In the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the first day of spring. In my area, that means colorful daffodils, Bradford pear blooms, and lots of pollen. Spring, though, also represents a rebirth and what better way to give birth to your dreams than to do something you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t done before. For people who dream of adventure, it might mean booking that skydiving trip, which isn’t quite my cup of tea. For some who want to do something creative, it might mean dusting off that dream and making it into a reality. Perhaps it’s time to sign up for that pottery class you’ve wanted to take since you saw the movie, Ghost, although pottery also isn’t my cup of tea either. In my last blog, I discussed five steps a beginning writer might take to begin writing the novel they’ve always plotted in their minds. Here are some more tips which might help change that dream into reality.
- The setting is an important character in your novel. What would Star Wars be without Tatooine with its two suns and its expansive deserts? What would Psycho be without the Bates Motel with its grim exterior and its infamous bathroom? What would be Casablanca be without Rick’s with its smoky ambience and piano? A setting can be an integral part of a book. For romance writers, a small town can instantly clue a reader into a sweet contemporary, Paris or New York might mean a contemporary with an alpha hero or billionaire, another world can clue the reader into urban fantasy. Give some thought about how your POV character thinks about the setting, from the houses to the buildings to the outdoor features such as a beach or a cave or mountain cabin.
- Backgrounds of your characters. Your characters have pasts, fears, wants, and needs. If you’re writing a romance, think about what your character needs the most and then make it impossible to achieve. If you’re writing a cozy mystery, think about why a character would want to get embroiled in solving a murder rather than leaving it to the hands of the local police.
- Time Period of the Novel. If you want to write a historical, think about the time period and how a character would be different without modern conveniences. Someone in Regency England wouldn’t be able to pop two Advil when he has a headache.
- Motivations of a Character. Why does a character do what he or she does? Is the character motivated by justice, by profit, by a need to be alone? What does your character need to be okay? Family, money, prestige?
- Finally once you’ve decided on your world, your characters, their needs and wants, and why they want them, as well as what is standing in their way of getting what they need to be happy, then you need to actually sit down with your writing instrument, whether it’s a pen and paper or a laptop or an Alphasmart, and write. BICHOK means Bottom In Chair, Hands On Keyboard. When all is said and done, actually putting words on a screen or paper is the only way to get that novel written.
Now that it’s spring, make your dream a reality.
Welcome to spring. Dust off those dreams, and make them a reality.