Mark Marinovich's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing-advice"
My Top 10 Novel-writing Tips
I studied journalism in college, wrote for several newspapers, became a freelance copywriter, and cranked out ten screenplays. Soon after I began writing my first novel, The White Boats, I realized there remained a yawning deficit in my writing experience and capabilities—I didn’t know how to write a novel.
To fill the void, I manufactured an MFA creative writing crash course of my own design and accreditation. My core coursework consisted of studying the writing styles and advice of successful authors. I learned that Stephen King hates adverbs, Anne Rice loves short sentences, Jonathan Franzen thinks “then” should never be used as a conjunction, and J.K. Rowling advises perseverance.
I also learned that authors differ on some of the most fundamental aspects of the writing process. Some think every chapter and story detail must be meticulously planned and plotted prior to the writing, while others consider novel-writing a real time process of discovery and serendipity. Some believe rules are meant to be broken while others sneer at anyone who deviates from proper grammar and punctuation.
I found that all successful authors at least agree on these three bits of advice: Read a lot, write a lot, and ignore writing advice.
After writing two novels and completing my MFA studies, I have developed some opinions of my own. Here are my Top Ten tips.
1. Write in the active voice. Study it, know it, apply it. The active voice is clearer and more propulsive than the passive voice. Don’t worry that it’s “economical” and may not reflect your special gift for awe-inspiring sentence constructions. Your readers will thank you. Side note: If your story loses more than it gains after you clear away the passive stuff, consider that your story might need more work, not your writing.
2. Write about what you care about. If you can sustain interest in a commercial, formulaic story for a year or two, great—you probably stand a better chance of securing an agent and publisher. (Instant insight: gruesome murders, legal dramas, and alien invasions never go out of style.) If you do write a commercial story, wrap your plot around something you really care about—incoming asteroids, bacterial infections, orphans—and you’ll probably produce a better result.
3. To outline or not to outline? We in my personal MFA program believe that outlining is a double-edged sword: Too much outlining can erode one’s enthusiasm for the actual writing and prevent happy accidents that enrich and enliven the story, and too little planning can lead to time-and-energy-sapping detours that can impede forward progress and even defeat the writer. Try to strike a balance. Before you start writing, at least give some thought to the beginning, middle and end of your story, your main characters, and key turning points. That will help you get through the next couple years, including weekends and holidays.
4. Learn basic writing rules. Even if you’re the most talented writer in the world, your story may not see the light of day if it’s rife with grammar and punctuation errors. Recommended reading: The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr., E.B. White, and grammar websites. (Fast fact: Mignon Fogarty and I were members of the same writing group before she became the “Grammar Girl.”) Mark Twain said, “Get your facts first, and then distort them as much as you please.” Play with grammar rules after you know them, not before. Your readers will know.
5. It’s okay to use a thesaurus. Really. Many famous authors claim they turn off the Internet and never touch a thesaurus when they work. In my MFA program, we freely avail ourselves of both resources. If you use the same adjectives again and again your story will suffer. My working subtitle for my first novel was “They Stared and Glared.” I used “stared” and “glared” so often they lost all impact. A thesaurus will help you avoid overuse of favorite descriptors. Related: It’s also okay to use all ten fingers when you type and a pen when you handwrite.
6. Write short chapters. A.J. Finn, author of the bestseller, The Woman in the Window, writes what he calls “bite-size” chapters to sustain readers’ interest. Keep in mind that readers like to lay their books down at well-defined breaking points when they feel like it, not twenty-three pages off in the distant future when the current chapter they’re reading finally resolves. Hanging chads: Try to end each short chapter with a “cliffhanger”—some loose end that’s tied up in the following chapter to keep your readers turning the pages. All bestselling authors employ cliffhangers. Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code, is a master.
7. Write different ways. Vary your writing practices to keep your work fresh. Write at different hours in different environments. Edit both digital and paper printouts. Order a proof copy of your novel. Read it out loud. And give your work an occasional timeout, too. The distance will bring it into sharper focus.
8. Think small to overcome writer’s block. When you’re grappling with the big picture and struggling to think three words, let alone three chapters, ahead, try focusing on a single sentence you’ve already written and look for ways to improve it. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much better the sentence will be after you rework it a few times. Your new and improved sentence will also give you confidence to tackle the big picture again.
9. So what if you didn’t invent it? Sometimes I google brilliant similes, metaphors and phrases I wrote to see if they’re devastating works of profound artistry. They almost never are. If you can’t find your amazing inventions in a google search (add quotes around your phrase for precise results), double-check your grammar and spelling, or consider the possibility that it hasn’t been used before for good reason. On the other hand, maybe you should be giving writing advice to aspiring authors.
10. Finally, the most important lessons I learned in my MFA program: Read a lot, write a lot, and ignore writing advice.
To fill the void, I manufactured an MFA creative writing crash course of my own design and accreditation. My core coursework consisted of studying the writing styles and advice of successful authors. I learned that Stephen King hates adverbs, Anne Rice loves short sentences, Jonathan Franzen thinks “then” should never be used as a conjunction, and J.K. Rowling advises perseverance.
I also learned that authors differ on some of the most fundamental aspects of the writing process. Some think every chapter and story detail must be meticulously planned and plotted prior to the writing, while others consider novel-writing a real time process of discovery and serendipity. Some believe rules are meant to be broken while others sneer at anyone who deviates from proper grammar and punctuation.
I found that all successful authors at least agree on these three bits of advice: Read a lot, write a lot, and ignore writing advice.
After writing two novels and completing my MFA studies, I have developed some opinions of my own. Here are my Top Ten tips.
1. Write in the active voice. Study it, know it, apply it. The active voice is clearer and more propulsive than the passive voice. Don’t worry that it’s “economical” and may not reflect your special gift for awe-inspiring sentence constructions. Your readers will thank you. Side note: If your story loses more than it gains after you clear away the passive stuff, consider that your story might need more work, not your writing.
2. Write about what you care about. If you can sustain interest in a commercial, formulaic story for a year or two, great—you probably stand a better chance of securing an agent and publisher. (Instant insight: gruesome murders, legal dramas, and alien invasions never go out of style.) If you do write a commercial story, wrap your plot around something you really care about—incoming asteroids, bacterial infections, orphans—and you’ll probably produce a better result.
3. To outline or not to outline? We in my personal MFA program believe that outlining is a double-edged sword: Too much outlining can erode one’s enthusiasm for the actual writing and prevent happy accidents that enrich and enliven the story, and too little planning can lead to time-and-energy-sapping detours that can impede forward progress and even defeat the writer. Try to strike a balance. Before you start writing, at least give some thought to the beginning, middle and end of your story, your main characters, and key turning points. That will help you get through the next couple years, including weekends and holidays.
4. Learn basic writing rules. Even if you’re the most talented writer in the world, your story may not see the light of day if it’s rife with grammar and punctuation errors. Recommended reading: The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr., E.B. White, and grammar websites. (Fast fact: Mignon Fogarty and I were members of the same writing group before she became the “Grammar Girl.”) Mark Twain said, “Get your facts first, and then distort them as much as you please.” Play with grammar rules after you know them, not before. Your readers will know.
5. It’s okay to use a thesaurus. Really. Many famous authors claim they turn off the Internet and never touch a thesaurus when they work. In my MFA program, we freely avail ourselves of both resources. If you use the same adjectives again and again your story will suffer. My working subtitle for my first novel was “They Stared and Glared.” I used “stared” and “glared” so often they lost all impact. A thesaurus will help you avoid overuse of favorite descriptors. Related: It’s also okay to use all ten fingers when you type and a pen when you handwrite.
6. Write short chapters. A.J. Finn, author of the bestseller, The Woman in the Window, writes what he calls “bite-size” chapters to sustain readers’ interest. Keep in mind that readers like to lay their books down at well-defined breaking points when they feel like it, not twenty-three pages off in the distant future when the current chapter they’re reading finally resolves. Hanging chads: Try to end each short chapter with a “cliffhanger”—some loose end that’s tied up in the following chapter to keep your readers turning the pages. All bestselling authors employ cliffhangers. Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code, is a master.
7. Write different ways. Vary your writing practices to keep your work fresh. Write at different hours in different environments. Edit both digital and paper printouts. Order a proof copy of your novel. Read it out loud. And give your work an occasional timeout, too. The distance will bring it into sharper focus.
8. Think small to overcome writer’s block. When you’re grappling with the big picture and struggling to think three words, let alone three chapters, ahead, try focusing on a single sentence you’ve already written and look for ways to improve it. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much better the sentence will be after you rework it a few times. Your new and improved sentence will also give you confidence to tackle the big picture again.
9. So what if you didn’t invent it? Sometimes I google brilliant similes, metaphors and phrases I wrote to see if they’re devastating works of profound artistry. They almost never are. If you can’t find your amazing inventions in a google search (add quotes around your phrase for precise results), double-check your grammar and spelling, or consider the possibility that it hasn’t been used before for good reason. On the other hand, maybe you should be giving writing advice to aspiring authors.
10. Finally, the most important lessons I learned in my MFA program: Read a lot, write a lot, and ignore writing advice.
An excuse to write
Both new and seasoned writers find excuses not to write. They’re tired. Uninspired. Blocked. Busy with holidays. Travel. Maybe they have an aversion to torture. I’ve written plenty—many screenplays and, most recently, my third novel—but I still need to warm up. Wash the dishes, watch the news, take a walk—anything to steer me away from my desk. Eventually, though, I sit down and do the work. Often, it is just that—work. That’s why writers grasp for excuses to avoid the excruciating pain of typing, scrawling, or dictating those first tentative sentences.
I wrote my previous novel six years ago while working full-time at a Silicon Valley tech company. I started writing at 4:30 each morning before work. At times it was grueling. I questioned myself: why put myself through this? I didn’t expect I’d ever write another novel—until my close encounter with a parking lot.
Two Januarys ago, I tripped and fell, sustaining multiple fractures to my right arm. The pain was relentless. I felt much like Alex DeLarge, the leader of the “droogs” in A Clockwork Orange, whose eyes were clamped open to force him to watch films designed to discourage violent behavior. I, in my own way, was trapped, staring at books and TV 24 hours a day. After a week, I realized I needed to find another way forward.
To keep my mind occupied and distracted from the pain, I started writing Seacliff Park, aiming for 200 pages—enough to get me through months of rehab. Ten months and 500 pages later, I printed the draft and gradually edited it down to 460 pages. I found an excuse to write—and I’ll always be grateful to that parking lot.
I wrote my previous novel six years ago while working full-time at a Silicon Valley tech company. I started writing at 4:30 each morning before work. At times it was grueling. I questioned myself: why put myself through this? I didn’t expect I’d ever write another novel—until my close encounter with a parking lot.
Two Januarys ago, I tripped and fell, sustaining multiple fractures to my right arm. The pain was relentless. I felt much like Alex DeLarge, the leader of the “droogs” in A Clockwork Orange, whose eyes were clamped open to force him to watch films designed to discourage violent behavior. I, in my own way, was trapped, staring at books and TV 24 hours a day. After a week, I realized I needed to find another way forward.
To keep my mind occupied and distracted from the pain, I started writing Seacliff Park, aiming for 200 pages—enough to get me through months of rehab. Ten months and 500 pages later, I printed the draft and gradually edited it down to 460 pages. I found an excuse to write—and I’ll always be grateful to that parking lot.
