A. Howitt 
Every reader has a certain character whose name, when mentioned, elicits a reaction. Those heroes we cheered on, those antagonists we hated with a passion—we know their worlds and their likes and dislikes.
We understand and humanize them, and wish we could invite them over for pizza-and-poker night. Or we curse the gods that we can’t find a doorway into their worlds, so as to open a can of whoop-ass upon them.
But what is it about these particular characters that makes them unforgettable?
I heard about nano (National Novel Writing Month) after a decade as an isolated writer. I was already a member of a writers’ forum and had for a year been a dedicated, daily writer.
But 50k words in a month? It still felt like a daunting task.
As November approaches, I’d like to share my experiences and encourage everyone on the fence to give nano a try.
Okay, so the story wasn’t an accident, but its length was.
I searched for any way to pass lonely Wisconsin winter hours while my coworkers paced an empty showroom floor, waiting for clients who needed a vehicle badly enough to brave low temperatures and icy streets.
I hated all of it. In fact, I never meant to sell cars, either. While in school for auto body repair, I turned in an application to the body shop and they sold me the job on the showroom floor!
During slow times, I wrote. I scribbled notes on the backs of financing forms, filled pages of lined paper with a story, and even based my character off my predicament purely for inspiration—not as some sort of immature way to deal with my frustrating job. So what if a few salesmen wizards had a few bad things happen to them?
By far, one of the most useful tools in a writer’s arsenal is the critique. But what is a critique? What makes a good critique? And how do I critique for a writer who wants to trade?
When I began trading work, I wasn’t sure what to do or what to expect. After three years I’ve gained experience, and have settled into a sort of structure on how to best aid other writers and request the feedback that I find most useful.
While the critique relationship is best based on mutual respect and a genuine desire to help, it’s also a mostly negative undertaking. Through a balance of praise and recognition for the things that wow you as a reader, the nit-picks hurt less for the writer.
As fantasy writers, we accept that certain elements are expected in our novels. For example, the fight scene. Whether it’s an epic battle or a street duel, there’s going to be a fight somewhere. But what about love?
I recently talked with a few friends about writing romantic scenes. The general feeling that these writers shared was one of hesitancy. Hesitant to write a love scene? How could that be? Don’t we all love more than we brawl?
After a few in-depth conversations, I determined that their hesitancy was really apprehension over the execution of an intimate scene. So I tried to boost my friends’ confidence, and I think what I came up with might be useful to other people struggling with a similar conundrum.
Whether you’ve just begun your novel or are in the midst of editing it, this exercise can help answer some important questions:
Of course, each writer will have many different concerns. But rather than drive yourself crazy searching for a secret formula, try this one simple trick:
Write yourself a love letter… in the form of a review.
For me, editing was the worst part of writing, which is why I never did it.
In an attempt to turn editing into a more manageable process, I have combined two of my favorite hobbies into one theory, which I call “Target Editing.”
I compare editing to archery.
Archery is a wonderful sport. It takes very little skill to get mediocre at it, and your output is directly influenced by the amount of practice you put in. Sound familiar?
Do you know what I did today?
I wrote a hundred lines on little pieces of paper and cut them all out so I can tape them back in a new order. Why did I do this, you ask?
Because I wrote a novel without planning it.
I have scenes that have no bearing on the plotlines. I have characters who only made one appearance or were mentioned and never appeared. I even had a character change age, demeanor and goals halfway through the novel.
So now, I have to go back and do a ton of work to make it all fit together and rewrite the weak parts, whilst cutting erroneous scenes. Not smart. So how to avoid doing this ever again?