The Deal With White Space

My current work-in-progress has taught me a lot about white space.

I took a lot at some of my finished manuscripts, and I couldn't help but cringe. Words upon words were stuffed into single pages without room to breath (figuratively speaking).

They looked so intimidating, and they made me want to find something else to read.

White space makes a manuscript look more friendly and approachable. It might add more to your overall page count but it's actually worth it. More pages with fewer words are easier to read from a psychological point of view compared to a lot of words in a few pages.

Meg Cabot once said on her blog that readers will thank you for plenty of white space by buying your books. I think she's right.

Imagine a paragraph that looks like this:

Blah. Blah. I'm going to keep on talking so this paragraph will look really long. Blah. Blah. Blah. So, is it long enough yet? I guess not. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. So, yeah, I'll keep on typing. Is this paragraph annoying yet? If it is, then good. I'm trying to make a point. Haha. Okay, I'm babbling. I'll shut up now. Back to regular programming. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Taylor Lautner is so hot. I just had to put that in here. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Is this paragraph suffocating you? Not yet? I'll keep on going then. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah.

Get my point? See how daunting that paragraph is? Aren't your fingers just itching to press the enter button? I know I am.

What's the Big Idea?

I have this idea for a YA fantasy...

...and it scares the crap out of me.

I don't know if it's just me or if this has happened to other writers, but I like my idea A LOT. I feel like this idea can bring my writing to a whole new level and push me out of my comfort zone.

It's in a setting I'm familiar with and a ton of characters I can't wait to get to know. Also, this is the most important aspect for me, it's all about Filipinos. Yeah! I love my culture and I guess I've been writing about other nationalities way too much. Since it's set in my native country and features the people I love, I think this story--whatever it'll turn out to be--is going to have more heart.

That's why I'm scared of writing it. I don't want to screw it up.

I guess I don't have enough faith in myself as a writer YET (I'm trying to be positive by thinking of yet as the operative word). So, to convince myself that I can handle my BIG IDEA and hopefully to convince other writers as well, I made this list:

Remind yourself that you're a fabulous writer.
You are! Just believe it. :)

Remind yourself why you HAVE and LOVE to write.
Why do you write? It's not likely that you'll get rich by writing (only a few have manage to do that) but you love it anyway. So, profit is definitely not your main motivation. You want to be heard and the only way to achieve that is by...

Just start that novel/short story/whatever the hell it is already!
Just type the first sentence that comes into your mind. You can always change it later. What's important is that you've started. Now, all you have to do is finish it.

What about you? Have you ever been intimidated by A BIG IDEA?

Finally!

I finally finished revising Manuscript #4. It's a good thing that I didn't delete it when I felt the urge to do so. I hated it with a burning passion a couple of weeks ago. Now, I actually kind of like the outcome.

I think that's the cool thing about the revision process. I don't know about other writers but I only tackle my rough drafts about three weeks after I finish them. That way it feels like the whole thing was written by someone else. I feel like I'm settling into the story and meeting my characters all over again. I can spot the flaws (typos, OOCs, etc) better and view the whole thing with a critical eye.

Not to toot my own horn or anything but...

I was entertained when I read Manuscript #4. A lot.

*Insert big grin right here.*

So, I sent it off to my publisher a couple of minutes ago. I hope it gets approved. *Crosses fingers.*

The Magic of John Hughes

I've been watching a lot of John Hughes movies like Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful, and The Breakfast Club lately. Sixteen Candles is next on the list.

I think John Hughes completely ruined teen movies for me.

Don't get me wrong. His movies are amazing. The characters resemble people I go to school with, and I can relate to their experiences. Also, the dialogue in his movies sound so real.

But maybe his movies are too amazing.

I used to think that 10 Things I Hate About You was completely brilliant, but it doesn't even compare to Pretty in Pink. Ditto for Get Over It. I saw that movie when I was about twelve or thirteen and I thought it was the best movie ever.

I've come to realize that the teen movies that have been coming out lately don't reach the standard that John Hughes' movies set. They're too clichéd, and the twists and added special effects don't make them any better. I mean, where's the witty dialogue and the geeky boy we could all fall for?

In Ten Words #1

Public Transportation in Ten Words:

Getting stuck in public transportation with someone who has B.O.