Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

Sometimes I put things off.

There are many different kinds of things I put off.

Replying to emails.  Making a doctor’s appointment for a family member.  Writing a particular scene in a book.

I’ve found that if I can just identify why I’m putting something off , I have a much higher chance of finally finishing the task.

Not answering an email? Is that because I have to check a particular date and I don’t have my calendar near me? Because I need clarification on what the original emailer is asking  of me? Because I need to plug a conference into my GPS to find out if it’s within drivable distance?

Not making a doctor’s appointment? Is that because I’m not sure what type of specialist would handle the particular medical issue?  Because my family member’s schedule is too in-flux to nail down an appointment date? Because I haven’t researched what questions to ask the physician?

Not writing the next scene in my book?  Is that because I feel the character’s motivation isn’t clear?  Because I’m not sure how I want the scene to end up?  Because I’m not sure how to approach the scene—with tension?  Humor? Action? Pathos?  Because I’m not sure the scene is necessary? Because I’m worried I’m repeating myself?

Once I’ve identified what’s making me stall, it’s easy for me to make a list of steps to finish the task.

The email—pull out my calendar. All my calendars.  Email the person back to make sure I understand what they’re asking.  Take out my GPS and figure out the conference location and whether it’s feasible for me to attend.

The doctor’s appointment—set a timer and research the issue online to prepare.  Call my family doctor for specialist recommendations.  Make the appointment, knowing nothing is set in stone and appointments can be changed, if needed.

Not writing the next scene?  Skip it and come back to it later.  Make lists of all the ways the scene is improbable.  Make lists of all the ways I could fix that improbability.  If the character motivation is in question, what would make this particular character want to do this particular thing?  Is there something in his backstory?  Some fear or desire?  Label it and incorporate it into the story.   Not good at writing action or a tension-filled scene?  Set aside 20 minutes to research writing blogs for tips.

Do you sometimes procrastinate?  What’s your method of working through it?

I mentioned during my post on outlining, that I’d found that the outlining process tended to flatten my characters out. I’d had to fluff them up later, during revisions.

So I got a tweet asking exactly how one goes about fluffing up characters. :)

I think there are lots of ways of doing this. Character worksheets are one of them. You can print out some worksheets and answer some questions about your characters…stuff that helps you think more about what makes them tick. Or you can interview your character…pretend you’re a member of the press (reputable or tabloid) and fire off some questions.

Some days I spend the day with one of my characters. It sounds a little crazy (and probably is), but it works. I wrote a post about it on Penguin’s blog.

The quickest thing I did to unflatten a flat character was a little trick I picked up somewhere. Since flat usually equates stock character, I made a list of all the stereotypes a particular character might have. For instance, one of my characters was a police officer. Lots of stereotypes for policemen come to mind: hard boiled, aggressive, cynical, etc. Then you make a list of the opposite of some of those traits. Soften the opposing traits and incorporate them into the character in a showing-not-telling way. My cop became a frustrated novelist who’d do anything to keep the peace so he can keep working on his manuscript.

Remember where your characters came from—who was behind their genesis? Are they an amalgam of several different people? What makes those real people real and interesting to you? Incorporate some of their traits, quirks, talents, dislikes, and attitudes.

There are lots of ways to fluff up a flat character. What are some of your approaches?

Below are writing links that I’ve posted to Twitter in the past week.

Hope you’ll enter this month’s WKB giveaway for a chance to win Donald Maass’ excellent Writing the Breakout Novel, from our friends at Writer’s Digest. Enter the drawing by signing up for the WKB newsletter.

Finger Lickin’ Dead released June 7th. Hope you’ll consider it if you enjoy mysteries, or know someone who does.Download it on Kindle: http://amzn.to/kh7MAp Mass market paperback: http://amzn.to/lfUE2N ($6.99)

5 types of writers who might be struggling: http://bit.ly/jMWlbH @hopeclark

How some famous crime fiction sleuths got into the business: http://bit.ly/n1J2rX @mkinberg

9 Mistakes Most Freelance Writers Make That are Keeping Them Poor: http://bit.ly/k8Qvry

Why you shouldn’t delete all the occurrences of ‘was’ in your manuscript: http://bit.ly/mN2A5d

How To Make It As An Independent Bookseller (NPR): http://n.pr/mposnn

5 tips for writing horror: http://bit.ly/jsME3h

7 reasons not to use social media marketing: http://bit.ly/iXo0j7

The Importance of Choosing Your Perspective: http://bit.ly/muOFtJ

Tips for writing picture books: http://bit.ly/mBh3QV

5 Motivational Mistakes That Sound Like Good Ideas: http://bit.ly/kIQxzH

21 Sneaky Tactics to Generate a Buzz on Facebook: http://bit.ly/k32X3o

Digital makes territorial rights “obsolete”? http://bit.ly/l1L3QJ

10 Lessons From Vampire Diaries: http://on.io9.com/iWF38D

6 Ways to Instantly Improve Facebook Fan Engagement: http://bit.ly/l7Qe3H

Dystopian Rites of Passage: http://bit.ly/mK0mY3

What if a writer could only have 1 appearance on the best seller list? http://bit.ly/ijcDlD

The Eternal Shame of Your First Online Handle: http://bit.ly/iMlPGN

6 Excellent Tools For Writing Without Distractions: http://rww.to/lr0lTU

Researching Your Story – A 4-Step Strategy: http://bit.ly/m0vqq6

Common writing errors: http://bit.ly/iF6epO

Happy 4th of July to my friends in the States. has an Ind. Day cake with serious WOW factor: http://bit.ly/jBQ9Yk

6 easy ways to keep your freelance clients happy: http://bit.ly/iMg0b1 @merylkevans

Want to Blog, But Don’t Know Where to Start? 5 Tips for Newbies: http://bit.ly/iW1oFE

Editors: Getting Sued for Doing Your Job: http://bit.ly/mM4y3z

10 editing tips: http://bit.ly/lAo1KT

How should you price your ebook? http://bit.ly/lf2qR8

A helpful thesaurus for settings, emotions, symbolism, & weather–now with character traits: http://bit.ly/eIGRMO @AngelaAckerman

Cross Marketing from the Obvious to the Sublime: http://bit.ly/lxt3YG

Scene and Chapter Endings: http://bit.ly/iTotjp

For quotes that inspire writers: follow @Quotes4Writers

Using book excerpts for promo: http://bit.ly/msjEet

Pictorial Writing Process: http://bit.ly/lKXNfX @HaleyWhitehall

Chunking and what to write right now: http://bit.ly/jl9gAT @iainbroome

Mushy Middle Syndrome: http://bit.ly/iDq8qG @FantasyFaction

Can’t seem to finish a novel? A theory: http://bit.ly/iiAt3W @KarlaErikaCal

Screenwriters share their process on “The Best and the Brightest”: http://bit.ly/iZaHvo @scriptmag

How to Successfully Sell Magazine Articles: http://bit.ly/kgC1ih

5 Writing Lessons from the 4th of July: http://bit.ly/kUEQkS @iggiandgabi

Agencies Becoming Publishers–a Trend and a Problem: http://bit.ly/lOKOb9

Literary authors & philosophers are both fugitives of pop culture: http://bit.ly/mxRdB9 @agent139

SEO for Blogging in 7 Simple Steps: http://bit.ly/jxLFa6

6 things 1 writer has learned about publishing: http://bit.ly/mnxVAI

5 packaging ideas that make your article stand out: http://bit.ly/jtTjDw

How editors make a difference: http://bit.ly/iXlsBd

4 Reasons Why You Must Take Responsibility for Your Own Marketing: http://bit.ly/lwiIXs

1 writer’s battle plan for finding an agent: http://bit.ly/j3Cch1

Creative prompts to inspire writers: http://bit.ly/fxp2iY @WritePrompts

7 Platforms Changing the Future of Publishing: http://bit.ly/mePp3D

7 Distraction-Free Writing Environments for Authors: http://bit.ly/iKyOom

How to Punctuate Introductory Phrases: http://bit.ly/igAI23

How to Make Interesting Headquarters and Bases for Superheroes and Villains: http://bit.ly/jdjzFo

How to wield back story with panache: http://bit.ly/jUeUth

Don’t write your book for everyone–write it for someone: http://bit.ly/iK1Vft @jaelmchenry

A scriptwriter says you’ll have to hustle if you’re an LA outsider: http://bit.ly/joHE3N

Is Your Opening Line Lying to Your Readers? http://bit.ly/kMPoQH @KMWeiland

Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing: Writing is Hard: http://bit.ly/k811QR @DeanWesleySmith

When Your Character Doesn’t Act Like Herself: http://bit.ly/keqGze @lisagailgreen

4 Ways Writing Reminds Us We’re Alive: http://bit.ly/kTAawd @VictoriaMixon

The New Midlist: Self-published E-book Authors Who Earn a Living: http://bit.ly/iOBzLK

How to speak publisher – C is for Copy editor: http://bit.ly/mLyeC8 @annerooney

Want to add conflict to your story? Try a pushy character: http://bit.ly/nfUgn8

John Green: A Social Media Marketing Success Story: http://bit.ly/k6sBp2 @annerallen

An agent on the problem with conference pitches: http://bit.ly/jsMWvv @greyhausagency

Variations on a Theme: http://t.co/2pziyWs @agent139

Struggling with Burnout? Word Poop Happens: http://bit.ly/lb2Ce4

General revision tips: http://bit.ly/m2Of5o

Just how relevant are bathrooms? http://bit.ly/orVVQ9 @juliettewade

An interesting writing challenge…that focuses on setting habits: http://bit.ly/rrk9Wp

Enhancing Your Descriptions: http://bit.ly/r7Ng4u @JaniceHardy

An agent on how to write a terrific author bio: http://bit.ly/pm67qm @rachellegardner

The Green Lantern Movie: How *Not* to Plot a Story: http://bit.ly/oJm3T0 @JamiGold

60 Rules for Short SF (and Fantasy): http://bit.ly/oJbL6n

Need tips for plotting? http://hiveword.com/wkb/search?q=plot

Why newspapers can’t stop the presses: http://bit.ly/o1j0KU

Editing – Who’s on the Page? http://bit.ly/oR9Mwp @AuthorTerryO

7 Things You Can Do Today to Improve Your Book Design: http://bit.ly/oUWbIp

Drawing paranoia: http://bit.ly/nBS9sb @RavenRequiem13

5 reasons blogging makes you a better writer: http://bit.ly/p8PaAd @jammer0501

Thanks to @JillKemerer for hosting me on her 5 Easy Questions today: http://bit.ly/pCFZG1

How an Agent Can Kill Your Career: Involuntary Manslaughter: http://bit.ly/qO9HBU

Dialogue: Let’s be real: http://bit.ly/p8aLnp

3 ways to make online relationships matter: http://bit.ly/qca5zL @JaneFriedman @tonyeldridge

A scriptwriter says to “get your community on.” http://bit.ly/l8tnD7

How to organize a blog tour for your new book’s release: http://bit.ly/qcDNdb

Rethink firing your agent: http://bit.ly/pWQRbm

The rhythm of dialogue: http://bit.ly/nfxfNo @FantasyFaction

Giving Away Free Copies of Your Book as a Promotional Tool: http://bit.ly/nCrkC4 @JodyHedlund

How To Find Reviews on the Book Blogs Search Engine: http://bit.ly/q6Wq4V @GalleyCat

What makes for a good 1st sentence: http://bit.ly/n29vap

10 Ways to Craft a Sense of Place: http://bit.ly/nY25X8 @CherylRWrites

5 lessons 1 writer learned from TV: http://bit.ly/nOloEz @CherylRWrites

How Busy Writers Can Stay Productive & Keep Their Sanity: http://bit.ly/r4A6w4 @JeffGoins

5 things Lady Gaga can teach us about writing: http://bit.ly/oBpvRH @JulieMusil

Share Your Blog With the World: http://bit.ly/oJmdcb

3 types of writers: http://bit.ly/qEQjQd @Writtled

10 Classic SF and Fantasy Books That Were Originally Considered Failures: http://on.io9.com/nUus2I

Is Your Platform Plan Getting in The Way of Actual Success?: http://bit.ly/rglUSg @LisaKilian

5 Great Reasons to Start Your Facebook Page Right Now: http://bit.ly/pnkGD9

This Week’s Fail Whale–The Touchy Tweeter: http://bit.ly/mPAP6L

Motivation and Conflict: http://bit.ly/oRPsLy

The Power of Persistence in Indie Publishing: http://bit.ly/paAW9F

Can Editing Be Fun? Maybe: http://bit.ly/oCJbc9

Parent Authors—Check Your Ego at the Door (who are you writing for?): http://bit.ly/qMsZW6

Using profiling and archetypes to develop characters: http://bit.ly/ndnPua

How To Get Feedback On Your Novel That Will Actually Help: http://bit.ly/qhQ6Km @bubblecow

7 Other Types of Pronouns: http://bit.ly/rnf8Xn

Using Method Acting in Your Writing: http://bit.ly/r7SGP1 @SammyBina @LTWFblog

Why you should honor your deadlines: http://bit.ly/nqEliM

An agent answers questions on pitching: http://bit.ly/q6Sa9O @greyhausagency

Links to help you research publishers (including whether they’re reputable or not): http://bit.ly/mSa8qB @Spunkonastick

4 steps to creating an online writing group: http://bit.ly/nYzl4Q

How to Get Started With Google+ : http://bit.ly/nBCQ89

5 Stages of Rewrites: http://bit.ly/oHc9bg @MistyMassey

Death by Critique – 6 Tips on How To Avoid It: http://bit.ly/oAUmZr @RoniLoren

8 Tips To Help You Get Started Writing: http://bit.ly/n6V0Iw

Finding an Agent: A Little Un-Advice: http://bit.ly/r63Koa

How to Introduce Major Characters: http://bit.ly/pvLrsY

Where to Find Free eBooks for Your Amazon Kindle: http://bit.ly/pW1XNz

Tips for writers who struggle with mental illness: http://bit.ly/oJJWCK @CordeliaCallsIt

21 Dangerous Blogging Mistakes (and How to Fix Them): http://bit.ly/qZ3mIJ

How Twitter Landed One Author A Book Deal: http://bit.ly/pQQimI @TheCreativePenn

3 of the deadly myths of history (using archaeology & artifacts to design stories): http://bit.ly/qjPMO2 @GeneLempp

Writing the 2nd novel (you’d think it’d be easier): http://bit.ly/n6BPX2

Don’t Just Create “On Demand,” Create For You: http://bit.ly/nye7o8

What base is your novel on? http://bit.ly/pLT2jk @catewoods

25 tips for boosting blog traffic: http://bit.ly/p253dX @WriterTank

Search my tweets– http://dld.bz/KPgS

Think Like a Publisher: The Time It Takes: http://bit.ly/nnpAQt @DeanWesleySmith

The Vetting Process: How Ideas Become Written Works: http://bit.ly/oKJyeC @GeoffreyCubbage

Tips for keeping on top of our email: http://bit.ly/qfHNam @AlexisGrant

Adventures in Small-Press Publishing: Book Construction and Release: http://bit.ly/qQJsyI

6 Tips for Adding Some Heat Between the Sheets: http://bit.ly/nZ84vm

Creativity Tweets of the Week — 7/8/11: http://bit.ly/mX4F6o

10 tips for writing fiction: http://bit.ly/mRZRYI

Scene Antagonists and Big Boss Troublemakers: http://bit.ly/mRAbuX @4kidlit

All about word count: http://bit.ly/rdBW2C

Are You Addicted to Finding a Literary Agent? http://bit.ly/p2xekP @NinaBadzin

Pumping Up the Plot: 6 Vital Signs of a Healthy Plot: http://bit.ly/oo8MaF

Superhero Tropes: Kick Ass: http://bit.ly/qpSjqT @PAShortt

How a name can kill a story: http://bit.ly/phc6qp

Enhancing dialogue: http://bit.ly/qqZQdo

Recognizing the Screaming Power of Narrative Sub-Text: http://bit.ly/oU02Mv

Why agents don’t give reasons with rejections: http://bit.ly/re8iKa

10 Reasons Why Brainstorming is so Important: http://bit.ly/org8yp

Beverly Cleary at 95: A Talk With the Author Who Created Ramona Quimby (The Atlantic): http://bit.ly/rglerN

Surviving a critique without killing yourself or other people: http://bit.ly/o0HIMi

Economy of Words: http://bit.ly/pZ5BxK

Short Stories vs. Short Story Collections–Which Sell Better? http://bit.ly/qahDW9

Thinking about going on a blog tour? Helpful links: http://bit.ly/lCYjSS

The art of more (money, readers, love): fighting off the scarcity complex: http://bit.ly/o8fBqx @justinemusk

What happens when a writer outlines a book for the 1st time? My wrap-up of outlining: http://bit.ly/nL1x9G

Tips to keep your characters from sounding the same: http://bit.ly/nlXvWW @Grammar_Diva

How To Succeed As An Accidental Publisher, A Self Publishing Odyssey: http://bit.ly/qFOV2f @TheCreativePenn

10 Basic Rules of Blogging: http://bit.ly/rcQgDV @WriterTank

Tips for Being a Healthy Writer: http://bit.ly/mTS8XQ

The Myth of Having More Time Someday: http://bit.ly/pPX0Y4 @jodyhedlund

Mainstream Publishing is not a dirty word: http://bit.ly/oUoGE9

5 Ways to Increase Your Writerly Wellbeing: http://bit.ly/pjU9Rd

“Ancient Magic”—magic of the divine and the fantastic: http://bit.ly/oCHV9P

9 Insider PR Tips for Attracting Media Attention: http://bit.ly/ob5qKG @HubSpot

7 Excellent Reasons to Enter Writing Contests: http://bit.ly/n7sdY2

50 Years Without Hemingway: http://bit.ly/riDyNa

Are Creative People Dishonest? http://bit.ly/p70moN

How To Reduce Technology Frustration and Write Distraction-Free: http://bit.ly/pmMa9E

Avoid being writerly: http://bit.ly/o61BPd

Forget your weaknesses–attack your strengths: http://bit.ly/pOWCCp

Screenplays and screenwriting books that aspiring screenwriters should read: http://bit.ly/oIDpdG

Agents Assisting Authors with Self Publishing, Good Idea? http://bit.ly/q05KXC

Creative Kryptonite and the Death of Productivity: http://tinyurl.com/3cpa7ss

Why Pitches Fail: http://bit.ly/mTePZB

How to Stop Getting Rejected as a Freelance Writer: http://bit.ly/qXtRWX

Trendsetting 101: http://bit.ly/mOMJLx

The good, the bad, and the ugly of Google Plus: http://oreil.ly/qq0SmP

Bringing Scenes to Life: http://bit.ly/roFYRe @4kidlit

Why ghostwriting? http://bit.ly/omza3Z @ExcuseEditor

How to Use Batching to Become More Productive: http://bit.ly/n4jbae

Writers usually fall into one of two camps—outliners and writers who make the story up as they go along (seat of their pants.)

I’m decidedly a pantster. It’s how I wrote my first six books.

Then along came a new series and new editor (who is a lovely, charming, clever woman! Who likes outlines.) :)

So I’ve now written two books from outlines. And, since I’ve written both ways now, I thought I’d do my own personal wrap-up of how it went, just in case any of y’all are interested in trying another method.

This is just how it went down for me, as someone who has never outlined a story before. Others will have different experiences!

Pros of outlining

In some ways, I was able to make the mystery itself more complex and puzzling by using an outline. It enabled me to see the different sections of the book and how they connected.

The outline helped me develop the characters before writing the book. I already had a sense of who they were as I started out.

I could more easily spot potential problem areas of the book. I could see when I wrote myself into a plot hole. I could tell when I’d lost track of the theme.

I could easily explain the project I was working on to my agent and first readers before I even finished it.

The actual writing itself went super-quickly after I’d completed the outline and had it approved by the editor. There was very little mulling over.

I knew my editor would like the story that I turned in on June 30th. There were no surprises there—she’d already approved it.

My agent was able to just skim my book as she read it before we turned it in…because she knew we’d already wrangled out the plot ahead of time.

Cons

I wrote way too short as I followed my outline. I had to add about 20,000 words.

I’ve found that I can either write a very, very short outline or a very, very long one. Writing a mid-sized outline was impossible for me. My outline ended up being 21 pages long.

The outline took about as much time as it took for me to write the book.

Creatively, I felt very tied down with the outline and was less-likely to go off on any interesting tangents with subplots, etc…until I came up super-short, when I decided to indulge myself in the subplots. :) In reality, I could have deviated from my outline. But, working with a new editor, I hesitated doing it.

The outlining process tended to flatten my characters out. It took a while to fluff them back up and give them individuality and their own voice. Writing them in the strictures of an outline seemed to make them feel more like cutouts to me.

Summing up

Would I choose to outline a book, if I weren’t asked to do so? No, I sure wouldn’t. Were there some benefits to doing so? Absolutely.

But the process for the first book was so tortuous that I asked my editor if I could turn in more of a short, sketched out plan for the plot of the second book—including the murders, suspects, red herrings, clues, killer, hooks, and theme. She said that would be no problem, so I feel a lot better about the short outline that I’ll hand in before August 1. It covers all the big stuff, but I don’t feel as tied down as I did with the first one.

Do you outline or make up the story as you write? Have you ever tried another approach? How did it work out for you?

I had an email recently from a writer who was worried that his word count was too low for his genre.

I sent him a link to some information that I hoped would help him out. And told him that having a low word count is much better than having one that’s too high.

Most editors have a range that they want for a particular genre. If you’re a debut novelist, then they definitely don’t want a 130,000+ word book from you. They probably don’t even want a 110,000 word book from you. It would be considered risky for them…after all, a book that long would be expensive to print and debut novelists don’t have a track record for sales or a following.

There is definitely, though, some leeway with word count in a manuscript. If you’re a few thousand words over or under the range, it’s probably not going to kill your chances. You can always bulk up a book with a great subplot or edit out extras to bring a word count down.

I do keep half an eye on my word count as I’m writing. For one thing, it helps me know if I’m meeting my goals each day. For another, it helps save me some time after my first draft is done if my word count is close to my target.

For additional information on word count and tips for bumping your word count up or down, try these links:

Word Count for Novels and Children’s Books: The Definitive Post

Think twice before querying your 291,000 word book

An agent with word counts for different genres

Cutting Down Your Word Count

A Few Words on Word Counts: How to Beef Up or Slim Down (especially for freelance writers, but some tips that will help novelists, too)

An agent on word counts (and here, where she defends her position)

Writing Nowadays–Word Count Violations and You

Bolstering Your Word Count

When your WIP is too short

How to increase your novel’s word count

How To Get Ahead When You Are Behind On Your Word Count

Handling Your Word Count

The Writer’s Knowledge Base has many articles on word count.

Will the rise of e-publishing mean that word count might rise again? This article from the BookEnds Literary Agency suggests it might, but I’m not so sure. It seems to me that our 21st century world seems to make us all more distracted—phones ringing, texts coming in, Twitter feeds and Facebook status updates. Do we have the attention span for longer books, even if cost isn’t an issue anymore?

How close do you track word count? Do you usually find yourself writing over or under your target? (I’m frequently a little under, myself.)