If you were teaching someone else how to write a novel, what is the single most important piece of advice you would give them? Why?
Do you follow this advice yourself? Why or why not?
Do you follow this advice yourself? Why or why not?
Important Advice
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I think this piece of advice is the most repeated of all "Writing Tips" out there. It's a simple concept, but one that many new writers either do not know or do not understand. Once it is grasped, the quality of writing nearly always goes up.
In a novel it's especially important, because of its size and scope. I try to follow it, but of course there are times when you've got to "tell" instead of "show", to be practical.
I think this piece of advice is the most repeated of all "Writing Tips" out there. It's a simple concept, but one that many new writers either do not know or do not understand. Once it is grasped, the quality of writing nearly always goes up.
In a novel it's especially important, because of its size and scope. I try to follow it, but of course there are times when you've got to "tell" instead of "show", to be practical.
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Give yourself permission to write badly: http://www.sff.net/people/yog/permission.pdf It's the best stress-reducer I've found.
I am a faithful follower.
I am a faithful follower.
Read. A lot. In a lot of genres.
Why? Trying to write a novel when you don't read is like trying to build a piece of Ikea furniture without instructions. It probably won't end well.
I struggle to follow my own advice, but I've gotten much better at it. I own more books than I could read in two years, fiction and nonfiction, and my plan to learn my osmosis isn't working (*grin*), so that leaves reading. Writing is all about words, and I truly believe we need to immerse ourselves in how other people use words in order to reach our own best potential.
Why? Trying to write a novel when you don't read is like trying to build a piece of Ikea furniture without instructions. It probably won't end well.
I struggle to follow my own advice, but I've gotten much better at it. I own more books than I could read in two years, fiction and nonfiction, and my plan to learn my osmosis isn't working (*grin*), so that leaves reading. Writing is all about words, and I truly believe we need to immerse ourselves in how other people use words in order to reach our own best potential.
I'd tell them to write. If one writes and writes and writes, one gets better, one produces. The rest will follow. Just write.
Seems like folks shouldn't need to be told this, but my experience is that many, many folks hamstring themselves simply by not writing, or by not writing enough. Projects that start and never finish. Projects they don't put another edit on. Not choosing one of those ideas swimming in the noggin and putting words on the page. One cannot edit a blank page, so fill those pages...write. Editing is also writing. Write.
Seems like folks shouldn't need to be told this, but my experience is that many, many folks hamstring themselves simply by not writing, or by not writing enough. Projects that start and never finish. Projects they don't put another edit on. Not choosing one of those ideas swimming in the noggin and putting words on the page. One cannot edit a blank page, so fill those pages...write. Editing is also writing. Write.
I would tell them not to listen to me. Ever. Why? Because I'm unpublished, inexperienced and don't really have a grasp on market trends at any given moment.
I would direct them here, and to read not only the fiction but the how-to-write-fiction books by successful authors whose style they admire.
I would also plug the following books:
"The Lie that Tells a Truth" John Dufresne (and other books by him)
"From Where you Dream" Robert Olen Butler (and his short stories. I find that to be Butler's strength).
I would direct them here, and to read not only the fiction but the how-to-write-fiction books by successful authors whose style they admire.
I would also plug the following books:
"The Lie that Tells a Truth" John Dufresne (and other books by him)
"From Where you Dream" Robert Olen Butler (and his short stories. I find that to be Butler's strength).
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Aside from the advice to read and write, I would say, don't treat a novel like a long short story. They are two different things. Treat them differently.
It just seems lots of short story writers, when setting out to write a novel for the first time, seem to think all they have to do is take a short story concept and lengthen it; so of course they end up stalling out and wondering what went wrong. It's apples and oranges. Both fruit (a type of writing), but not the same thing.
Of course I follow this advice; I wouldn't be able to write novels otherwise. I find I have trouble with short stories since I seem to naturally prefer longer works, and the two are different.
It just seems lots of short story writers, when setting out to write a novel for the first time, seem to think all they have to do is take a short story concept and lengthen it; so of course they end up stalling out and wondering what went wrong. It's apples and oranges. Both fruit (a type of writing), but not the same thing.
Of course I follow this advice; I wouldn't be able to write novels otherwise. I find I have trouble with short stories since I seem to naturally prefer longer works, and the two are different.
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Learn.
I don't care how. Whether by reading a lot, writing a lot, going to workshops, taking a class, having a mentor, studying books, getting critiques, etc. etc. And it doesn't matter if you're a newbie or a seasoned writer -- we can ALWAYS learn and improve. We MUST learn.
I don't care how. Whether by reading a lot, writing a lot, going to workshops, taking a class, having a mentor, studying books, getting critiques, etc. etc. And it doesn't matter if you're a newbie or a seasoned writer -- we can ALWAYS learn and improve. We MUST learn.
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Me too. Put words to page, one after another, without worrying about rules, quality, or originality.
Nicole
This will be no mystery--develop the self-motivation and discipline to become a finisher. If one is writing for a purpose (either to publish or for personal/familial satisfaction), all of the rest of the advice is useless unless one's projects are finished.
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Seconding this one. Make it an action on your schedule. I have a friend who keeps talking about writing a novel, and he's been talking about for three years. But he hasnt' done any writing. The book's not going to happen with out the writing part.
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If it scares you, bothers you, hurts your feelings, offends you, makes you mad, makes you cry, fills your heart with emotional helium that lifts you three feet off the ground...WRITE IT DOWN!
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I wish someone had told me years ago to keep some sort of analytical journal of all the fiction I read. But I guess the specific advice I would give is, find an ending you are so excited about that you will be eager to write your way to it. Also, conflict is supposed to be fun to write, if it repulses you you either have the wrong perspective or have chosen the wrong type of conflict.
Don't wait for the muse. Write even when you don't want to, and keep that wordcount ticking over. It's the only way to get through a long project like a novel.
Even your worst writing is a million times better than no writing.
Even your worst writing is a million times better than no writing.
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Your words and story/stories are not sacred. The sooner you get over your own greatness (or failure) as a writer, the sooner you can improve your writing. Just because you wrote a 'great' story does not mean that it can't be better... nor does it mean that it's any good, actually.
You NEED editing-- really. You do. All writers do. Some need much more than others. The sooner you pull your head out of your tailfeathers and realize that you, too, need editing just as any other author, the better author you will be. You will begin to see your own failings as a writer, and you will be able to work with agents and editors on the path to publication.
No writer is so good that they couldn't get better. And this is MOST true for a new writer who's finished their first novel-length work. You can't learn to be better if you don't first realize that you have room for improvement.
You NEED editing-- really. You do. All writers do. Some need much more than others. The sooner you pull your head out of your tailfeathers and realize that you, too, need editing just as any other author, the better author you will be. You will begin to see your own failings as a writer, and you will be able to work with agents and editors on the path to publication.
No writer is so good that they couldn't get better. And this is MOST true for a new writer who's finished their first novel-length work. You can't learn to be better if you don't first realize that you have room for improvement.
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