Tips from a Writer III

Hey guys, it's me again! I'm back with more tips from a writer! I've accumulated a bit of things since the last time, so let's jump right in!

The difference between "thought" and "taught."
I've noticed this mistake quite some bit, and it's a relatively easy mistake to make if you're not careful. "Thought" means that someone came up with an idea in the past: I thought of a design for a hover car. Or it can also mean that the idea was misleading, such as: I thought I saw a cat on the sidewalk, but it was a skunk.
"Taught" is the past tense of teach. I taught Middle School students before I went back to college for a PhD.

The truth behind the apostrophe.
An apostrophe is a confusing thing if you haven't indulged in how it can be used and looked into it extensively. An apostrophe is used for two instances: to either state that the word is a plural, or an abbreviation. If it's a plural, it looks like this: I'm pretty sure the car is dad's' little toy. The apostrophe will go before and after the s.
An abbreviation would look like this: I can't believe you would do that.
Another note on the apostrophe: When indicating possession for a singular person, it's proper to say, This car is John's. However, when speaking of a group of people, you put the apostrophe after the s, like so, The Johnsons' poodle left a gift on my lawn.

How to use "it's" and "its."
This is a common one. I myself sometimes make the mistake, so if you do it too, there's no need to worry. Sometimes it's hard to tell when to use which.
"It's" is the abbreviation for it is. So, this sentence: It's a lovely day, could be replaced with this: It is a lovely day.
"Its" is for descriptions. When describing, say, an object: It was of various shades, but its blue was the palest. It's mostly used for common nouns, and less so for (I keep thinking of the word 'noms propres.' Thanks, French class) proper nouns.

Q: How do you make a book that interests the reader from the start?
That's relatively easy. The key is getting a good hook on the first five pages, and always keep it well-paced with interesting content. It takes around five pages for people to tell whether not they'll like the book, so make sure your book captivates from the start!
An example of a boring one would be this:
She stood on the edge of the cliff. There was a stiff wind, and she looked up to the clear blue sky that clashed with her mood. She sneered at it, turning her back from her past.
Okay, I don't know if that was a good example… I'm not exactly good at "bad hooks." That's the problem with writing books like I do – you quickly learn to make good hooks.
A good example:
The heavy panting, other than the blood-laced air, was a dead giveaway. The woman ran down the winding alleys, and the shadow followed her silently. The chill running up her spine told her he was, in fact, still following. It told her that she was next to die.
I suggest starting at a part where there's something interesting going on, like a murder or something of relevance. You can even start by describing something, like the color of a flower, the scenery, someone's eyes… I usually always open a book with a prologue. My best hook thus far, was bluntly stating the main character's hate from the start:
I hate Nereids.
Okay, maybe that's a bit harsh, but I have a good reason for that. I mean, I know they own this place and they can do whatever the hell they want, but really. Put some clothes on. If I wasn't gay, this'd be a problem.
Bluntly state a fact about a character, and describe it a little. I've found this to be the most effective method.
Also the most entertaining for me to do. ;D

Q: Killing off characters is unavoidable, huh? How do you do it?
Would you believe me if I said I hate it just as much as the next person – probably not. You all know I'm insane.
I go about it in a strange fashion: I think about that character while doing something (chores, drawing, it doesn't matter. Sometimes I'm even trying to sleep or playing a game) and mentally go through their history. What happened to them, their personality. I usually come up with a good idea through that and examples throughout history and books.
I'll take my little drug addict, Jayden, for example.
If you look at him, he's not depressed: he smiles and he's a bit perverted, even. He's an only child and lost his entire family to the government "protecting" him, having resorted to drugs, alcohol and prostitution to try and get rid of the pain. Internally, he's depressed and hanging off the deep end. His motto: "It's a race. What'll kill me first? The drugs, alcohol, or my own insanity?"
At the end of his debut, he dies. His death is a typical depressed-man's way out – suicide.
Character deaths should mirror their personalities. Jay dies through suicide; a different character of mine dies from sacrifice to protect his family. One is internally depressed, and the other is extremely protective of his family.
Character deaths add realism to the story. A novel without any death is a little… bland. There's death all around us, and it's the same for novels. I don't care if your characters can live forever; they know a mortal somewhere that they are close to and that is key to the story that can die. Immortals can always be killed, too. It's just harder.
Use that thinkpan of yours! It's got lots of potential!

Q: How do you go about relieving tension?
Tension is unavoidable, as you know – character deaths, drama or fight scenes leave tension behind. The best way to go about this, I find, is to have your characters do something fun and silly. Crack a joke or keep the dialogue light and airy. Keep the seriousness for the murders and other serious stuff like breaking a nail, and keep to the subject while winding down the reader.
A fun thing to do: when the tension is at its lowest, surprise the reader with something full of action or drama. Girls squealing over Justin Beiber is a good way to get people to throw the book fifty feet away, for example.

Using the six senses.
Now we'll be visiting the realm of the six senses – sight, sound, sensory, taste, smell and intuition.
Sight is the easiest way to convey what's around the character. Describe everything from the color of the sky to the smallest fly – not really, but paint a picture with your words. Use descriptive words to define a movement, and the way the light hits the object. Example: He watched from the shore as the pink flower petals danced in the wind, twirling in an ethereal dance and coming to a rest on the water of the pond. The sunset painted the sky orange and the water pink, warm hues of red and orange cast on the grass and the trees around him.
Sound is a defining sense, too. It's all around you even now, right? It gives definition to the things around your character. Example: With the wind came the sound of water, and the song of birds as the playful wind wove its way through the grass. His heartbeat could be heard lightly in his ears, as well as the calm breath that left his lungs.
Sensory is everything someone touches – the silk of a dress, the warmth of light. You might not think it, but light has warmth too. The sun gives warmth, and even a light bulb gives off some sort of heat on your skin. Example: The sunlight felt warm on his exposed skin, warming him like a cat lazing in the sun on a lazy summer afternoon. The grass tickling his fingers and toes felt soft against the worn pianist fingers, offering comfort. The wind brought with it the heat of the far-away sun, fading from the sky.
There's taste everywhere, too. The air around us tastes like something, even if you don't realize it. There's always the lingering taste of what you last ate or the terrible taste of post-sleep. Example: If he tried hard enough, he could even taste the warmth wrapping around him as he lay on the grass, but he could taste the salad he ate for lunch more. It was oddly disappointing.
Smell wraps every little aspect together, adding a little flair to everything. Example: The flowers gave off an overpowering aroma that was soothing to him, weaving in carefully with the untamed grass he lay on. Everything smelled fresh and clean, untainted by the hand of man.
Finally, intuition. By this, I mean that opinions must be added. Thoughts about the aspects must be weaved into the description. Example: It tasted a little weird, the taste sitting in his mouth for nearly five hours now, and it only served to remind him that he was hungry. The smell of the grass somehow distracted him from that, though – or made him want to imitate a horse and chow down on it, he wasn't quite sure yet.
Now, add all of those together:
He watched from the shore as the pink flower petals danced in the wind, twirling in an ethereal dance and coming to a rest on the water of the pond. The sunset painted the sky orange and the water pink, warm hues of red and orange cast on the grass and the trees around him. With the wind came the sound of water, and the song of birds as the playful wind wove its way through the grass. His heartbeat could be heard lightly in his ears, as well as the calm breath that left his lungs. The sunlight felt warm on his exposed skin, warming him like a cat lazing in the sun on a lazy summer afternoon. The grass tickling his fingers and toes felt soft against the worn pianist fingers, offering comfort. The wind brought with it the heat of the far-away sun, fading from the sky.
If he tried hard enough, he could even taste the warmth wrapping around him as he lay on the grass, but he could taste the salad he ate for lunch more. It was oddly disappointing. The flowers gave off an overpowering aroma that was soothing to him, weaving in carefully with the untamed grass he lay on. Everything smelled fresh and clean, untainted by the hand of man.
It tasted a little weird, the taste sitting in his mouth for nearly five hours now, and it only served to remind him that he was hungry. The smell of the grass somehow distracted him from that, though – or made him want to imitate a horse and chow down on it, he wasn't quite sure yet.
Mine's a little long-winded, since I wanted to give the clearest example I could. I ask of you, though: did it bring the scene to life? Apart, they paint a basic portrait. Together, they give it life and credibility. Intuition adds the human factor, and allows you to weave your character into the description. The little humor at the end is my own little flair added on – I like putting a touch or two of silly nonsense. It allows for the scene to remain light.

How to: scenes.
Let's go over how to make believable scenes.
First, warm and light scenes that are a must even in horror stories. A good example would be what I wrote in the last part. To keep a scene light even if, say, it's raining, weave some humor into it. Keep it tension-free and you'll have a good time. Aimless dialogue that serves only to relax the reader and the characters. Example: Even though I could clearly tell that John wanted to fall to his knees by his father's grave and weep with the sky pouring on our shoulders, he smiled at me and tossed one of the wilted roses in my face. "This is for being too serious!" He laughed, rolling his eyes. "I'm still alive, so I won't be sad."
Horror is the complete opposite – go wild with graphic descriptions of the blood and gore! Quite frankly, my favorite part of horror is describing the blood. Please be warned. I was inspired to write by the master of horror himself, Darren Shan. Example: I grit my teeth against that, fighting the demon back inside of me as the next fatalities' blood sung to the beast. The blood, a sinister red that flowed from both the head and the neck, now two instead of one, arched into the sky and splattered against the floor. For a moment I stood there, the blood crusting my skin and matting my hair, and brought my blade to my lips, licking a stripe of blood off. The beast roared, but I persisted, even though the blood sang to me, too. The rich copper taste of the virgin made me want to give in to my animal urges again.
Now, romance. I'm not the expert, since I keep the romance to a minimum to keep the action and adventure part flowing – although I do have those moments – it's still a good idea to have a bit in a novel. Don't be afraid of the cheesy and sappy! Example: "That's the thing," he laughed nervously, hands gripping the sides of my face gently. His cerulean eyes, shining like the stars in the sky, bore into mine. "It goes against everything I know, but I still can't stay away. If we could run away together, I would sweep you off your feet and make sure you'd never look back." Ick that was terrible let me go die now.
Tragedy! I love this genre, and it's my second-favorite next to horror. Tragedy should play at the tears of your audience, and when it can make you, the writer, cry, you know you've done it. Here's a good but lengthy example (I am NOT going to half-ass this one.)
It's like dying a little inside for me. My father, though much younger than when I'd known him, standing in front of me again. I have to hold myself back from running up to him and hugging him – instead, I fist my hands at my side. He doesn't know me yet. I wish I could erase the last memory he'll have of me – at the block, being executed to repent for the murders both he and his mate have done. I take a deep breath, and just smile at him.
"This is the last you'll ever see of me," I tell him, and I feel those tears trailing down my cheeks. He stares at me, his eyes conflicting between standing there and closing the gap. I wish he'd know I'm his son. I wish he'd know that I'm sorry. I wish he'd know that I wish I wasn't a sacrifice. I wish he'd know that I love him… the last time I'd told him was so long ago. Had he forgotten?
Except that I can't say any of that.
"I'm grateful for everything you'll do for me," I continue, opening my eyes to look at him again. There's a growing lump in my throat, and I remember the last look he gave me – a tear-stained face – before I died. "Even if I've never told you. You'll give me the best life I'd ever be able to ask for… I love you, father. Take care of them for me."
(Told you I wouldn't half-ass that. It's also a scene from my novel.)
There are a million different types of scenes, really. Adventure requires non-stop and fast paced events, as do fights and action. A happy event like a birthday party should always have light, mindless humor and easy-flowing dialogue. A sad scene like character deaths or, hell, the loss of a boyfriend, should be dark and gloomy Go with the mood of your characters!

That's it for now, guys! I'll see you soon with other tips and tricks, and for now, keep practicing! Writing is an art and you can never perfect it – only improve. There's no such thing as a "bad" writer, and it takes years before you're on par with Darren Shan – he's the master of horror, so you can imagine.
If you want a little tip to see how you've improved: take your oldest story and read it, then read your newest one. Note how you've improved and where you still need work – but there will always be something you've gotten better at. Hell, I compared my first manuscript with my latest, and I noted multiple changes: better dialogue, descriptions, characters, flow, plot line, hook… and I've only been at it for four years. So imagine in seven, eight or even ten years. You only get better with time and practice!
I hope these tricks help! Remember your grammar rules, keep in syntax, and look in the descriptions for part one and two for more tips and tricks! Feel free to use these at your leisure.
Good luck, and happy writing!
~Marie-Ange Langlois