novel writing

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Writing basics for the first time novelist, part one

Posted by george on July 8, 2009
Posted in: Writing. Tagged: , , . 17 comments

Listen to the Podcast

  jt avatarIf you’re thinking about writing a novel, or maybe you have started the venture and are struggling a bit, there are some basics that you need to know about in order to achieve success.  Writing a novel is not just sitting at a word processor with a good story in your head and tapping it out on the keys.  A lot goes in to the writing of a novel.  Like any worthy project, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Remember that entire books have been written about this subject.  I don ‘t proclaim to have all of the answers, but I hope this series will answer some of your questions, and maybe whet your appetite for more information.

  • Genre – You should make the decision early on about which genre is best suited to your idea.  Genre is just a fancy writing word for category.  Most authors are loathe to put their idea into a slot, but as a first time novelist, if you can’t succinctly define a single genre then you may never get out of the slush pile.  So, work on whittling down your horror/fantasy/romantic self help book to just a single arena.  It’s not a bad thing, really.  It forces you to keep the project tight and focused.
  • Protagonist – The hero or heroine of the story.  Your main character.  He or she should be richly defined.  Make them human, make them flawed.  Give them a bad habit or two.  Your reader needs to relate to them so don’t make them a saint.  Make them someone the reader wants to root for, someone whom the reader will miss when they turn the final page.
  • Plot – Plot is story.  More accurately, it is the events and action that is the framework through which the story is told.  It’s that simple.  Lots and lots have been written about plot, the best advice is to worry about it not.  If you have a good story, and every word moves that story forward, then you are plotting along and life is good.
  • Length – Here are some industry norms to help you determine what your project is, based on word count:
    • Up to 1000 words: flash fiction, short story
    • 1000 to 6000 words:  Short Story
    • 6000 to 15000 words: long story or novelette
    • 15000 to 45000 words: novella
    • 45000 to 120,000 words: novel

In the next part of this series, I’ll tackle the all important point of view along with foreshadowing techniques and dialogue.

NaNoWriMo – Less than 3 days! Get Busy

Posted by george on October 29, 2008
Posted in: Writing. Tagged: , , , . 2 comments

November is the traditional novel writing month for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).  What’s the big idea?  Easy.  A commitment to write a 50,000 word novel starting with word one on November 1st and completing the project by November 30.

Are you afraid of commitment?  So what.  Cast all of your worries and baggage aside and get to it.  What a great motivator.  Commit to doing this.  Work under deadline.  There is pressure.

Here’s the idea in a nutshell, taken directly from the source:

“Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It’s all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.”

Now I ask you, How fun is that?!  Think about it.  You’re not writing for a fussy editor.  You’re not writing perfect prose for the sake of perfection.  This is in the trenches, take no prisoners, kill ‘em all – let God sort ‘em out, balls to the wall writing.  At what other time would you allow yourself this kind of writing freedom?

So head on over, sign up, and get ready to have some fun.