We all know the advice given to writers about using our five senses when writing. Engaging senses other than sight in our books brings the setting alive, allows us to see what’s important to our characters, and lets us get to know them through what they notice. While what we see always seems to be the most important, there’s so much more to our interpretation of the world around us.
One of the most common writing mistakes I see in my work is when characters think, speak, or observe the world around them in a way that’s unrealistic…based on who that character is. This is what’s known as "author intrusion" (sometimes called "narrative intrusion"). We’re going to learn to recognize author intrusion here, as well as how to avoid it.
Reading bad reviews is hard. Getting difficult feedback from an editor is hard (though, hopefully, you have an editor who isn’t quite as brutal as reviewers can be!). Getting critiques from critique partners or groups can be hard. Receiving rejections from agents and publishers is hard. But criticism isn’t always personal, and I can help you decide how to better process it!
Writer’s block is real. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s not. The Oxford English Dictionary defines writer’s block as: the condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing. We’ve all been through this scenario — we want to write, but we can’t seem to get the words on the page. The idea of sitting down to write makes you break out in a rash. A week goes by with no writing. Then a month, then a year. When anyone asks, we say we have writer’s block. It’s not our fault!
As someone who has something to teach others, nonfiction authors write their books with the best of intentions. They have a catchy title and subtitle, they know what they’re going to talk about, and they write the whole book…only to have me (or some other editor) tell them they still have work to do. So, what’s the #1 problem with the nonfiction books I’ve edited? They don’t stick to the topic. Which leads to the #2 biggest problem with the nonfiction books I’ve edited…they haven’t identified their target audience.
One of the misconceptions people have is that they are either a naturally talented writer or they’re not. If they believe they are naturally talented, and they enjoy writing, they will probably write. If they believe they aren’t naturally talented, even if they want to write more than anything, they often say they “can’t write.” Someone who believes they can’t write isn’t likely to try, even if it’s something they really want to do.
Many writers see their stories as pictures in their head as they write, almost like the unfolding of a movie. Writing is almost a visual process for them. But how does the writer make sure that what’s in their head is also what the reader sees when they later read the words? A simple rule of thumb for showing the actions of your character is to show the necessary actions while skipping the mundane.
