Writing Tips and Techniques (Writing Help)

Q&A

Have a question about writing? Comment or message the question and I'll answer it here!
Also, if you guys have any requests for chapter subjects, I'll write it for ya.  

And for those that message me with questions, here's a warning. I'm a super harsh and picky critic. So only ask if you want me to tell the truth. 

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Q: Do you know how to get books published? I wrote a book and I don't know where to go next.

A: Actually, yes. I asked an author when she came to my school. First, you write a query letter and send it to the agent of your choice.

Here is a website that explains query letters and how to write them:

http://www.agentquery.com/writer_hq.aspx

The publisher will read the letter, and if he's interested in your story, he'll ask you to send the first few pages. If he likes that, he'll ask for the whole book. If he likes that,  you got yourself a literary agent. Fyi, you're going to get rejected a bazillion times so try to learn from what they disliked about it and just keep sending it out to people. But make sure your manuscript is as good as you can make it before sending it out. Agents read a lot of query letters, and unless yours stands out from the rest, or if it is full of errors and rookie mistakes, they're just going to pass over it.

Q: Can you put question marks and exclamation points next to each other in the same sentence (like this: ?!)?

A: Yep. That's valid.

Q: What is the best method of getting over writers block and eliminating negativity from your mind? I often have trouble with this and it prevents me from writing.

A: I have a whole chapter on this in the beginning if you need more help, but my favorite method is to write down all of my thoughts. I have a writing journal. If I'm blocked, I'll write it. I usually recap what I have and what needs to happen next, maybe a list possible outcomes to solve the issue(s). Ideas should start flowing. 

ps, turning the wi-fi off helps eliminate distractions

Q: I was wondering if you could give me any advice on how to describe a character's appearance. I always tend to mess it up, so I usually leave it out of the story and let the reader assume what they look like.

A: Well, you definitely don't want to exclude a description. Then readers can't see what you picture unless you help them to. I like to slip descriptions in through actions. "I push my blond hair behind my ears" or you could do something like "his eyes were the same color as his jeans." Stuff like that. Or when introducing a new character, your MC can observe that person's appearance, and you just get it all out in a paragraph. "He's tall, with black bangs that he uses to hide slanted eyes. His shoulders are hunched, thin arms crossed over his chest, pinching the black fabric of his t-shirt. He smelled like cigarettes and avoided eye contact anytime someone walked by." Add other senses(smell, touch, sound) to really bring the character to life.

Q: What should I write if I'm writing a fight scene with GUNS? I mean, I know dodging bullets and shooting is definitely included, but is there anything more I can write to make the scene more intense?

A: First, dodging bullets is impossible. They're way too fast. Second, it depends on the situation, the number of people, their positions, etc. Who pulls the gun? Does someone push their arm as the trigger is pulled? That throws the shot off. Is someone still hit? Where are they aiming? You just have to ask yourself a lot of question. I'm not big on gunfights. They're cop-out weapons. If your MC pulls a gun, the fight is pretty much nonexistent because they just shoot the opponent, and it's over.