1) When you're using weird names that you made up, make a master list somewhere of how they're spelled because you're guaranteed to spell them 50 different ways by the end of 50,000 words and you probably won't remember where that extra i was supposed to go after about 10,000 of them. (And spell check is no help because it'll put a squiggly red line under all of them- because you made them up!)
2) Remember your props. If someone entered the cemetery with a donkey at the beginning of the scene, there should probably be some mention of him at the end of it. Even if the end is three pages later. And come to think of it, where was the donkey while all that craziness was going on, anyway?
3) Being sick, while giving you time off from work, is not actually conducive to bulking up the word count because although you have plenty of time on your hands you're going to be spending most of it in bed.
4) If you are in bed, for gods' sake keep a notepad there because if you get an idea whilst roaming the haze between asleep and awake you will not remember it by the time you sit down at your computer and can actually write it. Good ideas come to those who sleep. But they only stay with those who write them down!
5) Liking a character, or having your main character like them, is not a valid reason for not killing them off. In fact, it might be a good reason to do just that.
More to come, i'm sure.
(26,968 words and counting)
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Thank you for your comment! I will love it and hug it and pet it and call it George. Or, you know, just read and reply to it. But still- you rock!