Do you ever wonder if your writing is good enough? Is there a little voice that keeps insisting you shouldn’t even bother because you don’t have the talent or the skills? Do you sometimes think it’s some alter ego who is doing the writing?

These are all symptoms of imposter syndrome, which is very real. I find myself re-reading older works and wondering if it was really me who wrote it. I know I did, but the sneaking little voice under my conscious mind says no, you’re just an imposter who thinks you can write.

Imposter syndrome isn’t an official mental illness, but it is a very real condition. Those who suffer, feel they will be discovered as a fraud at any second. It is is encouraged by perfectionism, and parents who value achievement above almost anything else. Low self esteem will encourage the syndrome to take root in your mind as well.

How do you counter this demon? Believe those who complement your work. Say thank you and mean it. This will in turn silence the self talk niggling at you and reprogram it. It will help you accept you are capable of attaining your dream of writing well.

When you go back and re-read your work, don’t tear it apart and give up in despair. Your first draft should be a mess that needs to be trimmed, bolstered, amended and in some cases completely rewritten. This is a normal process for any writer. Even my best first draft goes through multiple editing passes, loses whole chapters, and gains new passages as a work evolves.

So, when that miserable little voice attacks, telling you to give up you’re the great pretender, kick it out. Pick up your pen and continue. Your ideas and stories are worthwhile, and the only way to get rid of those miserable worries is to keep right on writing. A writer is someone who persists, no matter how life stacks up the odds.

Before we get there, let’s start with what they are not. A synopsis is not something that goes inside your book, it’s not like an authors note that some insist on adding to Wattpad books, neither is it another word for a blurb or a description. It doesn’t belong in it, or on it, a synopsis is something I feel is unique to traditional publishing. Even if that’s not your vibe, it’s still nice to learn the different terms you might Cole across in book clubs or online writing communities like Shut Up and Write.

The easiest way to think about it is to imagine you’re telling a story about your story, start at the beginning. Tell the reader in the present tense naming only the main character, an include every main plot point, yes everything end and all. Unlike your blurb (the short write up the goes at the back of a printed book) you are encouraged, and expected to include spoilers. Your literary agent or publisher will want to know exactly what happens in your story from the beginning to the last piece of action at the end.

Most agents and publishers will say on their website how they want submissions sent and what to include. They will also state the page length or word count for the synopsis which should usually be accompanied by a covering letter and the first three chapters of your book. If you’re a member of our writing community on discord then you may have heard me mention the importance of the first three chapters. Yes, this is why our book club (free to join - discord mandatory) focusses on encouraging writers to constructive feedback on the first three chapters. Hook a publisher or an agent with that, them your contract is more or less in the bag.

I hope you have all enjoyed this post. Let me know in the comments any other writing terms you’d like us to cover.

Alpha Reader

This is something different. As the image says, an Alpha Reader will read your manuscript in its earliest draft form, complete with its spelling mistakes and repeated phrases. Their job is to provide constructive feedback on things like the plot, character development and more.

Now we all know the difference between Alpha and Beta readers, which writing term would you like us to explain next? Let us know in the comments below. Don’t forget if you like our posts follow, comment and subscribe.

Leave a comment

Subscribe now

Writing stories is like a story in itself. Planning is the first step, then writing is the middle, and editing is the end. Every writer is different, each character and story is unique, or should be. When it comes to writing my own novels I tend to stick to what I know and in the style I know I’m good at. If I change from my usual third-person single perspective, I often find it really hard to get from the first chapter to the last. But that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to write other styles, it just means I like my comfort zone and things to be just right.

Shut Up and Write has been running now since it was founded in 2015, and for some reason, it’s still going strong today. I’ve been here since day one, and watched it grow from a handful of writers on Kik to the thriving community it is now. Through my time being the joint head of this amazing group I’ve learned so much about writing. Not just about my own genre and style, but also about others. We have over 100 writers in our Discord server and every one of them writes something different, bringing a variety of stories from across the world to our group. A lot of our writers are on their first story, fresh new talent just waiting to blossom into a forest full of novels.

A lot of our writers post their stories on Wattpad, actually most of us do. Sites like Wattpad and Inkitt are bursting with a deep sea of talent. However, under the current of new books, there’s a deep murky ocean of unhelpful habits and writers who cannot take constructive criticism. That’s a subject for another day. Today, however, I wish to talk to you about multiple points of view and how a writer can successfully use this tool to create a well-written story.

I’ve read loads of Wattpad books that use this method, but I can only give one or two examples of it being used correctly. I read a lot of books on the platform mainly for book club assignments (shout out to Super Elite book club) I’ve also judged various user-run awards and contests on the site, plus I’ve been writing my own books for nearly twenty years so I think I know what I’m talking about now.

The idea of multiple POV stories is that the writer tries to show the reader how other characters deal with the plot by showing the story from different points of view. When doing this, the things every writer needs to remember are to flesh out each pov character. When they tell their part it is vital that each character sounds unique, no two should sound the same. The biggest mistake writers often make is choosing this format when they write their first story, stick to a nice easy third-person narrative with one perspective. If the writer insists on sticking with this style, then they will need to work on ensuring each character has a unique voice, making it clear who’s telling each part rather than the annoying subtitle which usually says the character's name POV.

The second issue I find with this writing style is that some writers feel the need to change the character's perspective halfway through the chapter, which makes it jarring for the reader and different to follow. Once I decided to add an extra perspective in my story, I needed to change from the teenage daughter to the mother. I found it easier to finish the chapter from the daughter’s point of view and then start a new chapter before changing to the mother's. I also did this in the third person which made it easier for the switch to take place. Keep to one perspective per chapter.

Third person is the way to go with most stories, it’s versatile and easier for a beginner writer to use, so that readers will easily understand. Even while writing stories in multiple perspectives, third person works better, in my opinion, than first.

Now you know what my favourite style of writing is, tell me yours. Comment your answer below.

Thank you all for reading and happy writing,

Jaye x

PS, if you have Wattpad check us out. We’re http://wattpad.com/shutupandwriteclub