Archive for the writing process

The 3rd novel is in the works

· Sunday, December 6th, 2015

It’s been almost 7 months since book #2 in the Dragonslayer series was released.

I figure it’s time to get moving on the final installment.

I’ve had ideas and scenarios clanging around in my head for book #3 for a very long time.

I’m starting this next week – first on the outline, then once I’m happy with its general shape I’ll probably dedicate at least an hour each morning to filling it in chapter at a time.

I might even take one of my writing retreats in the months following Christmas.

10,000 words per day?

It may sound unrealistically ambitious, and probably is, but a lot has been written of late about how to get as much as 10,000 words written per day.

One of my new internet friends, Shelley Hitz, teaches writers how to increase their writing speed, so I’ll probably grab her book before I get started. Though most of the “write faster” books out there nowadays are written as a help for nonfiction authors, I think there is plenty to apply as a fiction writer. I’m hoping to apply some of those principles to get #3 completed in record time.

I appreciate your prayers about that as I get going.

I truly believe that fiction can be a powerful tool for the transformation of people’s hearts.

Jesus used parables (fiction) to communicate truth. God used visions (fiction) to communicate His plans. We humans have been made creative beings who are able to tell and appreciate the power of stories (fiction).

My prayer is that the LORD of creation will use my simple stories to pass along His truth and change lives.

Thanks for your support.

Categories : about the series, the writing process

Tags : book 3, dragon slayer, fiction, power of writing

It’s true. You have to kill your darlings to be a good fiction writer.

Posted by faithforward@gmail.com

· Thursday, August 21st, 2014

“Kill your darlings.” It’s been said many, many times by experienced authors.

The phrase has been attributed to writers as well-known as William Faulkner and Stephen King. Who originally said it appears to have been neither.

But what it means for a writer is the important thing.

The phrase is meant to communicate that the ideas and phrases that you as the author tend to think are your “best work,” usually are not.

The ones you like the most, care about the most, and have the most emotional investment in, are typically the phrases that need to go.

So you must kill your darlings as you edit.

I didn’t believe it to be true when I first read it.

I do now.

That’s because I’ve been doing the 2nd round of editing on my follow-up novel to “Dragon Slayer: Beginnings,” which I’m tentatively calling, “Dragon Slayer: Rising.” In this round of editing I’m discovering something I didn’t really believe about myself…

I can be pretty verbose. In other words, I use a lot of words to say things.

That’s not a bad thing in and of itself, if the number of words I’m using are necessary to communicate what I want to communicate (see, there I go again).

But for a fiction writer, it can be a HUGE problem.

Folks who read a story need to get lost in it. Good writing should be such that the reader doesn’t even notice the language and words because they are communicating story rather than drawing attention to themselves. When the words do draw attention to themselves, either through bad word choices, improper word usage, or unnecessarily verbose sentences, the author has failed.

Trim, trim, trim

That’s what I’ve found myself doing in this editing round, repeatedly. Sometimes I’m astounded that I thought a particular phrase sounded good in the first place. Other times I simply feel that it’s not clicking and I have to think on it, rephrase it myriad times, or cut it altogether because it’s not helpful or needed.

And the meaning behind the saying “kill your darlings” is true: I often have to implement courage and get rid of some of my favorite ideas or phrases because they don’t serve the story as they should. Sometimes I can get rid of them by reworking them, other times I have to kill them. Mercilessly.

I suspect this discovery is somewhere in the growth curve of every fiction writer. None of us is as masterful with language as we think. None of us is as good a story-teller as we want to believe we are.

We learn humility through the process of self-editing and in the next step of having others suggest edits.

And I think humility makes a good author in the end.

What do you think? Have you ever read a book that seemed overly verbose? What impact did it have on the story? What impact did it have on your feeling about the book?

Categories : the writing process

Tags : editing process, how to edit, kill your darlings, novel editing, self editing

Character development for the fiction writer

Posted by faithforward@gmail.com

· Monday, August 18th, 2014

What do I have to say about character development?

Afterall, I’m not an experienced fiction writer. My first novel hasn’t even been released a year, yet.

But I am a teacher by trade. That means I notice what is involved in learning, and how learning happens.

I notice details, steps, procedures. I notice connections between things that most people miss.

As I’m doing the work of editing my second novel (a sequel to the first) I’m learning a couple of things about character development that I simply hadn’t thought of before I began writing fiction.

I thought it would be fun to outline some of my discoveries (which more experienced writers have probably discovered long ago).

1 Once a character is developed, he’s developed.

That may not sound like much of a revelation to you, but it has some pretty significant implications.

The way you develop a character at the beginning (in my case, in my first novel) is going to dictate what you can do with that character from then on. It’s obvious, but when you’re writing you tend not to think about it enough. I’ve found myself making slight changes to a character’s personality and then realizing, “Oh, I can’t do that. He doesn’t talk that way (act that way, say such things, etc.).”
Consistency has to flow from book to book. For example, a character known for repeating a certain phrase (“Don’t you know” or “As I was saying” are great examples) needs to be known for that throughout the book or series. It’s part of how people recognize the character or place them in the story.
If you come up with some great idea for a character’s personality and you didn’t include that in previous versions, too bad. You have to leave it out (no matter how great the idea is.

Working on my second novel I’m paying close attention to new characters, being a bit more intentional about the things I make them say or do. I’m trying to be mindful of their uniqueness before I write them, so that I can portray them uniquely, compellingly, and with emotion that I think I missed in some ways in my first novel.

The real challenge doing so in a way that doesn’t make the first novel seem flat. We’ll see how I do with that.

2 Consistency within a character’s personality is very, very hard.

You might not think so, but it is. If you have a character who is Scottish for instance and instead of saying, “I think” he says “Methinks” (like my character, Gerrard), you have to be careful that such personality or speech traits remain consistent. When you’re writing an entire story, creating an entire world as is necessary in fiction, that gets increasingly harder with the number of characters, places, events, and settings you press into the narrative.

3 Character growth is even harder.

Characters, like the people they are supposed to represent, should grow over time.

Yes, there can be exceptions, like the guy you went to high school with who still talks about the exact same things now that he did way back then. But that’s not normal. A character like that would be a “stereotypical” type of figure, one used for comic relief or to help the reader gain familiarity with a minor character quickly.

But in real life, people grow, so characters in the story should too. Deciding how they are going to grow and what that growth is going to look like is excruciating work.

It’s not only difficult to decide, it’s even more difficult to write because as an author I begin to think of my characters in certain ways. To break out of my own perception of the character to make them stretch and grow is difficult at best.

4 The tendency toward making characters who think like you is very strong.

This is one of the reasons that writers should read. We’ve got to hear how other people think, how other people write, and how personalities other than our own view and interact with the world.

I think this is a great reason authors should be people-watchers too. Go to the mall, the store, the fun fair downtown and watch people. Pay attention to personalities, quirks, phrases of speech, and habitual gestures and habits.

People are very interesting because they are so varied… characters have to be that way too.

5 Characters should illicit emotion from the reader.

A good character, good or bad, protagonist or antagonist, has to be well-rounded… enough to make people feel for them (good or bad). I’ve found myself crying a couple of times at what “happened” to particular characters as I’ve been reading back through to do edits.

Yes, that’s strange. But it’s understandable.

I’ve spent two years with these characters to date. They’re not real to me, but I feel that I “know” them in a way. There is an emotional attachment as a result.

I don’t think that says so much regarding my talent as a writer as it does that I have some memorable characters that matter (at least to me). That’s a good sign in my book.

What have you learned about character development – from reading or writing? I’d love to hear your comments below!

Categories : characters, the writing process

Tags : character development

Book 2 name chosen: Dragon Slayer: Rising

Posted by faithforward@gmail.com

· Wednesday, June 25th, 2014

Naming a novel is not an easy thing to do…

I’ve vacillated back and forth many times on what to name this second book, and the more time I spend doing my edits (I’m in the 2nd round of my personal edits right now), the more I’m being drawn to the name “Dragon Slayer: Rising.” It fits what’s going on, in two ways.

1 In this book, the Dragon Master cult begins to rise to dominance. Naturally, I’m not going to tell you how that happens (you’ll have to get the book), but I can say this: It’s unexpected and overall spectacular.

2 In this book, the Dragon Slayers (yes, more than one) begin to rise to oppose the dragon masters. Again, can’t say much but the call is out for willing folks. Being a bit crazy doesn’t hurt either.

3 A host of other supporting characters will rise to the surface, and the plot thickens and gets more twisted as a result. Ooooooh, I love the intrigue of it all!

And in case anyone is wondering, I’m going to have the same artist as before do the cover for this one, only in dark hues (black, grey) and with a different looking dragon in the carving. The image to the right is just my hacked version of the idea in my head. Reggie will do SUCH a better job, believe me.

Pray for me as I work on my edits

I’m trying to “refine my craft” as the hoity-toity author types say and it’s quite a challenge. I’m seeking to do it through better characterization, better description (of people, places, and action), and more colorful and gripping language – all without being too cliched or sappy. It’s a tall order and I’m seeking the LORD’s help.

My main goal is to make these novels helpful to the real lives of real people. I want the truth of God to be represented accurately through the lips of the characters and the circumstances they face. I want the power of scripture to touch the heart of every reader.

Thanks again for your support. Your encouragement is a lift to my soul!

Categories : the publication process, the writing process, Uncategorized

Tags : book #2, christian author, christian fantasy novel, Christian novel, dragon slayer book

What is a fiction author’s responsibility to the world?

Posted by faithforward@gmail.com

· Tuesday, May 13th, 2014

Do fiction authors (or any entertainer, for that matter) have any responsibility to the world?

It’s probably an age old question, and the answer you give probably depends on a number of factors (background, beliefs, political leanings, etc.).

I’m asking the question for the following reasons:

1 I’m an author of fiction.

I could simply write stories for the sake of writing stories. Purely entertainment, nothing more. If that were my approach (and if it were truly possible), I could conceivably write about anything – from dragon slayers, to witches, to serial murderers. The only litmus test of whether a subject was “fair game” for me would be whether or not I thought it would make for a good story. Would it be entertaining to the readers?

There are many, many fiction authors who appear to take this approach. Some purely for the sake of the story, others purely for the sake of building a huge catalog of books so they can make more money. Some even do the research to target whatever story niches are selling the most books, and that’s what they write.

Surely, I want my books to be entertaining. There’s nothing worse than a book that you have to slug through in order to get to the end. I’ve done that as a reader myself, sometimes out of duty, sometimes because I simply didn’t want to quit. It’s important to me that I write a story that is engaging, exciting, and leading the reader to a satisfactory conclusion. But for me, there has to be more than that. I want my stories to have an impact on the reader, in a positive way.

Surely, I want my books to be successful (profitable). But at what cost? Personally, I’m simply not willing to write things that are immoral, questionable, or outside the realm of my desires as an author, just for the bucks I could make.

2 I’m a Christian

As a follower of Christ, my books, like my life, come under His authority and Lordship. I am only “free” to write what I believe He desires. That rules out a lot of things for me that might be considered if point 1, above, was all I was concerned with.

As a Christ-follower, I also want my books to be a tool that is used of God in the lives of my readers. I want my stories to encourage, to challenge, and in the end, to build up the reader. If there are things in my novels that bring discouragement to an individual or group of people, I have to consider whether I’m being faithful to my calling as a Christian.

That leads to the last reason I’m concerned about this issue:

3 I recently got some thought-provoking feedback from a fellow author and reader of my book

Recently, I became acquainted with a fellow author, Donovan M. Neal, who agreed to read and review my book. Donovan is a fellow believer in Christ, and like me, a retired minister of the gospel-turned fiction author. I’m still reading his novel (see the link above), and heartily recommend it to you.

His comments about my book were encouraging, but also challenging. Being an African-American, he had an interesting perspective on my book… including some issues that I’d never considered. Here’s part of what he shared with me (used by permission)…

WARNING: If you’ve not read the book… there are some minor spoilers in the next section

When you did finally introduce another antagonist in your book, Raj I think the name was, he was black, or at least a person of color. Your description of him seemed to indicate he was black, though. My first thought was, “Here we go again, another stereotypical black villain.” Your white readers might not pick this up. Your black readers will, and it can be a turn off, especially if a young person of color reads your book. It’s the classic case where the good guys are white and the bad guys are black (or a person of color).

I’m not saying you have to like this criticism. Nor am I saying there is any undercurrent of prejudice here. What I am saying is, recognize that for some readers of color it will be a turn off. Expect if you get more circulation at some point, to hear this from another person of color, in a review…

I’m raising these questions to you to sharpen you as you carry your series forward: to think deeper about your world creation. People will care about Hon, they will hate Silas. My guess is they will hate Raj too. You are a counselor, and you know people are impacted by what they read and see, especially young people who are will take away many messages from your work. But the little girl of color might not get your message, or worse be given a subtle message that black people are evil.

My reaction

At first, I was pretty put-off by Donovan’s comments because what he saw was not my intention at all. But when I gave it time to settle, and interacted with him a bit more. I came to see his point. He’s not being overly sensitive to the “race issue,” he’s being appropriately concerned… and he’s taking my responsibility as a Christian author of fiction, very seriously. I’m thankful for that. I want to take it seriously, too.

I don’t think the answer is for me to avoid using “people of color” as characters in my book. But I do need to be mindful of how my use of nationalities and races may impact my readers. I want them to be challenged and built up, encouraged in their faith or challenged toward new faith, and ready to move in a positive direction when they finish one of my books, no matter what ethnic background they are from. To that end, I need to make sure that my characterization of heroes and villains do not fall into stereotypical patterns that imply something negative where nothing negative is intended. Honestly, I didn’t even think about it being an issue… which shows why I needed Donovan’s kind email in the first place.

Thanks Donovan, for making me aware of an issue that is important to many, many people, and one that I want to handle well. You are a true brother in Christ.

Do fiction authors have a responsibility to the world?

I believe we do. We are responsible to add something good to the world, something that builds into the lives of real people (our readers). That doesn’t mean that every story has to have a happy ending, or that every character is “redeemed” somehow in the end. Neither does it mean that we have to avoid the harsher realities of life. Sterile is not synonymous with positive. What it does mean is that as we write, we must be thoughtful… of how our writing will impact our readers. Here are what I consider some simple, yet helpful questions toward that end…

Will my readers be helped or harmed by this book?
Does my book lead readers in the direction of hope or hopelessness?
Does my writing leave readers encouraged or depressed?
Is the average reader going to be challenged to examine their own life, in light of what the characters face?
Does my writing step outside the realm of my experience to consider that others may view what I’m portraying in a different light?
What can I do to build up all people, everywhere, no matter their background?

And I’m sure there are many, many other questions to be asked…

Thanks for reading these ramblings. I appreciate you. I hope to be an author who takes his role in the world seriously, for the sake of helping my readers weather life better, and find God in the midst of their storms.

Go to top

Below is a video that Donovan shared with me, that is worth your time. I hope you watch it and consider how YOU may need to be more aware of the place others come from, and how you can serve to bridge the gap between their world and yours, their experience, and the direction of the world.

Go to top

Categories : the writing process

Tags : fiction author's responsibility, writer's responsibility

Writing prompts for Christian fiction authors

Posted by faithforward@gmail.com

· Wednesday, May 7th, 2014

What is a writing prompt?

A writing prompt is an assignment or exercise designed to help a writer stimulate the creative juices to improve or increase writing skills.

Writing prompts come in all shapes and sizes, and I’ve found myself helped by them tremendously as I’ve worked on my first couple of novels.

Here is a writing prompt that I’ve found particularly helpful in developing characters:

Choose any two of the following items. Describe a human character that takes on a mix of the qualities of those two items.

canoe lamp axe boulder alligator clamp stone wall wind

Do you see how that sort of exercise can help a writer begin to think of a character in a different light? It’s actually kind of fun when you begin applying writing prompts to the way you go about developing characters.

But writing prompts are not only helpful regarding characters, they are quite beneficial in writing about scenes or settings also.

Choose any two of the following scene elements and combine them into the same scene. The more “opposite” the items you choose, the more challenging the exercise will be.

fog sunshine mountainous swamp midnight moonless drought blizzard

Many writing instructors put writing prompts like this into a “homework” sort of format, giving assignments that have nothing to do with the student’s current writing project. It’s kind of like giving a page full of math problems to a child, so they can become accustomed to completing the type of problems they’ve been studying.

I’ve tried to incorporate writing prompt exercises into my current projects, simply because I’ve not had the time to write about things that are not related to my books.

It might be a shortcut, but I think it’s been very helpful. I’ve particularly enjoyed it when developing characters. Some of the more colorful characters like Irwin, Hampton, and Quinn (in book two) have been influenced greatly by the things I’ve learned while using writing prompts.

Christian fiction authors have an added dimension of challenge, and writing prompts can help

Christian fiction authors, like any fiction authors, want their story to be alive with detail, contain engaging characters, and be memorable and engaging. But they want an additional component as well… the integration of biblical truth that will impact the reader far more than on an emotional level.

The Christian author wants to engage the reader on a spiritual level, incorporating the spiritual truths revealed in the scriptures in a way that causes the reader to think about life issues in a way they have not before.

Writing prompts are powerfully helpful in doing that. Here’s an example:

Write a scene or situation where a character is struggling with one or more of the following spiritual issues:

trusting God in the face of loss or suffering the effectiveness of prayer understanding when a scriptural promise seems to have not come true remaining faithful to Jesus though facing persecution approaching death without fear

Writing prompts of a spiritual nature force the author (and consequently, the reader) to face the realities of life in a fallen world and to struggle with what it means to have faith in God.

I think it makes the Christian author notice the temptation to “sterilize” their work in a way that avoids the difficulties of faith in a real world. When the writer notices the temptation, he/she is better able to avoid it and write a more realistic, life-integrated novel.

I’m curious what you think about this idea of “writing prompts.” How do you see them being beneficial?

Go to top

Categories : characters, the writing process

Tags : writing prompts

Heading off to another writing retreat

Posted by faithforward@gmail.com

· Tuesday, April 29th, 2014

Yes, this beautiful scene is where I’ve been blessed to be able to go for my most recent writing retreats…

though I’m hoping for much less snow this time of year. I have some friends who are in transition and have been in need of a house-sitter, dog-sitter while they are making arrangements for a move… so I’ve taken advantage of the opportunity to get alone and write.

My last writing retreat wasn’t as successful as I’d have liked.

Though I was away for 4 straight days, I only got 10,000 words done. Some of the reason was other work responsibilities that kept jumping onto my plate during that time, but I also ate something that was bad and fell ill one night.

Man, that was the worst… being sick, and not at home.

This time, I’m pretty optimistic that barring any circumstances like those, I should be able to crank out at least 40,000 works on the rough draft of my second novel in the Dragon Slayer series, which would put me pretty close to the end of that book.

Then would come the second draft, personal editing, etc. before I send it out to beta readers. By the way, if you’re interested in being a beta reader for the next novel, you can contact me about that possibility.

I’d appreciate your prayers for my retreat…

Yes, I pray about my retreats. I see the fiction that I’m producing as being much more than stories. They are opportunities to put the truth of God into an engaging format that can push folks to think about the very real circumstances of life, in light of God and His truth. I find it to be a combination of creative and teaching gifts the LORD has entrusted to me, and it’s a lot of fun.

Pray for me to have the diligence and discipline needed to sit down and write.
Ask the LORD to give me His desires for the story arc and plot, as well as the theological issues the story should bring up.
Pray for me not to miss my family too much (and vice versa). These retreats are great for writing, but hard on relationships.

Thanks for your support and help. I couldn’t do this without you.

Go to top

Categories : the writing process

Tags : christian author, christian fantasy, christian fiction author, writing retreat

Why I am writing fiction

Posted by faithforward@gmail.com

· Friday, April 25th, 2014

Writing fiction is a fairly new experience for me…

and I’m surprised how much I’m enjoying it.

To this point, with the exception of one children’s book (it’s kind of like Dr. Seuss, only not as good), I’ve leaned heavily on my pastoral ministry experience, and the teaching gifts that go along with it, to produce non-fiction, instructional books for Christians. You can see everything I’ve created so far, here.

So, why would a pastor/teacher turn to the realm of fiction?

Isn’t fiction just entertainment?

Isn’t it just a bunch of made-up stuff?

Isn’t it an escape from reality?

How could someone who believes he’s been called to teach the word of God waste his time writing fiction?

Good questions…

The reason I’m writing fiction stems from an observation I’ve made about myself, and my own life, in relation to the power of the written word.

Here’s what I’ve discovered…

Many people who have rocked the world for good have known this to be true.

Martin Luther King, Jr. told stories of the “dreams” he had of a just society.

Charles Dickens has long been one of my favorites because he used the power of a well-crafted story to penetrate the calloused attitudes of his day, with hopes toward seeing change come about.

And the Master story-teller, though you may not think of Him in this light at first, is Jesus Christ. He used the power of parables, using everyday, common things, to pull His readers into a place of contemplation about spiritual truth that had the power to change their lives for eternity.

Jesus was a fiction writer, in that sense. He cloaked truth in the clothes of everyday life, and in doing so, gave people a desire to consider things on a deeper level.

That is an example I want to follow.

Why do I spend my time writing fiction?

Because I believe that stories, filled with engaging characters, like Hon, Gerrard, Silas, and Camille, are adventures that reveal to the reader that there is a story going on in real life, a story that is greater than they are. It helps them to see that they are players, participants in that story, the story of God’s work in the world.

The things that happen to the characters in my stories are the same kinds of things that happen to my readers. Loved ones die. Love springs to life between two young adults. Babies are born. Tragedies happen.

I believe that the way that my characters respond to those types of “made-up” events, good and bad, help readers consider how they would respond to the same events that happen in their lives. The struggles my characters have with faith, trust, and hope, while living in a very broken down world, push readers to face their own struggles with the same things.

A good story is able to touch the heart in a way that causes it to engage with the important concerns of real life in a fallen world. In that way, the “made-up” scenarios and people become real examples for us, showing us both wise and unwise ways to deal with the hardships and joys of life.

That’s why I’m writing fiction (besides the fact that it’s fun for me).

I want to create personalities and situations that make real people deal with real life, in a real way.

I’m curious what you think. What value do YOU see in fiction?

Feel free to leave your comments below…

Go to top

Categories : the writing process

Tags : christian fiction, christian speculative fiction, fiction writing, writing fiction

Book 2 of the Dragon Slayer Chronicles is well under way!

Posted by faithforward@gmail.com

· Wednesday, March 19th, 2014

BOOK 2: Dragon Slayer: Rising – writing now!

I recently took a writing retreat to get a jump start on the next book in the series, and got a TON done! By the end of the 4 days I had almost 20,000 words written… and they were not just fluff words that will be edited out later. If you don’t mind me saying so, I think these 10 chapters are pretty much “keepers.” Since then I’ve added a couple thousand more words – so we’re looking at 22,482 words to date!

As you can tell from the top line of this post, I’ve settled on a name for the second book, it’s Dragon Slayer: Rising! I’ll be connecting with my graphic arts guy in the next few months to get the cover for the book started.

The name alludes to the overall plot of the book… both the dragon masters and the dragon slayers are on the rise, developing plans, engaging in treachery (the bad guys, of course), and discovering things that are going on behind the scenes that will throw the entire conflict into high gear!

My favorite characters… so far…

As you might imagine, there are some character developments that I’m really excited about.

Cedrick: Cedrick is not actually “new” to the series. Up until this point, he’s only been mentioned. But Lord Kendrick and Lady Patrice’s second child will rise to the occasion in this installment, even though he’s only 11 years old when the story begins!

Lord Hugo Champlain: OK, sorry for the spoiler there, because until now you’ve only known him as “Hugo.” He’s one of the dragon masters and appeared to fill, what appeared to be a “wimpy” role in the first book. But in the second book, look out! That’s all I can say…

Quinn: This is an entirely new character who’s quirks and personality has already grabbed me. (Yes, it is possible for an author to be surprised by his own characters). He’s Kendrick’s “spymaster,” and will have a huge impact on the rise of the dragon slayers.

Queen Amla: Another new character that is going to add a lot of intrigue on the dragon master’s side. All I can tell you for now is that she’s Rajic’s wife/queen… and she’s more than she appears.

Another writing retreat begins!

My last retreat to focus on the book was at the home of some friends who were out of town and needed a dog-sitter. Well, they are leaving again – TOMORROW – so I’m going to be focusing on my writing again for a concentrated burst. I expect to get even more done than last time… if I can avoid getting a full-blow flu that my daughter so generously shared with me. I would appreciate your prayers about that!

I’d love to interact with you, the fans of my dragon slayer series…

The internet provides us some amazing benefits, and one that I’ve not seen many authors take the greatest advantage of, is the ability to connect with fans. I think savvy authors can enter into great conversations with fans about plot, characters, story flow, and even grammatical/typo stuff, and I’m not at all threatened by that prospect.

So… if you’d like to connect on that level, feel free! Use the comments section below this post to try it out. Who knows… I might even start a Facebook or Google+ Community to make the conversation more “private.” We don’t want to let out any spoilers to people who haven’t gotten into the series yet, do we? Let me know what you think of this idea… and which platform you’d be more likely to use!

Thanks… God bless!

Categories : characters, plot, release information, the writing process

Tags : building an author community, dragon slayer book 2, new characters, writing retreat

How to write a novel using writing retreats

Posted by faithforward@gmail.com

· Monday, March 17th, 2014

I just self-published my very first novel, Dragon Slayer: Beginnings. Given my relative inexperience, I’m probably not the best person to listen to when it comes to learning how to write a novel.

But… I’ve found a very helpful way to crank out the words and get the book written in record time. I’d like to share it with you.

It’s through what I call a “Writing Retreat.”

Ready? Let’s dive in.

How can a writing retreat help me get my novel written?

Here’s how I define a writing retreat: A time you set aside to get away from the “normal” aspects of your life, to focus solely on your writing. It can be “special” or not, long or short, in an “inspiring” setting or not. The main point is that you isolate yourself from other responsibilities and distractions so that you can focus solely on your writing. Here’s some of what helped me…

Find the right place

I suggest, if at all possible, that you go away from your regular routine for your writing retreat. A hotel room, a friend’s house while they are on vacation, or a local B&B are all possible options. But you don’t have to do it that way. You can write it in your basement, or in a coffee shop (if you’re able to write in such a busy place). The place doesn’t really matter, as long as you’re able to maintain a singular focus. The point is to find a place that you are intentionally designating as a “writing space” for that period of time. Most recently, I had the opportunity to dog-sit for some friends, and I decided to make that time, alone at their house, into a writing retreat.

Make it a set time frame

It’s helpful for me to know that I have a specific period of time that is set aside just for writing. I give myself permission to “take time off” from other responsibilities. I prefer a longer period of time. My most recent retreat was for 5 days, while my friends were out of town. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can do a shorter retreat, perhaps blocking out an entire day one week, or six hours one afternoon. What matters is that I’m able to get into a productive frame of mind when I know that I have a significant chunk of time set aside just for writing.

Work with the people in your household to maximize the opportunity

I am married and have 4 kids still at home. That means, there’s a lot of responsibility I’m leaving behind when I go on a writing retreat. In order to do it, I’ve got to come to an agreement about the time with my wife, in order to make sure that things at home are taken care of while I’m gone. We prepare for my absence together, making sure we get adequate time together before I leave. We also make sure that I have time with all of the kids before I go. This step helps all of us feel like the retreat is not taking too much from the family. If I’m doing my retreat at home, say for an afternoon, we make sure everybody knows about it, so that I can be undisturbed.

Discipline yourself to write, and write, and write

For me, this is part of the benefit of having an actual get-away retreat. Being outside my regular environment creates a “special” feeling to the time. It helps me stay in the mindset of diligence that I need to be in, in order to get the most done. If it’s a longer retreat, I create a daily retreat schedule, which for me, consists of at least 3 writing blocks per day. Each block is anywhere from 2 to 4 hours, depending on how the writing is going. I set my mind to be committed to that block of time, and write, no matter how difficult it seems. I push through obstacles, ignore writer’s block, and make myself get words onto the page. At this point, I’m not at all concerned about editing, or polishing sentences and structure. My only goal is to get the basic story out of my head and onto paper (actually, into the computer).

Take breaks

I know myself; if I don’t have breaks during a retreat like this, I’ll wear myself out and never get the book completed. So, between my writing blocks, I do things that help to refresh me. I eat. I watch a movie. I take a nap. I read something. I poke around on social media. Whatever it is that helps you relax your mind, plug that in to your break times, so that you can be refreshed when it’s time to get back to writing.

I’m flexible with my schedule, but only when it benefits my writing

I allow myself to be flexible, but only as a benefit to my writing. What I mean by that is that I’ll go over my scheduled writing blocks if I’m really doing well at writing (rather than cutting if off because my time is up). But I won’t flex the schedule just because I am tired, or have brain-lock, or would prefer to do something else. For example: on my last last writing retreat, the words were flowing so well, I didn’t want to disrupt the creative juices that were flowing, so I just kept writing. I was having so much fun, it was 4AM before I realized it! Naturally, my schedule the next day had to change, so that I wouldn’t be like the walking dead, but it was worth it because I had accomplished so much the night before.

If you are looking for an effective way to write a novel, a series of writing retreats are one tool that I highly recommend.

On my last retreat, I was able to write 20,000 words over a 5 day period. I have another retreat scheduled already and am expected to get even more done then. When you’re trying to figure out how to write a novel, make sure you consider writing retreats!

Categories : the writing process

Tags : become a fiction author, daily word count, how to write a novel, self publishing, writing prompts