Writing Tip #33 - Beginnings

 Hey! Me again…

So far, most of my writing tips have been largely general things, like being careful and thinking small. Now we’re going to look at something practical and specific.

The beginning of your story.

Now, if you’re a planner, you’ve got every moment meticulously plotted. If you’re a pantser, like me, you’re just going to ‘wing it’ and see where your characters take you. 

But both stories need a solid beginning. A hook, as it’s often called. Something to draw your readers in and keep them invested until the very last page. I don’t just mean the very first sentence of your story. That’s also very important, but I’m referring to the first couple chapters.

Often, if your first chapters are uninteresting, a reader will get bored and go find something that grabs their attention. So those chapters are crucial. 

Sure, some established writers (cough Tolkien cough) will use these chapters as exposition chapters, setting the stage for worldbuilding and giving some history on the story. If you’re reading this, you probably aren’t an established writer. And if you are…. well, that’s amazing. Leave a comment or send me an email!

Anyway, what I’m getting at is, people will sit through exposition and history in the first chapters if it’s an author they know and trust. And if it’s not… let’s just say they won’t have the patience for it. So don’t do that. You’re chasing away a lot of your readers.

Now, there are exceptions to this, such as textbook writers or possibly historical fiction. If you need that exposition to make your story make sense, by all means. I’m not saying to not include the exposition. Control where it is. Weave it in through your story and the action.

I’m a writer, and I’ve published twice, but I’m not an expert by any stretch. I’d love to hear your opinions! Also, if you have a story you’d like my thoughts on (Hypothetically) send me an email and I’ll read it over for you! scribbler.collective@gmail.com

Anyway, that’s all for now! Have a fantastic however long it is before I post again!

Writing Tip #32 - Caution is Key!

 Hey people! I know it’s been quite a while since I’ve posted anything. Sorry. Life is ridiculous. But, I’m back now, with Writing Tip #32! Be cautious.

I’ve probably mentioned this before, but the company that published my first book was a bust. Basically, I had to pay to get any copy of my book (including E books) and even had to pay to change the price. I did do my research into them and everything beforehand, because it was a lot of money, but it all looked good from the outside.

So, my lesson for today is simple. Even when taking all the precautions that you can, sometimes you'll make a mistake. It happens. Sometimes they’re expensive mistakes. For me, that was Unidentified. 

But I’m not going to quit. Yes, I lost money, and yes, this is going to be a hassle to get sorted and get the book taken down from where they posted it. But that doesn’t mean I’m not a good writer. I need to give myself a chance. Now I’ve learned from that mistake, and I’ve figured out how to publish for myself. An expensive lesson, but a good one.

So, be careful. Do your research, ask people, read reviews. But accept that, sometimes, you’ll just make mistakes, and all you can do is get up and keep rolling.