Random ideas that will help you say what you mean.

Wow. That was a really long title. Oh, well. Yup. It's Patricia. Again.

So I'm just diving in. No friendly greeting, no explanation why Emilie hasn't been on, no nuthin'. 

(Yeah. That was really "just diving in", Patricia. Seriously...)

Anyway. Here are some tips that will help you with your story(ies). Hah. I just made up a new word! Sorry...

1. If you're keeping it on the computer, (which you most likely are. It's the 21st century, guys.) than start a story on paper. Yes, you read me right. On paper. Kaboooom!!! And just like that, paper still exists! Yeah. So keeping a story on paper will help your computer googley eyes to calm down. Because if you attend VPSA, than you know what I mean. And if you don't? I mean, com'on. You probably spend a lot of time each day looking at a screen. 

So. Just keep a story in a notebook, a binder, I don't really care. Just do it on paper. It doesn't even have to be really good. But it really helps to have, what I call my "escape story". If I want to write my heart out, but am sick and tired of my computer, than I go to my story on paper. And it really works, too. 

2. Like we've said before, if you don't know what to write, don't write anything at all. If you're suffering from writers block, just take a break. I find that most of my awesome, amazing, wonderful, best seller ideas come when I am taking a break, because of writers block. And if it doesn't come to you while your taking your break? Ask a friend for help. I have a friend named Emma, and she gets writers block sometimes. (And vice versa). When this happens, after reading our stories to eachother, usually the other person asks: "so what do you think should happen next?"

It really works, too. It has helped me get un-stuck several times. 

So, yeah. Sorry this is short, but I actually have a life outside of blogspot. And that's why Emilie hasn't been on. 

~

Keep writing!

<3

Patricia Rane

Inspiration--- A writers best friend.

It's Patricia, here. 

I know this is the second post in a row, but Emilie is kinda busy. Well, I am too, but that's ok. I consider my fellow authors important... Ok, fine, Emilie. You consider them important too. 

So in this post, I will be talking a lot about inspiration. Inspiration is very important. Think about it. What got you to start writing, in the first place, anyway? Inspiration. That's it. You thought of an awesome idea, and were inspired to develop it. That's great! That's a very important thing for an author, to get a wonderful idea, and base a novel off of it. 

But what happens when the inspiration leaves? It decides to take a vacation to your closet. What happens then? Well... You're not going to like this, but it's my job to tell you the truth.  

Your writing becomes trashy. (I'm not saying you're a trashy writer, heavens no. I'm saying that without the energy of inspiration, your writing isn't as good.

Now you're probably like: "yokay... So, you gonna give me some useful information?" And the answer is: yes. 

So.... How do you get the inspiration to come back from vacation?

Well, unless you want to spend hours, digging through your closet... With a disappointing result, you can follow these steps. (Yes, I am sticking with the blog theme. Take things in steps!)

1). Think about it. 

Where does your inspiration come from? What is it made of? What does it feel like?

Inspiration is a very funny thing. It isn't something physical. It's an emotional, or mental feeling. It's an emotion. When I am inspired, I feel very excited. Like there is a ball of glowing light rising in me. It's enough for me to forsake my sleep, and stay up hours into the night writing my heart out. That's inspiration, guys. It's what motivates you to write. If I sit down and write 20 pages, and my mom asks me what I'm doing, I have gotten used to saying: "my inspiration is back up. It's fixed."

She immediately knows what I'm talking about. 

2). Think about your story. Think about how many hours you've spent, pouring your heart into it. Think about getting it published. Think about people reading it, with a cover on it. 

Doesn't that feel inspiring?

3). Act your story out. I know Emilie used this as an example in another post, but it, truly works every time. When I do this, I usually end up on my bedroom floor in fits of laughter, because I'm acting so ridiculous. And what she said earlier, you end up thinking: "we'll movies are never accurate, anyway, so why not?"

And who knows? Maybe in doing that, you will be able to see flaws in your writing, and make it better. 

What's my favorite line? Yep, you got it!

Keep writing!

<3 

Patricia Rane

Choosing the perfect traits, for your perfect character--- A post by Patricia Rane

Hello there,

It's Patricia, here. And I am here to help you create the perfect character. Yes, you heard me right. I am going to HELP you, not tell you everything that is wrong with you. Now, maybe I might tell you some things NOT to do... but that will only offend you if you are already doing those things. (PLEASE! IM NOT FINISHED!)

So... I bet you've noticed that Emilie and I really like doing things in steps... I think that all of our posts have been in the Step 1, Step 2, Step 3... I think you get the picture. Well, guess what! I am sticking to that format! (Haha... bet you didn't see that coming...)

So, here are some ideas, and steps to making the legitimate character, for your legitimate story.

1. Make your character characterized by something. Ok. That sounds a lot more complicated than it really is... hmm. Let us see... Ooh! I know what will help me explain myself to you! An example!

OK. So I am making an example character for my posts and examples. Her name is Grace. If Grace is more of a humorous, comical person, than I should characterize her with something that fits with her character. Maybe she could be characterized by being sarcastic with people who are against her... (I mean, come on! There has to be a villain! There always is!)
If she gets captured, for instance. I would have her say something smart alec-ish.
BUT. If she's more of a solemn person. Someone who really takes life seriously, and regards her duties in the highest position. IF she is more like that, I would go easy on the humor. I'm not saying take the humor away completely! You know what my greatest pet peeve is? Meeting someone who has no sense of humor. It makes it awkward for everyone. Especially if someone says something sarcastic, and it the humorless person gets offended.
Yeah. Unless you want it to become awkward for your characters, add some humor. (If you want to make a scene awkward, I just killed two birds with one stone! <3 aren't I talented?)
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2. Do a really good job of describing your character.

If Grace has blonde hair, I need to say so. If she has emerald-green eyes, I should say that too.
Now you're probably like: Ok, time to scroll down... it's not like I didn't already know that.
DONT SCROLL DOWN---- THERE IS MORE! ALOT MORE!

When you think about how you describe your characters, you should put all you've got into it. You've put all you've got into your novel, right? So why not do the same with your character description?

And here's another thing to think about... When you're reading a book, what makes you understand, and imagine the characters?
The thing that helps you understand the characters are what they are like. If Grace is sarcastic, you're gonna remember that while reading my book. If she's sweet and kind, you're gonna remember that too. If she gets kicked out of school for under-aged drinking, you are probably going to give her the stereotype of being rebellious.
The thing that helps you imagine the characters is their appearance. If Grace wears jeans with holes in the knees, and a lime-green hoodie, you'd probably classify her as more on the punkish side of things. But, if she wears her school uniform each day without complaint, you would say she's properly normal.  If she has long red hair, and deep blue eyes, you're going to remember her by that.
See what I mean? The appearance and character traits of your characters are crucial! Don't skip over them because you're in a hurry to finish the book! If you take the time to do it right, editing and revising won't take as long, and won't be as night-mare related as you think.

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3. How I play the game. Now that I have given you some ideas to feed your ever-writing brain... I'm gonna tell you how I do it, while you let the heavy stuff sink in.

The first thing I do, when thinking about my character IS.... *trumpets* THEIR NAME! No, I don't think about hitting the panic button. The only button I hit is the 'on' button on my computer.
Yes. Yes, their name. The reason is this: If I'm gonna be writing and developing on this specific character, I need to choose a name that I can stare at for hours on end.
So once I think of my character's name, I think about his/her character traits. And I'm gonna pick on Grace, again.
I make what is called a character sketch. I sketch out my plans, traits, and the life of this character. And, again. It just depends on what you're planning on doing with your character.
Once I do my traits, I write out all the technical details of my character. How old are they? Where do they live? What is their family life like?
After I do this, I write the first few chapters before I continue on with the sketch. And this reason make sense. ( I hope). Planning for your book, and writing in your book, are two totally different things. Once I start writing, I might not like a character trait that I have chosen for my character.

And after that? Well, there is only one more thing for me to say...

Keep writing!

<3
Patricia Rane

P.s. You can email us if you have any questions, and we will do our best to answer you ASAP.

raneandgraye@gmail.com

"I'm not feeling it anymore."

Dear depressed, lonely person,

    I know what it's like when you stop "feeling" your book. I know the feeling all too well. That is the answer to the age old question; " why are all of my story ideas in the virtual trashcan on my computer?"  Well, it's like this. Once upon a time, you had a great story you were really excited about, but then Mr. Chapter-Two came over and you suddenly didn't feel so hyped. Next thing you knew, you threw away your story idea and went depressed for the rest of the day. The end.
     I know why you're like this, I get it. It's okay to lose the groove. It happens to the best of us. But I have a couple tricks to get to groove back, which doesn't happen to the best of us (because they don't know the secrets XD) Here are some of the reasons why you are giving up, and the remedies.

PROBLEM 1: You're moving way too fast.

    This is a common problem. And here's the reason; when you have a story idea, you're usually most excited about something that belongs around the middle of the book. Like, someone dying for instance. Then you're brain goes on hyperdrive, and you find it too hard to be patient and just slowly get to the part. So you write it in the first chapter, and then you cut your ideas in half and you only have half the material. This happens all to often.

ANSWER: Generate new ideas.

    This can sometimes be a challenge, but if it is a challenge, it's a sign that your plot isn't completely developed yet. And you can email us if you are having trouble developing your plots; we love helping out! Because we know how it feels. So just try to think up a motive for the character to occupy you till you get to the coveted part.

PROBLEM 2: You don't have enough plot material

     This can be a product of going too fast. You think up the idea, two minutes later, you're at your computer writing it. Not gonna work. -_-. You need to try to develop the plot before you start writing, make up the book before you actually start writing it. If you don't have anything to write about, surprise, surprise! You won't be able to write anything!

ANSWER: There's only one answer for this. Take some time to make up a plot.

It doesn't have to be a masterpiece. You can always tweak it. And make sure you plan the plot twists too, so you can go all Rick Riordany and reference things to come before they actually happen. *gasp*.

PROBLEM 3: You're lazy.

Don't take that as an insult, but it's true. No offense, but you're not working hard enough. And if you want to write a novel, that's not really going to work. Because your brain is like this:

"AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I don't write to want 500 PAGGGESSS of this stuffff meeh meh mehhhhhh lets just compress all your ideas, to, say… 2 pages? You can just use a big font and nobody will notice!!"

Not. Happening.

ANSWER: Try to have fun.

No comment.

~ ~ ~

This is really all the help I can give you! Now, GO AND WRITE A NOVEL!!

- Emilie Graye

Plot twists: They can twist your brain. --- A post by Patricia Rane

Hey, there. It Patricia, here. And I am here to help you twist your plots! Yup. Now.... either this post will end up sounding really stupid.... or it will sound really smart. I am shooting for the second.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself, if you're trying to decide whether you should throw in a twist.

1. Is your book interesting enough?

My favorite terminology to use when writing is: borxciting.... yesh. I know it's weird. It, actually, sounds kind of like a ship name... sorry. I need to stay on track.
Anyway, borxciting is mixture of the two words 'boring' and 'exciting'. To an author, their writing will (almost) always be interesting, and/or exciting. And that's because it's their's. It's what they pour their hearts into. It's what they spend their time working on. But, the only thing about that is this. Often times, when we think our writing is interesting, we could be doing more to make it that way. (OW! PLEASE! I'M NOT FINISHED YET!) I'm not saying that your writing is not exciting... I'm saying that you should run the extra mile, and try to make it as exciting as possible.

2. Is your book missing something?

Maybe there are two characters in your book. And your writing sounds fantabulous. But it just seems like it's missing something. What about making a relationship happen? Whether it be a crush, a kiss, or a couple, it will fill in the gap.

That was just an example, guys. If you want to keep your literature relationship-free, go right ahead and do that. A relationship is just a good way to fill in gaps.

3. Does the twist that I'm thinking about fit with my plot? My storyline? My characters?

If you answered 'no' to ANY of those questions, you need to finda different twist. If you have fallen in love with the twist, that just doesn't work, try taking a different approach.


So, I've given you some questions to proof your twisting... now what about those twists?

WARNING: Once you add the twist, it will be hard to remove, so think carefully about your next step.

Here are a couple of good ways to twist your plot.

• (I mentioned this earlier) Bring a relationship into your story.
• Bring a new main character into it.
• Have an obstacle in the way of the plans of your characters.
• Change your writing style. (Ex. if you're using 1st person past tense, change it to 1st person present tense)

Have fun!

Keep writing!

~

Patricia Rane <3

Starting a Book; the Official Guide - Part Two

Haha betcha didnt know there was a second part! Thats because I just decided there is gonna be one! Whuppeee!!
     Last time we chatted, I helped you get the basic structure of your book. Genre plot and characters. However, I want to delve a little deeper. Because even if you have the basic idea of your book, you are totally not done planning.
     One thing you have to do obviously is name your characters. I have a list of names made up by yours truly, which will hopefully prove helpful. For fantasy writing, female names like Wista, Aspin, Tarin, Pura, and Sopheel might be interesting. Male names like Maple, Caden, Zak, Quint, and Salyor might work. For dystopian writing, some good female names are Shine, Quiet, Nikaq, Fox, and Bittersweet. Some excellent male names are Rex, Mastr, Nine, Coal, or Erakun. Remember, if you don't like the spelling you can obviously change it.
     Now, for the plot, here are a couple ideas you can work with:

Fantasy Plots

     A young girl escapes to the Toothed Mountains, because of a griffin attack on her village which her father did not survive. Her avengeful brother becomes a griffin hunter, and when this young girl befriends a griffin she realizes that she'll have to choose her friend or her brother.

A girl/boy discovers a broken down car in the woods that turns out to be a time portal.

A boy realizes his cat has really been guarding him from a mysterious enemy, and can talk.

A girl/boy is shrunken.

Dystopian Plots

Someone steps through a mirror.

Someone is exiled to a place where they have only seven days to live

Someone is recruited to protect certain people from invisible monsters

Anyway, those were just some ideas. You can always twist one of these plots a little (and that's advisable) to make it your own! Have fun waiting for part three!

- Emilie Graye

Is your writing real? --- A post by Patricia Rane

Hi! It's Patricia, here. I'm gonna start out just like Emilie did. (No, I am not copyrighting it, Emmie...). I am 13 *grins at Emilie*. I am not a published author, but I am an author.

My experiences have been very numerous.

I've had writers block before... I've had character development problems before.... I've had the how-do-I-twist-this-plot problem. I've experienced it all. Been there, done that, as my dear cousin likes to say. (Wait, did I just say that outloud? Ok, fine, Emilie. You're dear to me.... you happy, now?)

But the largest problem that I have run in to, is making the scene 'real'. Now, obviously, your writing is real to you. But is it real, or will it be real to your audience? Well... often times, if you're being honest, no. Usually, I let Emilie read my writing. Or I read it to a friend. And, if all else fails, your siblings are there. So, here are a few tips and questions that you can ask yourself to help in making your writing come alive.

1. Are the gestures that you are putting with the characters correct for the mood or moment? Even if it's a casual scene, you should make it as real, as you can. Maybe it's friends trying to break the ice of an awkward moment. A cheesy grin. A quick wink. Even if it's just a facial expression like scrunching eyebrows.... add it. Add as many things you can to your writing. Because, trust me. If you can't succeed, in convincing your older brother. You're doing something wrong. If you can't convince your mom or dad. You're really doing something wrong. If you can't convince your friends, cousins, and fellow authors? You, are in desperate need of help.
2. What about the tone of your character's voice? Is he or she angry? Then give their voice tone a twist. And if you can't describe their voice, just talk about the volume. If they are experiencing REALLY, REALLYstrong emotion, try adding the word 'shouted' to it, and your audience is, pretty much convinced.
3. The appearance. Is your character tired? Than say how they look. Maybe they have dark circles under their eyes. Do they seem depressed? Explain, and describe how they look, and act. What are they wearing? Is one of your characters more gangter-punkish than the rest? Say that. (Julie looked quite out of place at the wedding ceremony. It seemed that everyone was wearing a suit, or a prom dress. She felt a little bit silly wearing her skinny jeans and hoodie.)

And, just like Emilie said in her previous post. If you are suffering from writer's block, and literally tearing your brain to shreads over this..... delete what you wrote in that sitting.... it's pointless. Take a break. Turn your computer off, for the day, and read a book.
If your eyes are going bonkers from writing, and you can't seem to focus on your reading, catch up on something else. Email, perhaps. Or maybe your youtube channel, and fans have waited too long for the next video to come out.
JUST TAKE A BREAK.
And, if, after tryingto convince: siblings, parents, and fellow authors, but it's not working? You need to change something in your character...

Good luck!

Keep writing!

~

Patricia Rane <3