| Writing a novel is not for sissies. Sure, anyone can | | | | yourself with a vacation or something else fun. |
| tell a story, but can you do it without putting your | | | | You won't be able to look at your manuscript |
| reader to sleep? Storytelling dates back to the | | | | objectively until you've been away from it for at |
| dawn of humankind. When you ask someone | | | | least several weeks. Get it out of your head so |
| what they did today, you're looking for a story, | | | | you can approach it fresh when it's time for step |
| not a statistical analysis of the day's activities. | | | | #4. |
| Who did you meet? What happened at work? | | | | 4. Have fun with editing. Laugh at your mistakes. |
| Why do you care? Characters, plot, motivation - | | | | Don't get too attached to specific words or |
| all reasons we like a good story. Don't forget this | | | | phrases. There's a million ways to tell the same |
| when you're writing your book. | | | | story, and odds are, you haven't found the best |
| So far I've completed one novel and written half | | | | one on the first go-around. Eliminate anything that |
| of another, and another, and another. It's much | | | | interferes with the flow. Read it out loud and see |
| easier to begin than to finish. | | | | how you like the sound. Be ruthless with adverbs |
| Here's what I've learned from finishing the novel | | | | and flowery language. Simplicity is always best. |
| that is now under contract with an agent: | | | | 5. Repeat steps 3 and 4. Going over your work |
| 1. Choose a topic you're passionate about. You'll | | | | once will result in dramatic improvement. Doing it |
| be spending weeks, months, years at the task. If | | | | twice is the icing on the cake. Even twice may |
| you're not passionate about your story you may | | | | not be enough. You learn as you go, after all, and |
| lose interest before you finish - and when you | | | | by the time you get to the end you may have a |
| think you're done, you won't be. | | | | different opinion of the beginning. But don't edit |
| 2. Write quickly. It won't be perfect, so just don't | | | | your book to death. Unless it's a classic that will |
| worry about that. When I finished my first | | | | stand the test of time, when you're sick of |
| manuscript, I thought it was perfect. I'm a | | | | editing, move on. Your next novel may be better |
| member of Mensa after all! Wrong! Step #3 is as | | | | yet. |
| important as any other. | | | | That's it. Nothing magical. Just perseverance and |
| 3. Put your manuscript away and don't look at it. | | | | elimination of ego. If you get this far, finding an |
| Take a break for a month or two. Reward | | | | agent and publisher should be a piece of cake. |