A Route Map to Novel Writing Success
The Guide Book
There is a saying within literary circles that ‘everyone has a book within them... and that’s where most of them should stay’. There is some doubt about who was the first to come up with the witticism, but that’s not important. What is important is the meaning behind it: most people are not skilled in the art of writing books. And why should they be when they have not been taught how to go about it? But here’s the good news: new novelists can be taught the best techniques, and they can become skilled in the art of writing.
I have attended numerous writers’ classes, seminars and conferences where I have met new writers who would like to produce a novel, but they don’t know how to begin. Some have written short stories, but there is a big difference between that and producing a full-length novel. I have heard many reasons why people struggle with novel writing, including:
“I’d like to write a novel, but I simply don’t know where to start.”
“I have this idea for a novel, but I’ve no idea how to go about writing it. I’m worried about getting it all wrong.”
“The thought of tackling such a long piece of writing scares me.”
There are many more reasons why potential novelists have given up before they have even started. That’s a pity because the task isn’t rocket science. I believe that the majority of these people could have written a book if only they had been taught how to construct their stories and had been encouraged to overcome their fears of planning and getting through the process of writing such a lengthy piece of work.
You don’t need a university degree. I have met successful novelists who, for one reason or another, ended their schooling early without any formal qualifications. It was only in later life that they made the effort to learn the techniques of story writing. Which serves to confirm my belief that, although writing a novel is demanding in respect of time and effort, the basic techniques can be learned.
And that’s what this book is all about.
The contents
Introduction
My background
Why do you want to write a novel?
Different approaches to writing a novel
The Waypoint Method
Stage 1 – Planning
The elements of a story
The importance of having a bright idea for your story
How to research your idea
How to flesh out the idea into a workable plot
The importance of conflict
The ‘don’t know’ effect
Character-based stories and plot-based stories
Protagonists and antagonists
How to create interesting characters
Character flaws and character development
The world your characters inhabit
Imaginary worlds
How to plan the chapters in line with the plot
The three-act structure
Stage 2 – Writing the first draft
Writing Chapter 1
Point of view
The opening sentence
Dialogue
Character behaviour
‘Showing’ versus ‘telling’
Get in late – get out early
Writing the ending
Writing the middle part of the novel
Your main character should change
The waypoint chapters
The hard slog and the motivation to keep on writing
Stage 3 – Editing
The alpha reader
The beta reader
The copy editor
The proofreader
Editing the book yourself
The prime edit
The copy edit
Stage 4 – The final stretch
What to do with the finished manuscript
Approaching agents and mainstream publishers
The synopsis
The begging letter
How to publicise your book
The summary
Questions and answers
Appendices
Appendix A – Practical examples of bright ideas
Appendix B – More examples of how to flesh out the basic ideas
Appendix C – Things to look out for while copy-editing
