In other words, no new ideas. Even inventions are the result of a previous idea or invention. One thing always leads to another.
So where do other writers get their ideas?
They steal, from each other and everyone.
From movies, books, TV, newspapers (a great source for SF), or their great Aunt Fanny.
Remember, everything old is new again! That’s where.
I know, enough clichés. But you get the point. Click and read this terrific article about Michael Crichton and how he turned the ideas of others into best-selling books with his own twist.
I go back over and over a chapter, too many times I’m sure before I can continue. Makes my writing process slow as molasses.
What was it about Dan’s post that caught my eye?
Crutch words. Or some of you may know them as filler words.
Dan let his manuscript rest for a year before beginning the editing process and culling out crutch words. Now that’s what I call discipline.
It’s not bad to use these words. They make great place holders for an idea, thought or dialog. However, too many a story makes me look more of an amateur than I am. Don’t know about you but I want my book to appear as polished as possible.
So just how do we find crutch/filler words? See, told you I had more questions.
Use a word counter to find words used too often as well as adverbs and repeated phrases. Look at the numbers. As all accounts know, numbers don’t lie.
How do we replace them? And with what?
After you locate the offending words/phrases, decide if a word adds or detracts to your sentence/paragraph. If the story isn’t altered by deleting the words, then you are on the right track.
Why should we change them?
Crutch/filler words make our writing lazy. They detract from the flow and crisp dialog. And in some cases, are down right irritating to the reader.
No, not talking about a memoir. I’m talking about the characters in your book.
Well, not sure I’d want people to think of me as a murder or a love-sick, silly woman. However, with all the blood sweat and tears that cover my manuscript, I’m sure I’ve left pieces of myself in the story.
But, I think if we leave behind a tiny bit of ourselves, we can humanize even the villain. When we add some of our traits and quirks to a character it enables the reader to relate. They want to justify bad behavior they recognize in Uncle George or the wild-child they remember from their youth.
Go ahead, leave something of yourself recognizable in all the characters. After all, we are very complex creatures.
So if you see a starry-eyed optimism in one character and in another a smart-ass bitch, yep, they’re both me.
Do you slip some of your flaws or strengths in your characters?
How about those of a relative? Ever use them as a blueprint?
Do you think this makes our characters more relatable?
Keep reading, below is some good stuff on using yourself in characters.
Jean's Writing 