March 17, 2010 | Posted by John Halasz
If there were an exact formula about how to write a best selling novel the formula would definitely be priceless to novelists and ghostwriting services. There is simply no exact method to write a best selling novel, but there are generally accepted guidelines that are fundamental in creating any type of novel. Inasmuch as every writer has their own method of developing ideas, there are essential things that all successful writers must refer to every now and then.
Ghostwriting services know that the first and most important point on how to write a best selling novel is simply taking notes. The main feature that identifies a best selling novel is the quality, articulacy, and quality of the writer’s ideas. Unless one is especially talented with a photographic remembrance and a never-ending innovation of ideas, one is likely to be stuck after writing the first few words. That is why note taking is handy- the writer will refer to the notes any time ideas seem to diminish or lack consistency. Additionally, not all thoughts can be expressed in one story, so note taking enables the writer to reason logically and arrange ideas for a particular story rationally. Once the notes are written down, the writer can base a foundation on them and build layers as ideas crop up.
There is more to how to write a best selling novel. Once the notes have been used to lay a foundation, the writer has to move on weaving various ideas to form a steadfast concept that becomes the novel. The writer has to manipulate the main character or characters in the story such that the reader gets the theme through the various characters.
Categories: Creative -- Fiction Writing, Fiction Writing, Novel Writing | 
Tags: Creating Characters for Novels, Fiction Writing, how to write a novel, Novel Writing | 
No Comments »
March 11, 2010 | Posted by John Halasz
Structuring a novel involves taking all your ideas and placing them in chapters and sections. Many ‘how to write a novel’ guides state that structuring determines whether you will keep your reader turning the pages or not. Below is an introduction on how to write a novel structure.
The first part of a novel is the prologue also known as in the introduction. Here the reader learns of events that took place before your story began. It could be many years ago or some authors state something that will happen in the future. This prologue should not be long and a maximum of 2 pages is the widely accepted limit. You can grab your reader’s attention by giving him a taste of what might happen later in the story.
The second part as you structure your novel is the chapters. These chapters are arranged numerically and should be a break point for a reader. In the chapters, there should be places where the reader can stop and take a breather. This is because not every reader can read the entire book in one seating. Therefore, your storyline should have places where the reader can stop and have a break.
The second last part is the ending where all conflicts are resolved. Here the action and suspense should be cooling down while you inform your reader a little about the next series of the book. Lastly is the epilogue where you mention what happened to the characters a few years later after the story. With these structuring guidelines you will have easier time learning more on how to write a novel.
Categories: Creative -- Fiction Writing, Fiction Writing, Novel Writing | Tags: how to write a novel, Novel Writing, organizing a novel, structuring a novel | No Comments »
January 1, 2010 | Posted by John Halasz
The main part of any novel is the characters and how the reader relates to them. If you are writing a non fiction novel then the character will be based on a real person. However, with fiction you have to imagine the character and give him a personality. Since a novel is made up of many characters, the reader might hate some or love others. If you are still learning how to write a novel, characters are not only composed of their outward appearance but their personality as well. When you create a character, be sure he will keep the reader wanting to know what will happen next.
Characters in a good novel should encounter a variety of situations. Due to their diverse personalities they will handle the situations differently and this is where the reader is captivated. If you are using narration in your story, this can be a good way to tell the story. However, it should be not be a tool to describe the characters. While learning how to write a novel, you will realize that situations in the story are the right way to reveal various characters.
Use the right choice of words when describing situations. The reader should be able to tell characters’ weaknesses and strengths before reaching the story’s climax. Each character should stand out in terms of specific actions. For example, one character can be a nerd and is always trying to solve mysteries while the other can hate socializing. An important thing to always keep in mind when learning how to write a novel is that the aim of characters is to make the reader see himself in the story. Therefore, take your time to create the best characters possible.
Categories: Creative -- Fiction Writing, Fiction Writing, Novel Writing | Tags: characters, creative writing, Fiction Writing, how to write a novel, novel, novelist, writer, writers, writing a novel | Comments Off
December 31, 2009 | Posted by John Halasz
Learning to write a good dialogue is a crucial part of learning how to write a good novel. Many writers mistakenly think that writing a dialogue is a simple task. It is simple to put words in speech marks and include speech tags. It however takes careful thought and practice to write a dialogue that will hold the interest of a reader. A realistic dialogue if used well can be a very powerful tool in the writing of a novel. The following tips will help you in the writing of a realistic dialogue, an important part of learning how to write a good novel.
• Listen to other people as they talk. Listen to the natural speech patterns of conversations around you. This will help you develop an ear for natural dialogue. Listen to the expressions people use in their speech and in music.
• Read other novels in the same genre as that you are planning to write. Note that the dialogues in these books only read like real speech. A dialogue in a novel should not follow the actual pattern of real speech. Include only the most relevant parts and get rid of the filter words.
• Avoid providing too much information in the dialogue.
• Interrupt the dialogue with actions. The inclusion of descriptions of actions taking place in the physical world will help capture the reader’s attention.
• Avoid overusing speech tags. The readers will not be impressed by the many different ways you thought up of saying ‘he said’.
• Avoid using profane language and slang. This may put off some readers.
As you learn how to write a good novel you will find that dialogues are a good way to draw readers into the story and help them understand the theme and plot. Take the time to learn how to use this powerful tool properly.
Categories: Creative -- Fiction Writing, Fiction Writing, Novel Writing | Tags: creative writing, Fiction Writing, how to write a novel, novel, novelist, writer, writers, writing a novel | Comments Off
December 30, 2009 | Posted by John Halasz
When first time authors are just getting into the business, they really want to learn and be sure they know how to write a good novel. The advice they usually get is to read as many books by successful authors in the same genre as that which they are interested in. This is the best advice you can get. Reading novels written by successful authors is the best way to learn different aspects of writing. One thing you can learn from reading novels is how to structure a good plot.
The structure of your plot depends on the conflict in the novel. As you learn how to write a good novel you will discover that the action in the plot will rise as the conflict in the story develops and builds up. The conflict in a story is therefore the driving force of the story. It is the element of the story that attracts and maintains the interest of the reader.
The conflict in a novel is any force that works against the protagonist of the story. Conflict can therefore take form of a person who in this case would be an antagonist. This antagonist does not have to be evil. Antagonists are those characters who interfere with the progress of the protagonist towards the goal set by the theme of the story. The presence of this character therefore creates conflict in the story.
Conflict can also be created by an event or inability to perform a certain task. Past or present hindrances that are barriers to the accomplishment of a ‘happily ever after’ by the protagonists are conflict creators.
In learning how to write a good novel you will be well advised to introduce the conflict of your story early. This will get the readers interested in the story early.
Categories: Creative -- Fiction Writing, Fiction Writing, Novel Writing | Tags: creative writing, Fiction Writing, how to write a novel, novel, novelist, writer, writers, writing a novel | Comments Off
December 28, 2009 | Posted by John Halasz
To most novel authors the best part of writing is creating novel characters. This is where they get to play with their imagination. If you want to learn how to write a novel and come up with great characters this short piece will be of great help.
To create an interesting character you need to first get in the mood. Everyone has a time when their mind is open and filled with ideas. The best way to get into this mood is to find something that inspires you and concentrate on it. In this state, go ahead and picture a character then pretend you are this person. Ask yourself what you would like your name to be and your personality. A name should match the character for example Paul cannot be perceived as a mischievous person.
Next is to give this character a form by describing it to the reader. You can state his outward appearance and let the plot of the story reveal his inward personality. Once you have the character, give him a location or residence. Choose a location you are familiar with for example if you live in Texas, use this in the story. While learning how to write a novel you will realize every character needs a back story. This should include his livelihood and the people who surround him. In most cases the people who influence the character’s life give the story a twist. These simple guidelines on how to write a novel can be adopted even by beginners. Begin writing you novel today!
Categories: Creative -- Fiction Writing, Fiction Writing, Novel Writing | Tags: creating characters, creative writing, Fiction Writing, how to write a novel, novel, novelist, writer, writers, writing a novel | Comments Off
December 25, 2009 | Posted by John Halasz
There are numerous upcoming writers. While they may have the talent, drive and passion to write novels they are still bound to make mistakes on their first novels. For this reason, guidance is required. The following are tips on how not to write a novel.
One common novel writing mistake is the failure by an author to effectively develop ideas. Excellent authors do not start writing immediately they conceive ideas. They take the time to expand and explore their ideas into plots. The plot in any novel helps capture the attention of the reader. It is crucial that authors develop their ideas into concrete story lines as it is the only way they may be assured of success. Knowing how not to write a novel makes it possible for authors to avoid common writing mistakes.
Another common mistake is the lack of an effective plan. Under no circumstance should you begin writing a novel without a plan in place. ‘Failing to plan is planning to fail’ so the old adage goes. There are numerous authors who fail to finish their novel all because they fail to plan ahead. Novel writing is to say the least, a huge undertaking. Accordingly, when an author begins to write without any guidelines in place, they are unable to ensure that all scenes in the novel are purposeful. Without plans, authors are also unable to effectively develop their characters or even build the dramatic suspense and tensions in their stories gradually and steadily. By liaising with experienced authors, novice writers may obtain meaningful information on how not to write a novel.
Categories: Creative -- Fiction Writing, Fiction Writing, Novel Writing | Tags: creative writing, Fiction Writing, how to write a novel, novel, novel writing mistakes, novelist, writer, writers, writing a novel | Comments Off
December 24, 2009 | Posted by John Halasz
A book’s content is crucial to its success. Readers buy books not necessarily because the books’ covers entice them but because they want to derive entertainment or knowledge. When readers shop for books, they look forward to gaining a new experience or adding a new concept to their life. Yet most writers are of the opinion that writing a totally new book is the hardest part of writing.
They therefore need more exposure on how to write a best selling novel keeping in mind the needs of the reader. An important point that writers must be familiar with is that they need to conceptualize their ideas and give the story a focal point that targets the reader.
The most important idea on how to write a best selling novel is to develop a book brief. With the book brief, the author develops confidence to write a masterpiece. The book brief also helps an author to test his or her skills by taking a reader’s perspective. It is important to have one topic in order to avoid the confusion caused by mix-up of ideas. A single topic also helps one to organize thoughts conceptually.
While gaining skills on how to write a best selling novel, the writer also has to note that the purpose of the book is what captivates the reader most. Hence the author has to arrange the book in such a way that it highlights the purpose succinctly. The book must be appealing to readers’ sentiments, beliefs and emotions.
Categories: Creative -- Fiction Writing, Fiction Writing, Novel Writing | Tags: creative writing, Fiction Writing, how to write a novel, novel, novelist, writer, writers, writing a novel | Comments Off
December 20, 2009 | Posted by John Halasz
Are you interested in novel writing but are wondering how to write a novel fast? You may be a great storyteller but simply do not have the time to spend on writing a novel through to the end. You may also be the type of person who struggles with keeping the momentum of writing up from the beginning of the writing process through to the end. You may also be trying to beat a deadline. There are numerous tips on the internet concerning how to write a novel fast. You must however remember that there is no single formula that works for all authors. Find what works for you and use it.
The novel writing process is long and tedious. You can make it easier for yourself by using some of the following tips on how to write a novel fast.
- Beginning a novel is exciting especially when the ideas are flowing freely. It however becomes tedious on days that you feel simply uninspired. Make the completion of your novel a priority in your life even if you are not a professional author. Look for things that will help the writing process appeal to you on those difficult days.
- Make it a habit to write regularly. This includes the times you are not working on anything specific. Keep stock of any ideas that come to your mind. These may come in handy as you write a novel.
- Take time to work on a well thought out plot. Having a refined plot and characters for your book will make it easier for you to stay on track and write even on days when you lack inspiration.
Categories: Creative -- Fiction Writing, Fiction Writing, Novel Writing | Tags: creative writing, Fiction Writing, how to write a novel, novel, novelist, writer, writers, writing a novel | Comments Off
December 15, 2009 | Posted by John Halasz
The creation of a character for your novel is one of the most important parts of preparing for the actual writing of your novel. The characters in your novel have a great deal to do with the success of your novel. The readers of your novel will experience the events of your story through the characters of your book. As you learn how to write a novel fast you must learn how best to develop your character.
When you begun planning your book you probably started with deciding on the plot and choosing your main characters both protagonists and antagonists. Now comes the part that you develop your character and show forth their peculiarities, the things that make them unique. If you want to learn how to write a novel fast you must develop idiosyncrasies in your characters.
Does your character lisp, hate children, is he or she lactose intolerant, does she fear to cross the street or have to wipe her hands after shaking hands with anyone? All these quirks and others like them are idiosyncrasies. When you have identified your characters identify the idiosyncrasies that you want each of them to have and how you want them portrayed in the novel.
A good way of doing this is by writing them in the form of scenes. This is because your characters are developed in the scenes they appear in. You can write the scenes down in separate documents for each character or on post cards. You can refer back to these cards and arrange them in the order that you want them to appear in the story.
This method of developing idiosyncrasies in your characters is a powerful method in learning how to write a novel fast. You will end up developing more scenes than you need for your novel and will be able to select only the best to include.
Categories: Creative -- Fiction Writing, Fiction Writing, Novel Writing | Tags: creative writing, Fiction Writing, how to write a novel, novel, novelist, writer, writers, writing a novel | Comments Off