NB ASAP

Hi, hotshot

I am very, very silly. Because I have forgotten one very important factor to my status as writer- I AM YOUNG. And there are numerous competitions, especially and conveniently in London, to enter stories and poems into. So I'd better start searching, right? I'm so SILLY.

I should have thought of this before, considering I've entered one such competition before. Only once, but still. The Cecil Day-Lewis competition for young people. I won a certificate for the story I entered there, which I was very pleased about. Let's see if I can win something again- and maybe come a step closer to a published tome. Alright, not a tome, but something...tangible.

Something real, instead of so many half-twiddled with ideas saved into countless Word documents. This is a short post, and I'm sorry, but that's because this isn't a rant or preach-thing. This is a goal-setter. I will find a competition...

:D

"Where do you get your inspiration from?" and ensuing sarcasm.

Hi hotshot,

Disclaimer: I have nothing against Americans, being one myself, and I'm sorry I don't know the anthem of Zimbabwe or even if it has one.

Someone, someday, will ask me this.

Fact is, no one knows except "my brain and the world around me."

THERE IS NO POINT IN THAT QUESTION. Yet people ask it to authors so often. And I will hopefully become a published one, so...

So, my answer will be the following:

"In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, under the waves, there is a secret castle only Authors can find. In the heart of it, you must sing the macarena backwards and yodel the national anthem of Zimbabwe, after which a secret portal in the floor opens. In this portal there is a floating goblet filled with neon green gloop. You drink from this magic goblet, and when you come back home, you vomit out your book. Now guess where major motion pictures come from. I'll give you a clue; it's not the vomit."

If I'm feeling really, really sarcastic I'll add:

"When Authors get sick, they don't throw up normal vomit. They throw up sonnets and poems and descriptions. Remember that the next time you're admiring Poe's work. He had to get 'flu for that. Appreciate it."

I'm just so worried Americans would take me seriously.

Punch and virtue.

Hi, hotshots

Something I have to remind myself-

writing is not about punch, punch, punch. That leaves the reader dazed and confused (just like a real set of punches would do). It's not pleasant to read.
Writing is where you show what leads to the punch, and what the punch causes.
Anticipation seems to play a big part in it. Make the reader a masochist, in a sense. Make them want a punch, crave it, but don't let them get bored.
Get the reader on your side!

What's the fun of a book where all that happens is big crashing scenes where noting is explained and its all action and no reflection? The reader needs to care. Give the person being punched an identity.

Like...Lolly Andersen, for example, could be a name you use. Give her a personality, faults galore, and give her one virtue that means your reader will always side with her.

I wrote a short story which was never finished about a character called Cal. He was angry all the time, violent, blunt and extremely temperamental. I made him the epitome of teenage rage, sarcasm and all. But that means he was never basically never sorry for himself. He didn't whinge. I gave him a solid backbone and for that I love him.

Your character can be as flawed as you wish. He can be like Cal. A total, utter screw-up. It doesn't matter so long as s/he is interesting to read about.

That's my theory, anyway.

So:

1) No punching the reader without an explanation or context. Give them time to breath in between the blows.
2) Your characters are not there to be perfect. Perfect characters will never win your reader's heart simply because your reader is not perfect.