#book writing
Tone:
It’s important to establish your writing tone in the first chapter.
A brief definition of this is how you say what you say.
It’s also important to make sure your tone matches up with the genre you’re writing.
▪️Let’s take mystery-thrillerfor instance:
Example:
There was a knock at the door.
Danielle walked down the stairs to answer it.
But when she opened the door, she noticed that no one was there.
That was weird, she thought. 
Vs.
There was a knock at the door.
Danielle crept down the shadowed stairs and the floorboards creaked under her weight, spooking her.
When she made it to the bottom she put her hand on the cold knob and slowly opened the door.
No one was there.
This is scary, she thought.
Often times you can use“adjectives”to set your tones.
Example:
Use these adjectives to set a negative tone
▪️Angry
▪️Annoyed
▪️Hurt
▪️Sad
▪️Anxious
▪️Scary
▪️Sick
▪️Awful
▪️Insane
▪️Bad
▪️Black
▪️Embarrassed
▪️Envious
▪️Lazy
▪️Tense
▪️Blue
▪️Evil
▪️Lonely
▪️Fierce
▪️Mad
▪️Terrifying
▪️Foolish
▪️Mysterious
▪️Timid
▪️Tired
▪️Confused
▪️Frightened
▪️Troubled
▪️Crappy
▪️Nervous
▪️Upset
▪️Crazy
▪️Grieving
▪️Creepy
▪️Grumpy
▪️Weak
▪️Cruel
▪️Outrageous
▪️Weary
Escapism:
1. seeking to escape from reality
2. seeking to escape from reality by form of books
▪️your readers want to escape from the worry and unpleasantness of life.
▪️keep this in mind and you’ll write great stories that your readers won’t be able to put down.
This is especially easy if you add suspenseto your book.
How to create suspense:
▪️start scenes and chapters with urgency
Example:
Molly woke up.
She yawned and stretched and moseyed into the kitchen to make her cereal.
She found her favorite kind (cinnamon toast crunch) and poured it into a bowl with milk.
Now, she sat down in front of the window to watch the morning birds pecking the ground.
Let’s say someone is about to break into Molly’s house and kidnap her. Well… your readers will probably never make it to find out because this scene started out with no promise and no urgency what so ever. It’s just a boring morning routine that no one wants to hear.
Let’s try it another way…
Molly woke up with a strange feeling in her gut.
The house was quiet and she remembered that her parents had left on vacation.
Maybe she was just nervous about being alone. Yeah, that was it.
She started breakfast but the feeling wouldn’t leave her so she decided to lock all the windows and bolt the front door.
But the strange feeling persisted.
Suddenly, she remembered that she had forgotten to lock the basement door.
She sat down her bowl of cereal and slowly headed down the dark stairs…
Synonyms for “Looked”:
▪️Heglanced at the girl.
▪️Shegazed at the horizon, unaware of how much time had passed.
▪️Shespotted him in the crowded airport.
▪️Shepeeked through the curtain, giggling.
▪️He saw a glimpse of the cabin through the trees.
▪️Hewatched her car disappear down the road.
▪️Shesurveyed her child’s arm for any scratches.
▪️Shestudied the words on the page.
▪️Hespied the dog in the bushes.
▪️The girl eyed the boy, crossing her arms.
▪️Shechecked her purse to make sure nothing was missing.
▪️His eyes focused on hers, his heart fluttering.
▪️Heinspected her expression, seeing that she was upset.
▪️Hescanned the church building. It was empty.
▪️Sheogled the cake, licking her lips.
▪️Hepeered up at the balcony, seeing her there.
▪️The child squinted at the ocean against the sunlight.
▪️Heviewed the blood on the carpet.
For more, try this book with impactful synonyms that will bring your writing to life ☺️ link below:
Synonyms for “Walk”:
▪️Theystrolled through the garden hand in hand.
▪️Shetramped through the mud, her legs aching.
▪️Hehiked up the hill.
▪️The cat awoke and moseyed to her food bowl.
▪️Heprowled around the corner as the girl neared.
▪️Hemarched around the school yard, feeling proud.
▪️Sheambled into the kitchen with a yawn.
▪️Hewandered through the hallways, staring down at th map.
▪️Shetrodslowlyacross the old bridge, watching her feet.
▪️Heproceeded on his way after stopping for a drink.
▪️The boys trooped into the locker room after a long game.
▪️The boy and girl sauntered down the road.
▪️Sheplodded toward the house, having finished her jog.
▪️Hepatrolled up and down the street.
▪️The dogs roamed the open meadows.
Describing Setting:
Don’t overload:
The bluebird was singing soft melodies and flapping its wings. The breeze was blowing sweet scents from the flowers that were red, blue, and purple. The sky was clear with only a few thin clouds. The tall dark trees were creaking and echoing against the woods. ✖️
Vs.
The rose-scented wind blew breezes against the forest. Bluebirds sprang into the air with songs of summer. ✔️
Writing Better Books:
▪️Use dialogue to move your story along
▪️write tension: your story should be full of struggle. Even after resolving one conflict, quickly introduce the next. This keeps things interesting for your reader.
▪️outline:I personally don’t use this method but everyone has what works for them. At least have a goal in mind and constantly ask the question “what if”.
If you are like me, ask these questions for each scene:
▪️write detail: don’t forget the senses, especially sound, sight, and smell.
▪️read other books and ask yourself why you like that book or what keeps you interested and try to learn from it.
▪️it’s okay to vary chapter length, it keeps things interesting.
▪️write hand gestures
▪️let your characters’ personalities speak through action.
▪️there doesn’t always have to be a moral
▪️delete “very” and be precise:
instead of “very good”say“excellent”.
▪️delay plot twist reveals, allow suspension to build
▪️avoid clichés
These are common clichés:
▪️show don’t tell
▪️captivate your readers from the start: pose a question:
Mary would never walk again. Why?
Peter’s heart was shattered.Why?
The day he came, my life drastically changed. Why? Who?
▪️use similes when appropriate
▪️don’t stress it, you’re doing great ☺️
Clarity:
She went all the way to the store by the way of a car in which she had just purchased. ✖️
Vs.
She went to the store in a car she had just purchased. ✔️
He very much loved the sounds that the cars made as they made their way passed his house at a very fast pace.✖️
Vs.
He loved the cars’ sounds as they quickly passed his house. ✔️
▪️Avoid run on sentences:
He bought a dog from the shelter because he wanted to give a homeless dog a nice new home and that made him feel like a good person. ✖️
Vs.
He bought a dog from the shelter because he wanted to give a homeless dog a nice new home. This made him feel like a good person.
▪️Cut out “was” when possible:
Courtney was smiling. ✖️
Vs.
Courtney smiled. ✔️
▪️Try using one sentace paragraphs:
She liked how the rain felt on her bare skin.
So, she chose to walk home, her feet crashing through puddles.
It took longer than it would have in a car.
But she didn’t regret it.
▪️Try shorter sentences:
Ann’s heart felt sad.
She didn’t know what had caused it.
All she knew was that she woke up one morning feeling sad.
▪️Be conside:
I like carrots. Carrots are better than broccoli.✖️
Vs.
I like carrots better than broccoli. ✔️
▪️Be Specific:
She ate a snack.✖️
Vs.
She ate peanut butter crackers. ✔️
She went out for entertainment.✖️
Vs.
She went to the theater.✔️
▪️Paint pictures:
The sun was yellow. The sky was blue.✖️
Vs.
The sky was a blanket of gold, fluttering through the pale blue. ✔️
▪️Express don’t impress:
Scintillating gold fulgrated across the sphere it was a quintessential evening.✖️
Vs.
Sparkling gold mixed through the navy sky. It was the perfect evening. ✔️
Best Writing Tip EVER:
- If it’s boring to you, it’s boring to your reader.
Otherbest writing Tips:
▪️Write what you love
▪️throw away guidelines (if you want to write about a character that passes out every five seconds for no reason, GO FOR IT)
▪️stop writing for other people
▪️stop worrying ☺️
▪️fall in love with your story, characters, and setting
▪️allow writing to be fun again
▪️don’t write for money, popularity, or anything other than YOU (you’re not an accountant, you’re a writer! But if money follows your passion, yay you!)
Questions to ask yourself:
If bores me, why am I writing it?
What do I love? Hobbies, places, food, subjects, events, eras, etc.
What do I not love? Don’t write it.
What do I know? Homeschooling, raising animals, career, art, cleaning houses. (You’d be surprised what others don’t know and how interested they would be to just read about a character that mops floors for a living )
Am I writing about a subject I’m unfamiliar with?
Do I love my book?
Does my book excite me?
Do I love my characters?
What books do I like to read?
Testimony:
Once upon a time, a writer that loved to write couldn’t write any more.
She tried everything in her power but ended up hating her book just as much as a runny nose and sore throat.
She wondered why this had happened to her.
She realized she had been writing for others, what she thought they wanted and liked.
But in reality, her stories were boring like watching rain out the window.
Especially to her.
So she decided to take a break from internet writing and wrote a private story for herself.
She quickly realized she had never lost her writing gift and she felt so happy that she finished an entire novel and published it.
Many people loved and commented on her book, telling her it was the best book she had ever written.
Now she realized that her own passions also interested others so she kept writing for herself. And others enjoyed it, too!
Now she writes for a living, it’s not boring, and she has fun everyday.
Theend.
Writing Snacks:
Sitting down to write with a bag of chips or a slice of cake is… well, let’s face it. You’re probably going to eat too much. And yes, I have been very guilty of this.
Here’s an alternative:
▪️sliced veggies + dip
▪️yogurt(non-dairy is my fav)
▪️pretzels
▪️smoothie
▪️your favorite nuts (almonds!!!)
▪️juice
▪️sliced apples with nut butter
▪️dark chocolate
▪️popcorn
▪️dried fruit
▪️seed mixes
▪️hot tea
If your anything like me, you’ll sit down at your laptop for hours at a time working on your story… so it’s good to prepare your snacks in advance, so it’s an easy grab and go option.
How To Write Paragraphs:
To make interesting paragraphs you need an even balance of the following:
▪️Conjunctions:(But, and, etc.)
▪️Short sentences:She went to the store.
▪️Long sentences:She went to the store, hoping she could get the bread she wanted on sale.
Example:
What would happen?Lily had never been left alone before, because she had super bad anxiety. But this time, her mother felt it would be good for her.No. It was the worst mistake.
Vs.
Lily had terrible anxiety and didn’t want to be left alone. But this time her mother felt it would be good for her, so she left to the store. This was a bad idea and a horrible mistake.
Lily had terrible anxiety. She didn’t want to be left alone. Her mother felt it would be good for her. She left to the store. This was a bad idea. This was a horrible mistake.
Spice up your dialogue:
“I can’t,” she said.
Or you could say…
“I can’t,” she said, slowlyand moved away from him.
“Will you come?” He asked.
Or…(adj.)(Action)
“Will you come?” He asked, timidlywith his head down.
Balance your tags like this:
Tags: pink
Adjective: orange
Action: blue
“I’m tired,” Mia said with a yawnand crawled into bed.
Daniel lowered the book he was reading. “It’s too early for sleep.”
Two seconds later, Mia’s snores echoed through the room.
“Oh well.” Hechuckledand turned off the light.
Prompts:
She said, softly and looked down.
She said, timidly stepping away.
She said, robustly and met his eyes.
She said, angrily with a flushed face.
She said, quivering and fell to the ground.
He said, laughing and holding his stomach.
He said, stiffly and turned away.
He said, bitterly and his jaw flared.
Eye Color:
Baby blue
Cobolt blue
Slate blue
Blueberry colored
Sky blue
Misty blue
Ocean blue
Navy blue
Rich blue
Indigo blue
Electric blue
Powdery blue
Midnight blue
Royal blue
Diamond blue
✏️
Earth green
Sage green
Emerald green
Pine green
Jade green
Mint green
Meadow green
Grasshopper green
Basil green
Evergreen
Leaf green
Army green
Valley green
✏️
Oak brown
Chocolate brown
Charcoal colored
Beige
Caramel brown
Tan
Penny colored
Camel brown
Autumn colored
Desert brown
Acorn colored
Clay colored
Night colored
Leather brown
Dusty brown
Cocoa colored
Marble brown
Nut brown
Copper brown
Apple brown
Blazer brown
Cranberry brown
Rosy brown
Chestnut brown
✏️
Elephant gray
Fog gray
Metal gray
Silver
Ash colored
Slate gray
Charcoal gray
Dolphin gray
Cloud colored
Cinder gray
Smokey gray
Castle gray
Steel gray
Lilac gray
Tin gray
Whale gray
Ocean gray
Thundercloud gray
Shoreline gray
Rocky gray
Marble gray
Stone gray
How to Have Confidence in Your Writing:
▪️post your story online for feedback
▪️read everyday
▪️write everyday
▪️put your story aside and then come back later (this helps you see it more clearly)
▪️read writing tips
▪️download Grammarly (there’s a free version)
▪️try not to edit as you go (this slows you down and makes you question everything. It can be quite frustrating. So, it’s better to wait until the end of the book to edit.)
▪️keep in mind that no one writes a perfect first draft - they are going to suck.
▪️actuallyfinish a story. (This builds confidence like crazy. You’ll feel so accomplished.)
Word count: 13,140
How is yours going?
Dialogue Tags:
▪️He explained. ✖️
▪️He advised. ✖️
▪️He warned. ✖️
▪️He confirmed. ✖️
▪️He accused. ✖️
▪️He babbled. ✖️
▪️He said.✔️
Although these tags aren’t always bad they can be overused and redundant to the reader.
Let me explain.
▪️“You stole my cookie, Linda!” Roger shouted.
(We already know Roger is accusing Linda and don’t need to say “Roger accused”.
It’s better to keep your tags basic.
▪️He said. ✔️
▪️She said. ✔️
▪️He asked. ✔️
▪️She asked. ✔️
▪️He yelled. ✔️
▪️She yelled. ✔️
But don’t overuse your tags.
“Hello,” Linda said.
“Hello,” Roger said.
“How are you?” Linda asked.
“I’m fine,” Roger replied.
Omit tags when readers can assume who is speaking.
Linda put her arm around Roger. “I love you.”
He smiled. “I love you, too.”
Use action instead of tags.
“I’ll miss you,” Roger cried. ✖️
Vs.
Hot tears swelled in Rogers eyes. “I’ll miss you.” ✔️
Rules to finding your writing style:(writing voice)
▪️don’t copy someone else
▪️stick with one POV (point of view)
▪️play with different styles
▪️keep it natural
▪️edit instead of changing your voice (your writing voice usually isn’t the problem)
▪️try adding more description to your writing
▪️stay consistent
▪️writeevery day
▪️write what you love
Hearing his voice was like hearing a million blessings whispered by angels only to me.
S.A // Lovely Little Details
“How did you know you when you loved him?”
“I have this thing where I ask myself how long it would take me to get over a person if they left me in that moment. And usually it’s a month, maybe two. But with him it was like, if he disappeared right now? Years. I wouldn’t be the same, ever. I already feel like a piece of my life is missing just thinking about it.”
S.A // Conversations About Love #9
Since: I can’t post everything I write here because sometimes it’s not what I’m going for at the moment, or it might be a quick draft of something, or a short quick vision of words I have suddenly; but I still want to share it with you. So I’ve decided to open a Coffee & Literature twitter! Plus it gives me the chance to be closer to you guys
You guys can follow it @LitAndCoffee
It’ll mostly be for quick little things, and drafts that I just haven’t felt good enough to post on my blog, and to talk to you guys.
I hope this goes in a positive direction for me, Coffee & Literature and above all, all of you.
I love you I love you I love you.
Two hundred nine.
In two years, 2019-2021, with the pandemic and the caregive, I finished all my book illustrations today, 12:06 PM, Sunday, 11 April 2021, all two hundred nine (209) of them
Maycapal: Philippine Mythopoeia. From the timelessness of the cloud archipelago to the Philippine Republic of 1946.
Here’s to the anitos, diwatas, Indarapatra, to the babaylans, to Philippine flora and fauna, to myths, folklife and folklore, to the proud pre-conquest natives of the archipelago, to our Austronesian heritage, to the imagined Filipino and the Philippines!
To Thomas Bulfinch, to Edith Hamilton, to Hieronymus Bosch, to the early printers and typographers, to Cesare Ripa, to the medieval traditions brought by the holy orders, to renaissance humanists, heretics and alchemists.
To Francisco Balagtas, to Damian Domingo, to Jose Honorato Lozano, to Jose Rizal, Juan Luna and Felix R. Hidalgo.
To Gaiman, to Pullman, to Le Guin.
To semiotics, to Umberto Eco.
To archetypes, to Carl Jung.
To folklore, to Maximo D. Ramos, to E. Arsenio Manuel, to Damiana L. Eugenio.
To history, heraldry, comparative literature, religion and mythology.
To museums, archives, and libraries.
I owe to them my love of reading, drawing, and imagining.
Now to continue my writing!
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