Writing a novel is a huge undertaking. It is not always thoroughly enjoyable and can consume many hours. Authors invest a lot of mental energy into their writing. To write your novel takes a great deal of determination. If you want to create interest in a novel, the story needs to be interesting, especially to you. Unless you enjoy the process and the story, you will not be able to keep up the effort needed to complete the task.
The writing will sound authentic if you describe events and places that are somewhat familiar to you. This is particularly good advice for a first novel. If you include passages about subjects unfamiliar to you, research them thoroughly. If you don't, you will not come over as credible to readers who are experts in the field.
Writing a detective story will require a different approach to a romance. Decide on the genre then keep to it. While some authors let the writing take them where it will, a beginner novelist is probably well advised to plan out the plot and subplots. If you don't keep the reader interested throughout the story, they will close the book and go on to something else.
Every writer uses a different method to write their novel. Setting a goal of a certain number of words a day works for many people. Some work better early in the morning; others do their best writing after the household has gone to bed and there is peace and quiet.
The most important parts are the plot and the characters. The latter should be believable. Even if almost perfect, readers will relate to them more if they have a small flaw or two. Keep your eyes open when out in the community for ideas that would help flesh out one of your characters. Choose names with care. Don't have two characters with really similar names.
Every aspiring writer has heard of 'show, don't tell'. This is excellent advice. It means you should give information to the reader without stating it in an obvious manner. By having a person place their hands on their hips, you are telling the reader a great deal about that character before they even speak. Dialogue mixed with narrative writing gives variety and interest.
Read your work very critically. Look for spelling mistakes and errors in grammar. Check the time-lines and look for facts that don't ring true. With a long novel, it is easy to lose track of some facts. Everyone finds it hard to proof-read their own work. It may be useful to have a trusted friend or even a professional editor look at your story for you. Trim unnecessary words and paragraphs that might turn a reader's interest to boredom. If a passage isn't moving the action forward, then it needs to be deleted.
At times when the writing comes easily, keep writing as long as you can without bothering about too much editing. Stopping for minor corrections will only stifle the creative drive. Once you write your novel, the real work begins as you strive to make every word relevant and correct. It pays to lay the draft aside and do something else for a month or two. You can then re-read your story with a fresh mind. Editing and corrections can take as long to do as writing the novel itself.
The writing will sound authentic if you describe events and places that are somewhat familiar to you. This is particularly good advice for a first novel. If you include passages about subjects unfamiliar to you, research them thoroughly. If you don't, you will not come over as credible to readers who are experts in the field.
Writing a detective story will require a different approach to a romance. Decide on the genre then keep to it. While some authors let the writing take them where it will, a beginner novelist is probably well advised to plan out the plot and subplots. If you don't keep the reader interested throughout the story, they will close the book and go on to something else.
Every writer uses a different method to write their novel. Setting a goal of a certain number of words a day works for many people. Some work better early in the morning; others do their best writing after the household has gone to bed and there is peace and quiet.
The most important parts are the plot and the characters. The latter should be believable. Even if almost perfect, readers will relate to them more if they have a small flaw or two. Keep your eyes open when out in the community for ideas that would help flesh out one of your characters. Choose names with care. Don't have two characters with really similar names.
Every aspiring writer has heard of 'show, don't tell'. This is excellent advice. It means you should give information to the reader without stating it in an obvious manner. By having a person place their hands on their hips, you are telling the reader a great deal about that character before they even speak. Dialogue mixed with narrative writing gives variety and interest.
Read your work very critically. Look for spelling mistakes and errors in grammar. Check the time-lines and look for facts that don't ring true. With a long novel, it is easy to lose track of some facts. Everyone finds it hard to proof-read their own work. It may be useful to have a trusted friend or even a professional editor look at your story for you. Trim unnecessary words and paragraphs that might turn a reader's interest to boredom. If a passage isn't moving the action forward, then it needs to be deleted.
At times when the writing comes easily, keep writing as long as you can without bothering about too much editing. Stopping for minor corrections will only stifle the creative drive. Once you write your novel, the real work begins as you strive to make every word relevant and correct. It pays to lay the draft aside and do something else for a month or two. You can then re-read your story with a fresh mind. Editing and corrections can take as long to do as writing the novel itself.
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