Rasmus Rasmussen dot com » Writing

Final Prophecy Update and Finishing Things

Rasmus — Thu, 10 May 2012 02:32:18 +0000

The second draft of my fantasy short is done. I’ve written about “The Final Prophecy” before, but I will add that finishing the second draft was tougher than expected. When I got to the last chapter and a half, I stalled. That’s usually a good sign, because the harder it is for me to finish something, the more I’ve loved working on it. So much so, I don’t want it to end. Luckily, I eventually got tired of procrastinating and went back to work.

The next step is more revision. Editing used to scare me, but now I see it as a chance to polish and tweak where needed – and in the worst case scenario spot a dud before I send it out into the world. Finishing the second draft is still a milestone worth mentioning, because this is the part of the process where I involve a few trusted readers. They are the Wise Ones who point out where the holes are, and the inconsistencies as well as the gems and the exciting stuff. Their feedback provide the setup for writing draft three.

There is also inspiration coming from the gaming campaign, I’m running parallel to the writing. We just finished running an adventure set a few years after the events described in “The Final Prophecy”, but in much the same location, and some of the questions posed by the players as part of our game, provided excellent fodder for the story. Details about the daily life, geography and mythology that had not crossed my mind before.

And it doesn’t end there. I recently read two excellent pieces that helped kick me back into writing mode. One is an interview with Stephen King by Neil Gaiman. The insight into King’s process and approach was highly motivating to me. Then I read Second Drafts are a Way of Life by Ryan Macklin, the timing of which could not have been better. Both are recommended reading to any writer.

Now I’m going to take a short break from the story, while I filter it out to the Wise Ones. And in the meantime, I hope to ride the wave of finishing things, and get my arcade iPhone game – Nebula Rescue – done and out the door.

D&D Campaign: Sundering Wrath

Rasmus — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:08:50 +0000

Do you play Dungeons & Dragons? It was the first roleplaying game I ever played, and it quite dramatically changed my life. Who would have thought that a single session, playing a level 3 fighter someone else had rolled for me, could have such an impact. After many years away from the game I returned to D&D in 2010.

I ran a homegrown 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign entitled “Sundering Wrath”. We played almost the entire Heroic Tier before Life got in the way of our group. But I like planning ahead and frankly love writing this stuff (it’s a comfort thing, I’ve been writing game material since the 5th grade), so of course I had notes going all the way through the Epic Tier.

I have folders of scribblings, sketches and maps for Sundering Wrath. When we played, I started a blog dedicated to the campaign – I’ll be moving some of its content over here one of these days. Encouraged by Kelly, who thought I should do something with all these notes of mine, I put together an 11-page campaign outline.

If you’re looking for inspiration for your own D&D game, maybe this will help.

Download: Sundering Wrath – Campaign Outline (pdf)

The download is completely free, just right click and save it.

The campaign outline includes a brief introduction to the setting, background story and a campaign arc outlining each tier. The Heroic tier is split into individual adventure ideas (including stats and details for the main villain, Krogar Shadowsting), and also included is a template of unique powers for the badguys to wield.

Go ahead, roll initiative…

A Prophecy and the End of an Age

Rasmus — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 22:31:41 +0000

I just finished the first draft of a fantasy short with the working title “The Final Prophecy of Jalahar”. I may change the title later, and keep this as a subtitle, but never mind that for now. Finishing a first draft is always a great feeling and this is no exception.

More than anything, I’m happy to have written (and finished) a piece of fiction. I’ve missed writing fiction, and fantasy is a genre I haven’t touched in years, unless you count writing out gaming adventures as fiction (which I don’t). The creative freedom when writing, is one of my favorite things in the world, because you can literaly invent and do anything. It’s daunting for that same reason.

This particular story is part of a grander scheme. I plan on releasing it online when it has been edited, polished off and illustrated, and if enough of you like the story I will write another one. I have a couple of hundred years worth of tales to tell about this world I am creating, and because of that I want to let the readers pick which details they want to hear more about in the next story.

The story itself takes place towards the end of the Age of Glory. If you saw my post about the creation myth, you may have noticed that I split my timeline up in Ages of historical significance. The Age of Glory is period of stability and prosperity amongst common folk, which I thought made it a good, neutral starting point.

The main character in this story is a young novice monk named Hedric. I am not going to reveal too much about the plot, except that it has something to do with a prophet named Jalahar. If that just isn’t enough for you, I have posted part of the prophecy itself below…

SPOILER ALERT!
Here are two verses from somewhere in the middle of the prophecy…

And War and Pestilence shall plague the Realm
And Madness will follow in its wake

The Army of Souls shall march across the land
And Dark Beasts of Terror shall follow

English Scares Me (or Why I Need an Editor)

Rasmus — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:14:00 +0000

Yesterday, I tweeted that writing fiction in English is sometimes intimidating to me, because English is my second language (Danish being my first). I got a couple of responses, encouraging me to write about it, and to remember the wonderful writers that came before me, who also wrote in English though it was a second language to them. Joseph Conrad and Karen Blixen come to mind, not that I would otherwise compare myself to these masters.

When I write stuff like what you are reading now, I don’t think so much about my choice of words, sentence and paragraph structure and that sort of thing. When I write fiction, those are all very important elements of portraying characters, describing locations and setting the scene. That is when I am sometimes hit with the intimidation stick – it’s easy to feel like my vocabulary is too limited, or that my style is too heavily influenced by something else.

For writing my initial draft, I try not to let it hold me back too much. The important thing is getting the story down and try to make it hold up structurally. Second draft is where language starts taking a front seat.

Thinking about it, I realized that many native English speakers also struggle with writing, for very similar reasons. Maybe we all compare ourselves to those we admire, whether we want to or not. That might make anyone doubt their abilities. The only real answer I have come up with is this: use an editor!

Best case scenario, find a professional who knows what they are doing, and have them give you notes. You can point out what your exact doubts are, and they will keep an eye out for it. And they will point out stuff you haven’t even thought of. I have written books both with and without the help of an editor, and it just confirmed that having that extra set of eyes does make a huge difference.

I have met writers who say: I can’t afford an editor. I usually counter by asking how long it took them to finish the first draft. Often the answer is several years. My point is: if your story is important enough that you will spend years of your life writing it, it should also be worth a few bucks to have an editor help you polish off the details. Many freelance editors are surprisingly affordable and willing to negotiate (they know most writers aren’t exactly rolling in cash).

If you can’t find an editor you like, use your network – if you’re writing a science fiction novel and your buddy is a hardcore sci-fi nerd, by all means have him take a look – just remember that friends don’t always make the most honest critics, because nobody likes to potentially upset their friends. It helps if your friend is a writing pro of some sort, so they have an understanding of what goes into structuring and writing a story. Librarians, teachers and journalists can make for excellent editor replacements.

The Creation of a Creation Myth

Rasmus — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 01:02:36 +0000

My very first novel length story was a fantasy tale based on a roleplaying campaign I had run with a group of friends, a couple of years earlier. It was back in the 90s somewhere, when this idea first took hold of me. I wrote the story, made a handful of photocopies and handed them to friends and family, and that was the end of it. Except not really. A decade and a half later, here we are.

Some of the basic ideas in the story kept coming back to me over the years, and eventually, not too long ago, I stopped resisting and started taking notes. I was excited to have given in and returned to an old source of inspiration, but I soon discovered that I had unleashed an unstoppable force. So many ideas for details, myths, legends, heroes, villains and places popped into my head, my note taking couldn’t keep up.

I wanted to write a specific story, but found I needed to know more about the past for it to work, so I set about writing another story, about one of those past events. Only to find that I needed to go even further back in time. So finally, I said fuck it and started at the very beginning – with the creation myth!

I took a look at the notes I already had about my pantheon of gods and the earliest ages, and then wrote them out how I imagined they would be written in the Allbook, the holy scriptures of my imagined world.

What my ultimate ambitions are for this, I honestly cannot say. It started with old, festering inspiration, an itch to write some fiction, and because I missed the nerdery of running a roleplaying campaign. But because I am having so much fun with it, and because I hate the thought of anything gathering digital dust on my hard drive, I thought I’d share the creation myth.

Obligatory disclaimer: I’m not saying this is amazingly original or anything, just that this is what I wrote, and I hope you like it.

In the Age of Darkness there was only the Allfather and the Allmother, and between them the Dark Void. Nothing could exist in the Void, for it was Evil and full of Corruption. But the Allfather and the Allmother were young and in love, and they were determined to bridge the Darkness, so that they might be together. Love was their strength, Light was their power.

And they fought the Darkness together, Allfather wielding the Sword of Light, Allmother the Spear of Love. For thousands of years they fought through the Darkness, until the last of the Void had been filled with Light and Love, and the two were finally able to share each others’ embrace. So ended the Age of Darkness, and so began the Age of Creation.

For as many years as they had battled the Void, the Allmother and Allfather coupled. And they became as one, and they would be known as The Creators. And the World grew where the Void had been, and The Creators birthed seven children, and the children were each given a domain.

Olleth the Firstborn was wise and strong, and was given domain over Life and Learning, and tasked to guide his sisters and brothers in their rule.

Sandril the Blue, eldest of the sisters, willful and gracious, was given domain over the Rivers and the Seas, and all of their bounties. Throndar the Grey, Sandril’s twin brother, forceful and restless, was given domain over the Rain, Winds and Lightning.

Ehlor the Brave, youngest of the sons, was given domain over stone and fire. Zira the Thin, lastborn and scrawny, but of stronger mind than any of the others, was given domain over the Underworld.

For all true power comes at a cost, and the price of Life and Love, was Death. And the Underworld was carved from the Darkness and sealed to protect Life and Love even after Death.

And when the children of The Creators sat in their thrones in the Palace of the Gods, The Creators knew it was time to leave the world they had created. And so ended the Age of Creation.

The Creators left but did not truly abandon the fruit of their Love and the Life they had seeded, for the Darkness can never be fully destroyed and will forever threaten to devour the World. And The Creators traveled to the ends of the World, to keep Darkness from swallowing up the World, restoring the Dark Void once more.

In the Age of Discovery the Seven Gods left their Palace to teach and guide the first of the Noble Races. For one thousand years, they walked among us. Cities and castles were built with their help, and the Noble Races created Law.

And the Seven Gods bred with the Noble Races and the first Champions were born. And the Gods withdrew to their seats, from whence they could observe and direct, whilst the Noble Races began forming destinies of their own.

So began the Age of Champions, where the First Nations were formed. When the Noble Races tamed the World and battled the Shadows born from the destruction of the Dark Void. For one thousand years the Champions led their armies against the Shadow King.

Kalor son of Ehlor quested for three hundred years for a shard of the Allfather’s blade, the Sword of Light. From the shard he forged the Shining Dagger, which was given to Anasa, daughter of Sandril. Using the power of water, the Fellowship of Champions lured the Shadow King to Anasa’s Sunken Castle, where the water played tricks with light and shadow.

And Axas, daughter of Zira, called upon her mother’s power and traveled through the Underworld to take the Shadow King by surprise. Water hid the blade forged from Light and carried through the land of death, and Axas came upon the Shadow King with swift fury and severed his head from his body.

And when the Shadow King died his black blood ran into the river, and though the King had been slain and his army would soon be vanquished, the black blood had washed into the sea. And every living creature was tainted by the black blood, as all living things must drink. And so ended the Age of Champions.

And the Age of War began.

Halloween Flash Fiction

Rasmus — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 21:56:05 +0000

I love a good short story. I love writing exercises too, and when I recently read Wil Wheaton’s flash fiction story “The Monster In My Closet“, I felt the familiar smack of inspiration hitting me in the back of my mind.

In his post, Wil talks about the little horror stories he used to enjoy as a kid and about writing a short story and putting it out there without editing it too much. Well, I remember those little stories too, and wanted to add a flash fiction story of my own.

So here it is, just in time for Halloween…
(Want to save it for later? Download the pdf.)

The Last Trick or Treat

Every street has an Evil House. That one place where all the kids know not to go, and if you should happen to shoot a ball into that front yard, you write it off as lost forever. The house on our street had been empty since before I was born and it was in bad repair. Some of the windows were broken, the paint had nearly all peeled off and shingles had come off the roof in patches. The yard was so overgrown there was no telling what might be hiding in the tall grass, or in the shade of two large oak trees that hid most of the house from view.

There was a walking path of cracked, mossy tiles leading through a rusty iron fence, past the oak trees and up to the front porch. Once I ventured as far as the trees, to get a better glimpse of the house itself. It was a sunny day and when I saw it, the house looked more sad than evil, just broken down and abandoned. Still, I felt good about overcoming my fear and taking a closer look.

Naturally, I boasted about my adventure like any eight-year-old would, and the other kids on my street were duly impressed. Even Lanky Jones, whose dad was going to buy him a car next summer, had nodded with respect at my brave venture. Then freckle faced Molly had to go and ruin it all by saying she didn’t believe me. She wanted proof!

I don’t hit girls, but if I did, I would have hit Molly for sure. There was a smile on her face like she didn’t even care if I was telling the truth or not. She just wanted to cause trouble for me, and it worked. Soon some of the other kids, most of them older than me, began to question the truth of my tale.

“You did NOT walk all the way past the trees!” Molly shrieked.

“Did too!” I said.

“Did not!” she said.

“Want me to do it again?” I said. “I will, and you can see for yourself.” I felt fairly certain I could find the courage to walk up there a second time, especially with the likes of Lanky Jones paying me notice. I should have guessed that simply walking up to the trees was not enough for Molly.

“If you’re so brave,” she said, “why don’t you do it on Halloween night?”

The other kids all liked that idea. There was much murmuring, nodding of heads and grinning. I was the only one who didn’t seem to care much for Molly’s plan, but what could I do? I was the one who had been bragging and now I was caught. It was a fiendishly smart plan. Halloween was not only the creepiest, most evil night of the year, it was also one of the few nights we kids were allowed to go out after dark. Molly smirked and sensed victory.

“Are you scared?” she asked mockingly.

“No,” I said, trying my best to puff out my chest and look as tough as Lanky. “I’m not scared. It makes no difference to me if it’s halloween.”

And so it was. Eventually summer ended and school began again, and I hoped no one would remember Molly’s dare by the time October came around. But of course, I was wrong. With two weeks to go, she made sure to bring it up in front of everyone.

The next day, I walked by the old house again. I stopped and took a good look. The yard was overgrown and the trees were large and gnarly, but it was the house that was truly scary. Slowly, I began to hatch a plan to get back at Molly. I would go up the path as far as the trees using a flashlight to light my way. Then, as I got to the old oaks, I would click the light off and quickly hide. Maybe even let out a scream. And then I would wait and watch as the others began to worry, slink off home, and the next time I saw them, I would pretend to not remember anything at all. My plan was spooky and creepy and perfect.

And then the night was upon us; it was halloween. Six of us were gathered in front of the Evil House. Lanky Jones was there, so were the pudgy Wesley twins, and Anna Milton – the prettiest girl in my class, invited especially by Molly just so I wouldn’t back out at the last second.

As confident as I had been in my plan, my cool went out the window as soon as I was standing there, looking down the narrow path of tiles, leading into darkness. It was different at night. It felt like the darkness could eat you up if you ventured too far into it. If you squinted, you could barely make out the outline of the house itself, like a monster waiting in the dark. I reminded myself that I didn’t have to go all the way to the house, and that the trees wouldn’t harm me, just hide me from sight.

The twins both hooted and cheered as I took the first few steps. I looked back and saw Anna with her eyes wide open, Molly with her familiar smirk, and Lanky Jones cracking his knuckles in what I chose to read as a sign of respect. Then I turned on my flashlight and turned back towards the dark path before me.

“Remember,” Molly yelled, “it’s bad luck to step on the cracks.”

Everyone laughed, even Lanky, as I involuntarily looked down at my feet. If she was right, I was doomed, I thought at the sight of no less than three cracks coming together under my shoe. I shook off her attempt to rattle me, and kept walking.

It seemed like forever before I got to the trees, I could see the house more clearly now and a chill ran down my spine. Was the front door open? Was that the faintest flicker of a light in there? Or maybe just the light from my flashlight being reflected off a shard of broken glass? The wind picked up and seemed to whisper in my ear. I had to hurry up and hide before my courage ran out.

I screamed and turned off my light. Then I ran to the nearest tree and hid behind its thick, knotted trunk. I could see the other kids out there under the street lights. They were standing on the tips of their toes, peering into the dark, trying to spot me. It made me smile when I saw Anna say something with a worried look on her face. I could not make out the words, but she pointed towards the house as she spoke, and Molly did not seem too pleased about it. The two twins were fidgeting. As seconds became minutes, I felt less scared myself, now that I was watching my plan unfold. I had to bite my lip to avoid laughing.

Finally, Lanky Jones stepped forward and said something. He pulled out a flashlight of his own and pointed up the path. The twins turned white and tried to back away, but the other kids wouldn’t have it, and soon they all started up the path. I began to worry that they would spot me. With nowhere to run, I pressed myself up against the tree and tried to blend in. As long as Lanky’s light did not sweep directly across me, I had a chance of staying hidden.

Soon enough, I could hear them approaching.

“I really don’t think this is a good idea,” said one of the Wesleys, his voice a hoarse whisper.

“Shut up and keep walking.” said Lanky Jones.

“Look!” Molly said, her voice shaky and low. “The front door.”

“Do you think he went inside?” Anna asked Molly.

“We’re going in to find him,” Lanky said. “We all heard the scream. If he is trouble, we owe it to him to help.”

“I don’t owe him anything,” Molly protested.

“You dared him to do this,” Lanky shot back. “You owe him more than the rest of us combined.”

“Hurry up,” Anna said. “if he is in trouble we shouldn’t waste time fighting about it.”

They were at the front porch now. I could hardly believe they were all about to go inside, looking for me. The door being open was a lucky break, I thought, and again I almost burst out laughing. In the meantime, the old porch creaked loudly as other kids climbed the steps to the front door. Quiet as mice they went inside, one at a time.

As the last Wesley stepped inside the door suddenly slammed shut behind him. The sound was so loud, I thought my heart was going to jump right out of my throat. I screamed then, I’m not going to lie about that, and ran as fast as I could back home. That was the last time I ever went trick or treating. And no one ever saw Molly, the Wesley twins, Anna or Lanky Jones again.

Festering Ideas and Fantasy Fun

Rasmus — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 02:42:38 +0000

The following is from my notes to “The Whale Omen” – a fantasy roleplaying adventure based off of an older project – my very first attempt at writing a novel, when I was still but a young and innocent teenager. That novel was in itself inspired by an experimental gaming campaign I co-ran with a friend.

I love how ideas can sit and fester for years, blend with other ideas and influences, and come back out looking all new and shiny again.

The reason it came back, was that I started reading the excellent fantasy series “A Song of Ice and Fire” by George R. R. Martin. That made me think of the novel I had written (which I am not ashamed to say, barely deserves even getting mentioned in the same paragraph as mr. Martin’s epic series), which in turn inspired me to want to rewrite it now, 15+ years later. The only thing is, I’m already not writing one novel.

Still, I could not shake it. So, I turned it into a gaming adventure once more, which may yet inspire even further writing later.

The point I’m making is this: the good ideas can be recycled, transmuted and disguised many times over the years. The trick is to keep working with it, or at least that’s my theory.

The Whale Omen Intro

“The Whale Omen” is fantasy with a nordic medieval flavor. The characters are from a clan at the top of Rockbite Bay in the far and barren north, a village of whalers. Magic exists in this world but is rare and regarded with fear and suspicion. The characters are skilled but normal people with a personal tie to this village; it is their home. Once coastal raiders, the people here now catch whales and do trade instead, and live longer, happier lives for it.

Every spring, whales in great numbers pass by and the whalers go out with nets and harpoons. The villagers use everything from their catch. But this year is different. The whales came late, and when they arrived, they were all dead. Bloated, foul smelling carcasses floated past the village for three days.

Many think it is an omen, and the survival of the village is at stake. No whales means nothing to trade but a few sheep and barrels of salted herring. Not enough.

Introducing Another Passion

Rasmus — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:21:59 +0000

One of the most inspiring things to me, is to connect to other creative people. It doesn’t matter which kind of creativity, really. It’s about the need to make things, tell stories and doing what you love. Another Passion is my latest ongoing project. It’s a collection of mostly interviews with diversely talented people who are each following their own passion. The blog officially launched in January 2010 with an interview with Tracy Record, who runs a very successful hyperlocal news site.

My plan is to use Another Passion as a muse and motivator, as well as a way of networking locally.

Each interview I write for Another Passion is accompanied by a few portraits. I have made it a rule for myself that all the featured photography must be shot specifically for the content. As much as I love to write, I am also a photographer after all and showcasing my work is important. Also, to take photos I have to meet people face to face, in an age where it would be easier to do the entire interview through e-mail or IM.

The offline aspect adds much more than just the photos, of course. A real handshake and being able to read facial expressions and body language takes it to another level, both in terms of the interview and the networking value. I am much more likely to keep up with people I have had a face-to-face conversation with, next to someone I only know through the web.

Has it generated direct photography business for me? No, not yet. But the blog is still new and I’m confident that it will lead to the occasional client referral down the road. I’ll be happy to settle for the inspiration and satisfaction of simply running Another Passion though, and I don’t use the interviews to pitch my photography services. That has to come organically.

I hope you’ll enjoy Another Passion and find some inspiration through the stories of other creatives. There is also a separate Twitter account for this project. Follow @anotherpassion.

Top 10 Tips : Starting and Finishing the 1st Draft

Rasmus — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 20:55:07 +0000

With this year’s Nanowrimo, I will be finishing the first draft of a novel for the fifth time. It’s a great feeling, to reach that last page and set down that last period. Whenever I’ve done that, I always sit and stare blankly at the screen for a while. In slight disbelief that I did it. That it’s over.

However, getting there is no picnic. Writing is hard work, of that there should be no doubt. On top of the many hours of manually plugging away, possibly wearing out your keyboard in the process, there’s the planning and plotting, the doubt about what you’re doing, the research. And afterwards, there’s the editing.

But like the artist starts with a sketch, so does the writer. I thought, I would share my top ten tips to getting that first draft done, based on my own experiences as well as what I’ve read and heard from other writers.

01 : Hatch the plot

First thing you’ll need is a story to tell. Chances are, that you already have an idea, but that you’re unsure whether or not it’s good enough to last the entire length of a novel. My advice would be to apply the good old what-if technique here. Jot down your basic idea, then examine it by supposing that characters and circumstances were different than you thought. Explore how many different directions your plot could go in. Soon more and more ideas, twists and sub-plots will present themselves. That’s when you know, you’ve got a writeable story.

02 : Understand your characters

Take your main characters and write up profiles for them. Short one-page bios about their backgrounds, their passions and dreams, their most embarrassing moments and regrets. Having this kind of information in advance will prove a goldmine later, when your characters are put into the action, and you need to figure out how they react. Don’t do it for every character. Pick the five or six most important ones. You can always write up extra bios later, if new and important characters present themselves.

03 : It begins with the end

J. K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame, has long said that she wrote the final chapter of the seven book saga a long time ago. This is a great idea, becuase it will give you a distinct goal to write towards. If you don’t want to actually write a chapter (personally, I think my stories flow better if I don’t write them in fragments), you should at least make a few notes on, how you want it all to end. Where will all your main characters be, when it’s all over?

04 : Write out scene-cards

Try to identify what the main turning points in your story will be and write them down on index cards. Include a brief (2-3 lines) description of the scene along with a location and the names of characters present, if applicable. Don’t bother trying to get every scene onto a card. The idea is that when you’re actually writing, you’ll start with the opening scene, while having the card next to you as you write. When that scene is over, flip to the next card and write whatever you need to write, to get your characters to where that scene begins. There may be lots of scenes in between, but you’ll still know where you’re going, and it will give you a sense of accomplishment, every time you get to move on to the next card in the stack.

05 : Don’t forget that this is a draft

Throughout the writing process, you have to remember that a first draft is just that. A draft. Your main concern should be to tell your story, plain and simple. Try not to be overly concerned about the more technical aspects of writing, such as dialogue or description, and concentrate on the flow of events instead. Make sure your characters act like themselves and that the story progresses and eventually comes to its conclusion. And leave the details for the editing process. Practically no novels are written in one draft, but rather through many revisions and editing sessions. Don’t expect that your first draft will be any different.

06 : Find your writing space

Some prefer to write in the comfort of their home, some like to stay after hours at the office. I like to write in coffee shops. When deciding where to write, consider the following: Will you be able to relax there? Will you be able to concentrate? What I like about coffee shops is, that I have a clean table to start off with, I have someone to supply me with a steady stream of caffeine and I often use the other people in there as inspiration – when in need of a quick description for a character in your book, look at the person sitting next to you.

07 : Get rid of distractions

Clear your desk of unopened mail, disable your internet when you write and make sure you had something to eat (but not too much). If you go out to write, leave your cellphone at home. If you stay at home, close the door and tell your room mate to stay out. When you write, eventually your mind will tell you, that this is hard and that other things might be more fun. I’ve found that putting yourself in a position, where distracting yourself requires an effort, you’ll end up getting more writing done.

08 : Set daily goals and stick to them

Even if you don’t write every day, on the days when you do write, you should set yourself a goal. Promise yourself to write for exactly two hours or that you’ll write 2000 words that day. Don’t set it too high, or you’ll end up not making it. The whole point is, that it will serve a victory for you, when you get to the finish line. I used to say, that I’d write as much as I could, in the time it would take me to finish a tall latte, then take a ten minute break and do it all over again. But I’m a slow drinker, so that model might not work for you. It’s all about driving yourself forward. Not writing is the writer’s worst enemy.

09 : Never stop at the end of a chapter

I’m not talking about when you’re getting ready to finish the entire novel here, but rather the individual writing sessions. If you leave off in the middle of something, you’ll be wanting to get back to it and finish the scene you were writing on. Starting at the beginning of a new chapter or scene, requires more effort and will feel like a cold start every time. If you’re afraid to forget that brilliant surprise at the end of the scene you were writing, chances are that you’ll find time to write again sooner, than you might otherwise do.

10 : Keep it to yourself as you go

As soon as people hear that you’re writing a book, the first question will be: What’s it about? My advice is: Don’t tell them. There are two reasons for this. First of all, there’s a tendency, that once you’ve verbalized your plot enough times, you’ll eventually start feeling, like you’ve already told the story, and it will be a lot harder to do the manual work of actually writing it. The second reason is, that you now know that there are people out there, who are curious about your writing. That’s fantastic motivation for getting it done, so they can finally read it.

I Might Kill You

Rasmus — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 23:01:41 +0000

As a writer it happens that you meet people, who will want to be in your stories. Some literally ask for it, while others have something about them, which lends itself well to whatever you’re writing on.

A while back, I attended the opening of a new restaurant here in Seattle. As I made myself comfortable in the wine bar (where else?), I started talking to this lady. She was dressed in a sharp, navy blue dress that could probably serve as both a business outfit and something for a night out. She turned out to be a lobbyist, working for both republicans and democrats, helping them push issues through where ever she was needed.

There was definitely an aura of power about her. She worded every sentence carefully, as if the world was listening, smiled a lot and it was obvious to me, that someone like her would be an interesting character to put in a crime novel. So, when she asked me what I do, I told her about the books I write and added that I thought, I might kill her off in one of them. This luckily went over very well, and the stories she told immediately grew even more exciting. Thinking about it now, I probably should have gotten her e-mail address.

Though that time, the person’s job, charisma and even clothes were like taken right out of a novel, most often I am not this lucky. Usually, there are only bits and pieces of a person, which I can use. A barista at the local coffee place, where I often go to write, joked around one day and said: “I want to be in your novel.”

At that time, I was currently planning the plot of my next project, so when he said that, I started looking at him. His name is uncommon enough that it’d be good, and him being a skinny dude, barely out of his teens, his description and body language were perfect for a character I was going to add anyway. Okay, so I will have to change his profession, give him a few bad habits and so on, but that’s how it usually is. I don’t think he believed me, when I nodded and answered, that sure, I’d put him in there.

Modelling characters is one of the most important aspects of writing. If you do a bad job, your stories will be flat and fail to grip the readers. It really doesn’t matter if they love or loathe the character, as long as they believe in it and build up an idea of how this person would act under various circumstances. In my experience it is really the little details, that make your characters stand out, and what better place to find those than in the real world, where we are constantly surrounded by people. If you need characters, I suggest you go shopping and do a little spying on the other people in the store. You’ll be surprised what you can pick up.

When people want to be in my stories, I immediately begin to dissect them in my mind. Nearly anyone will have one or more qualities (and in this case, qualities also refers to less fortunate traits), that you can pick up and use. If you’re lucky, there’ll be a whole bag of qualities, and you’ll have an almost finished character right there, ready to get killed off in chapter seven. Or whatever else you might need them for.

The image used for this piece was shot by me and is available on iStockphoto.

Rasmus Rasmussen dot com » Writing

Final Prophecy Update and Finishing Things

You might also enjoy...

D&D Campaign: Sundering Wrath

You might also enjoy...

A Prophecy and the End of an Age

You might also enjoy...

English Scares Me (or Why I Need an Editor)

You might also enjoy...

The Creation of a Creation Myth

You might also enjoy...

Halloween Flash Fiction

The Last Trick or Treat

You might also enjoy...

Festering Ideas and Fantasy Fun

You might also enjoy...

Introducing Another Passion

You might also enjoy...

Top 10 Tips : Starting and Finishing the 1st Draft

You might also enjoy...

I Might Kill You

You might also enjoy...