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I’m going to try to write regularly about my process as I work on this novel, sharing what I’m doing, learning, and experimenting with over the next few weeks as I hammer out a first draft and then later when I start revising. So this week I’m going to talk about character development, one of my absolute favorite parts of writing fiction.

One of the first things I do before I start writing a new novel is to cast my characters. Sometimes I  know instantly who my leading man would be, who my main character should be, or who some of my secondary characters would be played by. Other times I spend hours pouring over celebrity photo sites looking for the right face. That’s right—I use actors and actresses, not just random photos I’ve found online or in magazines.

There are a couple of different reasons for this. The most important one to me is that it makes it easier to hear their voices in my head, to see the way they move, the way they talk, their facial expressions if I’ve actually seen them in movies. This makes it much easier to write believable dialogue and believable characters in general.

For my current novel, I’ve basically got four main characters. There’s Cass, who in my head is Kate Winslet; there’s Dave, Cass’ husband, who bears a striking resemblance to Matthew Fox; Tessa, who, in a perfect world, would be played by Charlize Theron (though a bit older); and Grady—the leading man in this particular work—Hugh Jackman in my mind (this might have something to do with recently watching both Australia and the new Wolverine movie). In addition to casting like this, I’ll save a handful of images of each actor or actress in a “characters” folder within the folder for my novel. The only thing I won’t do when working on a novel like this is watch any movies these actors appear in that are at all similar to my current work-in-progress. It’s too easy to end up making the character exactly like an existing character without even realizing it.

One of the other primary bits of character development I do is to fill out a Proust Questionnaire for each character. I’m partial to Vanity Fair‘s version, though I’ll sometimes add in questions from the Inside the Actors Studio version, too, which was modeled on Proust’s questions. Proust’s original questionnaire is helpful, too.

I keep the questionnaires in a Google doc, along with my outline and research. But more on outlines in my next post in this series.

Feel free to share your own character development tips in the comments below.

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Now, there’s a difference between dealing with constructive criticism and hurtful criticism. “Your first chapter is a bit slow to get going,” is constructive. “Your writing sucks,” is not. Ignore the latter. There will be people out there who want to cut you down because of any number of reasons. A lot of the time, it’s that they’d love to write a book but just don’t have the confidence to do it. Whatever the reason, it has nothing to do with your ability as a writer. But when you get solid feedback that points out specific problems, or even general feelings (“your main character seems a little flat,” or “you use too many adverbs”), pay attention. That’s not to say you need to follow every bit of advice out there, but if three out of four people point something out (or even two out of four), it’s probably something you need to take a look at.

So how do you get over the emotional response we all have when it comes to hearing criticism over something as personal as a novel? The first thing to do is to separate yourself from your work. You are not your novel. Your novel is not you. Repeat that until it sinks in. When someone critiques your novel, they are critiquing your novel, not you.

I joined Authonomy a few months ago (December) but didn’t put any of my work up until January 19th. I was finally encouraged in the forums there to post a first draft I had just completed. That’s right—I posted a first draft with virtually no editing. Now, Authonomy is filled with some really, really talented writers (not everyone there is uber-talented, but there are definitely plenty who are). To say I was apprehensive about putting my very rough, very unpolished first draft up there is an understatement. But I threw together a cover, wrote a blurb in a matter of minutes (not my strong suit even when I have hours to spend) and then waited for my first reviews.

The first few were mostly positive. One pointed out a major flaw in my sentence structure and word usage (something I have since fixed, for the most part). I was told I had strengths in areas I had always thought were weak. And I was told that there were some pretty major flaws in my manuscript. My protagonist was a bit too unlikable. My beginning was very slow (there are differing opinions on this one, with some people thinking it fits with the story and others finding it hard to get into…I think at this point I’m leaning toward it being too slow). It was a little bit too all-over-the-place.

I got one review that almost made me cry (and no, I will not say which one, but feel free to speculate). But I don’t hold it against the person who wrote it. They gave me their honest opinion of my work. I appreciate that. I knew when I posted it wasn’t going to appeal to everyone. But it’s still rough when someone completely rips your work apart. At the same time, this person pointed out some issues I hadn’t really thought about.

Out of around 25 reviews on this particular book, about half of those people liked the book enough to vote for it (“backing” in Authonomy terms). It’s been through three rewrites since going up and will be going through a major restructuring soon on the next draft.

But here’s the thing: the next book I posted, less than one month later (while I was still in the process of writing it, I posted as soon as I got to 10,000 words), has gotten significantly better reviews. Out of 45 or so reviews, only a handful of people haven’t voted for it. And even those who didn’t “back” it have given mostly positive feedback.

Listening to the critiques I received on the first book dramatically improved my writing. It was my fourth novel that I finally posted to Authonomy. The first three may be posted after I’ve rewritten them (I know after receiving feedback on my newer books what problems they’re likely to have). In less than a month, I would say my writing improved by at least 100%, just by listening to constructive criticism from other writers. If I’d kept my books tucked away, never bothering to show them to anyone but friends and family, my writing wouldn’t have improved so dramatically. Sure, maybe after years and years and years of writing, I would have reached the point I’m at now. But instead of spending years, I spent a month.

Learning to take criticism is more helpful than all of the writing books you will ever read. Honest feedback is worth more than virtually anything else in the world. You still have to trust your gut in figuring out which advice to follow and which to discard, but decide that with an open mind. The most important thing to remember is that constructive criticism is not an attack against you. It’s not personal. The person offering the feedback is almost certainly doing so with the intent to help.

One other tip: don’t argue with those who give you feedback. Don’t attack them and tell them they’re wrong (even if you think they are). Thank them for their time. Be grateful someone spent the time to read your work and offer advice.

How do you deal with criticism? Any tricks or tips for making it easier?

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Over the years I’ve built up plenty of strategies for keeping my motivation level high. Here are a few:

• Set yourself reachable daily goals. Whether a reachable goal for you is 200 words or 2,000 words, set a goal and stick to it. But, if for some reason you don’t make your goal one day, it’s not the end of the world. Don’t beat yourself up over it. Just get back on track the next day.
• Celebrate small successes. When you finish a chapter, or a page, or even a paragraph, celebrate. Have some chocolate. Listen to your favorite song. Watch a movie. For the bigger successes, treat yourself to dinner or a movie. And when you finish the first draft, take a few days off!
• Keep a to do list. Listing each step to reaching your goal is a good idea. Checking things off a list is a nice little boost to your motivation and keeps you moving in the right direction. Breaking things down into the smallest steps possible might look daunting at first, but you’ll check them off much quicker.
• Take a break. Sometimes, you just need a day off to let your batteries recharge. There’s nothing wrong with that. I’ve found that when I get writer’s block, forcing myself to take a weekend off can do wonders for opening the creative flood gates.
• Set deadlines. With so many writing projects, there are no deadlines. No one really cares if you finish something this week or a month from now or never at all. So set deadlines for yourself and stick to them. On my current project, because I’m self publishing, there’s no editor hanging over my head telling me to have the book done by a certain date. So I’ve set up a schedule for myself. I’ve vowed to have the first draft done by the end of April, and so far I’m on track for meeting that goal.
• Converse with others who have similar goals. Finding other people who are working on the same kinds of projects makes it easier to keep working. Consider setting goals and deadlines with each other and holding each other accountable. Sometimes the idea of disappointing another person is enough to keep you going.

If you have any other tips for keeping motivation high, please share them in the comments below.

It’s all lies.

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Now, I keep a notebook (several, really) to jot down ideas I get or for planning the books and articles I’m working on. But it’s not a journal. I never write about events in my own life. I don’t put bits of conversation I overhear with no idea of where they might fit into a later project. I don’t chronicle my writing life or any other part of my life. I write down concrete story ideas. I write down character sketches. I write down scene ideas. I write down dialogue if it sparks an idea for a story. I write down things that pop into my head for books I’m working on, books I’ve already written, and books I’m considering writing. But it’s a notebook, not a journal.

Why am I so against journaling? In the simplest terms, journaling is an excuse to procrastinate. When you’re feeling stuck on a novel, or a short story, or any other bit of writing, how often do you say, “I’ll just go write in my journal a bit until I’m feeling inspired”? How often do you say the same thing when you’re trying to start a new project? You’re using your journal as an excuse not to write what’s really important. Instead of writing a thousand words on your novel, you’re writing a thousand words in your journal. Instead of spending an hour writing something worthwhile, you’re scribbling meaningless drivel in your journal.

And so often writers are made to feel inadequate if they don’t keep a journal. That’s just ridiculous. Keeping a journal does not make you a writer. Not keeping a journal doesn’t not make you a writer. The two have nothing to do with each other, besides the fact that not keeping a journal may free up more time for important writing.

There’s nothing wrong with an occasional brainstorming session if you’re stuck. Mindmapping and freewriting can both be great ways to get unstuck. But a journal is not the best place for either of those things. Get a spiral bound notebook or open up your word processor instead. Keep a notebook handy for writing down those brilliant ideas you get. But whatever you do, don’t call it a journal and don’t use it for anything other than keeping track of those flashes of inspiration you don’t want to forget.

If you want to keep a journal for yourself, to pass along to your children, and completely unrelated to writing, go for it. There’s nothing wrong with journaling for the right reasons. My father has kept a journal every year since the late 70s. He writes in it every day, covering any major events, the weather, and how his gardens are doing. Those journals will become family heirlooms someday. He journals for the right reasons.

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One thing I didn’t mention is the speed I write at. The first draft of my first novel was completed in five days. It was only 46,000 words (a break-neck pace of 9,200 words a day). The scary part about that was that I didn’t hole-up in my house for the entire time. I went out to see friends, went to the movies, and otherwise led a relatively normal life. I’m still not entirely sure how I managed it and haven’t been able to since. My second novel’s first draft was completed in 33 days (91,000 words). The third was finished in a couple of months, and was around 56,000 words. The fourth was finished in 13 days and came in at a whopping 95,000 words (that’s an average of around 7,200 words a day). The fifth was written in approximately a month and came in at 62,000 words.

Subsequent drafts are done at a similar pace. I edited my first novel, adding 13,000 words to it and changing tense from present to past in about a week. I can realistically edit about 20,000 words in a day if that’s my only project (it rarely is). I redrafted my fourth novel (95k words) twice in the scope of a week, tightening up the prose and adding in bits here and there.

I couldn’t handle these kinds of schedules if I had a full time job outside the house. I write and copyedit on a freelance basis, and pick up web and graphic design projects here and there. If I didn’t work from home, my writing time would amount to an hour or two a day, instead of 8-10 hours a day (sometimes 12-14 hours if I’m on a roll or trying to meet a deadline). I write 7 days a week, even when I’m between projects. I’m always planning for the next one or the one after that even. On weekends I do try to cut my writing time back to 3 or 4 hours a day, though it doesn’t always work, especially if I’m working on a new project.

Here’s a bit more about how I write, and more details on specific projects. This is just how I manage it, and should by no means be taken as a definitive guide on how to write or anything to strive for.

Sometimes I start with an idea, other times a character. Inspiration comes from everything around me. Sometimes I’m inspired by something else I’ve read. Sometimes it’s a movie I’ve seen or a TV show. It could be a photo, or just an idea that pops into my head while I’m driving around or trying to fall asleep. My best ideas come while I’m in the shower or the car wash. I find it funny that water is so closely linked to my creative process since I’m an Aries (fire sign). I’m considering getting one of those desk-top fountains for my office.

When I get into the groove of a new novel, my characters talk to me. That’s actually how I know it’s time to start writing. When I can picture my characters and their interactions, that’s when I know it’s time to put them to paper. I start with an outline. This is usually hashed out in a day or two and might range from a page to ten pages, depending on how much of the story has already formed in my head. I can’t begin writing until I have an ending.

At the same time I do research and planning on the setting, characters, time period, etc. (depending on the genre I’m working in). With my first novel, this involved creating a map of the world it was set in and a listing of the different races and creatures in that world. I also had to sketch out how magic worked in this world and other things that were different from out own world. For my fifth novel, the women’s fiction novel set in the present, there was a lot less research and planning to do. The setting was based on a town not too far from where I used to live.

When all of my notes are done, I start writing. My notes are mostly kept in hard copy (or sometimes Google Docs). But I write in Microsoft Word (for Mac). I could not get by without my laptop. It makes it possible for me to write from the couch (regularly), from bed (occasionally), and in the car (obviously not while I’m driving). I couldn’t write at this pace if I was tethered to a desk all day. As I mentioned before, I write for 8-10 hours a day most days. I don’t take days off unless I’m between projects. Some days I might only write a thousand words, other days I might write 15,000 (that’s my record).

In school, I always did reports and papers the night before they were due, no matter how much time we were supposed to devote to them. And, I always got As. If I had failed, I might have changed my methods, but since I didn’t, that is the way that I write most effectively – in as little time as possible. Writing until I physically can’t write anymore or until my brain just absolutely refuses to keep going is the way that works for me.

I started out writing screenplays. I wrote my first one in four days, with no revisions. I then submitted to an online peer-review site, and got pretty good reviews – only minor changes were recommended. Screenwriting is such a competitive business that I never bothered pursuing it beyond that. But screenwriting is how I learned to write dialogue. And churning out a 120-page screenplay is, to me at least, way easier than writing a 70-80k word novel.

I’m currently between novel projects, though I have at least three ideas floating around in my head. Non-fiction is taking precedence at the moment, but by summer I’ll be back onto novel-writing. I’d like to try my hand at writing short stories and flash fiction, too, though I find the abbreviated format much more challenging than novel writing.

Here are some tips for writing this way, whether you are a first-time novelist or a seasoned pro:

1. Buy a laptop. This way you can write anywhere. I wrote in the car on the way to the movies one day. My personal favorite is the MacBook, though any laptop will work. I’d actually recommend going on the smaller size if you’re only going to use it for writing, as it makes it lighter-weight and much more portable.
2. Cast your novel. This helps with characterization. Pick actors and actresses for each of your major characters. It makes it easier to write character descriptions and makes your characters more life-like. When you can picture them in your head this way, the way the speak, the way they move, it makes it that much easier to bring them to life. You can use people from real life as well, just be careful not to base a character too closely on a friend or relative.
3. Use maps. If you’re writing speculative fiction, create a map for your world. If you’re writing something based in the real world, either use a map or create a fake one to keep your locations straight. If the bakery is next to the grocery store one day and then behind the library the next, it’s going to confuse people.
4. Outline. Create a scene-by-scene outline of what is happening in your novel. I change mine throughout writing, but at least it gives me an idea of where I’m going and where I’ve been. It’s a valuable tool if you get stuck while you’re writing and as a way to get to know your characters better.
5. Consider writing your beginning and ending first. When you have an outline, you can do this. Without the outline it’s much harder. If you’ve got your ending done, you know exactly where you need to end up. It makes it easier to get somewhere if you know your destination. This is something I did on my first novel, though I haven’t done it the same way since. Mostly because I never have quite as clear-cut of an ending in mind as I did then.

Feel free to share your own writing methods below or any tips you may have!