Your Writing Eye

If you want to be great at writing, you have to do more than just write. You have to develop an "eye" for it. If you aren't developing an eye for it, you're not progressing very far. You can't become a better storyteller if you can't see how to. Right?

Your writing eye should always be ahead of your writing abilities. Read that sentence again: Your writing eye should always be ahead of your writing abilities. Why? Because that's how you learn and grow as a writer! If your eye is always ahead of your abilities, you always have something to strive for. If it's not, you can't improve your storytelling abilities.

Whether you're a beginning writer or a seasoned one, there is always more to learn.

Here are three ways to strengthen your eye for writing.

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Feeding Us Criticism

If anyone is serious about anything in the arts, she's going to get criticized. And she should. The truth is, artists need criticism. Otherwise we can't fully hone our skills. We need people to feed it to us.

Some people say that "writers get a thick skin." I'm not sure I believe that. With the arts--whether it's writing, animation, painting, or dance--we also need to keep ourselves vulnerable, because art is all about opening up to others. Often the best art is vulnerable, in that it lets others connect with the artist's mind and soul.

So artists need two things: they need criticism and they need to be vulnerable. This can lead to hurt feelings. But, generally speaking, those feelings are the artist's responsibility, not the critic's. The artist needs to learn to deal with them, because he will feel them over and over again throughout his career. He needs to learn to take criticism.

So when we ask for feedback, give it to us. People think they might help by not telling us what they don't like, but in long-run, they're hurting. They're hurting our art and our personal growth.

We need critics who aren't afraid of hurting our feelings. We need critics who are okay when our feelings are hurt.

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Third Draft Revelations

I'm on the third draft of my novel, and I've recently come to a realization. In a sense, the story will never be finished. Yes, I'm going to have it done enough someday to query agents, but there is always more. There is always a stone left unturned, a conflict unexplored, a setting left undiscovered, an interesting characteristic that hasn't made it to the page. There is always more. I can always take the story further. A writer can spend decades exploring and expanding a story, adding this quirk in a relationship, that surprise to the plot, those rich descriptions to every setting.

Sometimes the changes I think of making to my story aren't better or worse than what I already have. It's just preference. And I have to wonder, do I really prefer one over the other?

I think on a subconscious level, I wanted to explore every possibility, every unturned stone, and then pick what was best out of all of them. But with so many characters, complexities, mysteries, relationships, themes, and opportunities for worldbuilding, it's unrealistic to do that. And once the story reaches a certain point, it's not a better or worse option anymore, it's just a different option. Often it becomes an exchange. If I switch this, I can gain this and that, but lose this and that. Sometimes it's not.

There's a saying for movie-makers: "A movie is never finished, only abandoned," meaning, one can always do more work on it. He just finds a good spot to stop.

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Tips on Starting a Story

Anonymous asked: Do you have any tips on starting a story? Haha, sorry, I'm new at this thing .-.

Don’t be sorry. Many writers feel the starting of the story is the hardest part to get right—and with good reason!

Luckily, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve read literally thousands of story beginnings, reading through slush piles.

First off, there are basically two methods of writing: “Pantsing” and “Plotting.” Some writers like to just start writing a story without an outline or anything, and they just discover their plot and characters as they go. People who do this are called “discovery writers,” or informally, “pantsers.” Other writers like to have a solid outline before they start a novel. They may even plan out the dialogue and action for a scene before they write it. These are “plotters,” or “planners.” A lot of writers use a hybrid method of both.

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Past Art Pieces (Casual Friday)

I used to do artwork growing up and a little through college. I haven't done much for several years. Don't be sad. It's only because I love writing more than art. But today, I thought I would share a few of my pieces, just for fun.

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Get 6 Novels from Best-selling Fantasy Authors for $5

Neil Gaiman, Brandon Sanderson, Tracy Hickman, Kevin J. Anderson, James A. Owen, Peter David, David Farland, Kristine Kathryn Rusch. What do these people have in common? Well, they're all professional, established writers, most of them are best-selling authors, and they all have books up on StoryBundle.com right now. And I figured my followers would want to know about it.

StoryBundle lets you buy novels in groups, and let's you decide how much you want to pay for them. So, you can get their Truly Epic Fantasy Bundle for $5, $20, $30--you decide. If you pay the average price that others have, or more, you get three bonus books.

This is the craziest bundle they've done so far. Neil Gaiman is known for Newbery Award-winning novel The Graveyard Book, and for Caroline, and Stardust (which was turned into a film adaptation), and he's even written episodes of Dr. Who. Brandon Sanderson is an author I've mentioned several times on my blog. He wrote Mistborn and finished the Wheel of Time series. He's very popular in the fantasy world.

International and NYT Best-selling fantasy author Tracy Hickman is best known for the Dragonlance series, and he has over fifty books in print. Kevin J. Anderson has had 51 of his books appear on national or international bestseller lists; he has won or been nominated for the Nebula Award, Bram Stoker Award, the SFX Reader's Choice Award, and New York Times Notable Book, and has worked on the Dune series and in the Star Wars franchise.

And then my buddy and boss, David Farland has won plenty of awards and hit best-seller lists. He's also worked in the Star Wars franchise, and on movies and video games, and taught #1 New York Times Best-selling writers such as Brandon Mull (Fablehaven), Brandon Sanderson (Wheel of Time), James Dashner (The Maze Runner) and Stephenie Meyer (Twilight).

Okay, bragging done. You can check out everyone's bios at StoryBundle. And of course, read what each novel in the bundle is about. It's a great deal, so if you're interested, fork out $5 to get six of them. Some of the money goes to charity (you decide how much).

And if you want to know about more novel bundles, you can follow StoryBundle.

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How to Start Writing When You Have No Idea Where to Start

(Listen to this post on Youtube)

Anonymous asked: I wanna start writing but I have no clue where to start or what to write about and I'm freaked that no one will read it so I don't see the point... I need help!

To begin writing, there are a few basic things every story needs: characters, a setting, and, problems. So those are all good places to start. Who is your character? What problems will he/she face? Where does this take place?

Some ideas for stories seem to pop into writers' heads all on their own, but most often, writers have to seek out the ideas themselves. When you start looking for ideas, you'll find them.

Often writers get "stuck" or get "writer's block" because they haven't brainstormed enough. Take some time to brainstorm. Sometimes all you need to do is sit down with a paper and start listing ideas. If you feel like they aren't coming, try looking at your favorite books, t.v. shows, movies, or, if you're into them, video games. What do you like about them? Was there something in one that inspired you to write? You might want to start there to get inspiration.

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Paying it Forward

The other day I heard a lady say, "I want to repay everyone for what they've done for me." That's nice.

But sometimes we can do more good in the world if we pay forward instead of pay back. Honestly, sometimes the people who help us the most aren't in dire need of repayment. It's a nice gesture to pay them back, but you might do more when you give forward.

If my nephew wanted a toy but he was short three dollars, and so I gave him three dollars--it makes a big difference to my nephew, but to me, three dollars isn't much. My nephew would do more good in the world by paying forward instead of paying me back. So, instead of giving me three dollars, he can give three bucks to the next kid who's short on money.

Instead of always repaying, we should strive to do for others what they cannot do for themselves, just as someone did the same for us.

A few months ago, my mom told me about an elderly man she met who was working at Walmart. In their conversation he explained that he was working to pay for his grandchildren's college education. "Wow, that's really nice of you," my mom said. He replied, "Someone did it for me."

So next time someone does something for you, make a mental note to pass the gesture forward to someone who really needs it.

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Steampunk and Darwinists, Clankers and Beasties: A Review of Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

I've never read a steampunk novel, and since I'm trying to read outside my usual genres, I knew it was time. What is a steampunk? Steampunks (usually) take place in the past, like WWI era, when the west was wild, Victorian, or the medieval times, but has big crazy machines and technology in it. As this definition puts it "What the past would look like if the future had come sooner." It's like sci-fi mixed with historical fiction.

For the last five years, I've heard how steampunk is going to be "the next big genre." But I don't think it's made it yet. When I asked for steampunk reading suggestions, no one could give me any they read personally, though Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan was mentioned several times because people knew his Uglies series. So I chose to read it because it's the only novel title I heard. Plus, Scott has to be a decent writer with the popularity of Uglies, right? (That series is still on my to-read list).

Fiction for Readers

It is the cusp of World War I. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ genetically fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet. 

 Aleksandar Ferdinand, a Clanker, and Deryn Sharp, a Darwinist, are on opposite sides of the war. But their paths cross in the most unexpected way, taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure….One that will change both their lives forever.


This book trailer explains the story excellently:

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7 Magical Harry Potter Pick-up Lines

Happy Valentines Day! In case you still don't have a Valentines yet, here are 7 Magical pick-up lines from Harry Potter, just for fun.

1. If you were a Dementor, I'd become a criminal just to get your kiss.
2. You must be my horcrux, because you complete me.
3. Cho Chang? More like Cha-Ching! Cause I just hit the jackpot.
4. I don't need the mirror of Erised to know that you're everything I desire
5. I'm just like Oliver Wood, baby. I'm a keeper.
6. Are you a golden snitch? Because I've been seeking for something like you my whole life.
7. If I were going to produce a patronus, you'd be my happy thought.

And in case they don't work, here are some funny pictures to cheer you up.

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Tips for Young, Aspiring Authors

Since joining tumblr, I've had several questions from aspiring authors sent in to me. If you ever want to ask me a question, send me a tweet, Facebook message, or email. While I might not get it answered soon, I'll put it on the list. So, here is the first question answered here on my blog.

just-alittlebit-insane asked, "Hey do you have any tips for a young aspiring author???"

There are so many tips and information to learn, it's hard to fit them all into a post. So, I'll put down the basics--some of the very most important tips.

1. Dedication and Drive
It's not uncommon for aspiring authors to lack support from their loved ones. Unless you are already posting fiction online, you probably don't have any fans yet. You're favorite author isn't standing over your shoulder giving you pointers and cheering you on. For some writers, the only person they have on their sides are themselves. (That's not anyone reading this, because I'll be on your side.) But my point is, whether no one is encouraging you, or your whole family is, ultimately, YOU have to be a self-motivator and a self-starter. YOU have to be your boss and be self-disciplined. You have to put in the writing. You have to do the learning. And you have to want it.

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First, Let's Tackle Animation Stigmas!

Recently I rewatched Dragon Ball Z and learned a ton of killer plotting techniques to take a story over 9000! And I'm excited to share a lot of them here in a series of posts.

First, let's overcome the stigma that might crop up with this subject.

Stigma: "Dragon Ball Z is a dumb kid's cartoon. I can't believe you watched that and are blogging about it."

Let's not forget that many of the most popular current films all started out as comic books and cartoons: Batman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, the Avengers. The Avengers is one of the top grossing movies of all time. The fact that a story is animated, doesn't effect the quality of the story itself.







But if you like the comics and animated shows you're a "geek" or "nerd." But everyone is expected to have seen and liked the movie. (People always freaked out when I said I hadn't seen the movie. Probably a lot of the same people who would make fun of those who read the comics ironically.)

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Novel Drafts, Loglines, and What's Going on With September C. Fawkes

I recently finished the second draft of my novel!

...it still has such a long way to go!

Some days I feel like I'm taking too long and need to hurry and get it done, but then I look at how much I'm learning during the process, and I know it's worth every minute. This isn't just about the book I'm working on now, it's about developing my skills as a writer for future books as well. Anyway, for me, when I rush through things, I just get frustrated. I'm a thorough person, so I do better taking the time to get everything right.

Next, I'll be going through and editing the first chapter (again. . . and it won't be the last time either). I'm sending it to a first chapter contest. Grand prize gets $200. But even if I don't win, every entry gets feedback from judges.

Then, I'm going to do a straight read through of my manuscript. No editing or revising, just reading and note-taking. I realized when I was almost done with my second draft that instead of looking at each individual scene, I really need to go through and see how the story is coming together on a larger-scale. After that, I'll get into the third draft.

I was really sick this last week, so while resting I finally read Save the Cat by Blake Snyder. It's been a hot book in the writing community the last few years. It's really for screenwriters, but the principles can be applied to novels as well. Snyder's opening chapter is all about loglines--a one sentence pitch for a screenplay. And he offers insight on what a logline should do and gives tips on writing a good one.

Here's what I came up with as a logline for my novel:

Lone survivor of a species extermination order and a descendant of angels, a 17-year-old prince hides among humans to escape his enemies, the demons, but must face the shameful secrets of his past to unravel their plans.

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Writing Empathetically vs. Sympathetically and Sentimentally

Several weeks ago, I read a story that had a passage like this:

"My parents never really cared about me," Allie said. "All my life they saw me as a disappointment, a waste of space. I was always the butt of their jokes. And no one really noticed. I was always last place, as far as they were concerned. I had a really difficult childhood. . ."

And it went on like this for about a paragraph or two.

I could see that the writer wanted to foster sympathy for the character, wanted to explain how the character felt about her upbringing.

But ultimately, it made her sound whiny--and I could tell that wasn't what the author intended.

At first I was a little sympathetic to the character. . .then after several sentences, the writing just felt sentimental to me, meaning, I felt like the writer was trying to coax me to feel a certain way, like I was being controlled, rather than letting me feel for the situation myself. 

It's a good idea to want your readers to connect with your characters' hardships, but it can backfire if it's too sentimental or sometimes even when it's sympathetic.

Instead, when you want to impact the reader, strive to create empathy.

Usually when I hear empathy, I think of someone who is in pain, going through a lot of difficulty, but really, it's a level of deep understanding--whether that's an understanding of fear, bravery, or obsession.

Here are two examples to illustrate empathetic writing.

In The Maze Runner, I got to a scene where James Dashner wanted to show that his main character, Thomas, was a hero with a good heart--but I could only tell because I'm not just a reader, I'm also a writer. He didn't write about it sympathetically or sentimentally, he created empathy simply by putting us in Thomas's head and showing us what he did in a given situation.

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