Author: Writing your first novel-Some things you should know

The Title Of Your Novel Is What? (Revisited)

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, , 8 Comments

imagesFFT3CQY4I was looking at some of my older blog posts this past week when something jumped out at me.

A while back I wrote a blog titled, “Is your manuscript ready for submission?” It didn’t get much attention, as a matter of fact, only 5 people viewed the blog and 2 of those liked it. Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed. It was a great blog.

Five months later I was busy and didn’t have time to research and write a quality blog. I decided to report, “Is your manuscript ready for submission?” I made a few changes to some of the sentences, so they reflected the new time period, but other than that, the blog read word for word.

I also did one other thing; I changed the title. It was the same blog, only it’s new title was, “Edit, Edit, or Edit?” The blog did exceptionally well for someone who had been blogging less than a year. It had 99 views, 50 likes and 3 or 4 reblogs.

I shared this story to make a point. Your title really does make a difference. It’s the first thing your reader sees or hears about your book/blog/poem. Your title creates anticipation and expectation, or perhaps disinterest. Often your title determines whether or not someone reads your work.

A good title should have the following attributes:

  • Attention-grabbing
  • Memorable
  • Informative (gives an idea of what book is about)
  • Easy to say
  • Not embarrassing or problematic for a person to say aloud to their friends.

Also keep in mind, that the title you start with, may not be the title you end up with. Getting the title right may be the most important book marketing decision you make. Many well-known authors have had their titles changed by publishers and editors before print. Here are a few you may recognize:

F. Scott Fitzgerald/  The Great Gatsby – Trimalchio in West Egg, On the Road to West Egg, Among Ash-heaps and Millionaires, Under the Red, White, and Blue, Gold-hatted Gatsby, or The High Bouncing Lover. I think he made the right choice 🙂

George Orwell/ 1984 – The Last Man in Europe

Ayn Rand/ Atlas Shrugged – The Strike

Harper Lee/ To Kill a Mockingbird – Atticus

Jane Austin/ Pride and Prejudice – First Impressions.

Frances Hodgson Burnett/ The Secret Garden – Mistress Mary

The title matters!!! Get it right!!!

-Jan R

The Title Of Your Novel Is What? (Revisited)

Save Your Work-You Never Know When You Might Need It.

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know2 Comments

maybe-you-should-qr05qk.jpgThe last few blogs I wrote discussed a radical cutting job I performed about six months ago. I’m not planning on repeating those blogs, but did want to share with new writers the importance of saving deleted work, at least until you know, that you know, that you know, you want need it ever again, and I probably still wouldn’t delete it.

I didn’t just cut paragraphs, sections, or scenes, I cut chapters. As a matter of fact, I cut the first two chapters of my novel thinking I was making improvements by getting rid of the fluff.

I’m not pushing fluff.  I’ve written numerous blogs on keeping your work clear and concise, but I discovered after cutting those chapters, that I had overeacted.

Thank goodness I had the forethought to save them in the previous draft.  All I had to do was go back, highlight, copy, and paste the two chapters into my current working copy.

They still need to be revised, but they are salvageable, and I’m not starting with a blank sheet of paper in front of me 🙂

Something to think about.

-Jan R

 

Save Your Work-You Never Know When You Might Need It.

Don’t Cut When You Should Be Whittling!

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, , , 7 Comments

editing-tips-300x230I opened up my novel in Word and began yet another revision at the start of the year. I tell myself this is it, and I certainly hope so, however, I have made some pretty significant changes. So I may have to go back and look at it one or two more times, to make sure I followed all of the rules 🙂

Why the changes, and especially this late in the game?  I went through my manuscript and cut about 20% the previous year. The sections cut were combersome and full of backstory at times. They were weighing the story down and bringing it to a stand still. At least that’s what I thought at the time.

Well we all know writing that brings your reader to a screeching halt is a no-no, so I decided to get rid of those scenes/chapters rather than fix them. From my perspective, they were uneccessary and I didn’t want to mess with them anymore. I was done.

Following those changes, I found myself less enthusiastic and lacking the drive to complete my work. The passion was gone. The last months of 2018 were a struggle for me. I just couldn’t make myself pick up the manuscript.

I’m all for rules and understand they are important. I have read extensively on how to write a novel, took online courses, and talked to people who have published work.  I listened carefully and took notes when I heard the same thing over and over.  If everyone was saying it, it had to have merit.

One rule that I followed caused my standstill, and to be honest, it may not have been the rule, but my over zealous attempt to follow the rule. Let’s go back to the 20% I cut. I actually chopped the first two chapters of the novel. Why? They were filled with backstory. Something I felt my reader needed at the time to be able to follow a pretty complicated plot.

The rule that caused my dilemma was don’t load the front end of the story with unecessary narrative and exposition.  While the information may be necessary, you don’t want to put your reader to sleep before they get to the good stuff, and if that isn’t enough of a reason, literary agents only ask for the first five pages in most cases. You don’t want to send them five pages of narrative and exposition. You want some action. You want the good parts on display from the beginning.

I got to the good stuff right away, but at what cost. I lost my enthusiasm and I made it harder for my readers to follow what was actually going on. They were missing some key information.

I talked to a friend a couple weeks ago who had proofread the manuscript for me prior to the cuts. She isn’t an editor, but she is a professional who enjoys reading and a very bright lady. I asked her specifically about those first two chapters.

I told her about the cuts, and my concerns with those chapters weighing the story down. Her response,  “I loved those chapters. They developed the connection between myself and the characters before they were thrown into the conflict. They grounded me and made it easier to follow the story.”

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAShe confirmed what was missing, and why I was having a hard time connecting with a novel that I once loved. Instead of cleaning up the first few chapters by making them more clear and concise, instead of adding a minor conflict or looking at a way to make those chapters more interesting, I totally wiped them out, leaving the novel lacking.

My focus today and the previous week has been reworking those first few chapters and whittling instead of cutting. I still need to get to the heart of the story as soon as possible, but I can’t short change the set-up to get there.

Something to think about. Comments are always welcome. I love hearing other perspectives.

-Jan R

 

 

Don’t Cut When You Should Be Whittling!

Follow The Rules!

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, , , , 4 Comments

iStock_000013116314_Full-919x1030.jpgOne of my resolutions this year is to get Always and Forever published. It’s a beautiful story with a great premise, but it wasn’t quite ready for prime time 🙂 At least that’s what I was told by one of the agents I queried.

That was my first lesson learned. You can have a great story, but if it’s not written correctly, you can forget it. You have to follow the rules. No grammatical or structural errors, no head-hopping, no information dumps, watch the pacing, transition from scene to scene, and for goodness sake, make sure it’s clear and concise. Nobody wants to read a bunch of written-ese, it doesn’t matter how pretty the sentence sounds with all those extra adjectives. Remember you are writing a novel, not poetry.

I left out a lot of the rules that should be on your checklist when you go back and edit that book, but the previous paragraph was becoming too long and cumbersome, and I think you got the point. And no, the publishers and literary agents do not have editors on standby to do a complete makeover on your story, no matter how good it is. Let’s put that myth to rest.

You’re never too old to learn a new skill. So that’s what I set out to do. If I was going to make my dream a reality, I was going to have to learn the rules and apply them to my story. I have to admit, I thought often about throwing the first very rough draft out and starting over. I’m glad I didn’t.

Don’t give up!!! That was something else the literary agent that I queried told me. You can do this! Most people fail because they stop trying. You never know, you could be one query away from a literary agent excepting your work.

You want to go the e-book route? That’s okay too. I have considered it myself.  But you still have to produce high-quality work. You have to follow the rules. You can put anything you want on e-books if your only goal is to be called author, but if you want to actually sell your books and be successful, you’re going to have to take the time to get that story right.

Something to think about.

-Jan R

Follow The Rules!

Looking Forward!

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know2 Comments

New-Year-2019-Unique-bg-pictureI can’t believe another year has come and gone. I have to admit, I didn’t meet my New Year’s resolutions from the previous year.

Why not? I had resolutions, but no plans in place to meet them. You can set goals, but with no plan, you will wonder aimlessly.

Oh well, the nice thing about a new year, is the opportunity to start over and get it right.

You didn’t meet your goals from the previous year? It’s okay. The past is over and can’t be changed. What can be changed is what you do moving forward.

Write down those resolutions/goals you have for the upcoming year and put a little thought into the steps you are going to take to acheive them.

Develop a plan! Don’t let this year go to waste!

Something to think about.

Happy New Year!

-Jan R

Looking Forward!

Grammar Is A Must-But Lose That English Teacher Writing! (Revisited)

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, , , 7 Comments

English teacherI wasn’t an English major, but I never had a problem with stringing words together and making coherent, easy to read sentences. I know most of the rules, but I also know those rules are meant to be broken, especially if you are writing fiction.

The purpose of English Teacher grammar is to understand how to create sanitized, standardized, easy to understand, impersonal, inoffensive writing. If you’re looking for a job writing pamphlets for the government, instructional manuals, or news reports, then that’s the way to go.

These rules aren’t meant for fiction. That does not mean your story shouldn’t be grammatically and structurally sound. We are talking about styles here, not mechanics.

Fiction writing is nonstandardized, complex, personal, and occasionally offensive. It is the best way to reach into your readers head and show him your words. In order to bring your voice to life and get your world on the page, you need to say goodbye to English Teacher writing.

Fiction Writing Vs. English Teacher Writing

Fiction Writing-fits the world of the book, the mouths of the characters, and the writer who wrote it.                                                                                                                              English Teacher Writing– incorporates a specific, caricatured, extreme form of writing without regard to the story’s world, characters, or even the writer and what he or she is like.

Fiction Writing changes with the situation.                                                                         English Teacher Writing is unchanged.

Fiction Writing does not look to impress, it’s sole purpose is to present the story.  English Teacher Writing is self-conscious, self-important, and looks and feels forced and outright silly at times.

Fiction Writing is not always pretty, but it always fits the circumstances, characters, and story.                                                                                                                                            English Teacher Writing is always pretty and always smooth, but rarely fits anything.

Example:

Fiction Writing

“Get away! Don’t touch me! Leave me alone!” The girl in the alley curled into a tighter ball, her scarred, skinny arms pulling her knees up against her chest, her eyes white-rimmed, her hair wild.

English Teacher Writing

“Get away from me! Don’t lay a hand on me! Leave me alone!” The girl in the alley, already in a fetal position, pulled her knees tighter to her chest. she wore an expression of dazed panic and radiated the signs of post-traumatic stress disorder.

-Jan R

Grammar Is A Must-But Lose That English Teacher Writing! (Revisited)

It’s All In The Details!

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, , Leave a comment

imagesZUMJKFVWWriting fiction can be fun. You get to create your own world with your own characters and you can take your story anywhere you want to go. Right?

Well, that statement is true to a certain degree. You do have a lot of leeway but keep in mind your story has to make sense. It has to be believable to your readers. That’s where research comes in. Your plot may be fictitious but your details had better be correct.

Anachronisms-details out of place and time can break a readers suspension of disbelief if they notice the error. If for example, a character in ancient Egypt consults his watch, a reader would instantly be drawn out of the story and roll his eyes. That is an extreme example but I think it helps you get the point.

There’s no excuse for anachronisms or lack of detail.  Once you know what you are writing about, immerse yourself in the subject. If you want to write about the police, you do a ride along or shadow a precinct. If your novel takes place in a school, interview teachers or volunteer.

You can also use social media to learn about people and places, by watching videos or listening to interviews.  My novel is set primarily in the Carolinas but my main character is deployed to Afghanistan for a short period of time. I’ve never been to Afghanistan and have no intention of ever going there.  For that short but important segment of my book, I watched a documentary with actual footage, interviewed someone who had been at camp leatherneck, and read pages set up on the internet by marines returning from the area. I found the information I needed to make that portion of my story believable through research.

It is always best to set your novels in cities that you know.  A good example of this would be Nicholas Sparks. His books are set in North Carolina. That’s where he lives. He understands the culture and can provide the details his readers expect.

One word of caution is to remember your research and detail are the seasoning for the story, don’t make them center stage. Resist the urge to show off how much research you have done. You don’t want to overwhelm your readers with unnecessary information.

-Jan R

It’s All In The Details!

Three Act Structure

Writing your first novel-Some things you should knowLeave a comment

Act 1

  • Hook: An event that gets your readers involved in both plot and story.
  • Backstory: Introduces your protagonist and the situation–it’s both plot and story.
  • Trigger: An intense plot event that propels your protagonist into crisis.

Act 2

  • Crisis: A story moment when your protagonist is overcome by her flaw/flaws.
  • Struggle: Your protagonist struggles against ever-increasing obstacles (plot) with deeper despair (story) after each setback.
  • Epiphany: A story moment when your protagonist realizes her flaw and decides to change (unless this is a tragedy).

Act 3

  • Plan: Your protagonist, as a result of the epiphany, can now devise a plan (plot).
  • Climax: Your protagonist confronts the antagonist, who is defeated (unless this is a tragedy) in plot-heavy action.
  • Ending: The plot and story conflicts are resolved.

I think this hand-out pretty much sums it up. It was provided in an online course I took through Udemy. I love the simplicity in the way that Steve Alcorn lays it out. He has a great ‘Novel Writing Workshop’. You should consider checking him out.

As a matter of fact, there are a lot of great writing courses on Udemy for under twenty dollars.

Something to think about.

-Jan R

Three Act Structure

Manuscript Formatting

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, , 5 Comments

images2K2CCF4GYour manuscript needs to be perfect. There is no place for misspellings, grammar errors, poor formatting, or plain sloppy writing. Once you’ve corrected the problems, present your manuscript in the standard industry format.

Those of you who have been around for a while know what I’m talking about. Newbies, not so much. So here’s the deal.

  • Double-space.
  • Use a 12-point, Times New Roman font.
  • Use 1-inch margins at the top, bottom, and both sides of the page.
  • Use white paper; do not bind it (if you’re submitting a physical copy).
  • Make sure your last name and the page number are on each page.
  • Do not include illustrations.
  • Put the name of your novel, your name, and your contact information (phone number and email address are sufficient) on the title page.
  • Don’t bother with a copyright notice–it’s meaningless and the mark of an amateur.
  • Submit your manuscript electronically as a PDF, not a word document.

While this is the standard format, you should read the submission requirements carefully whenever you present your work to a publisher or agent to ensure it is formatted per their specifications.  Don’t give them a reason to toss your work to the side.

Something to think about.

-Jan R

Manuscript Formatting

Your Mind Is A Battlefield!

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, , , 2 Comments

BrotherWord-Power-of-the-Mind.jpgIf you are constantly looking over your shoulder, you may not finish your novel. You will be too busy battling the thoughts of it not being good enough. No one wants to be humiliated or rejected. Your inner critic will paralyze you by telling you just how bad it really is (even if it’s not).  This is an obstacle that I have had to overcome. It hasn’t gone away, I’ve just learned to deal with it.

I remember doing a Bible study on the battlefield of the mind. Though it’s primary purpose was dealing with spiritual warfare, it also related to many of the issues that we deal with in our everyday lives. Our mind is a battlefield. In writing, for example, all of us worry about looking dumb and never getting published. Fiction writers make a business out of being scared, and not just looking dumb.

It took me six months from the time I started writing my novel, to tell my husband what I was doing. When I finally told him, I was a mess. I knew he would be excited for me and encourage me in my endeavor, and I didn’t want to let him down.

For the longest time, I treated my novel as a hobby. That’s not a mindset that will get you published. When I finished and sent it out to the first few agents, I was more than a little anxious. The first few rejections confirmed my beliefs. I just wasn’t good enough.

Note that I said, “I wasn’t good enough.” Well, that’s not exactly true. The truth is the novel wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t ready. The fact is, it was filled with grammatical and structural errors, there was some serious head hopping going on, and my on-the-nose writing was all but bringing the story to a complete halt. If you are not familiar with these terms you should be. Go back and read the posts I have written or surf the web.

I don’t know that the inner critic will ever go away. So how do you combat it? You keep moving forward and growing in your craft. Don’t stop writing. I still question my novel, but I know, that I know, that I know, that it’s a lot better than it was after the unofficial first draft. I’ve learned the hard way and hope you avoid some of my pitfalls.

-Jan R

Your Mind Is A Battlefield!