The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing a Novel, 2nd Edition (Complete Idiot's Guides (Lifestyle Paperback))

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing a Novel, 2nd Edition (Complete Idiot's Guides (Lifestyle Paperback))

Language: English

Pages: 384

ISBN: 1615640339

Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub


A completely updated guide for first-time novelists.

Completely revised to include new interviews with best-selling authors; more detailed information on writing genre fiction from paranormal romance to cozy mysteries; and everything a writer needs to know about self-publishing and eBooks to get started. The Complete Idiot's Guide(r) to Writing a Novel, Second Edition, is an indispensable reference on how to write and publish a first novel.

•Expert author with over thirty published novels

•Includes interviews with new best-selling novelists •Features new material on writing genre fiction and self-publishing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WORDS OF WISDOM The profession of novel-writing makes horse-racing seem like a solid, stable business. —John Steinbeck You need to learn how to stretch the check across the chasm of many months where you will be earning nothing but gold stars for doing good work. Just be careful. And never say I didn’t warn you. Insurance As a self-employed novelist, you won’t have anyone (like your publisher, for instance) paying for your health insurance, life insurance, or any other kind of insurance.

so long I realized I burned out on it. I didn’t care about other people. I just built up this intensely narcissistic overdrive. I had to stop being involved in other peoples’ writing and that was it. I had to be involved in my own writing. That’s sort of a reflection of the blind, cool narcissism of the writing profession. We all are suffering from narcissistic personality disorder. I mean, the very act is somewhat arrogant. I mean, oh gosh, what I do is so important, you should make room for it

aspiring novelists really do need to know: where do you get your ideas? I’m not one hundred percent convinced that people who ask that question should be writers. Or if they want to be, maybe they should write something other than commercial fiction. I started with dozens of story ideas. I’ve written most of them, and constantly think of new ones. I’ll see a movie and think how much better it would have been if only … I read a newspaper headline and think what an interesting story that would

There’s a difference between having your characters pulling up for gas in Calamity, Nevada, and having them attend Knucklehead High. Sometimes it’s a thin line, but there is a difference. Recurring Scenes Sometimes you may come up with a setting that is so weird, so symbolic, you can use it for dramatic effect all on its own. In this instance, you can make a particularly unique setting more than just a location, but perhaps a powerful symbol. If you have a compelling setting, you can craft

themselves, flirting with repetitive scenes. This is the kind of mistake that causes readers to put down a book and “forget” to pick it back up again. Unsatisfying endings. Coming up with a good ending is one of the biggest challenges in modern storytelling because readers are getting very sophisticated. “They lived happily ever after” usually won’t cut it. An ending might not work for lots of reasons. A very common error is when the writer wraps up things too fast and too neatly. Another

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