Writing Your Novel
The Only Authors Who Don't Get Published Are The Ones That Give Up
I Have a Rough Draft, What's Next?
Sigh. Now, what's next? The long, rather tedious process of Editing. Weeeee!
If you're lucky enough to know a published author willing to mentor you at this stage, cherish this person, count your blessings and vow to one day help another bewildered new writer see the path more clearly. What goes around, comes around.
If you don't have a wonderful, kind mentor, it's time to find a critique partner/s. You'll really benefit from the extra eyes scanning your ms's to see errors in logic, a lack of solid scene setting, etc. Your characters are alive in your mind - at least they should be before you start writing - but often that doesn't mean you're getting it out on paper as clearly as you think.
A sincere, forthright critique partner is the biggest most kindest writing aid you can give yourself. Of course, you need to be willing to see your flaws, and those of your partner. If your partner is weak with action, how will this person ever catch the weak areas in your character's lives if you don't police yourself very carefully?
I can' tell you from 18 year experience that finding that one experienced author to help you, or that crit group or partner, is harder than hell. Looking back, I now realize I got one of those lucky breaks in the beginning. An experienced writer read my novel and did she have a lot to say. She pointed out strengths and flaws. I listened and learned. Now I can't find a critique partner to save my life.
How Do You Find A Critique Partner?
Networking. Enter The Information Highway in your local area, and on line.
If you're reading this page, even you admit you have a lot to learn. I've been there. I still have old eighteen year old manuscripts hanging around. I cringe whenever I flip through and read them. And in those days when I wrote it, my first, or second novel, I thought I'd really learned my craft. Not even close.
In the writing loop, any loop, brings writing industry news. The more you know, the less you'll have to claw your way to the top. Find writing organizations in your genre. Join them, physically or on line, subscribe to their newsletters and loops. Attend local chapter meetings when you can to meet people in your field. Yes, there's often a membership fee, but if you're serious about becoming a published author, you have to get involved. You'll have fun. You'll meet like-minded writers, make connections that will serve you now as well as into the future. Industry chatter will always be coming your way. And you'll find a critique partner. Networking is a writer's mainstay. Here are a few big writer's industry sources by genre:
Romance Writers of America
Kiss of Death Chapter for Mystery and Suspense
Science Fiction Writer's Forum
To Edit Well, You Have To Admit
Your Strengths And Your Weaknesses
What are your strengths? What do people who read your chapters compliment you on? Do you have a rousing sense of action? Emotional drama? You're a word genie? Amazing and unique plots? We all have our strengths when it comes to turning a fantasy into a novel you can hold. And we all have our faults, our weak areas in novel writing. If you don't know yours, it'll haunt you until you face it. Listen to what readers are saying, and this holds true for already published authors. Just as you're always tranforming as a person inside, so too will your writing skills and personal styles. You can't please everyone all the time, but you can sure as hell try. Yes, often a reader or crit partner will complain about your passage, or your chapter direction based on his or her own preferences. Which, is a no no for them. But it happens. Still, consider every opinion, good or bad about your work. Some are bogus, but others have helpful clues how to improve your work.
My weakness? My rough drafts are always sparse on very necessary scene setting. And my dialogue can be downright corny, or doesn't help advance the scenes with useful word count. Most major revisions I make in a final draft is reworking dialogue. And cutting pork.My strength is the emotional intensity and development of my characters to make them as everyday as you and I. Even aliens. Everyone has problems and feels pain and joy, no matter who they are. Your characters must have this to pull your readers into your tales. My characters have flaws and personal issues. They have pasts that have molded who they are now. They have personal goals beyond the book's plot. They could be your next door neighbor. I'm often praised on my excellent character development, so I stand by my advice. But it doesn't mean it's easy to get to them on paper.
The Necessary Elements of a Memorable Novel
It's Not Written to Suit a Genre. It's a Unique Creation.
A Higher Percentage of Dialogue to Narrative.
Only a few Points of View (POV)
Good Grammer and Spelling
Character Development
Good Pacing and Flow
Vivid Scene Setting
Show, Don't Tell
Sharp Dialogue
Sometimes authors pay more attention to grammar and spelling when they edit. It's certainly important, but good grammar and spelling won't hide flaws in these other areas.
Create a unique novel!
I have a strong opinion on this issue. I know the biggest advice for writers is to read, read, read other people's books. Nah. I don't want other people's ideas in my head.
My imagination is a fertile place, and the more I push myself to dig into it for ideas, the better my tales get. And the more joy I have writing them. I've always vehemently disagreed with this 'read, read, read' rule. When I read, it's inevitable that I like this turn of phrase, or that spin to a situation, or that facet of a character's personality. Those are horrible moments I've lost ground as a writer, moments that take away from my ability to write something unique. I do read. Non fiction - newspapers, magazines, research material such as religions of the world, mythology, pyschology, wholistic and allopathic medicine, metaphysics, all books on flora and fauna, geology, biology mineralogy, gemology, encyclopedias, any planetary sciences, space, etc. These are the base of a good imagination, not reading other people's novels.
A higher percentage of dialogue to narrative.
Nothing slows the pace of a book, or spoils the story than a high content of narrative, internal reflection and too much description. These are all important, in their place. Narrative tells the reader the story. Dialogue and action shows the reader the story. Show, don't tell.
Few POV's
In the past, novels often had many points of view in one scene. Today's writing has been tightened up. While it's harder to write a good adventure with only two or three points of view, obeying this rule will force you to delve deeper into your characters. This is good. The more you focus on a character, the more your reader gets pulled into your tale.
Good grammar and spelling
We all know that's important.
Character development
The best characters are as real and complex as you are.
In many books, characters seem to exist only to drive the plot forward. They're two dimensional. And dry, dry, dry, for it. They don't inspire my empathy.
Take the time to create multi-dimensional players with pasts, goals, motivations beyond the plot.
Your readers will love you for it.
Good pacing and flow
Life is like a rollercoaster.
One week you're up, the next, you're down.
This is a natural rhythm.
Tales need this pacing, too.
You rev up your readers in actions scenes with shorter sentences and sharp dialogue. Then you give the reader a breather with calmer scenes that can be a little heavier with narrative or internal thought. You should pace your entire plot, too. Each chapter brings the reader up and down all the way to the end.
A big flow killer is Action Hacking Narrative
You have an intense scene, heavy dialogue and action. Then, the worst happens - the character starts thinking or reflecting. It hacks your intense pace to bits. Your reader will notice. Save thinking and reflection for the calmer scenes.
Vivid scene setting
There's nothing more frustrating in a novel than not being able to picture the scenes.
On the other hand, also frustrating are novels that describe everything in the room down to the fabric of the bed sheets.
Make sure your reader can picture the world you're building by showing how your characters live in it. A chair is just a chair no matter how artfully you describe it, unless it's used to show how your character sits tensely or seductively, or clenches the arm in anger. The curtains aren't important unless one character is wrapping them around another character's neck or they've got dusty cobwebs strung along the top and in the creases because your character never cleans.
Show, don't tell
Example: Dagon was really irritated with Tess. He strode across the room away from her. At the table, he spied a novel and shoved it off to vent his anger.
This is slow and wordy because it's written in 'pork' language. Trim it down. There's too many words to describe Dagon's frame of mind. Show how he feels:
Example: Dagon fisted his hands and put distance between him and Tess. He shoved a book off the table.
That's much cleaner. It might seem not descriptive enough, but it's perfect for an action scene, which is what an argument is. Shorter sentences build intensity.
'Dagon was really irritated with Tess' tells the reader his frame of mind. Having him 'fist his hands' shows his frame of mind. 'He spied at book' is a filter and should be edited out. Fact is, if he shoves it off the table, we know he sees it, right?
Sharp dialogue
We've all read books with silly dialogue, or sensible dialogue that doesn't really augment the scene. Beware. Another flaw in dialogue is when the characters all speak the same way. Even in your community, notice how differently people speak. Some swear. Some take many words to say simple things. Others speak so quickly you can't comfortably follow what they're saying. Some swing their hands around. Some crowd your personal space when they talk. Your characters need to be this detailed and different from one another.
Here's an example:
"That's not the way I meant it," Tess murmured to Dagon. Why doesn't he ever
listen to what I say? It's like my feelings aren't important to him.
That's mediocre dialogue supported by Action Hacking Narrative.
Let's remodel it for high impact."That's not the way I meant it!" Tess waved her finger at him. "You don't listen to what I say. Aren't my feelings important to you?"
See the difference?
The dialogue in the first passage is dull and stops growth between the characters because Tess bottles up her feelings. She appears meek. In the second passage, she's more assertive. The scene can grow because personal issues are set on the table.
Now, if you want Tess to be meek, you'd use the internal reflection in the middle
of the action. Then it's appropriate because that's the type of person she is - an action hacker.
Writer's Block
Many writers get it. Some quit writing because of it. Others sit in the chair and
wait and wait for ideas to come. Others check email, or they need to straighten that
cubby of the desk for a distraction. No one handles it the same as another. I don't usually encounter writer's block. When it happens, it's because my brain is
drained from just finishing a novel, or I have too many activities. It's hard to open
the creative gates when your schedule is full. I've also encountered it when I listen
to the internal editor while writing a rough draft. Why do you have writer's block? Well, is your schedule too full? Are you bored with the story? Bored with the characters? Not sure how you want the plot to go? I've heard this suggestion more than a few times. And have done it. Go back to the beginning of your tale and read. Many writers fall in love with it again, their passion is restored. Problem solved.
I check my website stats everyday.
Frequently, search engines lead writers to my site with these keywords:
How many words in a novel?
The answer is to check the submission guidelines of the publisher you hope to please. Novels can range anywhere between 10,000 to 150,000 words. Research what your chosen publisher allows for your genre, and create the story accordingly.
Writing a Good Query
A good query fits on one page.
The first paragraph should be about your book. How many words, what genre, where and when it takes place, why you're sending it to the agent or editor you're approaching,
and where does it fit in their stable of writers and lines?
The second paragraph is a basic explanation about the content of the book. An extremely short, high impact synopsis. The third paragraph is about your credentials as a writer. Any publishing experience (mags, articles, short stories, etc), training, affiliation with official groups of your genre, awards, etc.
Agents and editors read hundreds of these a week. Imagine having to do that, reading endless queries every day of the week. Some are badly written, others are okay, most are not what you're looking for, and few - could be what you're looking for. Sounds tedious, doesn't it?
That's why your query needs to stand out, and sound like you know what that agent or editor in particular is looking for. You need to consult an updated Writers Market or
similiar publication before you query. Agents and editors change positions within the company, leave, change genres, close to submissions, etc, with head spinning regularity.
If this sounds like you shouldn't send out the same query to agents and editors, you're right. Each one wants something different, and at different times.
You also should check the publisher's submission guidelines and have some idea what books they're currently publishing to see if yours fits in.
Another question that someone typed in the Search Engine box was:
How do you listen to advice about your novel?
I happen to love that question and think the person asking it is going to mature into a fine writer one day.
It's discouraging to listen to people offer their comments and advice and reviews about your novel when they aren't glowing. No matter how hard you tried to get it all right, someone finds a pick, a flaw, a mistake in plotting.
Only you can know what's right for the story in general, yet, there's also usually a pearl of wisdom somewhere in the comments 'readers' give you. No matter who's making you want to smash dishes on the floor in disgust with their picks, that person's opinion is equivilant to at least 10+ readers that buy your book. So, all the picks and comments you get are important. I've learned to find the pearl in each point of view and apply it to how I approach the story or the scene. I guess rather than to see it as a pick, I see it as one reader speaking for 10+ about what could be better about my novel.
It's an art to be able to listen to criticism about your beloved novel without getting upset, no matter how kindly it's delivered. But it's wise to learn, all the same. Like any aspect about good writing, it takes patience, a good knowledge of your strengths and weaknesses, and above all, time. Bear with the frustration. One day, you'll be writing your next novel and realize that you'll have covered every angle and plot detail and character trait on the pages with amazing grace and there's precious little to edit.
It will happen. Just believe, have faith.
And in the mean time, when someone hands you nasty or insensitive picks or advice, take the time to envision a rich scene in your head - of you and that person and how good it would feel to punch them in the nose.
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