Guest speaker Corinna Dominy
We had a great meeting in February! Though our numbers have continued to be small, it did not making hearing from Corinna about How to Write a Book any less enjoyable or informative! Corinna did an excellent job of breaking down the steps it takes to start and complete a book. Fortunately for those of you who missed our latest meeting, Corinna had some bullet points printed out for us, and I am an avid note taker! So without further ado, here's what you missed-
How to Write a Book
By Corinna Dominy, Author of "Matters of the Heart" and "Marcus & Lyric"
The first step to writing a book, is to start with an idea. But Corinna poses a good question,
"Where do you get an idea?"
For some of us, our heads are simply swarming with ideas and it a more of a matter of narrowing an idea down. For others, we may be stuck in a creative stint. Here is what Corinna suggests to help you get started-
1) Watch movies or read books-
Now, of course Corinna doesn't mean to COPY movies or books, because that lacks creativity (and would be illegal). What she does mean though, is that often times you can find inspiration, by hearing or seeing stories that others have written. Perhaps you can envision a different plot or story ending. If you enjoy writing mystery novels, you may find that watching Pride and Prejudice or reading Matters of the Heart gives you a new idea on how to incorporate more romance in your novel! Expand your horizons by reading and watching more stories!
2) Life-
All of us have particular childhood memories, days that intertwine and create the deep roots of our lives. In turn producing uniquely beautiful foliage that we can either hide away, or gather inspiration from. Life can be complicated and messy, wonderful and chaotic. Often times, this makes fantastic grounds for a story. Roll with what you've got! Ugly memories or blissful moments, anything can sprout into a story.
3) Dreams-
Don't discount that crazy alternate reality that comes when you are sleeping. That dream about the Unicorn who found a pool of gold in Utah? Write it down. That nightmare about giving birth to a salmon and being labeled as a horrible parent for keeping in the fridge? Write it down. That wonderful dream where you met your soul mate while backpacking through the tiny town of Lebanon, Oregon? Write it down! Bottom line is, sometimes dreams can make for great beginnings. Even if they are a little out there. All you need is an idea to get you started!
"Where do you get an idea?"
For some of us, our heads are simply swarming with ideas and it a more of a matter of narrowing an idea down. For others, we may be stuck in a creative stint. Here is what Corinna suggests to help you get started-
1) Watch movies or read books-
Now, of course Corinna doesn't mean to COPY movies or books, because that lacks creativity (and would be illegal). What she does mean though, is that often times you can find inspiration, by hearing or seeing stories that others have written. Perhaps you can envision a different plot or story ending. If you enjoy writing mystery novels, you may find that watching Pride and Prejudice or reading Matters of the Heart gives you a new idea on how to incorporate more romance in your novel! Expand your horizons by reading and watching more stories!
2) Life-
All of us have particular childhood memories, days that intertwine and create the deep roots of our lives. In turn producing uniquely beautiful foliage that we can either hide away, or gather inspiration from. Life can be complicated and messy, wonderful and chaotic. Often times, this makes fantastic grounds for a story. Roll with what you've got! Ugly memories or blissful moments, anything can sprout into a story.
3) Dreams-
Don't discount that crazy alternate reality that comes when you are sleeping. That dream about the Unicorn who found a pool of gold in Utah? Write it down. That nightmare about giving birth to a salmon and being labeled as a horrible parent for keeping in the fridge? Write it down. That wonderful dream where you met your soul mate while backpacking through the tiny town of Lebanon, Oregon? Write it down! Bottom line is, sometimes dreams can make for great beginnings. Even if they are a little out there. All you need is an idea to get you started!
Now that you have some great ideas to help get you started, Corinna recommends expanding. How do you do that you ask? By following these 4 simple steps!
Step 1) Choose your medium-
Do you prefer to wield your trusty pen against the savageness of a blank page, or fight of the white monster with your keyboard? Whatever your weapon of choice, write in a way that makes you feel the most creative and comfortable. If you feel that a computer stifles your ingenious creativity with its glaring screen and seemingly shifty keyboard letters, then stick with a your favorite pen and a trusty notebook! If your writing hand can't match the powers of your slick typing fingers, then put the pencil away and treat your keyboard with a little more affection. It will be your part time lover until your story is finished.
Step 2) Make a list of characters, develop and visualize!-
(disclaimer: at some point, you may hear your characters talking to you. Don't worry, you aren't crazy, your are an author! Embrace the dialog they present you with!)
If there is anything Corinna wants you to remember about this step, it is to WRITE IT DOWN! And do it quickly, before you forget. Whether its a description of your character's appearance (hair and eye color, face shape, height, build, etc.), a particular set of morals that your character will adhere to, or even a birthday for your character, it is important to write it down and keep it all together so that you can remain consistent through out your story. When you are in the trenches of ink smudges and a surge of inspiration, it can be easy to forget that your main character is a red head when you are envisioning how "the sun light danced on the back of his golden curls as his shadow stretched out in front him, long and narrow..."
Step 3) Plot Line-
This is were you write down the basic premise of your story. What do you envision this story being? A romance? A thriller? A mystery? Perhaps a bit of multiple genres. Will all of our characters survive? Will it house a happy ending or will the end be in the demise of an important person? As your story develops, your vision may change. But it is helpful to write down your original idea for your book in the beginning.
Step 4) Chapters-
Corinna recommends dissecting your plot line into chapters, and deciding on naming or numbering each chapter. This will be a step that you can do as your story progresses, or when your story is finished and in the editing stage. It will depend largely on your personal preference.
A few more tidbits and resources from Corinna-
Also, a great way to get more insight is to network with fellow authors! Come to our monthly meetings to meet other creative souls such as yourself!
Step 1) Choose your medium-
Do you prefer to wield your trusty pen against the savageness of a blank page, or fight of the white monster with your keyboard? Whatever your weapon of choice, write in a way that makes you feel the most creative and comfortable. If you feel that a computer stifles your ingenious creativity with its glaring screen and seemingly shifty keyboard letters, then stick with a your favorite pen and a trusty notebook! If your writing hand can't match the powers of your slick typing fingers, then put the pencil away and treat your keyboard with a little more affection. It will be your part time lover until your story is finished.
Step 2) Make a list of characters, develop and visualize!-
(disclaimer: at some point, you may hear your characters talking to you. Don't worry, you aren't crazy, your are an author! Embrace the dialog they present you with!)
If there is anything Corinna wants you to remember about this step, it is to WRITE IT DOWN! And do it quickly, before you forget. Whether its a description of your character's appearance (hair and eye color, face shape, height, build, etc.), a particular set of morals that your character will adhere to, or even a birthday for your character, it is important to write it down and keep it all together so that you can remain consistent through out your story. When you are in the trenches of ink smudges and a surge of inspiration, it can be easy to forget that your main character is a red head when you are envisioning how "the sun light danced on the back of his golden curls as his shadow stretched out in front him, long and narrow..."
Step 3) Plot Line-
This is were you write down the basic premise of your story. What do you envision this story being? A romance? A thriller? A mystery? Perhaps a bit of multiple genres. Will all of our characters survive? Will it house a happy ending or will the end be in the demise of an important person? As your story develops, your vision may change. But it is helpful to write down your original idea for your book in the beginning.
Step 4) Chapters-
Corinna recommends dissecting your plot line into chapters, and deciding on naming or numbering each chapter. This will be a step that you can do as your story progresses, or when your story is finished and in the editing stage. It will depend largely on your personal preference.
A few more tidbits and resources from Corinna-
- Make sure to do your research when necessary. If you writing historical fiction, you can still incorporate real dates and events. But make sure that they are accurate if you do! Readers appreciate the finer details.
- Once your book is finished, (primped, primed, and edited) the sky is the limit for publishing. But depending on the size of your personal wallet, you might prefer some options over others. Amazon and CreateSpace for example are great self-publishing sites for the author on a budget. Redemption Press is a little more cha-ching, and is designated for Christian authors. But the upside is that they will advertise your work for you, unlike self-publishing sites that leave the grunt work to you.
- Although searching for publishers can be overwhelming, it is an important aspect in becoming a published author. Google of course is a great starting place. But there are resources such as facebook author groups. These groups often have specific rules to adhere to and you may need to request approval for membership. These group can be valuable assets to any author, if you can get plugged into one that works for you. Our own Lebanon Writers Clique has a budding group page, feel free to request your invite today!
Also, a great way to get more insight is to network with fellow authors! Come to our monthly meetings to meet other creative souls such as yourself!