Writing a novel

[Led Zeppelin]

So, I kinda decided to write a novel today, because basically I'm bored.

I wonder if anyone else here has tried to write one, or has written one, if so, please give me some tips!

[which doctor]

I've attempted to write a fiction novel several times. I usually got about 10 pages into then I would quit.

It was fun when I was writing it though.

Writing is a good way to spend your time.

[FinnMacCool]

I'm currently writing a novel and I've gotten through 60 pages so far.

If you want a tip from me, go to writersbeat.com. They can help you with criticisms. Really the only way your ever gonna get better is if you have someone read and give general criticism and reviews.

One of the things you have to is read as much fiction as possible. This will help. Also, write as much as possible. this will help too.

And thats really all the kind of advice I can think of right now

Good luck!

[encephalon]

I've written more short stories than I can remember, and I'm currently working on a novel, which is currently about 30,000 words long (roughly, 100 pages). It's slow going, but it still inches forward.

Advice? Don't just decide to write a novel one day :lol: It's a lot more work than people think it is, and that's just the writing part.. then you actually have to write something decent that other people might want to read. I'd suggest doing a lot of planning before you write too much.. not planning every detail, but where yu're going and how you'll get there in the story. Sometimes you can just wing it, but more often than not you write ten or fifteen pages and quit doing that.

On writing itself.. please use active sentences instead of passive (unless you've a good reason to do otherwise). This is the number one problem I find in most writing. Also, illustrate--don't explicate. Other than that... I'd have to read some stuff to give better advice :)

[Led Zeppelin]

Thanks for the advice and link to that site FinnMacCool, I signed up and started posting.


Originally posted by encephalon
I've written more short stories than I can remember, and I'm currently working on a novel, which is currently about 40,000 words long (roughly, 100 pages). It's slow going, but it still inches forward.

Any chance I can read some parts of it? I promise I won't plagiarize. :lol:


On writing itself.. please use active sentences instead of passive (unless you've a good reason to do otherwise).

I'm not sure what you mean by this, could you please elaborate?


Other than that... I'd have to read some stuff to give better advice

Well, I have about a paragraph now, I'll add some more to it tomorrow and post it here to get your advice.

[encephalon]

Any chance I can read some parts of it? I promise I won't plagiarize.

Actually, I'll be looking for some input soon; the book is separated into 4 parts with four chapters in each part, and aside from some editing the first Part is done. Unfortunately, if I actually want to get it published, I can't post that much of it online without it being considered already published. But if anyone's interested in giving me some impartial constructive criticism, contact me and I'll send you Part one some time soon. Just be forewarned: it's rather experimental, and uses imagery rather than plot to move the story forward. Right now, I'm entirely unsatisfied with the first chapter, and I'm trying to figure out ways to redeem it.


I'm not sure what you mean by this, could you please elaborate?

Simpler than it sounds :) For instance, instead of saying "He was running to the store," simply say "He ran to the store." In short, it's mostly a matter of cutting out the be-verbs (is, was, been, etc.) as much as possible, as well as any unnecessary adverbs. It makes for a more involved reading.



Well, I have about a paragraph now, I'll add some more to it tomorrow and post it here to get your advice.

Looking forward to reading it :) If you could ever imagine trying to get it published (aside from vanity publishing), though, I wouldn't suggest posting more than 20 pages online. Most publishers demand first-publishing rights, and consider the internet as a form of publishing. I've been tempted to just write all of mine online and to say the hell with the system, but so far I've kept myself at bay. Though it's so unlikely that one might as well consider it an impossibility (at least for fiction), writing would be a lovely way to make a living pre-revolution.

[Mariam]

I remember when I was 13 I wrote a novel it reached almost 200 pages!!
But now when I compare it to what I write now I feel stubid...I was just a kid wasting her time writing.
It takes alot of effort to write a novel..now I'm just working on some short work of fiction and I can hardly find some time.
Keep on writing

[Led Zeppelin]

Ok encephalon, here's what I have so far, it's not much, but you can tell me how I can improve on it:

The rays of light penetrated the room through the lower-side of a window that wasn't covered by the heavy dark curtains. Ardashir slightly opened one of his eyes and saw the light gazing in through the window. It was the beginning of summer and the sun was shining with a tremendous force, at least, that was how Ardashir perceived it. Any other person would have liked the warm weather and bright sun, flora and fauna in general too enjoyed its presence, but Ardashir hated it, the sun made him feel weak and worn out. Before the day had started he already felt tired and sleepy again, but like the day before, and like the day after, he always woke up, because he felt like it was his duty to do so, he felt like he was doing the normal thing and therefore was normal. After cleaning his face and using the bathroom he sat on the couch and started eating his breakfast, now and then looking at the horrible sunlight piercing through the window. Luckily -he thought to himself- he didn't have to go outside today.

[encephalon]

The rays of light penetrated the room through the lower-side of a window that wasn't covered by the heavy dark curtains. Ardashir slightly opened one of his eyes and saw the light gazing in through the window. It was the beginning of summer and the sun was shining with a tremendous force, at least, that was how Ardashir perceived it. Any other person would have liked the warm weather and bright sun, flora and fauna in general too enjoyed its presence, but Ardashir hated it, the sun made him feel weak and worn out. Before the day had started he already felt tired and sleepy again, but like the day before, and like the day after, he always woke up, because he felt like it was his duty to do so, he felt like he was doing the normal thing and therefore was normal. After cleaning his face and using the bathroom he sat on the couch and started eating his breakfast, now and then looking at the horrible sunlight piercing through the window. Luckily -he thought to himself- he didn't have to go outside today.

Since this is in third person, I would suggest expressing all of that information in activity instead of simply describing it. Since it's the beginning, you could do this by starting in media res, which just means "in the middle of things." For instance, to show that he dislikes the weather so, have him conversing with someone about the matter. In third person, action is always better than exposition. Here's an example:
exposition:
Johnny loved the sex pistols. Every morning just before school, he would stop at the local record mart in the hopes of finding a rare album. He loved punk rock as a whole, but he had a special place in his heart ever since his mother killed herself. At least, that's what he told Sheila.

Action:

"I love the sex pistols!" Johnny said. He nodded at the album in her hands.

Sheila turned around. "OMFG, me too! I come here every morning looking for their albums!" A stray blue strand of hair curled around her left temple.

"Damn, so do I," Johnny said. "Really, though, I like punk rock as a whole. But ever since my mom died, I've had a thing for the sex pistols."

"How'd she die?" Sheila asked.

"Suicide," he said. Fooled another one, he thought.

................

The first version isn't as engaging as the second (actually, neither are too engaging, and the subject is rather.. inane.. but it's for mere illustration purposes). While both versions say essentially the same exact thing, the reader is drawn into the story much easier in the second version. Why? Because you aren't just telling them what happens.. they're seeing it. That's what I meant by action instead of exposition. Does that make any sense?

Keep in mind, though, that a different POV might not need the same things. A first person POV, for instance, can generally handle more exposition because it's usually a character in the story that is telling the story itself.

Also, and this has to do with the same vein, I'd start things in media res. Don't start with Ardashir waking up in the morning, at least not unless there's a very good reason to start there. Instead, start it in the middle of activity, and then lead back to how he got there. This usually allows you to reveal the main character's goals without just stating them.. which then sets the stage for the conflict(s) and resolution of the novel.

Any of that make an ounce of sense?

[Led Zeppelin]

Originally posted by encephalon
The first version isn't as engaging as the second (actually, neither are too engaging, and the subject is rather.. inane.. but it's for mere illustration purposes). While both versions say essentially the same exact thing, the reader is drawn into the story much easier in the second version. Why? Because you aren't just telling them what happens.. they're seeing it. That's what I meant by action instead of exposition. Does that make any sense?


Yeah, you're actually right, the second action version is a lot better and more engaging.

I'll try to do as much of that as possible.


Keep in mind, though, that a different POV might not need the same things. A first person POV, for instance, can generally handle more exposition because it's usually a character in the story that is telling the story itself.


Forgive me for my ignorance, but what is POV?


Also, and this has to do with the same vein, I'd start things in media res. Don't start with Ardashir waking up in the morning, at least not unless there's a very good reason to start there. Instead, start it in the middle of activity, and then lead back to how he got there. This usually allows you to reveal the main character's goals without just stating them.. which then sets the stage for the conflict(s) and resolution of the novel.


Hmmm, yeah, I guess you're right about this too. I decided to start with him waking up in the morning so that I would have the space to fill up the rest of his day in whatever way I liked, but of course I could've just started it with him being busy with an activity during the day, and then move back to the morning when he just got up.

What did you think of my wording of the text? Did you like the sentences? The use of words?

And what is the writing style called that Tolstoy used? I want to know because I'm basically using the same as his, at least, I hope I am. I could probably read up on it more if I know what it's called.


Any of that make an ounce of sense?

Yes!

And as for reading the first part of your book, check your PM's. :)

[More Fire for the People]

I’ve always wanted to write a naturalistic science fiction novel with political themes. It would be about the travels of starship from Earth to Epsilon Eridani and ultimately HD 28185.
Humans wouldn’t be too advanced. Artificial gravity via centrifuges resistant to acceleration (or something), “deep sleep technologies”, and nuclear photonic rockets would be the most advanced human technologies.

[encephalon]

Forgive me for my ignorance, but what is POV?

It's just an acronym for point of view. first person is "I did this...", 2nd is "you did that", 3rd is "he did something.."




What did you think of my wording of the text? Did you like the sentences? The use of words?


The only suggestion I'd have about it at this point is that you should use simpler sentences. The sentence "Any other person would have liked the warm weather and bright sun, flora and fauna in general too enjoyed its presence, but Ardashir hated it, the sun made him feel weak and worn out. Before the day had started he already felt tired and sleepy again, but like the day before, and like the day after, he always woke up, because he felt like it was his duty to do so, he felt like he was doing the normal thing and therefore was normal" is a run-on (two run-ons, actually), but even once you fix that you can probably make that into 4-5 easily comprehended sentences.


And what is the writing style called that Tolstoy used? I want to know because I'm basically using the same as his, at least, I hope I am. I could probably read up on it more if I know what it's called.

I believe Tolstoy was romanticism (not the same as the genre of the same name today). Unless you're reading it in russian, though, keep in mind that the translation messes up the style a little. You should probably keep in mind your audience, too, unless you're writing for yourself alone. People today don't have the same patience with literature that they did back then (at least for the same things), so heavily descriptive prose doesn't get read much anymore.. except for the greats, such as Tolstoy (or Dickenson, but frankly I can't stand him).

In short, writing styles have adapted to contemporary society like everything else. Nobody, for instance, writes like Chaucer anymore.. and there's a reason for that :)