Ok, now that you know you can write every crazy thing that occurs to you with respect to your characters and plot line, you should know that it is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL that you DO NOT TALK ABOUT YOUR BOOK. 

I'll bet you wonder why, especially since there are two common activities you know about: 1) In college classes the professor has everyone exchange chapters and make comments, and 2) lots of people love joining writers groups to share their work.

I must tell you that I grimace each time I consider the damage done to early writers in those two settings. Why? Talking about the work before it's written brings the book to a halt. I can't help that; it's true. It's probably the number one reason people get blocked. In the case of the classroom, I understand the necessity of helping students get a feel for finishing a work, but it sacrifices the process and turns it into a glorified essay. It also exposes the writer to criticism from others who know NOTHING about the process, but who are willing to come at you with such contempt that you withdraw, along with your characters, to a life of dead dreams. If you are reading this, and you teach writing, I can only say: stomping on a persons dreams and desires is not your job. Guiding students in the writing process is. You are not qualified to make statements about their future writing projects or about their talent. It's your job to bring it out, not squash it, either privately or publically.

In both of the above settings, the next unacceptable response is for a member of the group to suggest what must come next. "Why don't you have your main character do this?" My question is, what is it you think you know about a character formed inside another person's head? The real value of writer's groups is the inspiration you get from  talking about the writing process. It keeps the secret of the work in progress, but allows the group to learn things that are of value in the process of creating a book. 

Keeping your mouth closed is another way to avoid unnecessary and damaging comparisons between your work and that of another. Comparisons are nothing more than a deflection from the direction you are traveling. You are not meant to write the way any other person writes. The only commonality is the language itself. Learn to spell, punctuate and use good grammar. Those things are necessary for communication that is clear and helpful. 

Sentences like "I was you know like really upset. Like it wasn't right and I just was so upset." And my reader response is...so what? How about using some big words like irate, crushed, mortified, angered, hurt, bewildered, shocked, or one of the many others available in the dictionary? Emotion must be described and shown with action. "I was so angry I threw the dish towel in his face and stalked out of the kitchen." "Her words felt like they'd cut a path across my chest, and for a moment I couldn't get my breath." Read authors who write well (there are many who don't), and think about how they use language. Then write your own sentences describing emotion or action. Practice makes perfect.

And the last tip for today is: allow yourself to enjoy the writing. Waiting for your characters to pop up and show their stuff can be fun. Sometimes they want to play at moments when you are busy. If you feel this kind of urgency, keep a tablet or something small with you to make notes--get the words that have power or beauty so you will remember the intensity of the emotion. The rest is easy to fill in. Don't make general statements if possible. Capture the scene with the emotion you were drawn in by. When you sit down later, most of it will still be there. Give yourself the privelege of taking your time. 

If you have questions about the writing process, you can ask at greywrites@gmail.com.

Have fun, and don't forget to look over the many possibilities for writing tools on this site.