Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Let's share some tips

Okay. We’ve all got a tip or two about writing and/or the industry that could probably help someone else out. Let’s share some here.

Hmm…my biggest tip is PREPARE. Specifically, I recommend people prepare their stories. Spend a couple hours writing about character and setting and plot. Write a few preliminary scenes…they don’t even have to be in order. And then OUTLINE.

Yeah, I know people hate outlining. There was a time I did, too. And now I love it. I see, in fact, how the whole preparation process makes my writing better and saves me oodles of time in the long run.

So PREPARE is my tip. What’s yours?

7 comments:

Darby Karchut said...

I agree. Outlining can save you soooo much time! And belated congrats on your new agent. Awesome! Keep us posted on all the news. :-)

Elliot Grace said...

...gotta lace the shoes before tying them and heading out the door ;)

Outlining is a necessary evil, one that may very well save one's manuscript from extinction.

El

Charlie Rice said...

The best tip I could come up with is: Don't wipe your ass with Superman's cape.

Also, keep it fun. Writing, and everything else I do, has to be fun. Life's too short.

Marisa Hopkins said...

Oh I LOVE to outline!! And funny enough, I prepare the same way you do. I love those rough scenes, when I don't yet know my characters or their story, and things start tumbling out. So fun.

Michael Offutt, Tebow Cult Initiate said...

I think that I prepare pretty adequately. I'm definitely not a pantser. I outline.

Chris V said...

Funny how I just talked about preparing on my blog, too. I totally agree it's an important step. Still not so sure about the outlining, though...grin.

Anita said...

ALL: It's funny how everybody has such different views on outlining. :) Maybe we should all just follow Charlie's tips.