Saturday, April 30, 2011

Tips for First Fiction Writer

Everyone wants to be a novelist.
Or at least a lot of people do. And some actually succeed. And then there are those who always say, "yeah, I've been working on this novel...".
Of course, that would be the topic of various happy-hour discussions, and you would still have the same ten pages you had two years ago. Your friends would ask you, "how's the novel coming?" And you would respond that it's going great, when deep down you know that you haven't sat down with it for three months at the least.
There is no substitution for determination. But here, you will find some guidance as to how to complete the daunting task of writing a novel from someone who has written a 382 page novel, start to finish. And who knows...maybe someday, you might find yourself on the bookstore shelves!

Difficulty:
Challenging

Instructions



things you'll need:


  • A novel idea
  • Passion for your characters
  • Determination to finish

    • 1
      STEP ONE WILL HAVE TWO PARTS. There are some of you reading this article who have started novels, and there are others who have clicked this link because you would like to START a novel. For those of you who would like to start a novel, your first step is to conceive a story that is interesting. If you already have a started novel, your first step is to make it part of your life. Let your friends read what you have written. Introduce them to your characters. Refer to your characters in everyday conversation as if they were real people. They will become more real to you, and you will begin to identify with them.
    • 2
      MAKE TIME TO WRITE. It doesn't matter if you have a top of the line computer or write your story out longhand on legal pads - write and get out the story. Try to set aside at least an hour every other day to work on your story and keep it fresh in your mind.
    • 3
      REVISE. Take a look at your characters. Read your story. Ask yourself - is this something that you would pick up and read in the bookstore? If it is, probably someone else will too. Ask yourself, would people care about my characters, and what they are going through? If not, the characters probably need more development.
    • 4
      CONTINUE. Keep the process up and don't be concerned about page length. Write until the story is finished. If you have a full time job, think of your novel as your second job. If you have two days off a week, commit one to personal errands and family, and another to writing. You will have a finished novel before you know it.
    • 5
      ORGANIZE. Keep your thoughts organized. Keep a journal, make an outline of the plot so you can remember details about characters and events. This will save a lot of time so you don't have to re-read your work every time you sit down to write.
    • 6
      BE CREATIVE. Anyone who sits down to write a novel is a definite creative person. Let yourself go on the page; do not hold yourself back and write to your heart's content. Editing can come later.
    • 7
      DEVELOP YOUR OWN STYLE. While other author's works can influence your own, always find your own style of writing so readers and critics will not compare you to other authors who may be much more well-known and senior to you. You don't want to be called "an Anne Rice knockoff", which certaintly doesn't help with sales when Anne Rice has plenty of loyal readers. My own style has a variety of infuences over the course of my life thus far which I have developed into my own unique style. Readers appreciate that.
    • 8
      FINISH THE NOVEL. Hold yourself accountable. Get writing into part of your routine. Feel horrible if you didn't get a chance to write, I know I do.



Read more: How to Finish that Novel | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4585805_finish-that-novel.html#ixzz1L25opmC1
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)