Hi, and a few questions

Hi everybody,

First post here (I think, I've lurked here for a while, but not sure if I posted anything), and I just wanted to say hi to the writers out there.

I had a few questions regarding novel writing. I hope that you're able to answer them, or provide me with a link to a site that provides the answers

1. Do you need to use any special software to type up the novel? Or is Microsoft Word good enough? And if Word is okay, what's a decent size (in terms of pgs or word count), and which format type should I use (is Times New Roman okay or do I need to use something like Courier? And is is single space or double space)? And what is a good size for a beginner starting out a novel?

2. How many pgs/words a day is good progress? I'm currently a full time student, and I'm also in the National Guard (until June 2005, barring anything crazy happening. Long story in case you're wondering why I'm in the Army, lets just say "life experience" hehe, even though I joined right after graduating from high school). I can get about 4-5 pages before I either hit a block (despite having an outline, although there are enough fleshed out ideas, or I would still be outlining), or I have to stop to read the 12 books (yeah, all my classes seem book-heavy this semester :shrug ). So far I have about 30 pgs written in about 6 days, is that good progress (I have a feeling I'll have to shave off about 1/4th of that though when I rewrite). And how long does it take on average to write a novel for you (so I can have a little comparison). I've heard it can take up to a year to write the novel, so I'm going to take my time, but I would like to have a rough idea.

3. Can anyone recommend any good books that describe worlds and aliens? My book is currently sci-fi/fantasy (think Star Wars, but as the story progresses, it'll have a lot of fantasy twists in it. And no, it's not just a re-hash of Star Wars, although I'm hoping I can write a story that can rival them ). My story currently has many aliens in it, and I want to be able to describe them without turning it into a science book with too much exposition (in fact, there are no humans at all, even though the aliens will have human qualities to them). And on that topic, do sci-fi/fantasy novels do well at all (I have space ships, monsters, and magic in mine, and yes I have a backstory for all of it which will attempt to connect it all together).

And before you ask, I'm writing it because I've been having this urge to tell a good story. And so far in my fiction writing class, the short stories I've written were pretty well received by the students in the class, even though most of them weren't fantasy or sci-fi fans (I suspected they'd like it, cause I loved writing them). And nothing else has interested me this much, so I figure I should start doing it. Any help you can provide will be very appreciated :snoopy (I love the Snoopy icon hehe).

Hi Ivonia!

I'm sure you'll get a lot of people to answer your questions, but first I just wanted to give you a welcome to the board! (; You'll have a good time.

As far as software is concerned, I don't bother with anything special. I've got Microsoft Word, and I write in a font and size that's I like. Of course, I'll have to format everything later if I plan to send it off, but right now I'm just working off of my preferences. (There's a whole bunch of people who will jump in and give you proper formatting advice for a manuscript, so I'll pass the torch to them!)

Coming from someone in (sort of) your boat - I'm not army (which is excellent, congrats!), but I am a full-time student. In the summer I got to write a lot more than I do now. School started up again about two weeks ago, and unfortunately I haven't done any writing since. (I can't believe I just admitted that out loud!) Before, I was working about 2,000 words a day, which for me averaged about 5 pages and an hour and a half worth of work.

For me, that pace is working, and it sounds like it's just fine for you as well.

Good luck, stick around. (;

- Katie

PS - You might have more help on the suggested books by hopping over to the SciFi and Fantasy board.

Welcome, Ivonia!

1. Microsoft Word is perfectly fine. That's what I use. Your novel can go 1000 pages if you want, but most novels are between 50,000 to 120,000 words. You can write in any fonts and sizes you feel comfortable. But when you submit your ms, it should be formatted in Courier 12 pt, double space, with 1" margin on all sides.

2. There's no standards on how many words you should write a day -- the bottomline is, trying to write EVERY DAY. Some people can sit down and write for hours, 10,000 words a day. Some people would be lucky to get 500 words out. Some may have writer's block for days if not weeks... the thing is to find your own pace and keep writing.


3. I'm sure some sci-fi writers here can answer this question better that I can.

Hey Ivonia.

For the first question, I just posted an overview on novel formatting that I posted a few months ago on another site.

For the second, you're doing it and asking questions, and that's what matters most.

And for the third, though I haven't read it, Orson Scott Card has a highly recommended book called "Writing Science Fiction" or something like that. There's also another one on "Creating Alien Worlds." Do a search on Amazon for sci-fi writing, check the recommended reading lists, and see what you find.

And good luck!

Aliens, exposition

The rec.arts.sf.written FAQ has a list of only non-human novels.

Other sf novels with good aliens: Vernor Vinge's _Fire Upon the Deep_ and _A Deepness in the Sky_ (the second, if you have doubts about the aliens: wait for it). C.J. Cherryh's Chanur books. You can go to groups.google.com and search rec.arts.sf.written for past discussions on good or interesting aliens; it's a topic that comes up a lot.

You might also be interested in this Worldcon panel on exposition.

Happy writing.

novel

Word is what the vast majority of writers, editors and agents use, but any good word processor will do. It's best to use Courier 12 when submitting a manuscript. Double space everything. No exceptions. The average novel is 100,000 words, but you need to check guidelines to see what a particular publisher wants for a particular kind of novel. The important thing isn't how many pages/words you write per day; the important thing is that you make time to write everyday. Set aside time each and every day, and just get as much done as you can during that time.

It can take several years to write a novel. Or it can take two weeks. "Sister Carrie" was written if fourteen days. "I, the Jury" was written in nine days. Many a novel has been written in a month or less. I wrote my first novel in three weeks. It just depends on the writer, the novel, and the circumstances.

As for books, I'd highly recommend "Aliens and Alien Societies" by Stanley Schmidt. He's the editor os "Analog," one of the top SF magazines, and this book is one is the Science Fiction Writing Series.

As for how well science fantasy does, it really depends on how well the book is written. If a book is good, it does well, regardless of genre.