Hi Everyone,

This week’s blog is based around questions kindly posted by Keren Brown and Rose Moebus. (Thanks Keren and Rose!)

First to Keren’s question: How do you know you’ve got a winning idea for a book?

Now that’s an interesting question, Keren. I think if we are talking about books that have really taken off like The Da Vinci Code and the Twilight series, it would have been hard for anyone to predict that level of global success.

Those books were initially rejected by experienced publishers and agents.

I was once surprised to read an article where the journalist stated: ‘Belinda Alexandra certainly does her research – her market research!’

If that had been true when I started out with White Gardenia, I would not have written a mother and daughter story but a crime or grunge novel – because those were the sorts of novels that were popular at that time.

Instead I went with a story that came deep from inside my heart.

I think that we can know that we have a good idea for a novel when we have that certain feeling in our gut.

If a story idea makes your toes tingle and gets you up early and sends you to bed late in order to execute it, then you probably have a story that will excite your readers too.

There were a lot of spin-offs from the Harry Potter and Twilight series, but did any of them capture readers’ imaginations the way the original stories did?

I suppose there might be some income in imitating someone else’s idea but there isn’t any glory.

I think each one of us has unique insights and experiences, and the novels that really shine tell us a lot about the inner life of the writer.

Having said that, a winning idea is only as good as its execution. We have all read books where a potentially fantastic idea was let down by pedestrian writing and poorly drawn characters.

On the other hand, we’ve read books where the plot feels familiar but something about the setting, the characters or the writing excites our imaginations.

So my advice on that topic is to pick something from the heart and do all the necessary work to make your writing and your storytelling shine. You might make the bestseller lists, and you may not.

But you will have certainly given yourself the strongest chance possible – and either way you will have a work of fiction to be proud of!

Now to Rose’s question: What is your cure for writer’s block?

As writers and readers we understand the power of language. Sometimes editing involves pondering over exactly the right word to convey a certain image.

‘Block’ is a frightening term. It sounds as if some impenetrable barrier has been placed in front of you. Then add to it the phrase: ‘I’m suffering from writer’s block’ and you’ve set yourself up with a daunting combination.

I’d start with a different image of what you are going through. If you perform some sort of vigorous physical activity, for example running, there comes to a point where you just have to stop and get your breath back: A kind of break or pause.

If you hold that image in your mind, you will naturally know what to do to overcome it: Rest and recoup your strength. Writing is a demanding mental activity.

Sooner or later your brain is going to have to stop. So instead of calling that ‘writer’s block’ and making everything worse, try: ‘I’m in a temporary state of writer’s pause!’ !

When you are working on a big project such as a novel, some scenes and characters will flow naturally and others simply won’t.

I think the parts that are not flowing are parts you haven’t really thought out. So when you get to a point like that, do something that gets your creative juices and ideas flowing again.

Something that works for me is to enjoy someone else’s creativity.

For example, an art show, dance performance or a good film. Spending time in nature or doing something physical (for me dancing) also helps. I find reading biographies helps with characters that aren’t fully formed.

I won’t necessary use anything from the biography for the character I’m developing, but sometimes reading about somebody else’s particular obsessions, quirks and passions sparks my imagination in coming up with some original ones for my own characters.

I don’t experience so much difficulty with my story scenarios, but for some scenes I’m not sure how to keep the writing itself fresh.

One exercise I’ve used for years is to go to my bookshelf and randomly select a book. Then I open it somewhere and choose a word from the page.

For example, the word ‘sweater’ might catch my eye. I then go to my notebook and write down everything I associate with that word. It might be the teal blue sweater I wore in high school or the girl from University who looked like her sweater was the only thing she ever wore – in bed and outside.

I think of visual images for sweaters, then I think of how they might feel – soft, scratchy – and smell – like eucalyptus or sweat. I give my brain a good creative mental workout. Then I sit back at my computer and work on my scene.

I find this simple exercise is often enough to get the creative ideas of how to express something flowing again!

And then, to Rose’s final question: How did you build your confidence as a young writer?

I think one’s confidence as a writer is closely linked to one’s confidence as a person. When I first seriously attempted writing for publication in my twenties, I had a lot of support from my family and friends but a lot of discouragement outside those circles which was often quite devastating.

I honestly can’t say what kept me going except perhaps some inner drive to tell good stories. But the old saying ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’ definitely has truth to it.

During those painful years of rejection, I did actively work on building my overall confidence as a person (going to live overseas, setting myself goals and challenges, doing a lot of inner work on beliefs, self-worth and so on) and that definitely helped with also building confidence in my writing.

You see, what I’ve noticed about very confident people is they don’t put themselves down with a lot of negative self-talk and they process criticism in a certain way that supports them.

I’ve emulated those habits and beliefs, and have become self-confident person.

For instance, a confident person can try something for the first time, let’s say a dance class, and even though they may not get the steps any faster or better than anyone else, they tell themselves afterwards: ‘I’ll work at it and get better.’ And eventually they do.

Whereas a person lacking in confidence will make a big deal of the whole thing, ruminating over how they couldn’t grasp anything and what a fool they made of themselves. So I would advise approaching writing the same way.

A piece might be rejected or you might not get a good mark from your writing teacher, but instead of viewing it as a disaster simply view it as a positive step in your learning and development on your road to becoming a successful writer. That sort of calm confidence is very often a self-fulfilling prophesy!

Love, Belinda XX

Belinda Alexandra, November 23, 2011

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