Editing

Hopefully you will now have enough distance from your piece to assess if a). it is any good and b) how much is worth keeping. Maybe much of your dialogue is strong or the basic plot is great, but the ending was a little rushed. It may be an idea to start a new file to put in all the bits you like. Don't be discouraged if this new file is smaller than the original. You will know these sections are actually solid. You may want to ask for a second opinion from a friendly writing group if you are unsure.

Lengthening

Unless you are writing a children's or young adult book, chances are the piece will need to be considerably longer. You can either go back and weave new elements into your NaNo piece or decide to carry on writing from where you left off. Neither approach is necessarily right or wrong; it depends how you work. Either way, you should have a strong position to start from.

Scrap It

This is the most extreme option. Perhaps the piece you were writing just doesn't work. Don't be upset. This is a plot bunny you've got out of your head and there must be at least some elements you can still use.

Remember that NaNoWriMo is a starting place. Whatever you decide to do, you have a lot of work still to go. Good luck!

1. Keep An Ideas Book

   Carry a little notebook around with you so you can jot down all your ideas. Maybe it is a phrase or an idea or a character. That way you will never find yourself short of ideas to help start you off.

2. Join A Writers' Group

   This will give you valuable feedback and, equally important, a reason to write.

3. Always Stop Writing While You Are Still Enthusiastic

   It may be hard to drag yourself away from the keyboard when you want to keep writing, but make sure you can start at a good point the next day.

4. Keep A Tidy Creative Area

   Have an area of the house you use just for writing, or just for creative activity. That way when you are there you know it is time to write. Keep the area tidy, and consider investing in a white board or notice board to display bits of inspiration. This could be a post-it with an idea on it, or an evocative photo. This means you avoid distractions and can get down to work.

5. Turn Off The Internet

   The less distractions you have, the less likely you are to go off track.

6. Keep Folders Of Research

   This way you can easily access and use sources of inspiration and details for your story.

7. Find Out What Works For You

   Some find that a glass of red wine to hand relaxes them, so they can write without pressure. Others need a bit of a caffeine high or some familiar music to get them started. Whatever gets you writing is a positive thing.

8. Consider Background Noise

   Try playing music. You may want some neutral instrumental music to drown out background noise, or something atmospheric to create a mood. Loud and shouty could be great for writing a rebellious young adult piece, while the sound of birdsong or the jungle could be perfect for a piece with a remote setting.

9. Keep All Your Writing In One Place

   This may be a physical thing, with box files full of print-outs, or a folder on your computer. This makes for easy access, and provides a motivational tool as you can see what you have already completed, and improvement from earlier pieces.

10. Keep A Folder Of The Great Lines You Cut Out

    Maybe there's a phrase you love that your character would never use. Maybe it's a minor character you cut out since he complicated the plot. Keep all of these to hand as you never know when they might fill a gap in a new project.

If people had enough faith in your writing to publish it, then this will grab attention. Even if the piece you have had published is not directly relevant, still mention it. Though it takes different skills to write an article than a story, it still illustrates a level of competency.

A word of caution: If you have had many pieces published in lots of genres, pick the most relevant one. You don't want to look like a jack-of-all-trades!

Mention any complements you have been given

What sort of positive feedback have you received? Have you won any prizes or submitted a piece for a Creative Writing course that received praise? Mention this.

A word of caution: Do not ever say that your best friend / Mum / child likes your story. Unless they are a well known critic or writer their view is likely to be highly biased, and mentioning it makes you look unprofessional.

Do you have relevant life experience?

You may not have a great deal of previous writing experience, but there may be something relevant to the genre. For example, maybe you are writing for young adults and are fairly young yourself, or maybe you are a school teacher and writing for children. If you are writing a novel based around a certain sport or profession that you have a deep knowledge of, then this will help your saleability.

A word of caution: do not fish for tenuous links. If you are writing a horse story and once rode a donkey on holiday it will make you look a bit silly, to say the least.

Make favorable comparisons

If you are writing in a genre or on a theme that has proved very popular, there is nothing wrong with mentioning this. It shows you have an awareness of current publishing.

Words of caution: Don't make yourself look like an imitator. Everyone wants to write the next Harry Potter and publishers won't be overly impressed if it looks like you are two or three years behind a trend. You also don't want to appear arrogant.

Include all essential details

If you have finished the book then make sure you say this. This will make it more likely that publishers will take a chance on a new author. Mention the genre and target market as well as the length. All these details make it easier for an agent and, in turn, a publisher to see what they are dealing with.

A word of caution: Don't lie! If your piece is only 35,000 words don't say it is a completed novel of 70,000 or you will tie yourself up in knots and may well get a bad reputation.

Do your research

It sounds obvious, but if an agent only deals with children's fiction or just horror, then don't' send a sci-fi story to them. It will just lead to disappointment and wastes your time. Invest in a Writers and Artists' Handbook for up to date contact details. There will also be submission guidelines. Follow these to the letter!

A word of caution: Having the Writers and Artists' Handbook does not make you an expert. Do not expect an agent to be impressed by information you found in it. After all, this is the absolute minimum you have to do.

Look professional

Avoid anything that would not fit with the professional image you are trying to create. If you say you are writing literary fiction, giving the email address FluffyBottom@hotmail.com will not impress. Equally, do not use lots of different fonts and colours and it is best to avoid a flashy logo you have made for yourself. You may stand out, but most probably for the wrong reasons.

Don't look pretentious

Publishers may well not be impressed by letters after your name, unless they are relevant. Your PhD in astrophysics may well be fascinating, but it does not apply to writing a comedy set in a theatre. Do not show off about things that have nothing to do with writing as it may appear you are trying to cover up for faults in your piece.

Don't mention any negatives

In fact, don't include anything that could be construed as negative. Do not say, for example, that you received negative feedback in the past and have improved. This happens to everyone, but mentioning it creates doubt in the mind of whoever reads the letter. Do not criticise other people's work as you sound rude and an agent will want to work with someone upbeat and interesting. Try to make everything you say hopeful. For example “I look forward to hearing from you” is far more active than a slightly apologetic “thank you for taking the time to read this”. Look at the title of this paragraph; “don't mention any negatives”. Don't you think “be positive” would have been better? If you noticed this yourself then you can see the importance of a positive spin.

Be unique!

What is your unique selling point? Publishers may not be interested in just another romance or another book set on Mars. While there is nothing wrong with saying your writing fits into a genre, you do not want to sound derivative. Maybe you have an unusual setting or a highly unique writing style.

A word of caution: Try not to sound like a gimmick writer

Good luck with getting published!

You have lost faith in your work

Do you have a reliable person you can ask for feedback? It can be beneficial to have a reciprocal agreement with a number of people to give each other feedback. Send the piece to one of your contacts, explaining you need some feedback to start you writing again. The other person, if they are good at feedback, may be able to put their finger on the problem that has been niggling, or offer encouragement in the piece. This honest feedback can give you things to work on, which means you can begin again.

You have no idea what to write next in a piece

If you are writing a longer piece you may, for example, know the beginning and ending but not the middle. Try going on to a part you have more clearly in your mind first. This may set off ideas to fill in the blank. If the problem is that you have no idea what will happen beyond what you have written, try writing a letter in the style of the characters so you can more fully appreciate their reactions to what has happened so far. If you still find yourself unsure of where you are going, try writing something else and coming back to this piece when you have given it breathing space.

You have no ideas at all

If you have no ideas for starting places then try random research. Read through reference books, look at online encyclopedias or just flick through magazines. If you find a topic of interest then this can spark off ideas. You could try fan fiction, as it will have ready-made characters and environments. This will give you a starting point which may well become ideas for your own original characters.

You're just staring at the screen

It sounds like you need a break. Make sure you're not procrastinating; playing solitaire is not the same as being stuck! If you really cannot write anymore take some time out. You may well have worried yourself into a hole, so step away from the computer and read a book or watch some TV. If it is already late then have a good night's sleep. Start fresh in the morning and see if the situation improves.

You really mean to start writing, but...

We've all been there. You intend to get down to writing, but you have to check your email. And you have to have a good playlist to listen to while you type. And you can't write on an empty stomach. Cut through procrastination by setting yourself mini deadlines. You will, for example, write 500 words today, or finish the chapter by Wednesday. If that's still not enough motivation, make someone else check up on you. For example, arrange to send a chapter to a friend at the end of the week.

You have something you would rather work on

Does the piece you are working on have to be finished now? If not, put it aside to work on the more appealing piece. It may turn out to be a niggling plot bunny you just need to get out of your system, but it could become your bestseller.

If you do need to finish the first piece now, then use the other piece as a carrot. You can work on that when you've got this one out of the way. For the time being, avoid the other piece altogether as it is an unneeded distraction.

Someone has said something negative and you are depressed

It can be hard to take criticism. Listen to what the person said. Did they criticize your writing or the idea, for example. Maybe you think your plot is great, but another person may have seen it before. Or maybe the idea is good but your writing needs work. If you tend to be overly critical, you may have only heard the negative and not the positives. For example “it's great but there was a bit too much dialogue” is good criticism as you have something to work on. “I think it's rubbish” is useless criticism as it give you no focus. Avoid the person who gave you this feedback and seek a second opinion.

If, on the other hand, the person gave positives and negatives but you were very offended, you may be rather precious about your work. Put the piece aside and come back to it. When you have gained some distance you may see faults you had missed when you were writing it. Write something unrelated in between so you do not lose heart.