Well I'm interested in arts and craft I'm into drawing but I think four years ago I become also interested in novels that I've tried to write and post in a free novel site but afterwards I decided to cancel my incomplete work this year and erase the data of the story chapters I worked at as I start to find it that it was half-ass work a story written just because I want to write something because of my whimsical attitude that changes the story or sometimes
And now I'm researching for materials and ideas for my story / stories that I will write; also I'm reading some novels to get some idea to what to do and I'm doing some study on novel or story on how to write them, to make an interesting story. so I guess it will take sometime as I started so late and I have a lot of hobbies and things to do.
How to Write A Novel:
Step 1) Realize that publishing is a tough business. There are millions of books out there; countless more are published every year.
The vast majority of these novels never sell more than a handful of copies.
The odds of your novel becoming a bestseller aren’t much better than winning the lottery.
Step 2) Accept Step 1 and decide that you’re crazy enough to go for it anyway. After all, some
people have made it, so why not you? Odds are, if you’re still here,
you will write your novel because you have to; to most writers, writing
is as essential as eating or breathing.
Step 3) Find your inner voice. Find the story that inspires
you. Find the characters you believe in. Find the book you must share
with the world.
Step 4) Read more writing tips and study the craft.
Step 5) Find a good place to write. I have a small, quiet office upstairs with nothing but a desk, a plant, and a laptop.
Step 6) When your novel is written, revise it. Polish the
writing, rethink characters, cut out boring scenes, write new ones,
rewrite where necessary.
I repeat this step several times. For me, Step 6 is much more work than
Step 5. For an hour I spend writing, I can spend a day revising.
Step 7) Publish your novel. Some writers still submit their
work to traditional publishers; most now upload their novels directly to
the ebook stores.
Step 8) Start writing your second book!
Characterization:
Great characters are larger than life
Great characters are
exaggerated. They do things we never would in the real world. They
are over the top. By exaggerating their traits, you’ll let them leap
from the pages and become real.
Is your character tall? Don’t
just make him stand 6’1”. Turn him into a 7 footer. Wow, now that is
interesting. How did he deal with life, being a giant? When did he
begin growing so tall? We all loved Andre the Giant in The Princess Bride, after all.
Does
you other character suffer from anger? Don’t just have him scowl all
the time. Let him trash his room in rage. Consider the character of
Esteban in The House of The Spirits, whose temper became legendary.
Consider the TV show Lost. Audiences love Sawyer
because he’s not just a scoundrel… his behavior is so scandalous, he
draws our interest every episode. Hurley became popular because, with
his size, unlikely hair, and distinctive way of speaking, he was unlike
anybody we’ve seen. On Lost, characters stood out. The characters who did not were written out of the show.
You know what? This isn’t true of fiction alone. Think of
characters in the real world. Richard Simmons, Michael Jackson, Howard
Stern... celebrities know that to stand out, to grab our attention,
they must be outrageous. We might dislike them, but we notice them.
They know what we writers should know when creating characters.
Let characters in your stories get noticed. Make them larger than life.
Great characters are complex
Don’t
think, based on the above, that characters can be one-note beings.
It’s not enough to have “the giant”, “the scoundrel”, or “the funny
one”. Your characters need to have the complexities of a real person.
That means a history, motives, dreams, fears, loves, interests, and
desires.
When creating characters, I like to brainstorm with a
big piece of paper (or text document). I often start with a physical
description.
Eyes. What color are they, what shape? What
emotion lives within these eyes, and what do they say about the soul
that hides behind them? Eyes are the windows to the soul. What do your
character’s eyes say about her?
What color is your character’s
hair? What style is it, and why does your character wear his hair this
way? Is it long, matted, and dirty from tribulation? Is it always
neat, and never goes for three weeks without a haircut? If the hair is
shaggy, why is it shaggy? If it’s meticulous, why?
How tall is
the character? How much does he or she weigh? Does this person carry
any scars, tattoos, piercings? What is the story behind them? How does
your character dress?
How has your character’s physical
appearance affected his personality, and vice versa? How does it affect
the way others treat her?
Lots of questions. But they’re worth
answering. If nothing else, answering these questions will let you
brainstorm about your character. Maybe you’ll learn new things about
him.
When I create characters, I like to carry an image of them
in my mind. I might not include all this information in the story, but
it helps me know the character. And when I know the characters, I know
how to write them.
Let’s ask some more questions.
Think
about how your character expresses himself. Is his voice loud and
confident, or shy and quiet? Does he have any catch phrases? What is
his body language like?
Do your characters have any physical
habits? One of my own characters bites her lip when nervous. She also
shrugs only one shoulder. Does your character bite his nails, tap his
finger, or scratch his chin often?
Describe your characters’
background. Where do they come from and what have they done in life?
How does this affect the way they’ll act in the future? What are their
goals?
What do they like and dislike? When I create characters, I write about
how they think, what they want, what they fear. Does the character have
any quirks? What is the character’s favourite food? Favourite music?
Write about how they think about the other characters in the story. If
they love another character--why? If they hate another character--why?
How will this affect the relationships between them? How will they
reveal their feelings? Will they act upon or hide them?
By now,
we’ve collected an impressive list of questions about our character.
Maybe you’ll have questions of your own. By answering them, we’ll
slowly come to understand this person we’re creating.
Heroes and villains
Let’s
face it, perfect heroes are boring. If a character is always
altruistic, righteous, and infallible, we lose interest (or worse, get
annoyed with him). We might admire the character, but he’ll make us
yawn. Enter the flawed hero, and he’ll steal our interest right away.
Flawed heroes, even outright anti-heroes, are more interesting. On the TV show House,
we might hate the main character, but if he were always perfectly moral
and polite, we wouldn’t watch the show. Why would we? He wouldn’t be
interesting.
I try to give my own heroes flaws. Sometimes their
flaws get them in trouble. Sometimes their flaws make them less
admirable. But it always makes them more human and more interesting.
Even a minor flaw—a penchant for gambling, a tendency to interrupt
others, horrible taste in music—helps.
Think about the real world. Almost all people, even the best ones, are flawed.
While
you’re creating flawed heroes, you needn't make your villains evil
incarnate. In the real world, the worst people still have people they
love, and people who love them. They still have a tender side they
reveal to their closest companions. Your villain doesn’t have to be a
cackling maniac who kicks puppies every day after tea. He might be an
evil overlord, but he can still love his shih-tzu.
And guess what: Your villain probably doesn’t even know he’s the villain. He thinks he’s the good guy.
Yeah,
I know that Sauron was an evil overlord with no redeeming qualities
whatsoever, but that was then, and this is now. Evil overlords have
been done to death since Tolkien. Even Darth Vader turned out to have a
good side. When I create villains, I don’t want them to be completely
heartless. I try to humanize them by revealing their fears, haunting
past, and even their tender side.
Let your characters direct the plot
We now come to what is, perhaps, the most important point.
Once you really know the characters, let them write the story.
Place the characters into the setting of the story, and let them direct
the flow. Remember this: Great characters drive the plot. Not the
other way around.
Creating a great plot, then forcing your
characters into it, is the wrong approach. The characters should be the
true driving force behind the story. Base the plot on their motives,
their emotions, their desires and hatreds and loves. The plot happens
because the heroes and villains direct it. It is a poor plot which
exists for its own sake, with the characters simply tagging along.
When writing, it’s good to know the general storyline. But let your characters direct the flow.
Character Development
In a good story (be it a novel or screenplay), your main character
should change over time. At the end of your story, the main character
should be different than at the start. There are many ways that a
character can grow and develop. Let's look at some classic types.
Quick caveat: I'll be bringing examples from popular books and movies, so if you're worried about spoilers, be careful.
Fall into Evil
In some stories, a character begins as a "good guy" and gradually
becomes a "bad guy", until at the end, s/he has completely transformed
into a villain. These stories are usually tragedies.
Consider The Godfather. In this novel (and film), Michael begins
as a war hero who wants nothing to do with the family business.
Gradually, we watch him lose his morals. He mistreats Kay, becomes
involved in the family wars, and by the end has become more ruthless
than his father. The Godfather is about the moral fall of Michael.
There are many other examples, from MacBeth to the Star Wars prequels.
Redemption
An opposite case is when a character begins as a "bad guy" and becomes
"good". The original Star Wars movies follow this format; Darth Vader
goes from being pure evil to finding his lost goodness.
Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner is another example. We don't
like Amir very much at first. He does some horrible things, is haunted
by them, and eventually must redeem himself.
In other cases, the character doesn't begin as being a true villain, but
is flawed in some way, and in the course of the story, learns to
overcome those flaws. You can even see this in the first Ninja Turtles
movie; the turtles learn to overcome their anger and work as a team.
(Don't you love it when a writing guide brings you examples from both Shakespeare and the Ninja Turtles?)
Coming of Age
"Coming of Age" stories are often about finding inner strength. Examples abound, from Karate Kid to Judith Guest's Ordinary People. At the end of such a story, the character is stronger, wiser, and more ready to deal with the world.
There are, of course, many other types of character development. They
all have one thing in common. The plot causes the change. The
character changes as a direct result of the story's conflict, and the
story becomes about the change.
Plotting
Outlining:
Method 1: The Detailed Outline
I used this method for my fantasy novel Firefly Island.
In the Detailed Outline, I will outline every scene in great detail.
This outline might be fifty or more pages long, all outline, no actual
writing.
Before writing a single word of manuscript, every scene will be planned.
I’ll have a good idea of how the pacing will work. I’ll know where
every plot event occurs.
The outline will be a complete blueprint.
For Firefly Island, my outline was so detailed, it contained the important lines of dialogue.
For some chapters, it even detailed every paragraph!
An example would look like:
Paragraph 14: Describe the ogre’s cottage. Broken roof. Vines. Lizards run across the ground and the sky is cloudy.
Paragraph 15: Aeolia enters the cottage. Rotting furniture, dank smell. Aeolia thinks about her brother.
This is similar to the way moviemakers will create storyboards before shooting any scene.
The point of this method is: Before actually writing anything, I’ll know exactly how this novel will look.
When it comes to the writing stage, since I already know the entire story, I don’t have to write chronologically.
I can decide one day to write scene 3 in chapter 8, and the next day go back and write scene 2 in chapter 3.
The outline will be so detailed, that I’ll write my copy right into the
outline--in the same document. Thus, the outline will grow fatter and
fatter, scenes coming into more and more detail, until one day it’s no
longer an outline. It’s a manuscript.
This is the same method I
use when painting. First I paint a rough sketch on the paper. Then
I’ll fill in the basic tones. Then I’ll add another layer of color.
Then I’ll add a layer of detail. With every layer, the painting comes
into life. Same with the Detailed Outline. At first my document is a
sketch. With every layer it grows and grows, until it turns into a
novel.
Method 2: The Brief Outline
With this method,
I’ll plan the basic plot, but not every scene or chapter. This outline
is only about five pages long. It describes the characters, the
conflict, the overall storyline, and that’s it. It provides just enough
detail so that I’ll know where the story should head.
Once I
have the Brief Outline, I’ll write my novel in chronological order, from
the first word to last. While I’m writing, I’ll keep the Brief Outline
in mind. Because I’m not bound to a detailed structure, I’ll be free
to explore possibilities while I write. I’ll just let the words flow.
I’ll make sure the story is moving in the general direction I outlined,
but have fun and discover things on the way.
The great thing
about this method is that it lets you find the natural pace and flow of
your story. You’re not constricted by a rigid outline.
When I
finish writing a manuscript this way, I might find many pages that lack
structure. Some scenes might be too long, others too short, some too
slow, others fast paced. Perhaps I spent fifty pages with a single
character, completely ignoring the other characters and their subplots.
Some chapters might end at the wrong moment, without a cliffhanger.
There was no thought put into a flow that would be exciting for the
reader.
I’ll take this pile of pages and cut and paste and reorganize.
I plan the structure of the manuscript after I had already
written it. I’ll break long scenes into shorter scenes, cutting them at
the exciting moments for cliffhangers. I’ll move scenes from here to
there. All the work I would have done in the Detailed Outline (before
writing anything), I do now with the pages I already have.
Some
of the pages I might toss out. In other places, I’ll write new pages.
Filmmakers might shoot hours of film, then spend many days in the
editing room, piecing the bits together. That’s what I do with the
Brief Outline, just with pages instead of film.
Method 2: No Outline
With “No Outline”, as its name implies, I don’t plan the plot at all.
Does that mean I just jump into the book and write blindly? No. There
is still a lot of planning involved.
I’ll spend lots of time planning each viewpoint character (those characters from whose eyes we see the story).
For each, I’ll create a document where I write everything I can about the character.
I
write about their physical traits. What is their hair like? What do
their eyes say to the world? How tall are they, and how much do they
weigh? Are they good looking or ugly? How does their physical
appearance affect their behavior, and how does it affect the way others
treat them?
I describe their background. Where do they come
from, and what have they done in life? How does this affect the way
they’ll act in the future? And—perhaps most importantly—what are their
goals for the future?
I describe their personality. What do they
like and dislike? I write about how they think, what they want, what
they fear. Does the character have any quirks? What is the character’s
favourite food? Favourite music?
Once I really know the characters, I let them write the
story. I’ll know the premise, but have no idea what the plot will be,
or how the story will end. I place the characters into the setting of
the story, and let them direct the flow.
Every day when I sit
down to write, I have no idea what will happen. I make it up as I go
along. Because I know the characters so well, I know how they’ll act in
each situation, and the story writes itself.
The first draft comes out a mess. Then I break it into scenes and restructure.
Thinking of Ideas
Write Anything
Before musicians begin to play, they tune their instruments. Before
painters begin to paint, they scribble quick sketches. We writers also
sometimes need to get into gear. It’s tough to sit down and immediately
produce brilliant prose. Often it helps to just start
writing--anything. Don’t worry if your first few pages are mediocre,
even nonsensical. Force yourself to write, jotting down anything that
fills your mind, even if it’s unrelated to the story. Writing these
first few pages can get you brainstorming and kick-start your muse. You
can always discard these pages later, and keep the good stuff you
produce once you’re warmed up.
Move Backwards
When you first envision the concept for your story, write the ending
early. You can even write it first. That way, as you write your way
through the middle, you’ll know where you’re heading. You can even
write the story backwards, if you have trouble moving forward.
Use Diagrams
You’ve written the beginning, maybe even the end. Time for the middle,
and you’re stuck. What should happen next? To brainstorm, draw
diagrams. Don’t use the computer; use a pen and paper and scribble
freely. Try to imagine what the next few plot “high points” will be.
High points can be major events in your story, such as murders,
revelations, and deaths. On your paper, draw a square for every high
point. Draw a circle for each character. Then use arrows to connect
the shapes. Each arrow will represent an action the characters take,
connecting all the components. As you scribble, ideas will appear and
flesh themselves out. Soon you’ll find yourself ready to start writing
again.
Let the Characters Decide
You’ve tried all the above, and you still don’t know what should happen
next in your story. Try asking your characters. If you’ve created
in-depth, three-dimensional characters, they’ll have motivations and
passions, loves and hatreds. In good fiction, characters are rarely
laid back, aimless souls with no troubles; they are driven by intense
needs or wants. So ask yourself: what would these characters do at
this point of the story? If you’ve created the characters properly,
they’ll know where to go. So let them go there. You just write what
happens.
If after all this, you’re still stuck, maybe your work-in-progress is
the wrong story for you. Sometimes stories sound great in concept, but
don’t work in practice. You can always come up with a better idea and
start over.
Writing Engaging Scenes
How do we define a scene? An easy definition would be "a
chunk of writing that appears as a subunit within a story or
chapter". Blank lines or asterisks often separate such subunits.
But is any such chunk of writing truly a "scene"? I often see writers
(myself included, when I'm not careful) create "scenes" that are, in
a sense, not scenes at all. Just because a bit of story appears as an
individual unit doesn't mean it's a true "scene"--or at least, not a
very engaging one.
I recently found myself writing a scene with the following format:
The characters walk along a seashore, eat lunch, discuss their
quest, and go to sleep. In the next scene, they wake up and
continue their journey.
I realized that this scene was pointless. True, it provided
some dialogue that enhanced characterization. True, it offered details
about the setting and quest. But did it advance the plot? Hardly.
I rewrote the scene. Now the characters never pause for the night.
There is no description of them lying down to bed, falling asleep,
then waking up in the morning. Instead, they walk along the
seashore until they encounter a horrible obstacle--a monster from
their past who attacks them. The scene ends with a cliffhanger,
leaving the reader uncertain about the heroes’ fate.
The scene now advances the story. It introduces a new obstacle in the
plot and hopefully leaves the reader wanting more. It moves quickly and avoids unnecessary details.
I like to think of each scene as serving a purpose. In my example,
the scene introduced the monster. Other scenes might introduce other
conflicts or new characters, resolve previous conflicts, etc.
As an exercise, I sometimes try to describe the scene's purpose in a
single sentence. "This is the scene that introduces the princess and
lets the hero fall in love with her."
If I find a scene which does not advance the plot, I consider rewriting
or omitting it. Sometimes I'll find a scene whose sole purpose is to
introduce data
("infodump") about the characters or setting. These scenes do not
advance the storyline, so I like to rewrite or omit them. I want
each scene to contain drama and emotion, possibly ending with a
cliffhanger to keep the reader turning the pages.
Writing Words:
When writing commercial fiction, I avoid unnecessary words. Some
writers are masters at constructing intricate, literary prose, and
that's great. Personally, I prefer the beauty of
simplicity. I figure that my readers are not English professors or
critics. They're people like you or me, who just want to read a
good story. They expect prose that's so easy to read, it becomes
invisible and only the story remains.
Words to Avoid:
Adjectives
While adjectives are often necessary, they are best avoided when
possible. When you use the right verbs and nouns, adjectives becomes
pleonasms -- words that can be omitted without changing the meaning of
the sentence.
Consider, for example: “Trog polished his sword to a sparkling, bright
gleam.” We could remove the adjectives “sparkling” and “bright” and
simply write, “Trog polished his sword to a gleam.”
Often, adjectives can be removed by using the proper verb or noun.
Consider the sentence, “Trog moved at a quick pace down the narrow
street.” We could remove the adjectives “quick” and “narrow” and write,
“Trog hurried down the alley.”
Adjectives are sometimes necessary. Whenever possible, I avoid them.
Adverbs
As with adjectives, adverbs are also best avoided when possible.
Adverbs can be avoided by choosing a stronger verb. Instead of “said
quietly”, write “whispered”. Instead of “ate ravenously”, write
“devoured”.
Replacements for Said
I often find myself replacing “said” with verbs such as “growled”,
“opined”, “shouted”, etc. I try to avoid this as much as possible.
When used too much, these verbs not only become annoying, they interfere
with our interpretation of the dialogue.
Consider the following bit of dialogue:
“I’m tired,” Alice complained.
“So go to bed,” Fred suggested.
“But I’m hungry!” Alice whined.
“So eat something,” Fred grumbled.
“But I don’t have any food,” Alice lamented.
I’ve seen some writers avoid “said” as if trying to impress us with
their array of synonyms. These days, “said” is the preferred verb to
use in dialogue; most editors will reject a manuscript which uses too
many “said” alternatives. It’s almost always better to use “said”, a
neutral verb, and let the dialogue itself convey the tone.
For more information, guide and tips please visit this site where I got this information to show to everyone all the tips written were not mine but were borrowed to use as a reference for mostly personal use as a guide but I decide to view some of it along with the official sites. Link:
http://www.danielarenson.com/FantasyWritingTips.aspx
I hope this blog post would be helpful to others who lost their way in writing interesting story as I worked more harder than before to haave the stroy I want to write to be notice in the future even in the blog that I will be posting my story.
