Is anyone writing/or has written a book?
Hi,
It's been an ambition of mine for ages now to write a book - my particular choice is fiction.
However, where and how do you start?
I've got a beginning, an end, several twists and the main characters worked out. But on what equipment should you start? i.e. do you write on a piece of software like Y-Writer to structure your book and sort out scenes with their characters etc. or do you just write in MS Word?
Or do you write by hand?
And then do you write in the 1st or 3rd person? Do you write through the eyes of your main character or through the eyes of someone observing him/her?
I guess it's all down to individual author tastes, but I'd be very interested to hear the methods of existing and new authors out there please?
It's been an ambition of mine for ages now to write a book - my particular choice is fiction.
However, where and how do you start?
I've got a beginning, an end, several twists and the main characters worked out. But on what equipment should you start? i.e. do you write on a piece of software like Y-Writer to structure your book and sort out scenes with their characters etc. or do you just write in MS Word?
Or do you write by hand?
And then do you write in the 1st or 3rd person? Do you write through the eyes of your main character or through the eyes of someone observing him/her?
I guess it's all down to individual author tastes, but I'd be very interested to hear the methods of existing and new authors out there please?
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Comments
Many years ago I began to write down my own experiences of life - like a daily diary, for my own amusement. I wrote it in the first person. Some advised me to get it published so i went down the road of finding out how. Apparently is has to be typed with double spaces between the lines - to enable the publisher's reader to make comments. Also good margins either side for the same reason. You can buy a book that tells you how to set out your writing and how to approach a publisher. But Amazon do a free publishing section that might interest you.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/seller-acco...opic=200260520
So far I have done nothing and somehow doubt I ever will.
One thing though - do not write it in the present tense. I find I just can't read books like that, the words don't flow properly.
I really wanted to read one book, I think it was Hilary Mantel's, but I had a look at it, and it was written in the present tense.
I don't know why there's a fashion for this nonsensical style, but for me at least it doesn't work.
All I need is a publisher what will like it.
You might get some pertinent advice on this forum:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/forum/meet%20our%20authors
or
https://www.goodreads.com
That's what my book what I wrote is about! >:(
OP, you have to decide yourself if you write longhand with a pen, or into a word
processor. I can't write other than on paper with a pen. It has advantages as you can leave a few spaces when you can not complete a simile and decide to leave it till later, and other things.
It needs experience I am afraid, so that you learn about how much plot will take up how many words. The first time I tried I mapped out a plot and used the whole lot up in about 20,000 words (say 40-50 pages).
It takes a very long time, so it is crucial that you choose a thing that will keep you interested for long enough.
You need situations and locations about which there is plenty to write.
The last thing I will say is that you will find that you repeat yourself, saying the same word several times on a page. You must get out of that habit.
I could go on a lot like that, but that is quite enough for the moment. Get some paper and get going. You can only learn by doing it, and it is great. Oh yes, once you start you will need a notebook to keep with you all the time to write down things you suddenly think of. Things of which you suddenly think. Also, never use the word suddenly. Hope this helps.
I'm sure yours is better than mine was
Books thrive on characters with plots designed to serve them. Give the reader a good reason to follow this character, to want to stay with them through this story. Look into how to structure a good story, look at how to actually write (avoiding the abuse of adverbs etc) and investigate basic principles like the rule of three.
I find MS Word is simply too bloated for my needs.
"I'm sure yours is better than what mine was".
If your going to rite a book you better know stuff like that.
First drafts are always awful.
I would have thought that a recent Word format would be the most obvious choice, although I really can't see why any publisher would insist on double spacing. That is an archaic leftover from the days when all manuscripts were both written and proof-read manually.
Any proofreader comments will probably made using Word's own Mark-Up tools, although whenever I have received a document containing all those coloured lines it gives me a headache and confuses me so much that I have to copy the entire document and paste it into a brand new one as unformatted text. I'm sure there's somebody somewhere who understands it
I always make a few preliminary notes (families trees, rough plot outline) on paper before I begin, but once I start typing I know the work and the characters will evolve and the plot will change, so I don't worry too much about writing a 'bible'.
For me personally, it's about finding a character's voice. Once I get to 'know' them, telling their story comes easily. If you're writing something like The Night Watch, which took a lot of structuring, you will have a different way of developing your work.
Worrying about editing and lay-out once you've got a first draft. And be prepared to do lots of re-writing and proof reading.
https://www.writersandartists.co.uk
And this free course (the OU has levels of courses)
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/start-writing-fiction
To get a publisher you should approach an agent for most publishing houses and if you want to self publish then there are lots of resources listed in Writers and Artists. What I strongly suggest as a creative writing gradute, published poet and self published author with about twenty years design experience in a leading UK publishing house - be as professional as you can including the cover design. Know your talents and commission experienced designers, illustrators, copyeditors for the bits you don't.
I write in Word because that's what I have. I like it because I can copy and paste bits if I need to. The most recent thing I've written takes place over about 2-3 years and involves births and birthdays as important features so I've done a very basic Excel sheet which is a timeline so I can plot when/where things are happening so I don't get confused.
In terms of how I write, I've done 1st person and 3rd person, but I tend to stick to one character's viewpoint when I write 3rd person, even if that focaliser changes during a story. I've got 4 or 5 focalisers in my current project so whenever it's their 'turn' we only see things from their perspective. It's sort of the best of 1st and 3rd, as I know I'm not great at capturing a 'voice' for 1st person. In terms of past or present, I've only ever written in the past tense and I think present tense only truly works for 1st person anyway.
Strangely, the project I'm working on at the moment, I've not actually written chronologically. I started with an episode in the very middle of the story and have then filled in either side of it. It's actually helped to keep me interested as I've bounced around quite merrily from place to place in the story. I have no idea if it's a good thing - will have to see when I've finished it and go through to edit it.
Some of the contributors are published writers themselves.
Here's the link -
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1786475&page=9
In my honest opinion, how vivid a story is to the author determines whether it's in first or third person or a combination of both. It might be the story itself dictates the necessity of one over the other.
The style of prose is another consideration. Is your work to be considered a literary or non literary piece? Have you identified the voice of the protagonist as some have already suggested?
If you dismiss this or any other comment in this thread, please don't make the mistake of ignoring Eluf38's advice. For her work is of the very highest quality.