What would you (letter) write about

Sometimes, it's hard to find the interesting things in your life that would make good fiction. You've always lived the way you do, and so you're reality seems mundane to you.

As odd as it might seem, writing might help you figure out what you should be writing about.

Write a letter to someone—real or fictional. What would you tell them about your day? What are you passionate about that you want to share with them? What needs to be said.

Write a letter to someone about whatever feels right. You might just find something interesting enough to turn into fiction along the way.

Do you need to research now?

Sometimes, you're writing about something you don't know intimately. This can lead to some easy errors that people who are well-versed in your subject will quickly spot.

So, undoubtedly, there will be some required research.

But when do you do this research? Before you start writing? When you reach that part of your story? When you're editing?

Different writers will approach research different ways, but keep this in mind no matter whatever your preference: Research when it will help you make the story more genuine.

If you're setting your story in another country, you're going to have to learn about that country before your writing as it will impact everything: weather, clothes, accents, etc.

If you are just dropping in a character who practices a profession you don't know much about, you can make sure your details are right later.

If you're writing a novel where a character's medicine has a big impact on their actions and lives, you might have to change a lot of what you've written if you don't know the side effects, timing, and requirements of that medicine. For example, if you have someone on a certain medicine and they do something vital when they are drunk, it'll be problematic to later learn that they can't drink when on that medicine. That might have a big impact on what you've written and might require you to make a number of rewrites.

Only you know how important a detail is to your story. Decide, based on detail importance, how much research you need to do now and later.

Try it all

There are a lot of foods that I don’t think I would like that I end up enjoying. There are foods that are from a certain family of items or that have a certain look that I just don’t expect I will like.

And then I do.

I'm sure similar things have happened to many people.

And similar things can happen to you in your writing journey.

You might sign up for a conference for the workshops, only to realize that what you really need is the seminars. You might want to listen to a specific guest speaker and realize that another is saying exactly what you need to hear.

When you find an opportunity to learn about writing and have the time and money to see it through, do so despite not being sure if you'll like it. It might be just the thing you needed.

Always better in your day

Nostalgia is a strong pull. People often crave the familiar and what brought them joy in their childhood.

And so, it isn't surprising for people to yearn for the past and the way things were done then.

People want stories told the way they were told when they were kids. They want the type of protagonists that they grew up with. They want the feel of their childhood as the background of the tales they're reading.

You might feel the same way.

Don't let that pen you in, however.

Keep reading your favourites and identify what makes them work for you. But don't ignore recent stories when doing so. There are good things about what is being published today too. Read both and take what works for you from either. You’ll find your best work by mining in all your experience.

Be ready to change your expectations

You've written a book. It's amazing. You edited it and maybe you even got it published somewhere. Great.

Now you're ready for the next one.

Let go of all your expectations.

Maybe you had a really easy time writing dialogue in your first book. Maybe your plot just flowed out of you. Maybe setting a time for 15-minute breaks every hour kept you focussed and your fingers typing.

That's great. And it's wise to try whatever worked the first time again.

But don't trust that it will work exactly the same way.

Maybe this story will require more research. Maybe you'll need to take more breaks. Maybe this story will come out better in the morning than the afternoon.

There is no guarantee that your second book will want to be written the same way your first one did.

Don't expect that everything will be the same when approaching a second project. Go in with hope and a plan, and then be ready to pivot as often as required.

Change up your crew

There's something you might notice about long-lasting television series: a lot of people work on them.

There are a variety of directors, including guest directors. There's more than one writer. Producers sometimes work on other shows and change it up.

There is a variety of people who work on a series. And there should be a variety of people that help you with your writing.

Have different beta and test readers give you feedback. Test a different editor every now and them. Use a different reference to get a different point of view on your theme.

A lot of people make a balanced product. Don't hesitate to change up who is working with you to make sure that you keep your writing fresh.

What is too much setting?

You want your readers to understand where your story is taking place. If you're creating a world, you want them to be able to picture the location. You want actions to run smoothly if weather, terrain, or any other physical feature impacts your story.

So, how much is too much setting?

Well, in the first draft, there is no too much. If writing down the words helps you or your readers understand where your characters are, get it down on paper.

When you edit, keep what you need and what flows. If a description interrupts your story or feels out of place, it's in the wrong spot or just not needed.

Get your full setting down as it comes to you. Later, let your gut and your test readers let you know what needs to stay and what needs to go.