Before you begin a novel there are
several things you should think about. First, is the subject large enough and
interesting enough to hold your attention for three to 12 months? Is there
space for a cast of characters that are fun to read and write about? If you get
bored with the story part of the way through, either you won’t finish it or
your boredom will reveal itself in the story and no one will want to read it.
Both are bad scenarios.
{quote_top}
Does the plot have nuances and tell
the story in a different way than has been done before?Does it deal with either a large event
or large ideas? A good novel needs a strong conflict that can be played out in
many small crises that build up to the climax and resolution. If your story can
be resolved in one or two scenes or the conflict is not life changing for the
main character, then it’s probably not a good foundation for a novel.
You also need to consider if this
is the right type of book for you. Sometimes writers choose a subject or genre
because they think it will be easy to write about or will sell well. But if you
are not passionate and knowledgeable about what you are writing, this will be
apparent to editors and readers. The best guide to follow is to write what you
read. If you read romance, than you should write romance. You will know the
conventions of the style, what has already been done, what works and doesn’t
work. Chances are since you spend hours reading it, you will enjoy the hours
you will have to put into writing it. {quote_middle}
Lastly, you need to figure out if
the genre you want to write currently selling. This question only matters if
you are invested in publishing your book. If your main goal is to write
something beautiful and publishing is secondary, than disregard this rule. However,
if publishing a book is your primary goal, than it is important to give some
thought to this question. Agents and publishers think in terms of genre and
books that don’t comfortably fit into an existing genre are unlikely to be
published. To figure out what is currently being bought, go to a large
bookstore and look in the new book section for the type of genre you are
writing. If you are writing mystery novels, it would be good to know that the
P.I. novels you grew up reading are no longer published and mysteries are now
longer and more sophisticated. If you can write the type of fiction that is
currently being published in a skilled and original way, your novels chances of
making to a bookshelf are dramatically higher. {quote end}
rule. However,
if publishing a book is your primary goal, than it is important to give some
thought to this question. Agents and publishers think in terms of genre and
books that don’t comfortably fit into an existing genre are unlikely to be
published. To figure out what is currently being bought, go to a large
bookstore and look in the new book section for the type of genre you are
writing. If you are writing mystery novels, it would be good to know that the
P.I. novels you grew up reading are no longer published and mysteries are now
longer and more sophisticated. If you can write the type of fiction that is
currently being published in a skilled and original way, your novels chances of
making to a bookshelf are dramatically higher. {quote end}
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