FINISHING THE first draft of anything is a great feeling. Finishing the first draft of a novel feels like you've just climbed a mountain -- and survived to tell the tale. It's the best feeling ever.

But how exactly do you get there?

Well, one way to get through that massive task is to banish your inner editor and just get it down. In other words, give yourself permission to write a terrible first draft.
Okay, you probably saw that one coming. But stick with me and I'll show you why this works like a charm.

You can't edit a blank page -- The blank page, so white and intimidating. We've all been there. You stare at the screen for a bit, then type the first line. After reading it back, you delete it and replace it. Maybe then you get three more lines out, before deleting the first two...

Who can write this way? Perfectionism is crippling your story.

One way to combat this is to accept that you're going to make mistakes. Yes, a lot of what you write is probably going to suck. Yes, your descriptions may be lacking and that character you thought you'd love slightly overbearing. But guess what? The first draft of anything sucks.
Not convinced? How about a second opinion.

"I'm writing a first draft and reminding myself that I'm simply shovelling sand into a box, so that later​ I can build castles. -- Shannon Hale"

How about now? That makes sense, doesn't it? In other words, you can't build a sandcastle as you go. You can try -- first I'll build a tower and the windows, then the door, then the second tower... -- but it doesn't work. Your 'castle' needs to be able to support itself and in order to do that, it needs a strong foundation.
Did I lose you with the sandcastle analogies? To summarise, your novel needs a strong foundation before you can shape it and make it pretty. First drafts can be turned into sand fortresses, blank pages cannot.

You can discover what does and doesn't work -- The mind is an amazing tool. If you've read the likes of Stephen King and George Martin, you'll know exactly what it's capable of. You become truly absorbed in the stories they weave, even grow to deeply care about the characters these stories revolve around.

But how did all that come from one single mind? (And why are you comparing me to these giants?)

The truth is, even the best writers need to put their novels through a second draft. In fact, it is more common for an accomplished writer to go through at least three redrafts of their manuscript before they can think about calling a novel finished. It's also not uncommon for a writer's draft count to reach double figures.
Think about the last book that really sucked you in. These amazing words didn't arrive on the page fully formed, perfectly phrased and ready for their readers' hungry eyes. The went through a creative process of trial and error, discovery and elimination.
Take Stephen King, for example. He's surely written enough books to fill his own bookstore at this point (now there's an idea...) His process still involves a standard of three drafts before he'll consider a manuscript finished.
You won't know if your ideas will fly until you throw them off that cliff. (Or... So to speak. Okay, no more analogies. I promise!)

Your unrestricted mind is a weird and wonderful place -- When writing the first draft of a novel, we tend to have high expectations. I know I did. When I first started writing Crimson Touch, I had this awful habit of polishing as went. I was so focused on producing a quality first draft that I was restricting my novel's natural growth, without even realising it.

An idea is a wonderful, fragile thing. One moment it's there and then, if you're not quick enough, it's gone (possibly forever.) If you're filtering what kind of ideas you get at this early stage, then your novel will fail to evolve unaided.
What I mean is that when you allow your mind to be open and impartial, at some point, you'll find that your characters will begin to breathe by themselves. They'll pull you in all sorts of unexpected directions. Your sidekick may show you his true colours and out-villain the guy you actually had planned for the role. Your plot will take interesting turns that you hadn't planned for. Your landscapes will come alive.

Your creation becomes real.

Don't get me wrong -- not every plot twist will be right for your story. Some characters will mislead you, and some will fail to live upto their full potential. Your sidekick's wannabe-villain ego may be bigger than his intended role, in which case, chop him down to size in the next draft.
But the first draft of your story is a process of discovery. And your unrestricted mind is a weird and wonderful place.

​Flash fiction is a style of fictional literature of extreme brevity. There is no widely accepted definition of the length of the category. Some self-described markets for flash fiction impose caps as low as fifty-three words, while others consider stories as long as a thousand words to be flash fiction. 
(Click here to read more...)

Either way, I'm looking forward to getting to know you. Take a look and let me know what you think. 

Like what you see? Sign up to my newsletter and I'll keep you updated on my future projects. 

YOU PROBABLY ALREADY have a good idea of what character development means for your story. Here's a definition, just so we're on the same page
Character Development -- the task of creating a character and building on them (working out appearance, history, mannerisms and so on,) OR the changes a character undergoes during the course of a story.

​ I'm referring to the second kind. So, where does one start with developing their characters, you might ask? Good question.

In order to be able to effectively develop your character, they need to be as human as you or I.

Before you begin to protest, I'm not suggesting that you stick to your own species. I love elves as much as anyone. (And vampires, and aliens...) What I mean is that your characters should be far from perfect. Give them flaws and weaknesses, fears and failures. Make them real. Once you have a perfectly flawed character, you're all set.
​
So, what now? Set for what?
Patience, young grasshopper. All will become clear.

Your character is going on a journey. Your story, or plot, is the road map. On their travels from A to B they may experience magical wonders, or mind-blowing atrocities. They may experience betrayal, love or fear. The people they meet may change their perspective or reveal a side of themselves they didn't know existed. I could go on. Chances are though, that they will experience something.

Why is this necessary for my story?

People change over the course of their life and so should your characters.

We are the sum of our experiences, both the good and the bad.

A one dimensional character will walk through a story unchanged, unaffected by what is going on around them or happening to them. They magically have what it takes to get through any situation and don't have to grow up, or learn any valuable lessons in order achieve their goal.
​ Is this believable? Of course not. None of us go through life this way. A two dimensional character however, is relatable. This is how we become emotionally invested in the characters we love.

Think of your favourite books. Where does your favourite character start, both physically and emotionally? Where do they finish? Are they different from when they started?

There are many different types of journey your characters can undertake. For example...

Zero to Hero -- for this journey our protagonist starts out small, but by the end of the story he becomes the hero he's always meant to be, allowing him to save the day. At the beginning, there doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary or spectacular about him. In fact, you won't find a more unlikely hero anywhere. Maybe that blonde beefcake who upstages our protagonist at every turn should have actually been made the hero of the piece.
But, every 'zero' has that something extra special locked away deep inside them and throughout the story, his character undertakes a radical transformation. From zero to hero, our protagonist's life will never be the same again.

​Personal Growth -- here, our developing protagonist faces not just external difficulties, but internal opposition also. This can be anything from a crippling phobia, to a lack of self-confidence, to the inability to let go of the past and move on. Out protagonist goes through a personal journey, battling inner demons, a perceived weakness or whatever it is that is holding them back. Simultaneously, external opposition serves to challenge the protagonist and force them far beyond their comfort zone. This will usually push them to the point where they must conquer whatever internal issues that hold them back in order to restore order or save the day.
For this type of character development, the experiences they face on their journey push and change them, forcing them to confront their outstanding internal issues in order to deal with an even bigger external threat.
Unlike the previous type, our protagonists radical transformation is, if any, internalised. Generally, they are still the same character, just a shiny new version of themselves.

Tragic Downfall -- not all characters have to develop for the better. Some protagonists are more suited to their inevitable decline rather than ascension and, instead of becoming a better version of themselves, their actions lead them down a much darker​ path. Tragic heroes see the world in a different way and often, their perception of it is distorted by their own negative traits. Here, they may choose to somewhat redeem themselves towards the end, or accept their new selves for who they are and plunge into darkness. Either way, they have a rocky road ahead of them.

Character development is a huge topic. Having a basic grasp of it though, is important for any good story.
​I'd love to hear about your characters. Who are they? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Let me know in the comments below.

   LET'S FACE IT -- we're all busy. We all have responsibilities that require chunks of our time and, more often than not, that time slowly depletes throughout the day.

   Sound familiar at all?

   With the best of intentions, it's super easy to neglect your projects. "Tomorrow will be better," you tell yourself. "I'll power through it then." And tomorrow, you're just as busy. The next day doesn't look good either. 
   Before you know it, your project is collecting dust. 

   Let me tell you something that will make things crystal clear:
​   If you don't make the time to write, then you won't write. No one else is going to do it for you.

   So, how important is your project to you?

   If you're still with me, then I salute you. More power to you! Let's see how you can make the best of your time and make your writing a priority in your life. 

• ​Planning Ahead -- One way to ensure that you attend to your writing needs is to treat each session as you would any other important item on your list. Schedule time to sit down and make some progress on your project. Stick to it. You wouldn't keep your boss waiting at the office, would you? Or leave your mother stranded at the train station? Didn't think so.

   (Okay, if you nodded just then, move onto method two... And remind me not to tick you off.)
​

• De-clutter Your Day -- It's okay to get distracted every once in a while. Sometimes, distractions can be a good thing. They can let us know when it's time to take a break and give your mind some down time. They can also slow us down and limit our progress. Obviously, I'm talking about the second kind, here. By removing unnecessary distractions from your day, you're giving yourself extra time to play with. 

   (Sounds good, right?)

   For example, if you get up in the morning and watch an hour of TV over breakfast, try using that golden hour to jot some ideas down, work on a short story, contribute to the latest chapter of your novel... Your options here are endless. Yes, you may enjoy vegging out in the morning to your favourite programme, but do you need to do it every morning? Compromise. Mix your week up a bit. 
   And you don't have to be a morning person to make this work for you. Limit your Facebook time and use the extra to be productive. Use online shopping as a reward, not a distraction.

   Focus on your immediate task. Try not to let your every whim and impulse control you. 

   Don't want to give anything up in order to write? That's fine too. You just need to be a little more disciplined, my friend. 

• Optimise your time -- Some people are what you would call 'morning people'.  A morning person functions better first thing in the day and tends to get less productive as the day goes on. Others sit at the opposite end of the scale, better suited to evening activity than at the start of the day. Personally, I find I'm useless  before 9am. I also can't write when I'm tired, so I like to find my happy medium; 10am to 11am and 4pm to 6pm. These are my optimum times. 

   What are yours? Record your activity for a week. When are you most productive? Is there a pattern? If you discover your optimum time to write, protect it fiercely (where humanly possible). These are your initial go to writing times. 

• The Ever Ready Approach -- You may not have much 'breathing room' in your weekly schedule, so to speak, but at some point something unexpected is bound to happen. Say, by some unforeseen act of God, you have 20 minutes all to yourself. (Woohoo!) So, what are you going to do about it? Quick, grab your writing book and your notes -- oh, wait... You left them at home. 

      And, just like that, the moment passes you by. Well, no more. This method is for all you opportunists, and for those that like to fully plan out their day in order to make best use of their time and energy. 

   (You've made your point. Now, get on with the method!)

   Carry a note pad around with you wherever you go. It doesn't have to be big, it can be handbag sized, or even shirt pocket sized. And whatever you do, don't forget to carry a good pen, too. These are your basic writer's on-the-go tools, perfect for unplanned moments of productivity and brilliant bursts of inspiration. 
   You can also use your phone or tablet, if gadgets are more your style. Writing with a phone can be fiddly for longer paragraphs, but speaking them is easy. There are two ways you can do this: 

1. Speak into an open writing document
2. Record your voice using an app

   Both of these methods can be effectively used in a hurry. They're also good for those chaotic moments when your hand struggles to keep up with your epic imagination. 
   As for the reams of notes you may have made on your project, well... I know what you're thinking. Why should I carry them around with me all day, you say? After all, you may not even get to use them. Fear not, dear writers. You can carry them around with you without breaking your back. 

   (I'm going to go ahead and assume you have a mobile phone with a camera. If you don't, I apologise. But you really are missing out!)

   Take a picture of all important notes and keep them stored in their own folder. This way, you'll have ready access to everything you need to pick up where you last left off. You can also email yourself typed notes, or carry them on a memory stick. 

   I hope you found something useful  in all that. You can use all of these methods to make time for your writing projects, or just pick the one that suits you best. Maybe you have a better idea. In any case, I'd love to know what works for you. 
​
There is one thing of which I'm absolutely certain -- writers write. 

Welcome, folks, to my brand new website. Go ahead and take a look around. Make yourselves at home because from now on, this website will be central hub for all my writerly goings on  -- for now and for the foreseeable future. 

I have lots to share with you over the coming months. I have lots to talk about. I'm looking forward to getting started and in good time, to sharing lots of great content with you. But for now, stay and have a look around. If you have any feedback, leave me a comment. I'm far from being a website wizard, but your suggestions and improvements will all be gratefully received.