it sounds mysterious and cool for a teen writer like me.

I write mainly fantasy-fiction, which of course sounds lame when it's put like that but is really a pretty cool genre to write about, mainly because you can get as crazy as you want and come up with bizzare names and get away with it. I've experimented around with pirate books and sci-fi as well...I'm a pretty diverse writer, but of course I write for teens.

Now I shall wander off into a reminiscing reminisce on my past life as a writer...

When I was small I carried pencils around and my little brother even stuck a pencil in his face and still has a pencil lead tattoo there (I know, epic writer scar, right?). So I think that makes me a pretty serious writer on my brother's behalf.

Now let me tell you about chocolate. Chocolate comes in many forms and flavors. There's dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, and brownies, mainly. (Yes, brownies gets a whole flavor to itself. Don't ask why or I'll go off on another reminiscing reminisce.) Chocolate is proven by the FDA (Furry Department of Awesome) to ward off potentially harmful writer emotions, such as WB and to an extent hand cramps. So stock up on brownies and let's get writing!

My preferred writing utensils are 1) a computer and 2) my computer's built in thesaurus. And sometimes a cute little notebook with a black-ink pen. NOT A BLUE-INK. Those are just rip-offs.

Welcome to The Writer's Block! We are now banded together against WB. A day may come when the courage of writers fail, when we forsake our pens and break all of the metal ringy things on our notebooks, but it is not this day. An hour of woes and shattered computer screens, when the age of authors comes crashing down, but it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand, Teen Writers!

A.C.

P.S. Those who caught that Aragorn quotage, peace out, fellow LOTR fans.

Writers for the Cure

Once and a while we all get STUCK.

And then the horror hits. No words come. No rhymes. No nerdy metaphors. Nothing.

Your hand cramps. You start to cry and beat your head on your keyboard (or notebook or piece of paper). You consider poking your eye out with a pointy pencil. You think really hard but get nowhere.

This is Writer's Block (WB).

Here at The Writer's Block, we all struggle with the same problems you have. And we have dedicated our lives to finding a cure to this terrible ailment.

My colleagues and I believe the best treatment for WB is to connect with other writers and find inspiration among them. That is why we created The Writer's Block, a place where writers can be themselves (and eat chocolate in peace). We want to make sure everyone knows that writers get blocked, and characters do in fact get out of hand sometimes, and sometimes stories need a kickstart, and yes, even you must kill a character every now and then. And we all feel pain when we do that (even if it's the villain).

So, rest well, little writer gents and ladies! Today is the turning point of all writerdom: a turn for the betterment of all writer-kind. Together, we can change the world and cure WB. But we can't do it alone. We need your help!

Support our cause and give us your feedback. We can't do this without you. Let us know how you feel and what you like to read and hear from other writers.

Together, we can overcome Writer's Block.

Check back for all sorts of neat stuff:

Teen Author Chats

Inspirational Awesome Stuff

Kicks in the Pants for the Lazy Writers

Writer of the Month Competitions

and more!

Write on,

A.C.