I'm trying to write a series. Can anyone tell me how to type more, get better on my stories, and get quicker?

Question

Any suggestions would be helpful.

Answer 1

One bit of advice for you. I got this over the summer when I attended a Master Class in NY for authors. Never tell a publisher or agent you are writing a series. It is suicide. Nobody will touch it. There is not a respectable publisher on earth that will give a new author a multi book deal. They want ONE book - a stand alone book with a beginning and an ending. This way, if it tanks when it is published, they aren't stuck owing you 3 or 4 more published books. Each one should be related to the ones before but it should also stand alone for someone who hasn't read the previous ones.

As for how frequently you release them. That is not really your call, nor should it be. Your agent or publisher will start calling you after the first book is sold - asking you what you are working on. Let them do their jobs. There is nothing worse than a pushy author trying to tell an agent what to do. More professional suicide.

As for typing tutorials, I am sure there are free ones online. I found that by just writing a lot, my speed increased tremendously. I type 85 wpm and my son who is ADD types 95. I just Googled Free Typing Tutorials and came up with tons.

You are very right to tty and increase your speed. It is very frustrating to think faster than you can type. You forget great stuff.

Pax - C

BTW - Watch the over descriptive passages. Nobody glides like they are on ice skates. That is all fluff and filler. Editors will only red pen all that stuff anyway. It will never get published that way. Keep your manuscript simple and tight. Focus on advancing your story by either driving your plot or your characters. Skip the rhetoric and filler. And no - do not skimp on the minor characters. There is where you get your backstories and subplots.

Answer 2

I try to write everyday, and speed is never important to me. I type everyday, and I still suck at going fast. Just remember that quality is better than quantity when it comes to writing.

As far as getting better on your stories, try not to worry and definately don't rush anything. The ideas will come if you just relax and sit back and think for a while. Also make sure you are reading a lot too. Stephen King says every great writer is also a great reader. He is right, you can't write well if you don't also read.

Hope that helps. Good Luck.

Answer 3

Go to the bookstore and buy a copy of the magazine Writer's Digest. There are articles included in each issue by well established authors and publishers and writing teachers to help you improve your writing skills. Many authors consider Writer's Digest to be the Bible for writers and tell stories about how this magazine helped their careers. It is probably the best publication anywhere for the writer who wants to get better and publish their works.

Answer 4

Be really descriptive on your main characters, and less on the less important ones. I'de also check out Learn To Write The Novel Way curriculum, it shows you how to write a book, and is really good, I'm using it on the book I'm writing.

For example.
Instead of: The girl with brown hair walked.
Write: The shortly statured brunette glided across the floor almost as if she were on ice skates.

Thats just a raw example.

Answer 5

Writing fast isn't going to help you be a writer.

Write now, a series sounds a little big for you, you might want to try just writing short stories, and keep writing them. It will help with your speed and your story-telling ability, have friends read them and critique them too, they should be able to tell you areas you need to improve on.

Answer 6

Just write. I'm on the third book of a 10-book fantasy saga called STORIES OF THE DEAD EARTH.

I don't write to get to the "end". I'm just concentrating on what's going to happen next. I don't worry about the next book or the book following, or anything like that.

I just write.

Answer 7

well, there are a lot of programs you can buy to improve your words per minute(wpm)
as for better stories i would say (personal preference) do not dwell to long on scenery discriptions
as to being a better writer....practice makes perfect!
have people read your rough drafts and get their suggestions...
perhaps maybe a creative writing course???

good luck!
look forward to seeing your books on the shelves ;)

~sarah

Answer 8

I am into adult fiction. My favorite author is Neil Gaiman. He is really inspirational and incorporates faeries, men, women, and witches in one of his works by the name of Stardust, and another of my favorites, Coraline, incorporates more of a creepy setting, I also recommend Neverwhere by him, it is about a labyrinth in the sewage systems. Reading any of his books will get you bursting with ideas,{if your looking for quick, read Coraline} and about those ninjas in someone elses answer...unless you're writing a Japanese Fiction Novel...DON'T DO IT!

Well i hope my answer does some good.....
tell me if it does....
[e-mail]

Answer 9

think of a question.. go to microsoft word and try over time typing that Q out and do it without looking at the keys... do this reptitively

Answer 10

i know this'll sound pretty corny but i hope it helps.
expand your imagination and get more creative.
i have a HUGE imagination so that's why i have so many story ideas. it helps me!