I thought I'd like to put in some tips I gleaned from my writers workshop. You may read them and gain some great ideas or you may decide to clean your fingernails. If writing is not your thing, go and make yourself a cuppa and come back in five minutes.
I'd also like to say at this point that I am giving you my version of what was said, please don't sue me for mis-quoting!
In order of speakers (so you can get that -' Wow, it's like I'm at the concert!' feeling) the first was Markus Zusak. The first thing he said that stuck in my mind was that writing should be your number one priority. Perhaps number two (family being the other) but absolutely not one rung lower. He said he didn't need friends, his friends were people in his book. We all laughed but he may have been serious I think. I thought that awful at first but then I haven't sold 3 million books either. Writing is his life and he spends a heck of a lot of focus on that.( I do believe he surfs, so lets say he has a form of exercise and meditation too)
He described his story planning as drawing a long line and putting the readers expected ending at the end of the line (he likes to put the actual ending in after that). At the other end a beginning. Then along the line he finds parts for the body of the story. When he writes the story he checks off points along the line. He creates conflict and drama by constantly putting barriers before his character and having them resolve it.
Markus had been asked to talk about character which was apt as he is excellent at character drawing, conveying brilliantly a whole person with a few deft, and often humorous, verbal lines. I guess- think how you can sum up a person in a few words. He explained about giving characters depth. Know your character. They have a history. They have the current story and they have a past. You can dip into the past if necessary in the current story but having a past lets you know your characters and know how they behave and react.
He said to find your 'voice' for writing and write with that.
He also said to write for the joy of it or else that's what he does. He says if he knew he couldn't publish another book, he'd still choose to write.
I also noted that he was able to write freely for The Book Thief once he had stopped worrying about who his target audience might be. When he couldn't imagine anyone wanting to read it, that gave him the freedom to just let loose .( And look what happened/is happening with that book!).
I personally find the whole 'target audience' thing strange. Every writer I have heard writes for themselves with no real aim at an age group but as soon as you read up on writing or look up publishing tips they ask you to consider what age you are writing for. It's like a law that must be quoted but which writers tend to ignore. Hard to know this when you are starting out.
Anyway enough for today. I'll leave you to ponder the wisom of Mr Zusak for a bit and give you my gems from Richard Harland next time.
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