Writing – Page 2 – WRITE TIME AND AGAIN

Journaling

Posted on January 16, 2024 by L. M. Montes

Keeping a journal is important when writing a book. I have one for each book I’ve written. How do they help? They’re a great place to write down your ideas for your story, characters, setting, random thoughts and ideas, and much more. When you get stuck, and you will, you can refer back to it for help in getting those gears running smoothly again.

Some of you might think this information is rather obvious. To a seasoned writer, it is. But those of you who may be starting out will find this helpful. At some point the ideas you’re going to have about your story will come smashing down on your brain, and you will want to put them somewhere. A journal will help.

Writing

Be the Wind

Posted on November 7, 2023 by L. M. Montes

Every major change of seasons blows in or out with a type of wind. It’s a force of nature we can’t deny, but we can certainly be a part of. We watch as leaves turn beautiful colors at the end of summer/beginning of autumn, as leaves blow away and leave tree limbs naked and snow takes their place, as snow melts and buds grow anew once more, and as buds flourish into stunning arrays of lush green leaves of all shapes and flowers into color beauties painted by God.

You, too, can be a force of nature with your writing. “Paint” your words across the page as the mood or wind strikes or blows. You can be as strong a force with winds up to hurricane strength with your words, or you can be a gentle breeze depending on what it is your are writing. The choice is yours.

Plot/Story

One Line Premise

Posted on October 8, 2023October 13, 2023 by L. M. Montes

The definition of a one line premise— It is a one line summary of your story plot.

Three Elements of a one line premise

Three Elements	Definition of each Element
Protagonist	Said in two words. E.g. headstrong woman or a narcisisstic man
A goal	What does the protagonist want or need?
Crisis	A situation or crisis the protagonist is up against or in.

Table A

Example

A headstrong woman seeks to find the truth about her parents but discovers a sinister family secret going back to the Magi that could ultimately destroy her.

In the above example headstrong woman is the protagonist. Seeks to find the truth about her family is the goal. Sinister family secret and could ultimategly destroy her is the crisis.

Description, Emotions, Setting

Description: Nip and Tuck

Posted on September 20, 2023 by L. M. Montes

In a previous article I wrote on August 14, 2023 entitled, Description and Setting, I spoke about the importance of using description to give the reader a picture; whether seen, heard, or felt. I also made mention of the fact you shouldn’t over describe. Write your seen first then do some ‘nip and tuck’ afterward. Below you will find a list of some ‘nip and tuck’ ideas.

Description Type	Nip and Tuck
I viewed the mountains on the horizon.	The dark, grayish mountains hovered on the horizon with daggered peaks draped with snow.
Ella walked down the dark street at night.	The night sky’s cloud cover rendered Ella’s surroundings along the lone gravel road an inky black and thick with a dewy mist.
The front yard was well kept.	Dawn continued strolling down the sidewalk peering at the house number of each. She’d never been to Sandy’s house before. Most of the front yards sported grass in need of a cut. Then she spied the right house. It had to be, since the front lawn stood out like an outdoor museum. She stopped in front of it, glanced at the house number, and smiled. Yup, this was it.
My elbow hurt.	I bent my arm, and a sharp, stabbing pain screamed at me.
I opened the old door.	The ancient door snarled in defiance, as I opened it.
The two friends fought.	Wild fists flew, as Danny and Eric continued their reckless battle.
The nightmare bothered me.	I lifted the spoonful of cereal to my mouth but stopped midway. The tap, tap, tap, that echoed inside my nightmare continued to hold me hostage. I jumped at the sudden pounding on the back door.

As you can see in the examples above, your descriptions don’t need to be long at all. As long as they are effective enough to get the job done. Like I mentioned in my previous article, Description and Setting, have someone else read it and give you feedback.

Writing

Writing Advice and Pointers

Posted on September 16, 2023 by L. M. Montes

There are those individuals out there who charge for the information they give out on writing. You know, pay a fee and you can get writing pointers and tips on how to write a book, etc… That’s all well and good if that is what they want to do. They have every right to do that. However, I don’t believe in doing that unless I am publishing a book on the subject. That is the only way I will charge for the writing tips and information I give out. LOL, I don’t want to write a book about that. I enjoy what I do here on this blog. My published books are fiction for the most part. I have a book of poems published as well.

That being said, if you have any questions at all about anything having to do with writing fiction, please ask me.

Plot/Story

Keep Them Reading

Posted on September 10, 2023 by L. M. Montes

In writing a story, remember something; keep the reader reading. How do you accomplish that? I equate this to dangling a carrot in front of a rabbit. Dangle information by leading the reader on but give them just enough to make them curious. After all, curiosity entices the mind to seek closure. When they seek closure, that means they are turning pages.

Increase tension within the story. Create a question or two but don’t answer it (at least not yet). Up the ante by increasing the stakes in such a way that it appears there’s no way out. The reader will have to turn the pages. They will just have to know. I can’t give you exact information as to what you should write, because I don’t know your story/stories. All I can do is give you something to think about.

Writing

So…You Want to Write a Book

Posted on September 8, 2023 by L. M. Montes

You want to write a book, but you don’t know where to start. First of all, the whole process from beginning to end will take a while. I’m not saying that to scare you away. I’m just being realistic. The upside to this is you will finish if you stick to it. Do not back down. Take a break, yes, but don’t get discouraged. The ideas and creativity will come and go. Jesus is my inspiration. Without Him my efforts are meh.

All that being said, what do you do first? Well, there are some things one must think about and decide on before sitting down at the computer to write. Those things come in the form of questions to answer first and/or things to think about. You will find them below.

Do you want to write fiction or nonfiction?
In what genre do you want to write? If you want to write fantasy, what type of fantasy? High/epic fantasy? Low fantasy? Magical realism? Sword and sorcery? Dark fantasy? Fables? Fairy tales? Superhero fiction? Be specific. If you want to write a romance, there are quite a few of those, too. I just decided to pick on fantasy at the moment.
Who is your reader? Young adult? Children? Older adults? Adults?
Why are you writing the book?
Learn the three act structure of a book (fiction).
Get to know your characters.
Ask yourself ‘what if’ questions. This will help you with creating your story and give you something to build it around.
Decide on the best time of day to write and write everyday.
Explore ideas.
Loosen up your writing and relax.

As you can see from this list, there is much to think about. Relax, take your time with it, and about all…have fun.

Writing

It will improve your information and writing skills when you’ll research to write blog

Posted on September 1, 2023 by L. M. Montes

Daily writing prompt Why do you blog? View all responses Research is a crucial component of blogging that can significantly enhance your information and writing skills. As I researched on this topic (body spray for men). Here’s a more detailed explanation of how research can be beneficial: Depth of Knowledge: Researching a topic thoroughly before […]
It will improve your information and writing skills when you’ll research to write blog

Setting

Description and Setting

Posted on August 14, 2023 by L. M. Montes

Describe your setting within your story in such a way that the reader sees, feels, smells, and maybe even hears your created setting. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to use many many words to describe it. After all, you don’t want the reader to put your book/story down. Just choose your words wisely. Test out what you wrote on a friend and see what they think. I tried to read a book by a very famous author (whose name I won’t mention) and put it down because they over described. I lost interest fast. The movies were better.

When I’m describing a setting, I imagine I am actually there. I use action verbs. For tense there are times when linking verbs must be used. I try as best I can to use descriptive words that pack a punch (so to speak). Also, try to create intrigue, mystery, tension, or another type of feeling as you’re describing (this will depend on the type of scene you’re creating).

Description isn’t as hard as I might be making it out to be. Just write your scene, then do some ‘nip and tuck’ later to tighten things up.