What a Novel Idea!

So for the last couple weeks I've tried to pick up where I left off with National Novel Writing Month. After determining that the plot I'd attempted in November was unsalvageable, I stole my main characters from that story, and am now writing a new story featuring the two of them. I haven't gotten terribly far along yet in the actual writing phase, but I'm going strong on creating backstories for all my characters and in creating the world and history (it's a fantasy novel).

I've been doing a fair amount of reading on the side to get ideas for improvement. I'd recommend my favorites so far, Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell, and Characters and Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card (although, if you're looking for an updated version that includes exercises, try Characters, Emotion, and Viewpoint by Nancy Kress).

Easily the best book on novel writing in general, though, would have to be The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman. I can only compare the quality of this book to that of Strunk and White's classic Elements of Style. The First Five Pages gave just the kind of specific instruction that I've been craving.

One rule to concise writing that Lukeman describes is to improve the quality and limit the overall number of adverbs and adjectives you use. Similarly, a longtime favorite of mine, On Writing the College Application Essay by Harry Bauld, offers profound advice on the subject: "Nouns are the bones of writing; verbs are the muscles....An essay flabby with adjectives [and adverbs] weighs a reader down." This gem by Mark Twain also illustrates the point: "Substitute 'damn' every time you're inclined to write 'very;' your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be."

And now I should probably be getting back to my writing (and the cleaning of my room). My space is littered with mind maps detailing various internal conflicts, and I have yet to determine which character is screaming for a Magenta personality/aura. Perhaps I'll try this exercise, lifted from Inspired Creative Writing:

"Having trouble visualizing a new character? Write a list of twenty objects she might carry or wear. Don't think too deeply about this, just write down whatever comes to mind. Next, write a series of short sketches describing exactly how your character came by these items. Try to describe what the item means to her, and how she would feel if she lost it. You may never use these character sketches, but...they will give you--and your reader--a clearer sense of who your character is."