Don't Forget About SEO

When your comic is up and going, the first thing you want to do is make sure that it shows up high in the search engine rankings. The way it's done is with a thing called search engine optimization. 

All this means is that you've done three basic things. First, search engines consider your comic to actually be at least semi-important. It doesn't actually have to be important. It just has to basically be something that everybody's looking for. There's the three basic qualifications:
 

1) The site itself is really well organized, properly designed, and and looks great. Your synopsis and all your text is grammatically correct and there are no typos. Don't worry about how names are spelled as long as you are consistent. Sneak words in as much as possible, such as by using alt tags. 

2) You're going to want to use get the word out. You want to want to go to directories and Facebook pages, and do a little bit of spamming but not too much in order to get some buzz going on the comic; the more places it appears, the better it looks for the search engines. You need people going to that site as much as you possibly can. 

3) This also means advertising This means getting the word out. This means basically dragging people kicking and screaming to your site. Because the more visitors it the more it impresses the search engines and the more that you impress them the more relevant your site appears and therefore the more worth listening to it is. 

So don't forget about search engine optimization while restructuring your site, or you will simply get lost in the ranking. Make sure that your website is pretty well designed so that you pretty much be everywhere you can be and that you used at least a little bit of advertising. If you do that, you should be good. So don't forget about SEO. 

Use Directories To Get Out The Word

One of the ways you can get word out about your comic is to listit in the directories. A "directory" is a site that basically aggregates all sorts of comics from pretty much everywhere. It lists them according to a number of different priorities, such as genre, name, age, etc.; a visitor can then search for comics based on those priorities. This means that somebody can go to the site, look for a web comic of a particular genre, author, or other criteria. If you're lucky, the webcomic they end up choosing is yours. 

Sites like Top Webcomics, Belfry, Webcomic Index, Comic Robot, Webcomics Guide, and the Webcomic List are some of the best directories. You want to get yourself listed there as quickly as possible. You need to debate participating in whatever types of contests they have as some of these will actually help you chart your comic, showing you just how many viewers you have, and how much traffic you're actually getting, plus how you're doing in relation to other comics in your particular genre. 

So yeah, there's a definite advantage being in the directory besides just being easier to find. 

However, there will be three tips I think you're going to find useful. First, don't worry about your name. A lot of people get hung up on directory names; they think that if you don't start off with the A's or B's, a lot of people are not going to be interested in you. Trust me, you're going to find that the right directory allows for a certain level of randomness. So even if your name begins with a Z, you're going to every so often you get a lot of traffic and you're not going to be able to figure it out. So don't sweat the name too much. 

Do make sure that whatever graphic you use it fully represents your cause. A lot of people will see this really cool graphic and find out it has absolutely nothing to do with the comic and that turns them off right off the bat. Another issue that will turn people off by is having a really bad graphic. 

Lastly, make sure that the synopsis is accurate. There is absolutely no bigger turn off than to find this really great comic, at least based on the synopsis only to find out that the comic has no relation to the comic.

So wherever you don't worry about the name. Be sure the graphic represents the comic. Make sure that the synopsis is as absolutely accurate as possible. Do that you're going to find out directories help people find your comic with no problem.

Do The Impossible

"People who say that something is impossible need to stay out of the way of those doing it." It's sort of fun to watch people who keep telling everybody there's no way that something can be done and right behind them somebody's actually doing the thing. 

You want to be that person who's doing the thing. 

You want to prove people that yes, you can do what they see as impossible. You can do things that nobody else can do, that you have your own skills and abilities. You're going to show them off no matter what, and you need to not be afraid to use them to do the impossible on a regular basis. Just do

I don't care what your motivation is; everybody has their own motivation for doing the impossible. Some people like challenges so they figure it out. Others just like a challenge; they see a mountain, they climb it. Some people will do it just to tick other people off and that's just as valid. 

These are the people that will be told they can't do something because of who they are, because of what they are, because of what they're missing. Their biggest thing is at that point is to show those people that they don't care;  others don't place limits on them based on those artificial restraints, and those others should just watch their dust.

Then you have the people who just are totally insane and really like doing the impossible just because it annoys the heck out of everybody else around them. They don't have to do it, they just think it's funny to show people that thought it was impossible and it couldn't be done. 

The bottom line is it doesn't matter why. You need to figure out your reason to do the impossible and just do it. Show people that you can do whatever you can and do it well.You will find that the easiest way to shut the naysayers down is to just do it, and shutting them up is one of the most satisfying things you can do.

Have Some Fun

You should not be forcing yourself to go to the keyboard every day and type out a few pages or even a few hundred words. That way is just not going to work; you need to figure out some way to have a little bit of fun, something will keep you coming back to the keyboard. There are three basic approaches. 

The first is that something will change, such as the character, the setup, or even the genre. It is interesting to change things up just to see what will happen. In table-top gaming I usually play a young geek, but  every so often I'll play an older brick just to have a little bit of fun. When you're writing, you can change a story from horror to romance and sci fi just to see what happens.

Sure, it's the same basic story, but by changing the associated tropes while carrying elements of the former genre it's interesting to see what actually happens with them. By changing these little details we make things more fun; by pushing ourselves we alleviate the boredom of doing the same thing over and over.

Another thing we'll do is unravel the plot a bit. For a convoluted plot this is great as it allows us to focus on particular threads. Conversely, for a simpler plot it allows us to see where we can make it a little more complicated. But the bottom line is all we're actually writing, we're having a lot of fun, not only trying to set this thing up and set it in motion, but to try to figure out how to deal with it and how to actually make it all makes sense then. 

And then of course, there are goal setters, those people who set a different number of words or how many pages they're going to type. Sometimes it'll be more, sometimes they'll throw themselves into a marathon session, but they'll try to set some sort goal and it won't always be the same one. By changing up the goals you can keep things fresh, especially if you have good reasons for changing the goals.

Between messing around with the way you write, messing around with what you're writing, or just simply setting some sort of weird goal, you're able to have a little bit of fun with what you're doing, and by having fun, you're able to keep yourself motivated, which is something you need, definitely work on.

So have some fun and see what you can do. Writing shouldn't be just a job, but an adventure.

Find A Rival

As manga readers and anime watchers are aware, there's a thing called the rival. You have two characters who have the same basic skills, experience, and training. And they want to kick the ever living heck out of each other. 

This is sort of cool because these two characters have this intense rivalry going and they've got motivation to do the best they possibly can. They are constantly challenging themselves, and are constantly figuring out new ways to apply their talents. All of this in order to give them one up on their rival. This is sort of cool because it gives the viewer a chance to watch these guys actually get more skilled, more powerful. On top of that, you've got people taking bets and it provides a nice little competition for those watching because you never really sure who's gonna come out on top. 

In real life, you need to establish this rivalry. This gives you somebody who you can face off against. You're going to find out that by having arrival, you're going to be doing a lot of stuff you didn't think was absolutely possible thanks to that competition. You're going to be try to do whatever you possibly can to be better than that other person. 

The only word of warning here is that you don't want to get to the point where the rival is an enemy. That gets into some really nasty territory and provides some really nasty side effects like PR issues and even the possibility of some actual injury. A friendly rivalry is better than having actual enemies. 

By establishing the rivalry by having somebody who is as skilled enough to challenge you, the two of you are going to find you're going to be a lot better writers in the long run. So if you can find somebody and just have some fun with it just to see what the two of you can do to outdo each other. See what happens. 

You're going to find that rivals can keep you honest while keeping you challenged, and that's a great thing.

Exposition Dumps Can Work

One of the secrets keep in mind is that as a writer for a visual medium there's a lot of rules that don't apply to you that would definitely apply to a text writer. One of these is the dreaded exposition dump, where a character goes on and on and keeps talking about everything's going on. Or when the author decides to just say, "Hey, here's what's going on." 

However, as a visual author you have major advantage: Whereas a purely text writer is limited to simply telling, you can show it and you've got multiple ways of doing this. You can obviously use a flashback; the art flows into a sepia tone and you simply show everything that you're trying to tell. The flashback also allows you some commentary on the particular situation that you happen to be showing. That is, you're not limited to a simple third person showing and are forced into some sort of omniscient narrator; you can actually have a little bit of fun. The character can make a point that is from their perspective. 

You can also use framing tools. If you have a conversation going on, in the background you can show the events unfolding. You actually show the two characters reacting, be showing some emotion, throwing a bit of commentary into the flashback. 

You need to realize that a lot of the rules that apply to a text writer don't apply to you as a visual writer. You have some fun ways to make execution dumps work that they don't have access to, so take advantage of that. You can show when they have to tell, and that's part of what makes a comic book writer so much fun. Keep that in mind when you're stuck and things will go a lot easier.

Don't Write Hungry

Hunger can definitely be one of the more annoying distraction that writers have to face. Luckily, there is one way to deal with it. First: Keep hydrated. You always want to have a glass of whatever your beverage of choice is within reach and outside the spill zone of your computer. You should always have something wet within reach. Now, let's talk snacks.

To use a plate or not to use a plate is a legitimate question. If you use a plate it means another trip to the kitchen, and that means possibly grabbing more food. Using a paper towel instead eliminates that extra trip and that temptation.

Weird Diet Tip: Fewer trips to the kitchen means less temptation to grab more snacks.

Also, make sure that you only grab prepared snacks. You want to spend as much time as possible writing, and preparing food, even nuking it, is time you spend away from the keyboard. Besides chips, the obvious suggestions are going to need your nuts, your meat, your cheeses, even your good old fashioned vegetables. The key here is you're looking for something that has a little bit of a crunch to it, but that crunch is part of what you're craving: You want something for your mouth to do and so nothing else will satisfy you as much. It's also going to stave off hunger better. 

This is why you spend a little extra time during meal prep to prepare some snacks, even if it's just cutting up meats and cheeses for cracker sandwiches, making vegetables bite sized to grab whenever you want, or even prepping some salsa or other dip. While you're waiting for something to boil, chop something up for tomorrow's snacks. 

Obviously, no one is preventing you from baking. You just want to avoid baked goods because they are the highest in calories. While that makes them satisfying, it also makes them the worst for your diet. 

Weird Snack Tip: Do not grab snacks that require utensils. You'll end up having to balance time between eating and writing, and that can suck. You want something you can just pop in your mouth with little thought.

If it happens to have little bit of salt or sweetness so much the better; those flavors help make for a satisfying snack. That's why you want your your meat (usually salty), your cheeses (a little of both), crackers (crunchy and salty), your good old fashioned vegetables (combined with a dressing for dipping, you get the crunch and salt you're looking for). Just grab a handful of something, put it on a paper towel, and get right back to work. 

By using your power snacks, you're going to find you will be a lot more productive and you're going to have a lot more fun writing.Better yet, by keeping snacking down to a minimum you may actually lose a little bit of weight.

Work Together to Cross Promote

The concept of cross-promotion is pretty simple: You give somebody a link and they post it on their site. They then give you their link and you post it on your site. Really simple and it gives you a lot more fresh views and a lot more sales, at least in theory. As such, it is definitely worth engaging in. 

However, you might want to keep in mind that there are three basic rules. First, quid pro quo: Both of you have to do it. A lot of times you have a situation where you're just not going to want to do it, you're going to lie and say you'll do it. But the other person posting didn't. Yeah, that's what we call not good juju. You're going to lose a lot of respect and people are not going to want to do business with you; if you can't come through on something simple what happens when it gets more complex? So any time you enter into an agreement, you need to value that agreement as well as you possibly can. Otherwise, well, bad reputation bad sales. 

Two, make sure the sites are compatible. For the cross-promotion to be effective the sites need to have something in common; their mature project on your all ages comic just isn't going to work. In fact, just having a mature book on your site may stop sales. The two projects must be complementary or there's no real  cross-promotion potential between the two. So, try to make sure that there's something there before you start getting into the cross promotion.

Three, don't sweat the numbers. Almost invariably, one of the two is doing a lot more business than the other and therefore it's going to contribute to the other person's success a lot more. That's fine. The little person is going to be thankful to the other person and the big person gets credit for building the other up. You know, Yes, just straight up. This is one time you do not want to sweat the numbers. 

When it comes down to it, working together to cross-promote your projects is definitely going to help both of you in the end. So find a partner and go for it!

Find Your Own Path

Some people found a great path to success and they assume that path works for everyone. That path may be fine for them, but it may not work for you. Other people have made a lot of mistakes by following others; they're drowning and you need to let them drown. You don't need to be part of that same pool. 

You need to realize you have your own destiny You have what makes you special, and it's not going to be the same thing that makes somebody else special. You need to figure out what works for you. You need to find a path that works for you even if it may not work for other people. You have your own desires; you want to follow your own dreams. However, you need to realize that your dreams are not the same as others, and that difference means that you walk a path different than others.

You need to realize that what makes you special is what puts you on your own path and you may not be able to use somebody else's path. That's fine. Their path is not necessarily for you. People will find success for themselves; but what works for them may not work for you. Find your own path and feel comfortable with that.

However, be especially beware of those that want to drag other people down with them. Some people feel that if they are drowning, then others should be drowning with them. While you may feel it necessary to try and save them, be aware that following them may cause you to be drowned as well; try and save them if you have to, but try to get off that path as quickly as possible. 

When it comes down to it, figure out what makes you special and how to use that to find your own success. Your path may be different than others, and there is nothing wrong with that. 

Don't Worry About Being Perfect

Diamonds aren't perfect. Sure, they're incredibly beautiful pieces of work and sure, they're able to cut through pretty much everything. However, people like diamonds because they have that really cool flame to them. 

That flame is caused not by the crystal structure of the diamond, but by a flaw in that structure.  

If it weren't for that flaw in every diamond, they wouldn't be worth noticing. They would just be basically really sharp glass. They wouldn't shine with an inner fire. However, because every diamond has that one little characteristic bubble, some sort of crack, or a little bit extra something in there that catches the light and causes it to refract that light all over the place. 

Because of that flaw you've got a really gorgeous gemstone.

You need to realize that you are like that diamond. Like that diamond, you would not shine without your flaws, without your imperfections. This isn't to say that you shouldn't be working on those flaws, but for all intents and purposes, those flaws make you are who you are. But you are more thanjust your flaws; just like the diamond, the flaws may make you shine but you are far more than your flaws.

Sure, you're going to have a lot of people who are going to tell you that you're an idiot, that you don't matter, and that you can be easily replaced. Ignore them. You are who you need to be and you get to define who you are. You need to beat your own drum, define your own rhythm. If there's a path take the one that's best for you. You need to find your own path, not the path that's best for someone else. 

Don't let the naysayers get you down. If somebody starts pointing out your flaws without looking at your strengths, you have every right to tell them to bugger off. You're not perfect but there's nothing wrong with that.Sure, you need to work on flaws and you should always be striving for improvement, but you shouldn't let your imperfections slow you down. Charge ahead and be the best you that you can be. 

Be remember that you have a flaw surrounded by a lot of strength, just like that diamond.

Don't Get Too Crazy About Diversity

One of the problems with diversity is that it can get a little bit weird when you try to fill in spots that we think that are underrepresented. Granted, the more voices that we have the better. It enriches us as a culture to have access to as many different voices and diverse perspectives. Unfortunately, the problem is that there a lot of writers that are more interested in trying to find those groups that are underrepresented.

However, there are some major issues that you need to keep in mind before you get too crazy with diversity. First, you shouldn't be tackling a character just because you think that character is under-represented. You need to tackle that character because itis gonna be fun. It can be interesting because it's going to be a challenge. You need to tackle that character because it's something you actually want to do. 

You should not tackle a character just because you think it's going to fill some sort of goal. Token employees don't work in the real world just as token characters don't work in the story. 

You create a lot of interesting problems for yourself, and none of them are good. When you read a story, you need to have the story come first. If anything else comes first, the story suffers as well everything else in the book. You need something to tie everything together and that's what the story does. It also moves things forward and actually allows people to explore your world a little bit more. 

If you worry more about a particular type of person than a particular type of character you're going to create the wrong culture. You're going to be creating all these little details that are about the character, and how the character interacts with the characters specifically because of that different perspective.

And a lot of those details are going to be wrong. Odds are pretty good that you will get the big details right but will get the small details way wrong. Then you are likely to idolize the culture to the point of worshiping it rather than treating it honestly. You will be so focused on trying to make the character a typical member of the race that you will more likely make them a stereotypical member of the culture. In short, in your attempt to portray another culture is going to be offensive to those of the culture.

Ironically, some from the culture try so hard to put a positive face on their culture that they make those from the culture so incredible that they do their own culture a disservice. In all cases, you need to be willing to look at the good and bad sides of the culture or else it quickly becomes a parody of itself. 

You are going to get so worried about that character that you forget about the story. You know, the part that should be coming before everything else in book. and so worried about more about writing the best possibly version of that particular character that he will likely overshadow everyone else in the story.

In short, don't do something just because you feel there has to be some sort of political need to do so but do it because the character works for the story. Worry about making the best possible story you can first, all else second, and you will find that the characters you are trying to present will be more than just token characters, upgrading them from mere stereotypes to actual characters.

Don't Do Anything Without A Business Plan

Do typically have a plan? Look, a lot of writers tend to suck at the whole business thing. It's just straight up, we're not geared that way. This goes into that whole general category of we don't want to deal with people. 

Nonetheless, it sort of can help to have an idea what you plan to do with the book once it actually gets written. And this is basically going to come down to some sort of marketing plan. We basically have most of the steps pretty much covered: 

1) We know why we're doing it.
2) We know who we have to compete against.
3) We know why we're writing the book.
4) We know how we're going to distribute it.

We just need to come up with some sort of marketing plan to get news about our book out. We need to come up with some sort of plan in order to sell our book once we actually have it ready to go. I don't care if it's as simple as a team blasting all your social media as often as you possibly can, that's still better than just uploading it to Amazon and hoping people just come across it. 

You want all of your friends to know that you've got this new book out, so going on discussion boards and selling yourself as some sort of expert works really great if you're doing some sort of non fiction book. By establishing you know what you're actually talking about will create interest in what you're actually writing. If you're selling some sort of fiction, you need to create some sort of interest in what the book is about. 

Either way, you need to get the message out. Just hoping that someone will come across your book just doesn't sell your book.

You need to come up with some sort of plan, be it a podcast interview, advertising, pretty much any kind of social media out. You need to have some sort of plan for marketing your book. You need to actually develop that plan as quickly as possible. So make sure that when you start writing you have some sort of plan for when your book is actually published and you'll be steps ahead of the competition.

Make Sure That You Have a Support Team At The Ready

Writers tend to forget that writing as well in business. Yes, it can be fun, it can be creative, and you can use it to relieve stress every so often. But the bottom line is that it is still a business; at some point in time, we actually have to have some sort of product that goes through some kind of quality assurance process, and that we get the word out that the product is on this way. Oh, and that product has to be completed and made ready for purchase. 

We also have to make sure that well, at some point, our actual copy gets into the device or the hands of our readers. 

However, as writers we have certain handicaps in this process. As editors, we pretty much suck because when we're done with that first draft, we want to publish and we want to be on to the next thing. When it comes to marketing, we're just a little bit on the introverted side; if most writers had their way, they would never ever deal with anybody. And course we have distribution to worry about, but the more we can keep our hands off that so much the better; we hate being pushy, as it means going out and dealing with people.

We need somebody to help us with those things. While there are ways around this: If we upload to Amazon, for example, they'll take care of the printing and distribution for us, as well as a little bit of marketing. 

We still need somebody to help us with the marketing we definitely need help with the editing. Because of this we need some help once in a while. We need artists for covers, lay-out artists to make the text look pretty, editors to go through the copy looking for errors, and even marketers to help with ads. We need people to do all of the things that we don't want or lack the skills to deal with.

So if you are serious about your writing, make sure that you have some sort of support team or you may as well just write for yourself. 

Holiday Sales Work!

You're going to find that selling your book at certain times of the year can be better for book sales. Obviously, the weekend after Thanksgiving is going to be one, and the lead up to Christmas is going to be another. You're also gonna notice something at the beginning of winter and summer; that is the months when people have pretty much nothing to do and they're looking for something to entertain them.

You're also going to notice that certain books do better during certain times of the year and you're going to want to take advantage of that. For example, you're books that involve the supernatural are going to be best towards Halloween. Conversely, if you have books that draw family together, they are going to do well during winter. And, of course, you're going to see sales take off during the summer when people want to read anything that they can get their hands on.  

Look at how TV generates viewers for their shows: TV sitcoms plan everything around maor holidays so you see the Thanksgiving show, the Christmas show, the Valentine's Day, even shows that highlight summer and winter activities. They see spikes of viewers when they do that because it links those shows to events that their experiences, helping add to the spirit of the season. 

If your book is geared to a specific holiday or season, by all means take advantage of that. 

It's incumbent upon you to figure out when the best-selling seasons the year are and take advantage of that. That is when you have your marketing charge up and you have your sites ready to take on the influx of customers. Make sure that you know when your books going to take off. Not everybody's going to have that same schedule in that regard. Make sure your marketing is ready. make sure information on your books are available, and definitely make sure your sites are ready. 

Just simply take advantage of that you're going to find out real quick that selling for the holidays work, especially if your books are set up that way.

Spend For Effect

One of those unwritten rules is that you're gonna have to spend money for something in order to get attention. I don't care if it's for the editing, the marketing, or even have a really cool book cover design but you need to spend money to make money. Yeah, it's a sad state of affairs, but you can't do everything for free

While it sucks there's nothing wrong with this; sometimes you need to pay to play. It's just that when you do spend money, you want to make sure that what you're spending on is actually going to be effective for whatever you need it to be effective for. You need to check out the product, and that means that you need to check out reviews if possible. You need to get some sort of sample. 

You need to be able to justify that spending. 

Then you need to avoid the person who will get what you purchased to you when it suits him. Yeah, that's not gonna work. You have deadlines, even Informal ones, and you need to stick to those deadlines. Sticking to someone else's schedule when you have one of your own needs to be avoided at all costs.

So that means that not only you have to make sure that whatever money you're spending is actually being used effectively but you need to have some sort of way to actually track it. If you can't put a tracking system of some sort in the place, then don't bother spending the money in the first place; you'll just end up wasting money one way or another. You need to not only have confidence in what you're doing, but to be able to shout out confidence in your system as a whole. 

So when it comes down to it you need to make sure that you're working with the best possible product for your particular situation. You need to make sure there's some sort of work samples available. You need to check out reviews if possible. And you need to have some sort of system in place that allows you to check up on what's going on with with the money you're spending. When you are doing that then Congratulations! You are spending money to affect

Have Someone You Can Talk To

One of the problems with being a writer is that sometimes it'll be seem like it's just you and your laptop. You can have a lot of collaborations with other artists throughout the years, and sometimes you'll have employers and employees working with you. But the bottom line is that you are going to encounter a lot of weird problems that you're going to need to have somebody talk to. I don't care if it's calling Mom, an online discussion board, or even a therapist. 

You need to have somebody who can actually talk through those problems with. 

There are going to be days when you just need a little bit of encouragement or to go completely off topic, just talking about the most inane subjects known to man. There are going to be those days where you just need to get away from your writing. You need to just talk with someone, be it over Zoom, a cup of coffee, or a glass of wine. 

This is when you can need people you can go to and discuss things most people would take to a therapist. You need to have somebody you can talk with, so that when you have problems, you know who to discuss those problems with. 

And keep in mind that sometimes the other person you're talking to you is going to have the exact same problem. So just as much as you need have somebody to talk to you, remember that other people may need to talk to you. You need to reciprocate your relationships. Just remember that you're not alone and having somebody to talk to is one of those secrets you never see in an "How To Succeed" article. So find someone you can talk with and enjoy that relationship.

Why You Need Some Sort of Family

One of the coolest things you have right now is not just beta readers, but people that know you well, that love you, and are more than willing to slap you down. You need support, you need someone to hug you when you need it. That's what we get from family, however we define that family.

You need that but at the same time sometimes you need somebody who's going to basically come in and slap you down. Not only will family support you and evendefend you, but occasionally they'll let you know that when you're being an idiot. 

And that's something every writer needs. 

Writers tend to go on really long rants about absolutely nothing that do absolutely nothing for the stories we are working on. That's where family comes in. You've got people who have absolutely no problem giving you a hot cup of cocoa while they make fun of how you're messing up. And you need somebody that has absolutely no problem coming in and slapping you down. You need somebody who's going to be a harsh critic. If that harsh critic isn't going to be you, it better be somebody you love. So if you're serious about writing, I don't care how you define the family. I don't care if you use close relatives, people you've known for years, or even just people you spend a lot of time around, if you serious about ready you need to make sure that you have family of some sort near you.

Paper Can Be Your Friend

When it comes to the creative process you're most likely going to use to digital media. Wherever you want to write a script, odds are likely that you'll just open a doc file and just simply go for it. It's just I think for the initial phases of the creation process when you're actually trying to figure out characters, plots, doing your first initial outline, the usual media is just way too constrictive. 

With a piece of paper, I can put all this really cool stuff in different areas of the paper. This means that I can see it all at once rather than having to scroll up or down. on top of that, I can figure out which areas I need to really work on first, such as the characters or the plot first. I can do all this stuff at same time. Sometimes it's really great to get away from the laptop and just go at it with a pencil on a piece of paper or even a notebook. 

What is really is cool is that if I want to I can actually set this up as post it notes, different colors for different situations. Or I put these on different types of note cards. I've even been known to use the back of a child's menu. What this does is that it allows me to see all of this stuff at one time. I'm not having to scroll up and down or go through different documents to see exactly what's going on. 

I just need to look at the board and go, "Hey, this is what's going on" or "That's not quite working." So I'll flip the cards around and start messing with stuff until everything works out to where I think it needs to be. It's just a really cool hands-on practicality. That makes paper really great. 

If you're having problems seeing what the problem is when you're writing, debate using paper, either a piece of paper, note cards, or even Post-it notes. It will definitely give you a different perspective on your story.

Learning to People Watch

A lot of writers have problems with dialogue. On one hand, you've got the writers that tend to have everything exactly the way they need it, and but in real life it would be a really boring conversation; while the dialogue is moving the plot along it just lacks anything of real interest. Then you have all these people who do all these ridiculously fluff things; the conversation may be great for helping you understand the characters but nothing is really being said. 

You need to find a nice happy medium that is unique. The best dialogue will move the plot and build the characters. But the problem is making it sound like two people are actually having a conversation.

To really appreciate how dialogue works you need to go out and actually watch people talk. You need to go to sporting events, cafes, even parks, and just sit back and watch people do what they do. You need to listen to for more than just their accents, but their slang and jargon, and how they're doing it. You also need to see which gestures they are using and even how they're facing each other. 

It's a lot of stuff to get down. But you're going find that the more you do this, the better your dialogue are  going to sound. You're also going to be able to hit that really great medium between what the story needs and that little bit of extra fluff that you need to sound real. Of course, you also need to learn how to watch people so you don't get arrested or even a stern talking to by security, but for now just go out and watch people have a little bit of fun with it. By studying people actually talking your dialogue can only get better,allowing your conversations to move the plot and build characters.

The Importance of History Shows

As writers we have two basic problems: We have to deal with writer's block and finding inspiration. The easy way to solving these problems is by turning on the TV and watching your favorite documentaries, I don't care if it's on the History Network, Discovery Channel, or even if you're just going to Netflix or Hulu, just track down whatever sounds really great and just simply watch them. 

You're going to find that a lot of really great stuff, some really incredible people, and some really fun situations that can be adapting to pretty much anything you're working on. And this is gonna help you both with writer's block as well as finding inspiration.You've got so much incredibly fun stuff going on that it's hard to be inspired by something. And once you start exploring, start getting into it, you see that this is some really great stuff; it needs to be written down and maybe even adapted into something. 

A lot of the stuff you see in documentaries is great for either a historical novel, or changing the details and converting that into your particular novel. It's always easy to convert something: You want some sweet old fashioned Space Marines go ahead and use the Roman gladiators as a model. There's always going to be something going on somewhere; it's just a matter of looking for it. And sometimes what's really cool is that this stuff will hit you unawares: You'll be watching a show, see something cool, and figure how to use it. 

This will demolish almost any writer's block. Sometimes the problem is that you simply can't figure out what to do with something. So if you're having problem with finding inspiration, if you having problems with writer's block, then step away from laptop and just simply go ahead and watch some history shows.