I often give myself very good advice...
I've been feeling somewhat discouraged in the writing department lately, because I have been working full time and I have very little time (comparatively) to sit down and get any serious writing done. I haven't really been able to focus much, and it's been a serious bummer. I decided to look through my notes and my journal from my previous book to find some inspiration, and came across some advice/rules I set out for myself at the very beginning of this venture. These are things I learned from reading good fiction, so that i could (hopefully) write good fiction. Here they are:
Things I learned about writing fiction from reading really good fiction:
1. If your characters die like they're in a movie, you're doing it wrong. Make them die like people. No stupid speeches.
2. Everybody poops, everybody bones, and everybody dies. (GRR Martin)
3. The only real evil is despair. (Tolkien)
4. Grey characters are the best characters. Baddies have a story and goodies are just as messed up as everyone else. (Rowling, Martin, basically all of History).
5. Sometimes they kill the dog. (Martin)
6. Write a book you want to read.
7. Make it pass the Bedchel test: At least two females, both with names, who talk to each other about something other than a man. Unless it's a homoerotic novella, of course.
8. Everyone has their own voice, and their POV should fit it. Use words your character would use. Sansa doesn't talk like Tyrion and Harry doesn't talk like Aragorn.
9. Sexy times and plenty of them, in weird places with weird people.
10. Physiognomy is not the same as character development
I try to follow these rules as much as I can, though I might not always succeed. Here's hoping I can continue to do so and that it'll be some inspiration for Book 2.
