Ever thought about writing a novel?

[Connemara]

I want to write a monograph someday.

 

[whodini]

Originally Posted by fredfred

Write one page a day for 1 year, and you have 365 pages. And it's certainly possible to write more than one page a day. Spend two hours a day for two weeks and see how much progress you've made.

Yeah, I think the important part is to break it up into smaller jobs than seeing it as one large task. A professor in college got be into keeping a journal, which has been useful for many reasons, and I've had to buy several to keep up with blank pages. It's amazing just how much you can put down at times without even really trying.

Now I just keep a blog that I've considered turning into a book once it has progressed enough.

 

[fredfred]

Sit Down Session #1: What is the story you are going to write? Step by step, in it's very basic chunks. (2-3 hours) For Wizard of Oz, something like: "Hmmm... ok, well... let's see. I want to write a story about a girl who goes on a trip to some magical fantasy land. There'll be choices and/or fights between good and evil and she'll meet some interesting people along the way. In the end the girl finds out her family and love are really important." She'll start at home... and maybe the whole thing is a dream to her. (Chapter 1) She'll enter the magical world and blink her eyes a few times and get an opening read on the lay of the land (Chapter 2) She'll be introduced to the main characters that move the plot. (Chapter 3) She'll learn her mission (Chapter 4) She'll start off on her mission and, very scared, set off on her trip (Chapter 5) She meets intereresting characters A,B,C,D (Chapters 6-9) Intercepted/challenged by evil (10) etc... At the end of the 2-3 hours I have my general game plan/outline of the chapters I'm going to write. Session 2 & 3 (2 hours each) Character Development Now that you know your chapters and what characters are needed in each one, spend some time thinking about each character, starting with the most important. Write out a "character sheet" for each one, describing their attributes and background. What do they look like? How do they act? Feel? Think? Thinking about that will give you an understanding of their personality. This also tells you what they would say in given situations - and how they would say it. That will tell you the exact words they'd use to say a sentence - which helps your dialogue writing. If you have a good understanding of the characters, much of the writing "writes itself" - as you can see in your mind's eye what they would say and do. Sessions 4, 5, 6.. (2 hours each) Start with chapter 1, and keep going. One chapter per session - or maybe half or 1/4 a chapter per session. It depends on quite a few factors. But you just keep progressing, dedicating a chunk of every day you can, following your outline of chapters. That's about it. You'l probably write yourself into a corner at some point - meaning your thought you were going to have the plot proceed one way, but it turns out you can't because a character wouldn't do that... or 4 chapters earlier that guy got killed off, or whatever. But maybe you won't. Who knows. Then re-write, abuse your friends and ask for editting and critiquing, and you have your book. It honestly isn't any harder (or easier) than the above.

 

[AR_Six]

In an odd twist from social convention, my mother is constantly hounding me to take time off and write a novel, but I tell her I am far too busy with law school.

 

[DocHolliday]

My attempts at fiction have been too dense, too self-conscious. Seems great when I'm writing it, horrible after the fact.

Maybe I'll write a novel about a guy who writes a novel and then is embarrassed by the novel. I'll call it "Great American Novel."

 

[Joffrey]

I want to write a treatment to a film (5-10pages) about a hitman that has to tail a woman. Unfortunately, he falls in love with her as he tails her from a distance and reports her movements to his mysterious client. He learns his client wants her dead. There is also the mysterious African man who his client hired to guide the hitman around this city he is a complete outsider to. He meets the woman once by accident while observing her in a sexy, smoky bar. They speak briefly. Things get a bit complicated. The story takes place in Buenos Aires.

Barriers to writing:
1. I know nothing of B.A.
2. The summary above sounds way more interesting than what I believe I'm capable of writing. Especially dialogue which I imagine it will be short on but what it will have will have to count.

 

[redcaimen]

I have always wanted to write a novel about a thalydomide victim. One who challenges himself as a long distance swimmer in one grueling act of personal affirmation as his life nears its end. The novel would be like Hemingways The Old Man and the sea or maybe more like A Farewell To Arms.

 

[Don Carlos]

Sorry, I know it's a serious topic, but I couldn't resist.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/42253/family-guy-brians-novel

 

[tagutcow]

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

My attempts at fiction have been too dense, too self-conscious. Seems great when I'm writing it, horrible after the fact.

Maybe I'll write a novel about a guy who writes a novel and then is embarrassed by the novel. I'll call it "Great American Novel."

If the novel the guy in the novel writes is also called "Great American Novel", it will be all po-mo and **** and blow people's minds.

 

[tagutcow]

Originally Posted by Jodum5

I want to write a treatment to a film (5-10pages) about a hitman that has to tail a woman. Unfortunately, he falls in love with her as he tails her from a distance and reports her movements to his mysterious client.

Hmmm... you might want to watch "The Conversation", is it has some passing similarities to what you described.

 

[rdawson808]

I often think of it when I see what crap people read. Bestsellers even. Surely I could write a compelling mystery novel that would sell enough to make me a fair amount of money.

I'll never be Hemingway. But maybe I can be Dan Brown.

b

 

[crazyquik]

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

My attempts at fiction have been too dense, too self-conscious. Seems great when I'm writing it, horrible after the fact.

Maybe I'll write a novel about a guy who writes a novel and then is embarrassed by the novel. I'll call it "Great American Novel."

This sounds more like a short story. It reminds me of Kafka. Well, the one Kafka story I read.

 

[tagutcow]

The "outline a story, fill in the blanks" strategy doesn't seem quite feasible to me, but perhaps it's because I can't help but believe that if a story is nothing more than made-up people inhabiting a made-up world, the artifice of the whole endeavour will shine through. For me at least, a story should be propelled to some sort of moral/philosophical conclusion, and the form of the story should grow organically out of it.

It's easy to make stuff up, but the greater feat is making it real to the reader. I tend to think the moral/philosophical point makes the characters believable, rather than the other way around.

 

[JustinW]

Fiction is incredibly hard to sell to publishers. If publishing is your goal, work up to it by selling a few journal articles, publishing short stories and maybe non-fiction first. Do it for the love and not the money - or you will be disappointed.

I have written some alternate history and historical novels. Only one accepted by a publisher so far - contract signed, advance banked, though he has yet to actually print it.

 

[Casey]

Originally Posted by whodini

Now I just keep a blog that I've considered turning into a book once it has progressed enough.

I find it somewhat ironic how I chronicle my everyday life into a blog yet I'm planning my vacation into a small notebook. I've hand drawn maps and written my itinerary in there with blank spaces in case I need to add stuff in. I could have easily printed out a map from google and typed up an itinerary with no blank pages. When I write, I rarely ever go back and fix things. I find that it ruins the flow... it's hard to explain.