When you feel you have a great idea for a long story, it’s wise to think about the end result of your efforts before you begin the process of writing. Ask yourself some questions:
- Who is my target audience?
- Will my ideas provide the foundation for a rich plot with interesting characters?
- What backup plan will I use to protect my work?
- Do I have sufficient time and energy for this project?
If you feel your ideas are worthwhile, jot down the story in a couple of sketchy paragraphs, then use those sentences as a guide to create an outline. The outline should contain short sentences that describe the events of your story in sequential order. The outline then becomes the blueprint for your project. It also provides protection for your plot, and helps you to remember details, in case other commitments take you away from your writing for a significant amount of time.
Use the Margins
If you begin writing your story with paper and pen, leave margin space on each side of paper. That practice will provide an area for making notes and keeping track of key points involving your plot and your characters. As your story grows in length, you will be wise to create notes in the margins that remind you of details involving your characters so that you can create cohesive threads throughout your story.
Computer Backups
If you are writing your story in electronic form, be certain to maintain at least two copies at all times. Many writers have lost their manuscripts due to accidental deletions and faulty media. You may also want to store your work in two separate locations.
Feedback and Direction
You may want to obtain objective feedback about your story early in the writing process. You can find direction by signing up for writing courses, and by joining a writers group. Do a Web search for writers’ groups in your area. Some groups organize regular conferences, which provide opportunities for individual writers to have one-on-one meetings with reputable agents and editors. Honest, objective feedback from a seasoned professional may help you determine whether you’re writing for your own pleasure, or if you have a story with commercial appeal. Be judicious when sharing details about your story. You wouldn’t want someone else to use your ideas before you have a chance to write them down.
Andrew McQuinn creates tools and information for writers and Web publishers. Find free resources at http://www.icantgetpublished.com, and at http://www.buttonland.com
No matter what subject you write on, there will be some research involved. Your opinion is the first step. Backing up your ideas with facts is the second step.
You can do the vast majority of your research online if the topic you have chosen is outside the company expertise. Online tools such as Google.com, Clusty.com, or Dogpile.com are a great place to start. However, using the correct searching techniques will make the difference between getting a great deal of information and getting a scant few.
Google.com provides a great cheat sheet for using advanced searching techniques. Go to http://www.google.com/help/cheatsheet.html then print out this valuable resource.
To make sure your search hits are up-to-date use the year in your search. For example: 2004..2006 will give you articles from the year 2004 up to this year. If you are looking for exact phrases put the phrase in quotation marks such as “VP Marketing” or “SL500 Lens”.
When you click on any of the links, check for the validity of the information. What is the source of the article, who wrote it, what is their expertise, or what other resources do they mention. Do not use internet results as the sole basis of your research, check other sources as well. You want your writing to reflect more than just opinions, you want the facts.
You can do more research using Amazon.com. Search for book titles on the target subject matter to get a list of recent publications. If any of the books are using the “Look Inside” feature, you will be able to scan the table of contents for relevant topics and even read the first few pages of the book – particularly the introduction. The Introduction will often give you a clue as to why the book was written and the target audience information. Other pertinent information about the book will be revealed by the popularity of the book and any reviews it may have received. This is all valuable when trying to discover relevance to your topic.
Having coffee at Borders or Barnes & Noble is also good. These book stores will allow you to skim through print publications while sitting in their coffee shops. This is a great way to research topics by skimming multiple books on the subject. This is even better than most libraries as the publications in bookstores are recently published. If you want to look at older versions, then head off to the library.
As time is often short, I most often rely on the Internet and Amazon Table of Contents to get most of my information. If books look like they give me the background I need, I simply buy the book.
Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite. She decided to find the best ways to get people’s attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the “Networking Queen”. Blueprints for Success – Networking: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first in this series. Blueprints for Success Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways to promote yourself is planned for release in 2006. For more information visit http://www.BlueprintBooks.com.
