Writing Tips II

Tip 4: Plot. A huge part of what makes a book a success is an exciting plot. Usually I don't have much trouble thinking up plot ideas, but sometimes I do. What helps me is to think what I would like in a book. Would I want to read a book with a series of riddles leading to a buried treasure in it, maybe? What would I find exciting? An overthrow of the evil king of the country? How about what would I not find exciting?

Tip 5: Writing a book when you've only thought up the middle. This is a huge problem for me. When I think up books, I tend to think up the middle of them--where the most excitement usually is. So then I know what's going to happen there, but I have the problem of having to think up a beginning. And writing a beginning takes a while; by then I've either forgotten my great idea, I've lost interest, or I've started another book. One of my friends was the first one to bring this concept to me: go ahead and start writing the part you've thought up, and when you're done with that then write the beginning. I haven't actually tried it yet, but it sounds good.

Tip 6: Finishing a book. Another problem for me is that after the novelty of starting a book that's going to be so awesome, and will win awards, and be published and loved world-wide (or so I think :D) wears off, I sort of get sidetracked with a brilliant idea, like I mentioned in Tip 5. I keep my first book in the back of my mind while I'm starting another one. What I do here is make myself sit down. Don't force the ideas to come because then they won't be that great, but I find if I read over my previous work, I'll start to get ideas.

Tip 7: Beginning a book. This is a really hard one. For me, I know the plot, main characters, and what the main characters look like already, but to write about them...well, I have to start the book! Sometimes I like to plunge right into an exciting chase to get the reader hooked, and then I start explaining stuff. Or I could start with describing the scenery and the situation. I use both.

Izori