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Creative Ideas
From those that create.
LET'S GET SOCIAL
This page is a provided as a helpful tool for any creative mind. For me, it includes tips I've received, or things I've learned along the way in writing. It's also a great platform for any creative art form. As we grow, I will be adding more of my own posts. If anyone would like to have your thoughts as a post, hit the EMAIL ME WITH YOUR TIP button above this introductions or the CONTACT ME tab in the main menu. Send me your post and I will be happy to post it and mention you for credit in your post. You can also just leave a comment in the comment box at the bottom of the page. Part of who we are as creative people is defined by what we give back to others. So let's get started and LET'S GET SOCIAL! - Thank you.Â
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Ideas - Some say, I love to write, but I don't know what to write a book about. That is not as difficult to figure out as some may think. An idea can come to you at any time, for various reasons. Where you are, what you're doing etc. Write them down. I may write down two or three ideas a day, or during a week. Everyone has a passion. Something they enjoy more than anything else. When you consider writing, match your ideas or experiences to your passion. See if any are related to each other.
Genre - What do you like? Drama, thrillers, murder mysteries, romance, self-help or others. It can be more than one. For myself, I write in three genres. romance, murder mysteries, and self-help. I often times combine one or more genre's into one book.
Concept - This is where you need to find your niche. Decide if you want to write based on trends at the time, or simply what you enjoy writings about at that time. Many topics are considered trends. Such as whats going on at the time in politics, fashion, or significant life changes. Other genres are generic, meaning, they are popular all the time.
Where to start - Once you have your genre and topic selected, an outline is always a great way to start. This process will vary from genre to genre. Meaning, is it a fiction, non-fiction, romance novel, murder mystery etc. A non-fictional narrative style book where you are writing about a particular topic requires a great deal of research. Even if you are writing is from an "Experts" standpoint. Plagiarism is a serious offense. Plagiarism is when you take someone else's work or idea and pass it off as your own. Be careful. Any research you mention in a book needs to be verified as accurate. I usually use three different sources. If there is something I am directly stating, I am sure to give credit to the source. That is IMPORTANT. Those are called citations. Through research, experience, and other factors, you may take certain parts of concepts from many sources, and add your expertise, and write it in your own words. I still give credit to the original sources. For a romance novel, thriller, murder mysteries, and others, that is your story, and are usually fiction, unless it is based on a true story. Remember, names and personal information can not be used without expressed permission from those individuals. Changing the names or locations is fine. I will usually make a statement that this story is a fictional work. Any references to names or locations are purely fictional and had no direct relationship to any specific events.
What's the outline? - By definition, an outline is a brief layout of the project you are doing. The path you will follow to get to your completed project. When it comes to writing a book, everyone uses a modified version of that. You have to choose what type of outline you will use to organize your thoughts. No matter what method you use, the outcome should be the same. Therefore, it's a matter of what's comfortable for you. At times, I'm not 100% sure how I want to present a topic or a story. What I find helpful is to name the chapters. Once I name them, I will place them in the order I wish. In reality, by naming your chapters, you are essentially organizing the content. The one advantage I find to this, which works quite well with a romantic novel, or murder mystery, is it helps to develop the content of that chapter around the name, which also helps create the flow of the story. In a self-help book non-fictional narrative style of writing, I will do the same with one difference. I will compile all my research on that topic first. Incorporate what personal experiences I have to offer. I organize the data and research chronologically to match the topic. At that point, I name the chapters. As I write and present the data, I insert my opinions, experiences, and other pertinent matter regarding the topic of that chapter. The most important thing to remember is, no matter what method you use, the outline is the key to keeping you as the writer focused, and on track with your topic or story. The easiest thing for any writer to do is to get sidetracked while writing, which results in a great deal of time extra time with rewrites and editing.
Submitted Post and Question: - I received a GREAT question from Kari in Ohio. The question was, how many times do I read my book before I send the manuscript off? That's harder to answer then you think. I would have to say not enough. lol - I read my manuscript at least 20 times before it goes out to the publisher for editing. Too many times is not good, and not enough times isn't good either. Sometimes you learn the hard way. As embarrassing as it is to say, my Book The Soul In Our Hearts was a great book. However, I didn't read it enough, and put too much faith in the editing process, and didn't really know what my responsibilities were as the Author. A lesson learned. The book came through with more than what is considered an acceptable number of typos. In every book, something will get missed. Even by the best. No matter how good your editing software is at home while your writing, a word such as "scared" or "scared" will get by. The same letters, both actually words. Also, a word that is EASILY passed over while you're reading. The problem is, the more you read something you wrote, the faster you read it because you know what's coming, therefore, you pass over the simple things. Things even the best of software will not detect. It can cost upwards of 3500 dollars to have the best editing house do a line by line, word by word edit of your manuscript. Not many can afford that. You have to sell many books to get that money back. Unless you feel your book will sell 50 to 100 thousand copies, and that also depends on the selling price, you could go broke getting one book to print. If you are a consistent top selling author, that's a different story. Find what works for you. I run every manuscript throw two different editing programs before I send it off. I use a reasonable editing process which requires my approval for each pass. This affords me the opportunity to do re-writes and gets me away from the book for a short time. The one thing I have learned is every time you read your manuscript, you will find you change something. At that rate, your book will never get to the print process. It's a balancing act. Know that a mistake here and there will get through. Don't beat yourself up over it.
Submitted Question - From Jordan is Texas. "Can you get rich by writing books?" First, money is only one path to becoming rich. True wealth comes from doing what you love. As for the question, It's a matter of LUCK. The right topic, at the right time, seen by the right people. Thanks for the question. Of course, my answer is just my opinion.
Submitted Question - Tammy from California asked, " What is the best way to end a book." I actually conducted a poll on Facebook and Twitter asking a similar question. Do readers like a definite ending when reading a book, do they like some guessing, or do they want is left open to their imagination.? 82% of people liked closure. I know when I watch a movie or TV show, I don't like when I'm left hanging. It depends on the book. If it a series, you could provide closure as to the existing storyline and leave a tag without spoilers as to the next book. I usually leave some detail open to provide anticipation for the next in the series. Non-fictional books are book relating to a specific topic and should have all questions answered. Love stories, now that's where it gets interesting. Everyone loves a happy ending. That Tammy is a matter of choice. In all cases, there is no right or wrong. The decision is yours depending on the picture you want to paint.
What comes after the outline - Now there's an interesting thought. Believe it or not, writing the book is the easiest part. Tell your story. No matter what the genre, tell your story based on your outline. Keep in mind, verify any data you submit. It's a writers responsibility to be sure the most current and accurate data is presented. Here is where you have a HUGE choice to make. You worry about punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure as you go, or do it when you do your first edit at the end. There are pros and cons to both. The good part is, it takes less work at the end of your project. The bad part is, unless you are very fluent in doing that, it will usually break your concentration from your storyline. You will find yourself constantly backtracking and re-reading to know where you left off. Also, you can forget something vital that you wanted to put in. In time you will be able to do them at the same time. The bottom line is, whatever works for you.
Submitted Tip - Courtesy of Diane. With regards to an outline. Writing the book is the easiest part. One thing I do is create a list. I start with the basic characters. I name them. Many times someone may relate a name to a specific type of personality based on someone he or she knows. That helps me to develop the characters. As I write and add new characters I usually do the same. I find this helps me to keep a character in character. I hope this helps. Everyone will choose their own, method. At first, it's trial and error. Do what works for you.
Tutorial Information - Here is the link to my instructor site on Udemy.com. There are writing tutorials there that some may find helpful. More will be added. https://cr-author.news/Udemy-Courses
Submitted Tip - Thank you. Carol from Washington submitted this tip. When I am writing and get stuck as to where I want to go next, I visualize by book as if I were watching a TV series or movie. I think about what I would like to see happen next, and that helps me to get to the next passage. Thank you Caesar Rondina for adding this section to your website. I check it regularly.
Tips for writing a descriptive scene - Describing a scene is an effective way to place your reader right in the frame of mind. However, it could lack things, or have too much detail. When we lack things the reader can't properly visualize the setting. If we over write it, we distract them from the point. The point being the storyline. Here are a few things to remember.
1. SET THE STAGE. Start setting the stage for the upcoming scene early. Start to place the mind of your reader partially in the scene. Remember, they must visualize what you are describing.
2. DETAILS ARE IMPORTANT, but not to the degree that by the time they read your description of a flower, a room, or any other physical setting, they lose why they are there.
3. Words should be descriptive, not overwhelming. Use words that people understand. They should not have to stop reading to google a word. If that happens, you lost them.
4. WRITE FOR THE SENSES. I think this one is GREAT. Readers have eyes, ears, and a nose to smell things. Utilize their senses.
5. THIS IS CRITICAL. The scene you describe should, or may I say must, go along with the actions of your characters. One supports the other. A reader could understand why your character is acting one way based on where they are. To achieve this is the proper use of the first 4 items. Good Luck. Feel free to list any others in the comment box. I can easily add them here. Caesar Rondina
This page is a new addition. Much more will be added as time permits and suggestions are received. Please check back as often as you'd like. Most times, something will be added daily.
Submitted Tip - At times, you may find it difficult, or get stuck at a certain point during the writing of a book. I find once I have the concept of my book created, I might write the ending first. When you do this, you know where the book needs to go to get to the ending, which helps if you get stumped along the way.
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