So You Wanna Write A Book

Someone once asked me, "I want to write a book; how do I get started?"

Whether or not there is an answer to that question is a contradictory circumstance. I can discuss how one can get started, but at the same time, how the hell should I know? The aspiring writer could either have an idea as to what they want to write, or have no idea and still submit a request for guidance. If it's the latter, then the individual either is not a writer or not ready to write. I shouldn't have to help someone find a good idea to write about. If that were the case, I'd write it myself.

Strangely enough it is easy for me to give an aspiring writer an idea of how to begin, but an individual who wants to write a book needs to have the tools readily available, and I'm not just talking about the physical tools; a laptop (or typewriter, or paper and pen), I’m talking about the mental tools—they need to have a focal point; an idea where the story beings, or at least have a grasp of the tale’s plot. When one has serious notions about writing a book, one must have the ground work laid out.

First, consider your genre: What sort of story do you want to tell? Is it Romance, True Crime, Thriller, Horror, etc., etc…

Second, you should have an idea as to who your players are, and they all must have a specific “job” that is integral to the plot and/or moves the plot along. After all, that’s what characters do—they propel the protagonist, and antagonist, forward.

From there it all hinges on spending time with your subject matter and your characters. I’ve written a couple of posts regarding the importance of understanding who your characters are first and foremost (Using Your Characters To Write a Great Story / Developing Your Characters). If you don’t know who your characters are, if you don’t familiarize yourself with them, then it’s a guarantee your book won’t be successful.

You need to understand who is who and how they all fit together as a whole. I personally recommend spending time with your characters (in your head, of course) before you put pen to paper, so to speak, no matter how long that takes you, and that you have a solid handle on which character is being used for which purpose. Things change during the course of your writing; your first draft may change dramatically from the finished draft that you are ready to submit to publishing houses or self-publish, so it’s not as though you need to have your characters grounded and disallow them to budge, but by the time you’re moving things around or changing ideas, you should be well acquainted with the players.

I’ve also touched on the subject of writing what you know (Why You Should Write About What You Know). Basing a novel on a subject that you are familiar with can help you move through your ideas comfortably. If you do this it means one battle will already be won and in your favor. All that will be left is for you to A) Figure out the particulars of the story, and B) What role your characters play in it. That sounds easier said than done, and that’s because it is. Regardless of whether or not you’ve conquered the subject matter because it’s common knowledge to you, and you’ve grown so close to your characters that you send them Christmas cards, you still need to connect the dots. And in addition, you’re still going to need to research any information you’re not familiar with that fits into your story and is necessary.

And speaking of Research...It needs to be done. Research can be the difference between a successful novel and a devastating embarrassment. If you don’t have the wherewithal to research your subject matter, then forget about writing—you weren’t meant to do it. Writers take pride in their work, just like anybody else who loves what they do, and in the case of being a writer there’s the added concern that strangers from around the country, the world even, have access to reading your work if you choose to publish. If you don’t mind looking like an idiot, then by all means…publish drivel. I’d hate to encourage that, but the sad fact is this: There are many self-published authors who should not be, for all intents and purposes, published.

I guess the bottom line is figuring it out is not as simple as asking a writer who has traversed the playing field that is writing to help you collect your thoughts. A true writer will be capable of sussing out much of it all on their own—a true writer doesn’t need help getting started because a true writer will figure out where to begin. How can I tell you what you should write about?

 

 

 

So You Wanna Write A Book

Someone once asked me, "I want to write a book; how do I get started?"

Whether or not there is an answer to that question is a contradictory circumstance. I can discuss how one can get started, but at the same time, how the hell should I know? The aspiring writer could either have an idea as to what they want to write, or have no idea and still submit a request for guidance. If it's the latter, then the individual either is not a writer or not ready to write. I shouldn't have to help someone find a good idea to write about. If that were the case, I'd write it myself.

Strangely enough it is easy for me to give an aspiring writer an idea of how to begin, but an individual who wants to write a book needs to have the tools readily available, and I'm not just talking about the physical tools; a laptop (or typewriter, or paper and pen), I’m talking about the mental tools—they need to have a focal point; an idea where the story beings, or at least have a grasp of the tale’s plot. When one has serious notions about writing a book, one must have the ground work laid out.

First, consider your genre: What sort of story do you want to tell? Is it Romance, True Crime, Thriller, Horror, etc., etc…

Second, you should have an idea as to who your players are, and they all must have a specific “job” that is integral to the plot and/or moves the plot along. After all, that’s what characters do—they propel the protagonist, and antagonist, forward.

From there it all hinges on spending time with your subject matter and your characters. I’ve written a couple of posts regarding the importance of understanding who your characters are first and foremost (Using Your Characters To Write a Great Story / Developing Your Characters). If you don’t know who your characters are, if you don’t familiarize yourself with them, then it’s a guarantee your book won’t be successful.

You need to understand who is who and how they all fit together as a whole. I personally recommend spending time with your characters (in your head, of course) before you put pen to paper, so to speak, no matter how long that takes you, and that you have a solid handle on which character is being used for which purpose. Things change during the course of your writing; your first draft may change dramatically from the finished draft that you are ready to submit to publishing houses or self-publish, so it’s not as though you need to have your characters grounded and disallow them to budge, but by the time you’re moving things around or changing ideas, you should be well acquainted with the players.

I’ve also touched on the subject of writing what you know (Why You Should Write About What You Know). Basing a novel on a subject that you are familiar with can help you move through your ideas comfortably. If you do this it means one battle will already be won and in your favor. All that will be left is for you to A) Figure out the particulars of the story, and B) What role your characters play in it. That sounds easier said than done, and that’s because it is. Regardless of whether or not you’ve conquered the subject matter because it’s common knowledge to you, and you’ve grown so close to your characters that you send them Christmas cards, you still need to connect the dots. And in addition, you’re still going to need to research any information you’re not familiar with that fits into your story and is necessary.

And speaking of Research...It needs to be done. Research can be the difference between a successful novel and a devastating embarrassment. If you don’t have the wherewithal to research your subject matter, then forget about writing—you weren’t meant to do it. Writers take pride in their work, just like anybody else who loves what they do, and in the case of being a writer there’s the added concern that strangers from around the country, the world even, have access to reading your work if you choose to publish. If you don’t mind looking like an idiot, then by all means…publish drivel. I’d hate to encourage that, but the sad fact is this: There are many self-published authors who should not be, for all intents and purposes, published.

I guess the bottom line is figuring it out is not as simple as asking a writer who has traversed the playing field that is writing to help you collect your thoughts. A true writer will be capable of sussing out much of it all on their own—a true writer doesn’t need help getting started because a true writer will figure out where to begin. How can I tell you what you should write about?

 

 

 

The Importance of Networking

To those who are aspiring or new writers, or even writers who have been published traditionally or self-published for a while (they're out there), you must market yourself, and you cannot limit yourself to Twitter alone. Twitter can be a remarkable tool in terms of getting your work and your name out there, but you can't rely on Twitter alone! In fact, with Twitter, so many tweets go by at such an alarming rate that you have to consider (or wonder about) the reality of just how many people have noticed the information you tweeted about your book.
 
What you need to consider is the idea of using your head to both think and step outside the box. Believe it or not, most people rely on Twitter alone. You need to build websites, blog, maintain accounts under as many writing/reading sites as possible (i.e., goodreads, authonomy.com), and employ LinkedIn in order to make connections with other authors that may be of a higher caliber and in a position to help spotlight your novel in the event that they can appreciate your work. You need to contact local shops, small bookstores, and maybe even make appearances at flea markets or high-school bazaars in addition to setting up book signings at the conglomerate book stores.
 
As an example; having written about Billy the Kid, one of the avenues I'll be pursuing is to contact the museum out in Fort Sumner (the Kid's home), and find out if they have either A) ordered or intend to order my novel, or B) offer to send them my book to sell. In either respect, I will allow them to use any sales profits my book nets as a donation, as I intend to give back to the man, dead or not, who allowed me to follow my dream so enthusiastically.

In addition, I will be blogging for creative writing outlets such as The Examiner, which is a national blog that employs writers from all walks of life to discuss all sorts of topics. I plan to use this outlet to my benefit by discussing relevant topics such as politics and current affairs, as these sorts of publications are affective, effectively drawing the attention and being of interest to the population. I intend to build on my name in any way I am able, and I plan to do it while employing the highest standards of integrity.
 
The point here is that you really need to search the corners of your mind and push the limits of every imaginable resource in order to get the word out there. Word-of-mouth is such a powerful asset which can be considerably advantageous to your writing career.

 

The Importance of Networking

To those who are aspiring or new writers, or even writers who have been published traditionally or self-published for a while (they're out there), you must market yourself, and you cannot limit yourself to Twitter alone. Twitter can be a remarkable tool in terms of getting your work and your name out there, but you can't rely on Twitter alone! In fact, with Twitter, so many tweets go by at such an alarming rate that you have to consider (or wonder about) the reality of just how many people have noticed the information you tweeted about your book.
 
What you need to consider is the idea of using your head to both think and step outside the box. Believe it or not, most people rely on Twitter alone. You need to build websites, blog, maintain accounts under as many writing/reading sites as possible (i.e., goodreads, authonomy.com), and employ LinkedIn in order to make connections with other authors that may be of a higher caliber and in a position to help spotlight your novel in the event that they can appreciate your work. You need to contact local shops, small bookstores, and maybe even make appearances at flea markets or high-school bazaars in addition to setting up book signings at the conglomerate book stores.
 
As an example; having written about Billy the Kid, one of the avenues I'll be pursuing is to contact the museum out in Fort Sumner (the Kid's home), and find out if they have either A) ordered or intend to order my novel, or B) offer to send them my book to sell. In either respect, I will allow them to use any sales profits my book nets as a donation, as I intend to give back to the man, dead or not, who allowed me to follow my dream so enthusiastically.

In addition, I will be blogging for creative writing outlets such as The Examiner, which is a national blog that employs writers from all walks of life to discuss all sorts of topics. I plan to use this outlet to my benefit by discussing relevant topics such as politics and current affairs, as these sorts of publications are affective, effectively drawing the attention and being of interest to the population. I intend to build on my name in any way I am able, and I plan to do it while employing the highest standards of integrity.
 
The point here is that you really need to search the corners of your mind and push the limits of every imaginable resource in order to get the word out there. Word-of-mouth is such a powerful asset which can be considerably advantageous to your writing career.

 

A Little Bit About Dialogue And Dialogue Tags

Writing dialogue with the editing format in mind is important to your story/novel.

The reason for this is because it's one less thing to worry about when you submit to your publisher and the editor needs to get through it. If you do not punctuate dialogue properly it helps create longer delays and causes more work for your editor who, according to statistics, is extremely over-worked.

Dialogue is so very important. It allows your audience to connect with and learn to care about your characters. It can also transcend the pages and make a profound impression on the reader and, at the same time, allow your audience to understand what you are trying to achieve with your characters--how else will they decipher who your protagonist/antagonist is supposed to be? To that end, narrative is exceptionally important as well. Dialogue, and narratives, also allow the author to expand more. I've found that I had more to work with regarding what goes on between my characters because of dialogue and narratives rather than letting the conversation end, which would have been a detriment in allowing my readers get to know and understand the important personalities I was creating. You want to bring out as much as possible as far as your protagonist is concerned, as well as your supporting characters and antagonists so that your audience understands them. And certainly it allows the audience to associate with and appreciate your antagonist.

I've read excerpts of books written with almost zero dialogue, meaning, the story reads as a narrative--there is no feedback from the characters themselves, which, mind you, are very integral to the story. Having no or little dialogue between characters causes the reader to maintain an unemotional, unhealthy distance from the subjects in the story--subjects the readers are objectively supposed to decide to care about or dislike. Characters are essentially the literary lifeblood of your story, hooking your audience in. Having your readers relate to your character's plights, victories, downfalls, etc., etc, helps elicit feelings and sympathy from your audience. Your audience needs to understand what it is your characters suffer through. Otherwise, how good could your book really be? Readers want to relate--that's one of the general, essential necessities in making them feel they have read an exceptional story. If your audience can't connect, then why should they hold any interest in the plot or the players?

This, of course, applies mostly to fiction, but it can be used in historical novels as well--any story in which you want your readers to connect with and care about, as well as the characters enacting it within the pages.

If you are writing literature that involves plot, themes, and interaction between characters, use dialogue rather than simple narration to convey what each character is feeling, thinking, and/or doing. Make it obvious as to which characters POV you are describing, regardless if it is written in first person or second. Otherwise, it can not only become confusing, but rather boring.

I found a post on K.M. Weiland's (@KMWeiland) Facebook page that discusses this very problem:
How to Recognize and Fix a Weak Character Voice.

*K.M. Weiland writes historical and speculative fiction and mentors other writers through her website, books, CDs, and blogs.


Editing Dialogue

Here are only a few examples on how to correctly edit your dialogue.

Much of correct editing relies heavily on dialogue tags (as well a proper spelling and punctuation), i.e., "he said", "she said", "they said".
Dialogue tags are both found at the beginning and ending of a spoken sentence.

Example:
She asked, "Would you mind going to the store and picking up some milk?"

"She" is capitalized because "She" is placed at the beginning of the sentence. You'll note that a comma has been placed just after "asked" as "She asked" is a dialogue tag preceding the sentence.

Examples of dialogue tags capping the sentence:

     "Would you mind going to the store?" she asked.

"she" is lower case because this particular type of dialogue tag is still associated with the sentence, capping it off. And because it is a question, a "?" is used within the quotations as opposed to a comma.

Now, here is an example of two characters having a discussion together:

     "I need you to go to the store," she instructed.
     "Okay, I'll go in a minute." he remarked.

Placing a period after "minute" is okay because it is an imperative sentence at the end of the conversation. If the conversation goes on, then it would be a comma.

If you do not employ dialogue tags to end the sentence, you can use a period, and of course a question mark or exclamation point. i.e.,

"Okay, I'll go in a minute," he agreed. "If only I could find my car keys." ::no dialogue tag::


More Examples Of A Conversation Using Dialogue Tags:

"I need you to go to the store, " she instructed.
"Why didn't you tell me this before?" he wondered aloud.
"I did tell you before, you just didn't listen!" she exclaimed.
"You need to make sure you have my full, undivided attention," he admitted.
"Perhaps you are right. Next time I will see to it that you are paying attention," she agreed.

You can capitalize words like "she" & "he" to begin the next sentence after dialogue if the dialogue sentence ends in a period, question mark, or exclamation point, providing that the following sentence is beginning anew. i.e.:

"Will you please go to the store?" He understood that she was frustrated with him over this matter, and so he thought he ought to just go to the store and get it over with.

See how the "H" in "He" is capitalized as the dialogue sentence does not contain any tags.


Hyphens to indicate action during dialogue:

"I am planning to go to the store whether you like it or not,"--she flailed her arms about to let him know she was emphatic in her decision--"and there is nothing you an do to change my opinion or keep me from going!"


In the case where you are having a discussion among characters without dialogue tags, it should read like this.

Example:

     "I need you to go the store."
     She turned her face away from him, disgusted at the fact that he once again did not pay attention to her needs.

Note: There is a period at the end of the dialogue because it is an imperative sentence as opposed to part of a conversation. The "S" in "She" is capital as it is not part of a dialogue tag, but rather it begins a separate sentence. **Remember: In dialogue, a comma is only needed as the end of the sentence provided there is a dialogue tag indicating who had spoken the words.


Correct:

"Would you go to the store?" she asked politely.

Notice how "she" is lower case here. It is a dialogue tag so in essence, "she" belongs to the dialogue.

Incorrect:

"Would you go to the store?" She asked politely.

The "S" in "She" in the incorrect version has been wrongly capitalized. Again, only capitalize the words that close the dialogue.

To cap: Don't use capitals for dialogue tags. Only use capital letters for words that begin a new sentence that have nothing to do with the dialogue that had been spoken.


For more help:  Punctuation In Dialogue