Characters Consistency

When we started writing our first book, because there weren't a lot of characters we were able to remember them. When we decided to continue the book into others and create a series, we started having to keep track of all of the characters. So we kept notebooks on the different ideas we had, the different characters we were planning on putting in the books, what time era we were going to write about.

I put up in my office a poster board that listed the twelve islands, who was in charge of each island, the island theme and time period and any characters that came from that island. As we wrote the books and new characters would be introduced we put them under the correct island. We did this so that we wouldn't mix up characters and use different names for the same characters and it made it so their history stayed the same.

Consistency is important aspect of writing. If you have a character that is in the car and then all of a sudden they are in the house, you need to explain how they got there. Your writing needs to flow. Which means there shouldn't be parts where people ask themselves, okay how did that happen because it will stop the flow of the book and people will be more likely to put the book down at that point and might not pick it back up.

I used to play online games and in this game we were able to create areas where people could go into and fight monsters. So I had created an area and in the first part of the areas was the entrance to the Crystal Castle, and it described the area as being bright and filled with rainbows and light because the sun was reflecting off of the crystal. It sounded great until I went back and reviewed it before it was released and realized that it sounded great but the room was listed as a dark room without light, so how could the sun reflect off of the crystal if there wasn't a light. This is the kind of thing you need to be mindful of because it could completely through your writing our of focus and make it difficult for someone to relate to.

So remember, it is always important to make sure your characters have consistency in their behavior and history.

As always, have fun with your writing.
Patti

Writing Tips - Organization

Someone asked me the other day what I do to get myself ready to write a book. So I was thinking about it and I decided that it all comes down to organization. If you aren't organized in what you do then you have the possibility of getting off track. This unfortunately can cause your story to sound off track and disorganized. Now I am sure there are people out there that believe that you don't have to be organized to write. My son saw my desk the other day and commented on how messy it was, when he came in 5 minutes later, after I had finished for the day, he was surprised how clean it was. It all comes down to organization.

If I am starting a new project then I create a folder for it to put in all the notes and comments I come up with. I create an outline for my story or project, place it in the folder and make sure the folder is labeled. Once this is done cleaning up at the end of the day is easy. You just put the information in its appropriate file and put it away.

It is important to also be organized on the computer. I work for a company that I write their blogs, newsletters, website copy, ad copy and on occasion their press releases. They currently have 4 different websites that I handle. To keep them straight in the computer, each website has its own folder and each folder has subfolders for the above mentioned topics. This way when someone needs information I am able to get it for them quickly and easily.

I believe it is important in whatever you to do stay organized. I had a boss that couldn't see his desk unless I cleaned it off. Everyone thought he was organized and knew where everything was on his desk, but what they didn't know was that when they left his office he had me help him find what they were looking for.

Organization is one of the key to success. Without organization, people are apt to flounder and misplace items. If you want to succeed in any business it is imperative that people find a system that works for them. Organization isn't about fitting into strict guidelines that you feel would stifle your creativity, its about finding a place where you can find items with ease.

Enjoy and Happy Writing
Patti

Writing Tips

Good Morning
Here is the new section on writing tips for anyone who would like to use it. Now remember this is just my opinion. I have found when I am writing that I don't worry about proofreading what I am writing until I am finished with the section I am working on. If you interrupt your train of thought to fix typos then the thought that was winging through your head might never ever come back and could be lost in the great abyss of missed writing opportunities. To avoid that from happening to any other writer I suggest that you handle proofreading after you have finished writing for the day. I would also recommend that you do some of the proofreading before you hand it off to your proofreader because they will be eternally grateful especially when you type a word that you know exactly what you mean but the proofreader is looking into that great abyss and wondering why you didn't let that idea fall into it.
I have learned that if I do not force myself to sit down and write at least an hour a day then I will procrastinate and never finish the book. There were times that I wouldn't write for months because I had a "writer's block" but if you force yourself to continue writing you will eventually make it through the block and be able to write again. This doesn't mean that you won't have to go back and edit everything you have already written, but it will help you make it through it and keep your book from never being finished.
One of the hardest things for me is when I have 3 or more book ideas floating through my head and they are all clamoring to get out. How do I choose which one I want to write about? Will they stay in my brain long enough for me to get them out? I have found that if I start writing about one, I need to at least get the others down on paper whether it is with an outline of the book or just a synopsis of what it is going to be about. If you are going to do a synopsis then it is smart to put into any ideas you had about the book to include cool details and some action on the character's part.
I think that is enough information for now. I will definitely continue this later and hopefully get some interest and feedback from other authors. Have a great day and comments are always welcome.
Patti
http://www.amberisle.com