Lost the plot, part two
 
When you are working on your novel it is not helpful to start editing it too soon. The next tip is; NEVER read back what you have just written. It is much better to write until you run dry then pack it up and put it away un-read and un-edited. WHY? Well I have discovered that I cannot be objective or even rational about my work when I have just produced it. In the past I have started to edit it right away and made it much worse or had to throw it away in frustration because I felt it was rubbish. But if I wait until the next day and then read it again it is much easier to see the flaws and put them right. If after reading it I know what should come next I start writing again and the manuscript moves forward.
NEVER edit it fully until the whole novel is finished or you’ll never complete it. I have known a few friends who have attempted to write a novel but never got passed chapter 5. Why is this? It is because they continually edited these first few chapters until they were sick to death of it or had completely edited out all the flow and originality from it. So, get it down on paper/computer before going over it more than once. Once it is complete then it’s the time to move on to the editing phase and believe me, you’ll do this many times before it is good enough to submit to anyone.

Lost the plot
Ok the plot! I firmly believe it really needs a beginning, middle and a satisfying ending. Nothing annoys me more than a fumbled or inconclusive ending. But that’s just me.
When I first started writing I had the plot all set out chapter by chapter but as I got going on the manuscript this started to change and for the better too. Once I’d finished it, I looked again at my original plan and I realized how boring it would have been if I’d stuck to that plan. So, the first thing I recommend is to be flexible and allow your characters to tell the story. It’s amazing what they came up with and where they lead you. As long as you get to the end, the route taken can be full of twists and turns. They make the story much more interesting and more life like than a straight road with no complications.
 Having a loose plan is fine and as you go along new ideas will come to you and they will often improve your story. If you get stuck, put the manuscript to one side and go for a walk or do something else you enjoy. This will free up your mind and suddenly you’ll know where you’re going next. I often ask for help from my spirit guides just before going to sleep and it is amazing how often I wake up in the morning with the next section of the novel in my mind. This also works with other problems too. Try it and see if it works for you too.
More tips on the plot next time.

Develop Your Characters
So, you have a wonderful idea for a best seller and you are excited to get started.
I have found over the years it is best to take the time to think about all your ideas for the book and write them down before you start writing. I get my best ideas while walking in the countryside or gardening as your mind can wander. You need to have a firm grasp on the plot and the main characters before you start.
I like to write a character file for each of the main characters so that it remains consistent for the whole novel or series. If you don’t do this you may find on re-reading your work that character A has brown eyes at the beginning and blue eyes at the end! I also think if you take time on this your characters will be more believable and real. If they are real to you, they will be real to your readers. Give them a back story; how did they get to where the story starts? Who are their parents and siblings? Are they single or married? You get the picture.
You will have your favourites but often if you ask your readers who theirs are, it will be different to yours. But this is great feedback if you can find out why they like a particular character or why the not like one too.
All this is time well spent as the more comfortable you are with your characters the better they will come alive. I’ve found that when this happens, they begin to talk more naturally and convincing dialogue is often the hardest part of the novel to get right especially for a new writer. You may find that once the story gets going it will naturally change as your characters begin to dictate how it will turn out. I have had characters I’ve labelled as the villains turn into the hero’s; crazy but true. So, take the time to get to know them and they will help you write their story.

What Happens Next?
To have a good idea for a novel or short story is a good start but where do you go from there?
It is a scary prospect, to put pen to paper or more likely these days, fingers to key board. It can be terrifying but it shouldn’t be as you can always make corrections. With a computer it is so much easier to move sections around, or take out bits but still keep them in case you what to use them later.
In my school days everything was on paper so you couldn’t hide your thinking so easily. I am dyslexic but didn’t find out about this until I was 19 and had given up on schooling because of the hard time I had got from my teachers. So, when I had my first great idea for a book, I could hear my teachers voices in my head scornfully saying, “Do you think YOU can write a book?
I remember all the red ink on my essays and stories pointing out all my spelling and gramma errors, but I also remember the comments about my good plots and interesting characters. Its funny how you focus on the negatives people throw at you and not the positives. I lost my confidence because I was told so many times that I was lazy or not trying hard enough when I was and this is stays with me.. Unless you have dyslexia, it is hard to explain what it is like and there are many forms of it too. So, as I started to write these voices began to return and scared me off writing for a while but then I thought, “What’s the worse that can happen? I’ll get two pages in and run out of steam? Thankfully this didn’t happen but it takes a lot of effort, persistence and faith in yourself to make it to the end of your manuscript.
It’s a long road to travel and often a lonely trip too but its worth it.
Some notes on developing your characters next time.