Writing Advice From... The Spice Girls

Too much of something is bad enough.

Too much of nothing is just as tough.

("Too Much" from Spice World)

When considering the details of your plot, make sure you're not giving too much away. You want readers to continue reading. Someone is going to put the book down if they've already discovered what they've wanted to know. Keep them interested.

That being said, you can't withhold all the details. Plant seeds and let them grow throughout the story. Your plot should have a natural progression. Give your readers something, but not everything. It's a fine balance to figure out.

Look for the rainbow in every star.

("Goodbye" from Forever)

Is there a particular section in your book that you really love? That's your star. Read it through a few times and figure out what makes it unique. The dialogue? The suspense? The relationship between two characters? Whatever you decide is the true gem of that section is your rainbow. Find ways to integrate this rainbow into the rest of the book and, soon enough, you'll really love everything (and your readers will too).

Don't do it over.

("Move Over" from Spiceworld)

If it's already been done, don't write it again. Someone has already covered the love triangle between a human girl, a vampire, and a werewolf. Don't copy it. Sure, you might be tempted to stick to a formula (and to some extent, a formula is necessary for genre fiction), but you need to make it your own. Your story will stand out by being original rather than a homage to the Pride and Prejudice plot.

Who cares what they say? 'Cause the rules are for breaking.

("Do It" from Spiceworld)

As always when it comes to writing, the rules are more like "guidelines." You can read pages and pages of writing advice and a lot of it may not be applicable to your story or to your style. That's okay. If something isn't working for you then reinvent it.

Slow it down baby, gotta have some fun.

("Stop" from Spiceworld)

This might be the most important piece of advice of them all (thanks, Spice Girls). When you're feeling stressed out and on the edge of burning out, it's vital to slow down and take a break. You can't force yourself to be cured of writer's block. Put down the pen/close the laptop and do something else that you love (yes, there is more to life than writing).

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Now, watch this Spice Girls video. Feel inspired. Write.