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CONTINUITY
Continuity is important for any writer. It is easy to lose continuity in your work, especially if you:
- become immersed in their story and lose sight of the characters, plot and themes that they are developing.
- cannot write regularly and lose sight of their story because of this.
Continuity and regular writing practice are important parts of your journey as a writer. They help you with consistency, working through writer’s block, and growth.
How writers create stories and plots will differ from author to author. When writing a story with many characters, it can be easy to lose continuity, so characters do not look or behave the same consistently over time. This makes your story less believable.
A very simple example – Jane has blue eyes in chapter 1, but in chapter 5 she is described as having brown eyes. This may be part of the story (e.g. Jane is in disguise) or it could be simply because the writer has forgotten what Jane originally looked like.
How can we maintain continuity of characters/plots?
A simple option is to keep a file of each character and subplot.
Describe the character.
- Keep a time line of subplots and the main plot and refer back to them as you write your story.
- Keep these updated though as you go along. As the character develops, events happen to them, emotions change, make sure you update the file.
- Keeping a record of your character like this can help. It makes sure that you do not go off track and start describing the character doing something that they would be unlikely to do or wearing clothes that would be unusual for them.
- Once you have finished your first draft, put on your reader’s hat. Go back and read your story as a reader would. Does it make sense? Are the characters believable? Is the plot believable? Are the subplots relevant and believable?
- If you find it hard to step back from your work in this way, ask someone else you trust to read your work and ask for their honest opinion.
Continuity and Writing Practice
Writing regularly also helps continuity. If you write a few chapters of a novel, then leave it for months, it is hard to get back to it, understand the characters, remember everything that has happened so far. So writing regularly is important.
This is, of course, easier than it sounds. If you are a person who is paid to be a writer full time, this might be easier than if you are someone who is writing on the side as a hobby or to get something published. It can be hard to find the time to write and to keep writing. Everyone is different and everyone has a different life and time available to write. Take the time to think about your life and when you could write and what would work well for you.
There is a caveat to this. If you feel you’ve finished and your draft is done, take some time off. It’s important to have some distance from your drafts in order to spot holes.
Let’s now look at some good and bad habits that can help and hinder your writing.
Good Habits
- Having a set area to write without distraction can help. Find a desk at home or a space in the library. But it doesn’t have to be something so formal. You might find you write best on the train on the way home at night or sitting at a coffee shop or sitting waiting for children to come out of a sporting activity.
- Have a set time to write that works for you. Some writers like quiet, others like noise. Some writers may find it hard to find the time to write, so think about your life and when would work. You might want to wake up at 5am and write for two hours before work, when everyone else is asleep and there are no distractions. Or write a 10pm for the same reasons. Or you might like noise and bustle around you, so like writing in a coffee shop or on the train in the morning to work.
- Write every day, even if only for a few minutes.
- Act like a writer. Whatever you read or watch on TV or film, act like a writer. Listen and read what other writers say. What works? What doesn’t work? How could they have improved the story?
- Communicate with other writers. There are many writers’ groups where people can meet face to face, but if this is not possible, there are now many online groups where you can liaise with others.
- Self-edit – Read over your work, check it for grammar and spellings. Be able to look at your work with fresh eyes. What is working, what isn’t? This saves you the time and money of paying for an editor or proofreader. It also saves you embarrassment or disappointment when a publisher says no to your work due to errors.
- Set small, small goals. Taking one step at a time means you will reach the end of your journey. Never taking a step at all means you never will. Set yourself a simple goal – writing for ten minutes a day. Finish a chapter a month. They may seem small, but if this is all you have time for at the moment, then it keeps you writing. You may find you actually do more than you expected to do.
- Call yourself a writer. Do not say I want to be a writer. Say – I AM a writer.
- Finish your stories. How many stories do you have in note form, half a draft or mulling over in your brain that you have never finished? Take the time to finish them before starting on a new story.
Bad Habits
- Only writing in the “right place.” We said that a good habit was having a place or area where you can write, but this can also hinder your writing if you feel you can only write in that place. Some people find it useful to be able to write anywhere. If you are one of those people, keep note books or your tablet or computer with you and write when it suits you. As technology becomes more and more sophisticated, more writers will use technology to write. You might keep a notepad, or you might send yourself emails of your writing as you move around.
- Not writing if you can’t write at a set time. You may plan to write at 5am every morning, but find you are too tired to get up, so days drift into months and you find you haven’t written. Try to make your writing time fit in with you and your life, not fit you and your life into your writing.
- Not sticking to your plan. Sometimes writing can come to us as we go along, but other times we can simply lose sight of what we are writing, so try to stick to the plan.
- Avoid procrastination. I will write tomorrow. I haven’t got time now, I’ll do it next week. Even if you can only write for 5 minutes a day, keep writing. Writing is like any other muscle, the more we use it, the more it develops and grows.
- Don’t criticise yourself too much. If you criticise yourself over and over, you may never write anything. There is no perfect writer out there. Try to be the best writer you can be.
- Not getting enough sleep. You may feel the only time you have to write is when you should be asleep. This can work for a while, but everyone needs enough sleep and over time this can actually reduce your creativity.
- Have too many ideas. Ben had notebooks everywhere and five potential novels, he was making notes on. He never actually started writing any of them. We may all have a lot of ideas of what we can write about, but we should only write one at a time. Decide which one and get started. I it really doesn’t work, then yes, put it away and start the next one, but be wary of keep doing that as you may never finish anything.
- Take time for family and friends. Our writing can feel all-consuming at times, but in the process, it can isolate us from those around us. Take the time to be with them. Remember to find time and space to do your writing that fits in with your life and the life of those who are important to you.
- Make sure you don’t live on junk food and caffeine to keep going and getting your writing done. This is not good for you in the long term.
There are no right answers here. The only way for you to find the time and space to write is to think about you, your life, your personality and what works best for you.
If you really want to write, think about this and carefully plan it.
Another thing to consider is your creativity. Some people will feel more creative in certain places and at certain times. Use that information. Terry found writing when she couldn’t do anything else the best times. For example, when she was on a train or bus. She would come up with her best ideas when a passenger in a car or walking around with her dog. These were her most creative times. When she decided to try and write every day at 5 – 7am at her desk, she found that her creativity dried up.
We should always find our best time and best place to be the best writer we can be.
FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Here is a list of the most often asked FAQ’s.
General
Q. Why should I enrol with the Academy for Distance Learning?
A. Here at ADL, our students are our priority – we treat everyone as a unique individual.
Q. Do I need to buy text books?
A. No, as each module has been written by highly qualified industry professionals. The content of the material is presented in such a way that text books are not required. However, if you require additional reading your tutor will be able to supply a list.
Q. What happens if I have to stop studying for a while? (eg. become sick, go on holidays, have a baby, move house, etc)
A. It’s OK to take a break and start up your study at a later point in time. Just let us know.
Q. Is there an age limit?
A. There is no maximum age limit. We do however, have a minimum age limit of 18 years. Below that age parental consent would be required.
Q. Are your courses up-to date?
A. Our courses are revised and updated on a rotation system.
Q. Do you have a Cancellation policy?
A. Yes. We have a cancellation policy that is fair and equitable. For further details please click here.
Q. Will I have any opportunity to engage with other students?
A. We have a Student Community group based on facebook! If you don’t have a facebook account already, you could make one just for talking with fellow students on the group.
Enrolment
Q. When can I enrol/start?
A. You may enrol and start at any time of the year – it’s all self- paced.
Q. Can I study from anywhere in the world?
A. Our courses are available to anyone, anywhere in the world from the comfort of your own home. The course content is relevant to any country, culture or economy.
Q. How long do I have to complete the course?
A. You complete the course at any time that is convenient for you.
Q. Completing a 100 hour module – how long will it take?
A. For some students a 100 hour module will take approximately to 3- 6 months to complete. Others take less time and some even longer.
Assessment
Q. Assessment – how does it work?
A. For each 100 hour module you are assessed by assignments (at the end of each lesson) and a final one and a half hour exam (or you may elect to complete a Project, instead of sitting the exam) – the choice is yours – you sit for the exam in your own location.
Q. I don’t cope well with exams – what can I do?
A. You may elect to undertake a Project (set by your tutor) instead of sitting the exam. Projects are completed from your home and can usually take a couple of weeks to complete.
Q. If my assignment is not up to standard is there an opportunity to resubmit my work?
A. Yes –
Q. How many assignments do I need to complete for each module?
A. At the end of each lesson, there is an assignment – so if a course has say, 10 lessons, there would be 10 assignments.
Q. I am having difficulty attending workshops/industry meetings, what can be done?
A. If your course requires attendance at workshops, conferences, or industry meetings; alternative arrangements can be made in your country.
Qualifications
Q. What qualification will I receive?
A. For individual modules, you would be awarded a Certificate endorsed by TQUK (Training Qualifications, UK), providing you complete all assignments and the exam. If you just want to complete only the assignments and not sit for the exam or finish a Project, then a Letter of Achievement would be awarded. For more details on qualifications available please click here.
Q. Can I customize my diploma/higher qualification?
A. Not all educational institution’s certificates /diplomas meet everyone’s needs. The opportunity to Design Your Own Diploma at the Academy (subject to our approval) is an added bonus, not found at other colleges. You choose modules that you think will help you in achieving your goal.
Q. What do I get when I complete the course? Will I receive a transcript?
A. At the completion of all courses and providing all assignments and exam requirements have been met, you will receive your Award and a Transcript.
Tutors
Q. Our tutors – who are they?
A. We appoint Tutors and require that they must be currently active in their industry, with at least 5 years’ experience in their chosen profession.
Q. Can I contact my tutor at any time?
A. Yes – you have unlimited access to your tutor via email through our Online Classroom. You can always leave a message with ADL requesting your tutor to contact you. You decide on how much or how little contact you wish to have.
Q. Practical work – How is this done?
A. To find out more about this part of the course please visit the section on How Our Courses Work here.
