Things You Didn't Know About Your Books Pt. 1

 Where Almost Every Main Protagonist Comes From

     Have you ever wondered where you're main protagonist comes from? Just how did he/she evolve? What was the basis for their traits, likes, dislikes, flaws, etc.? Maybe you have never taken the time to answer this question...but you should. Because it's incredibly easy for writers to fall into a trap that they aren't even aware of. Let me explain. 

     

    This is probably more geared to those who are just starting their writing career so please keep that in mind. Though I find the alleged "trap" I have referred to is also one that professional writers can fall into themselves. 

 

     When you are making your main protagonist it usually goes one of two ways (especially if you're a novice writer). The first way, is that you build your main character to possess the attributes that you wish you had. You might be timid and easily frightened so you make your female lead a sanguine, fearless, independent young woman. Or you might try and craft your main character so that they resemble you. Your flaws are their flaws, you're thoughts their thoughts.

    While this might seem like a harmless happenstance for some writers it can cause more harm than good. When we try and make characters like Type 1 (the ones that represent who you wish you were), it is so easy for the writer to get caught up in - you guessed it - hero worship. Since your protagonist has molded into the epitome of perfection you can easily make your writing unrealistic. Instead of the main character having struggles they are a role model that came from an alternate universe. Because as we know, no one is perfect. So in a simple sentence, never make your character into the person you wished you were, because before you know it your writing will be entirely centered upon making that hero stand out - and nothing else. 

    

    Let's move on to Type 2. This is probably the most common of downfalls when it comes to writing - and also the trickiest to detect. Let's say (and this is entirely fictitious) you just had a breakup. You are feeling dejected, unlovable, and like no body in the world understands. Without even being aware of it, the next day when you go to start plotting out your main protagonist, you make him/her a person going through depression, someone who's had numerous relationships that fail every time. Congratulations! You just turned yourself into the leading lady/man of your new book. At first, this may seem fine. After all, it isn't hurting anyone and it's a great way to express your emotions right? Wrong. If you make your problems the protagonist's problems the reader is probably going to put the book down after the first chapter. Why? Because they might as well be reading your diary. The reader wants to read, not take on all your emotional baggage.

 

    Now, how can you make sure you avoid making these slips with your writing? Type 1 takes a bit of discipline - like anything worth doing - and might take some time to get used to. In order to overcome the hero-worship issue, I suggest forcing yourself to write out a chart with an equal list of pros and cons in the character. It might be hard at first, but it's worth it.  Type 2 isn't as hard as you might think. If you have a lot of emotional baggage weighting you down there are a few things you can do. You can try listening to relaxing music to get your mind into a more objective view, or perhaps you might want to journal all your thoughts out in your diary before you sit down to write and get all the negativity out. Maybe, if you're feeling creative, write a separate story just for that particular purpose so that you can pour all your emotions into that protagonist. 

    Why not take a look at some of your first work? You might be surprised to discover just how much your main protagonist is like - or totally unlike - your own character. 😉

~Lydia Sherren

 

     

 

                                                                        

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”            

                                                                          ~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Setting Your Word Limit

                                                                              

Just How Much Is Enough?

    

    There are a variety of ideas of how many words a writer should contribute to their book daily. It's crucial to set aside a certain amount of time each day to writing your novel, and it isn't always easy. Keeping a schedule requires discipline and perseverance. But it's also important to figure out how many words per day on average you want to commit to writing. 

 

   This varies from writer to writer. Some writing forums suggest two hundred words per day while I have seen some writers put themselves down for as many as four thousand words every day. My advice is this: don't pay attention to any of those suggestions. In order to decide how many words you should write daily in your novel, you need to take into consideration several things that rely on you personally. How much time do you have to write in your novel? What number of words do you find is easy to type down? At what word number does your mind blank out?

 

    If you go with a word number someone suggests, you could either be writing below your capacity or you could end up pushing yourself so hard that at the end of the day your four thousand words don't make a lick of sense. That's why I suggest you do the following. 

 

    Sit down and start writing. It might take a few days to find the word number that works best for you but don't worry. Just sit down and write. Over the period of three to seven days (don't worry if it takes longer) gauge what number of words you can wright easily and then push yourself a few hundred words. You don't want to write a number that is a breeze, you want to write an amount that will push you a little bit out of your comfort zone. 

 

    For example, I write one thousand words a day on average. The first seven or eight hundred words go by fairly quickly, but then the well starts to run a little dry. I don't give up though, I push myself out of my comfort zone a little bit to complete my one thousand words. This stretches my mind to think beyond my regular capacity and I believe helps me grow as a writer.

 

    Don't rush this process. You might believe you have found your average writing pace but then, weeks later, you review the material to edit it only to find out your plots are contradictory and your wording is jumbled. Take the time to see just how much is enough, it's worth it in the long run!

 

~Lydia Sherren   

Quote For The Week

                                                                            

                                                                              

 “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”

                                                                                          ~ Richard Bach

 

 

Why You SHOULDN'T Make A Habit Of Reading E-Books

                                                                                   

Away With The Digital Books!

    

     Now it might seem a little harsh to say, especially in a culture where e-books and Kindle are the popular ways to easily view books at your convenience. But did you ever consider that digital books might be doing you more harm than good? No? Well it's 100% true!

 

    It has been scientifically proven that digital media has the unintended effect of causing people to think less deeply. By staring at a screen, whether it be on a tablet, i-pad, cell phone, or any of the other digital devices, we are actually harming ourselves. When you think about it even makes sense, after all, it doesn't take much intelligence to scroll down on your tablet to the next page of your e-book.  

    In this modern society where Kindle is the number one way to read a book when you're on the move - and is the most affordable - it might seem a little much to do away with your online books. But it's more important than you might think. By picking up a book from a store or library, turning those pages, reading those words off the paper, it's all causing your brain to actually see the words, process them, and then relay their meaning to you. 

    Digital books don't do that. While they seem more efficient, they are also slowly draining your brain of it's intelligence. Like I said previously, anyone can stare at a screen and scroll to the next "page". Not only will reading an actual book in your hand keep your mind working full time, it will also naturally cause you to extract the most from the text.

    It's okay to spend the odd time buying an e-book, but don't try to make a habit of it. A digital device screen may make things easier - but going the easy ways has it's consequences. So go to your library or bookstore, and pick up a good, printed, novel...even if you feel like's it's a little old-fashioned. 😉

    Happy reading!

~Lydia Sherren

 

 

     

 

Quote For The Week

"You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page"

                                                                                               - Jodi Picoult 

 

The Descretion of Reading

 

Readers be warned: Read This Before You Purchase A Book 

       

     As you are probably well aware of, there are millions of books in the world today and it can sometimes be quite difficult to figure out just what pieces of literature are worth spending your time reading. But I have been finding that sometimes, as lovers of words, we can often be a bit too careless in what we read. 

 

    Now suppose you walk into a book store, browse the genre that most interests you, and pick up a book that you believe would be an interesting read. You have never read this author's work before but based on the back-cover blurb you think that it might prove to be a good novel. So you buy the book and walk out of the store. 

     

    Think carefully now, before answering this question. What did you just do? Yes, you just bought a novel, as is the obvious, but dig a little deeper. You have just financially supported the author's work. At face value this may seem to be very basic. But contemplate deeper.

 

    Let's suppose even further that when you got home you immediately began to read the novel that you just purchased. A quarter of the way through you find that there is sex, violence, and some other unsavory subjects are mentioned. You are very disappointed at the money you spent on this novel, and naturally so. 

 

    Think. You have just invested money in supporting an author that writes of things you don't believe should be put down on paper and goes against your beliefs. Now of course you probably won't support that writer anymore but it's too late. By buying that novel you just basically stated "I agree with what this author writes" because you financially supported the author's work.   

 

    I have had to learn this lesson the hard way. I have wasted hundreds of dollars on novels that I didn't end up liking in the end. And I invested two hundred dollars in supporting the writers who wrote those novels. I can't go back and retract that. 

 

    So I'm asking you now to always know what you are buying. If you see a book in a bookstore that interests you, don't just pick it up and buy it. Go home, research the author, read some samples from GoodReads to get an idea of the story, look at reviews from others, and maybe you can even find some free Audio books on YouTube of the writer's works. After all all this research, most importantly, make sure that your findings are in line with what you believe in. The last thing you want to do is support a writer - even if it's just once - that writes contrary to your beliefs. 

 

    I have been following this process for a while now, and don't regret it one bit. Even novels marked under "Faith" or "Christian" should be diligently researched. Christianity has taken on a variety of meanings in the past few decades and even Christian writers can write questionable content. 

 

    I hope that you will take the advice above and not just pick up any old story off the shelf. It might make a bigger difference than you think...and it's all worth it when you can snuggle down with a good novel knowing that you are supporting the right person.  

 

~ Lydia Sherren