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.

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.

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.

You're never too good for a prompt

No matter how much experience you get, no matter how famous you are or esteemed your writing becomes, you are never too good for a writing prompt.

It's always good to stretch your muscles. It's always useful to try writing something that may be out of your regular tastes. It's always inspiring to push yourself to find something to say about a situation that is forced upon you.

No matter how you impressive your writing is, there's always some use to be found in going back to basics and trying out a simple writing prompt.

The Art of Slowing Down

We all want to get things done. We want to check tasks of our to-do list and feel like we've accomplished something. Sometimes, though, that leads us to doing things too quickly. We'll be in such a hurry to get something done, that we'll do it without enjoyment or thought.

You want to read that article that was recommended to you, but you're in such a rush to do it that you don't remember anything that it said. You want to watch that movie everyone is talking about, but you multitask during the film and have no idea what happens. You want to get that workout done, but choose the shortest version and don't actually get any satisfaction from the effort.

We all want to get stuff done, but in some cases, getting something done too fast will just mean that you will need to do it again or ended up doing it for nothing. Figure out what parts of your life are worth doing right and give them the time you need to get them done correctly.

Put your story under the time gun

Sometimes, you just get stuck in your plot. You know where you've been and you know where you're going, but you don't know quite how to get there.

This happens to the best of us, and that does not automatically mean that your story isn't good. It's just a little stalled.

If you need something to kickstart it back into place, consider putting your protagonist under the gun. Give them a time limit that they need to meet, pushing them to act faster.

Their parents are coming back into town and they need to clean up the mess they made before that. They need to get back to work and therefore only have two weeks to settle the mess a relative's death has caused. Their spouse said they were giving them two months to prove that they had changed.

Whatever you can think up, a time crunch can help make sure that your story moves forward at a speed that might not otherwise be necessary. Give it a try to see if a time limit helps your story find its pace once again.

Animal story

Anyone can tell a story.

You can make a human, an animal, or an object your narrator.

It's completely up to you.

If you decide that an animal will be your narrator, remember your limitations.

Animals can't perform all the same actions as humans. They won't necessarily understand all the same words as humans. They may not understand all the same concepts as human.

There are limitations to being a human, and there are limitations to being an animal.

If you have an animal narrator or protagonist, make sure that you respect their limits. You're already going to have a hard enough time convincing your readers that an animal can be a protagonist, don't add the confusion of making them an impossible animal.

Who's telling your story

There are all kinds of narrators out there.

Even if you aren't writing in the first person, there is a narrative voice to your story.

That voice might know everything that's going on everywhere in the world. It might only know what your protagonist knows. It might be lying with every other sentence it shares with the reader.

The idea of a narrator doesn't just mean what point of view you use. It includes the relationship to the story, the tone, and so much more.

Find the right narrator for your story, and then let them lead the way to your audience.

Setting as plot

Stories need action. And something needs to make this action happen.

Someone dies. Someone wins money. Someone falls in love.

There are plenty of options to find your plot.

Sometimes, however, your plot can be as easy as your setting.

Put a country girl in the great outdoors. Put a farmer on the moon. Put a self-centred young adult in a daycare.

All stories need plot, but sometimes, your setting can drive your plot. Don't hesitate to put your characters somewhere unexpected to get or keep your story moving.

Make the fight worth it

You want people to love your protagonist. You want people to root for him or her and be on their side. You want them to believe that the person they like might be able to win this fight.

But you don't want people to think they can win too easily.

An unworthy opponent is an opponent not worth writing about.

If you're going to take the time to invent a villain, make it someone that people can't forget. Make it someone who scares your readers. Make it someone who gives your protagonist a run for their money.

You don't want readers to root for your antagonist more than your hero, but you still need them to believe the villain is worth their time. Make your villain worthy of your story.

Any object can be scary

Clowns are scary. A lot of people would agree.

Dolls like Meghan and Anabelle are scary. TVs are scary in poltergeist. Hell, tomatoes are even the antagonist in a certain movie. You can make any object scary. You don't have to stick to the old favourites.

In fact, making an everyday object terrifying can reach people even more than something they rarely see.

If you're looking to make something terrifying to move your story forward, don't think that you're stuck with what you've seen used before. Just look around and see if there's anything at hand that might scare your readers more than they've ever been scared before.

There's a language for that

It might be hard to believe, but there is an insider language for almost everything.

Podcasters have terms specific to their work. Scientists have words that only they can pronounce. Children talk in a language that you have to listen to daily in order to understand.

Groups, jobs, enthusiasts, and people of all kinds have their own language that they use to discuss various subjects across the world.

If you're going to write about any of these people, make sure that you look into their inner language so that you don't sound like an outsider pretending to know what you're writing about. It's as important as making sure you follow the days of the week and ensuring your characters follow the laws of physique. It's just one more part of reality you can bring to your writing.

New surroundings

I don't know where you are at this moment, but where I am, the signs of summer's impending arrival are clear. The days are longer and the weather is warmer.

It's the perfect time to change your writing location to the great outdoors.

See what a little sunshine does for your writing. Listen to whatever conversations are around. Be inspired by the animals that waddle by you.

New scenery can always offer some good unexpected inspiration. See what new thoughts the summer weather offers you.

Choose the right write form

Novels can be written all kinds of ways.

Sure, it can be straight narrative, but it can be many other things.

A novel can be a series of letters. It can be a series of texts. It can be written like a script or a play. It can be written like an instruction manual or a cookbook. It can be written like a poem with a tale hidden in the footnotes.

When you think you've found the perfect story but can't seem to figure out how to get it down on paper, try using a different form. You might just find the perfect way to tell this particular tale.

Your own bad guy

As a writer, there's a good chance you know about being your own worst enemy. There's a chance that you've slowed down your progress or talked yourself out of thinking you can do something.

In the right situations, your protagonist can be their worst enemy as well. Your hero can be their own villain.

It might be because of a confidence problem. It might be because they have an alter ego. It might be because they are afraid to let themselves love and keep getting in their way.

There are all kinds of obstacles that come up in a novel to keep the plot moving. Don't underestimate the possibility that your protagonist might be one of those obstacles.

Get to the promise

Readers have a lot of options in the world.

They have a lot of things they could be reading, and many of them won't stick with a book that isn't giving them what they want. Right away.

There's a lot said about making sure your opening line hooks your readers. What's also important, is making sure that you're giving those readers what you've promised.

If you promoted your story as a horror, scare people from the first chapter. If you are writing a humorous piece, make people laugh on the first page.

Readers can close a book if it isn't giving them what they want. They can stop reading, put a book back on the shelf, and not buy it if they don't see the character they were promised. They can change their minds and not look at any other book from the same author.

If you've promised something to your readers, deliver and deliver early. Otherwise, they won't be your reader.

Plan to break your plan

Planning is a great way to make sure that you meet your writing goals.

Plan what you're going to write about. Plan when you're going to write. Plan how much you're going to write. Plan where you're going to write.

And then, once you've done all that planning, get ready to adjust.

Because, as dedicated as you might be, life will still happen. Your kids will need help with their homework. You will catch a cold. Your day job will require overtime.

Things will happen.

So make all the plans you need to feel confident in your writing.

But then, be ready to adjust. That's what writing is like in the real world.

Beautifully scary

Scary things don't always look scary.

Some of the meanest people can be beautiful. Some of the most elegantly dressed people earned their money by doing horrible things. Some pretty voices say horrible words.

There is likely something beautiful in the horror that you are creating in your book. There is likely something there that is making people stop and look despite the evil that may be lurking.

Scary isn't always ugly. Don't hesitate to drop some beauty in the horror you're creating.

That other character

The choice of who your narrator is and what point of view you use is a big decision. Sometimes, it comes naturally, but it's still a big decision that can impact your entire story.

Every author needs to make this decision.

And sometimes more than one option can be right.

So, if you know a story that's in the public sphere and you want to retell it from another point of view, go ahead. Make it happen. See where it takes you.

You might write the greatest retelling of a story (and get your own Broadway adaptation à la Wicket). You might open the world's eyes to the injustice of a foregone time. Or you might just find a really great story to tell.

If you feel your favourite character has been done wrong, see what story you can make out of it.