Tim Lott 101 - More Writing Tips From The Archive

Seven More Crucial Pointers, 41-47

First published June 2022

Only seven writing tips this week for reasons too boring to explain, but don’t worry - I’ll keep going till I get to 101.

41. Should I start my novel with a moment of big drama? Agents and editors seem to like it. I distrust it though - too desperate for attention. A good novel will build slowly to a climax, as you establish plot, character etc. A confident 'voice' will carry you through 

42 What is 'voice' though? It's the watermark of your individual personality as a writer showing through. The voice of Martin Amis is easy to hear. The voice of Sally Rooney or Anne Tyler is subtle. But all are distinct, and all have conviction. 

42b 'Voice' says to the reader, 'this writer deserves my trust'. It is similar to but not the same as style. Style or voice can carry a novel as much as plot or character, but in truth it rarely does so successfully. Editors are rather in love with style though. 

42c As for what the difference between voice and style is - it's a blurry line. Voice is a wider category. A character can have a voice, but not a style. 

43. Dig into the moment. An effective writer in novels/drama knows how to go in close, to slow down time, to excavate an experience in depth. Skim the surface and you may have a bestseller (unlikely) but you won't have a good novel. 

43b You don't have to tell the reader what's going on under the surface of your novel, but you absolutely need to know. Although it might take some time to work out. And you never work it out completely because writing is the work ultimately of your unconscious mind. 

44 How do you handle backstory? With caution making sure you don't use it as an excuse not to move the action forward. Shakespeare hardly ever used backstory. It's not essential, but it is one way of explaining character motivation - if you feel the need to explain it 

45. Description is a translation between the visual world and the world of prose. I have a bad visual imagination so I use the Internet shamelessly. If describing an old man's face, I do an image search on 'old man's face'. Then I write what I see. Or I look in a mirror.