Learning from the Experts: Trudi Canavan
If you're not a fantasy fan, then you may not have come across Trudi Canavan. Trudi is an Australian author of several series: The Black Magician; The Age of the Five; The Magician's Apprentice and Millennium's Rule. Several of her books have won awards, and you can read more about her on her website.
I've included Trudi in this series, not only because she is a brilliant writer, but also because it was reading her Black Magician's series that convinced me to try my hand at Fantasy. The result was my novel Sakhira, which I am currently trying to sell to a publisher.
On her website, Trudi gives some great advice to writers, much of which echoes the advice of the other writers I've covered in this series:
Her core advice is: "Write. It's as simple as that. The only way you'll be any good at it is to practice, practice, practice. Write as often as possible. Every day, if you can.
Read. Read the genre you write in, so you know what has been done before. Read outside of it as well, because it will give you a fresher, broader perspective.
Maintain a constant state of curiosity. Take every opportunity to learn about the world around you. Research other cultures, of now and in the past. Read about the sorts of skills your characters would have, but also try them out (so long as it's legal!). If you can't do them, or do them well enough, ask an expert. I've questioned a doctor, a forensic assistant, a literacy teacher and a martial arts enthusiast in order to make my writing more believable."
I always like to hear about the process writers use, and essentially, each writer finds their own process. Reading how other writers do it can give you ideas to try out, and help you settle on your own process. Trudi is a planner, and likes to plan out her stories. "Some writers like to plan, some like to leave themselves free to discover the story as they go along. I'm a planner. I like to write out a detailed outline, then I go through it and divide it into what I think will make good chapter, part and book divisions. Before writing a scene, I write a short description of it. I also like to put together a spreadsheet following the different main characters' stories, so I can keep track of where the subplots diverge and meet. I take notes on the world I'm creating as I go, then stop now and then to expand on different subjects as I need to or inspiration comes. Everyone has different ways of working, and it can be as much fun discovering how you like to plan as it is writing the book. " My OCD genes did a happy dance when I read that she likes spreadsheets. I like them too, although my last writing class laughed at me for that! I've found that I move between different projects, and a spreadsheet of characters, timelines, places, plot lines etc helps me be consistent, and ensure that I don't create plot holes.
If you are a planner, it's good for those plans to be flexible, so that your story and your characters have space to grow, and sometimes to surprise you. For me, there is no greater movement in writing than when your characters first start act for themselves, and do things you didn't expect. This is the moment I believe they truly begin to live.
Even if you are not a fan of fantasy, it's worth reading in different genres, particularly so that you don't get stuck in a rut. Trudi's fantasy is imaginative, accessible, and a great read. I highly recommend her books.