4 Tips on Writing a Book

By Lanee’ Blunt

Write your book--ubik2010

Writing a book is a challenge. The writer must find time to write the book and without immediate rewards. You can write a short story in one setting or maybe in a few days, but writing a novel will take months or even a year. There is no immediate satisfaction in publishing the novel in a month so you must stay focused for as long as it takes to complete the novel.

Characterization

A character sketch is an excellent way to get to know your characters. There are some writers’ that don’t sketch their characters, but in my opinion if you don’t sketch them in the beginning you will end up going back to that phase eventually. When you start with a sketch it helps you understand your character and know what they will do next. What does the protagonist look like? Where was she born? Does she lie? What is her weakness? Asking questions helps you know how your characters will react when they are put in a certain situation.

Techniques

Plotting a novel is easier if you stick to the genre that you are writing for. If you are a new writer you should decide on a genre and read a few novels in that genre. Decide how you will start the story. A novel shouldn’t be started at the beginning for example, when the character was born.  Think about the action and start the novel there. How will your novel end? Make sure that you have brought all of the plates down by answering all unanswered questions. If you are going to use third-person viewpoint stay in that viewpoint and don’t switch to first or second-viewpoint in the novel. “We live our lives within a single viewpoint. We never get out of it—never really live in another person’s head and heart,” according to Jack M. Bickham, in his book, Writing and Selling Your Novel. Writing fiction is the same way you should not switch viewpoints within a given dramatic confrontation.

Outlining

Write an outline for your novel. It doesn’t have to be a long outline like the one you wrote for Mrs. Tyler’s English class. Outline what will happen in each chapter.

Write every day

Set a goal. It should be a goal of not how many hours you will work a day, but on how many words you will write each day.

Reference:

Jack M. Bickham; Writing and Selling Your Novel; Writer’s Digest Books

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How to Write a Short Story: Build Your Characters

By Lanee’ Blunt

Building your characters is very important when writing a short story.  You have to know your characters before you can write about them convincingly.  When character development is done correctly it adds depth to characterization, and it makes readers understand the characters and not feel cheated when the story has ended. 

 “A character sketch is a word outline, a preliminary study of a person, drawn from life experience, that you’d like to use in your novel,” according to Robert J. Ray, in his book, The Weekend Novelist. A character sketch must be written on all of your main characters, the protagonist, antagonist, and major characters it doesn’t have to be long it can be a few paragraphs just enough to feel confident that you understand your character. 

What does your character want?  What will she do to get it?  What is she willing to give up keeping her secret? Motivation is what makes us have empathy with the character and helps us care about what happens to them.  According to Orson Card’s book, Characters and Viewpoint, “The most important tool that will help your audience believe in your characters is elaboration of motive.”

Is she honest? Is she stingy, generous, or what?  Is she happily married or does she cheat on her husband?  Is she a professional woman?   Your answers don’t have to be long they can be short.  What would he like to change about himself? What is his greatest weakness? How tall is she?  How old? What color is her hair? What does she look like?

Reference:

Orson S Card; Characters and Viewpoint; Writer’s Digest

Robert J Ray; The Weekend Novelist; Dell

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How to Write a Proposal to a Fiction Publisher

By Lanee’ Blunt

You want to get your novel published. Fiction is different from non fiction being that you must write the full manuscript before you can seek publication. Make sure that your novel is completely finished before shopping it because writing a proposal before writing the book will not be acceptable unless you are a best selling author.

Write a one page cover letter about what will be included in the package. Include the editor’s name, address, and publishing company.    Describe in a five page to ten page summary, which outlines what the book is about, chapter by chapter. Hold the reader’s interest by making it sound exciting. Describe the beginning of the book, the middle, and the end. Who are the characters? Describe the genre of the book and what you believe is going to be a good selling point. For example, you can compare your novel to the other novels in the same genre.

The novel proposal will include the first three chapters of your book. Make sure you have no typos. The editor can usually make a decision by reading three chapters of your novel.

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How to Open a Publishing Company

By Lanee’ Blunt

Owning a publishing company is a rewarding experience. You can publish your own books and take in manuscripts from others and become a small publisher. When you are starting out you can work from a home office. Start a publishing company by operating as a sole proprietorship the start up cost is low; no employees are required and publish books right away with minimum overhead.

Apply for a sole proprietorship. If your publishing company is going to have a name other than your own you will need a “doing business as” (DBA). You will have to apply for a DBA. You have to file a “fictitious name” or “Doing Business As” (DBA) registration form. In some states, you have to register a DBA with the state government or the county clerk’s office. You will need your driver’s license or state ID card with your application. Legal title to the assets of the publishing company is yours the liabilities and the equity of the publishing company are part of your net worth. You will have full risk as a sole proprietorship.

Apply for an employee identification number (EIN) with the federal government. Fill-out the necessary forms and send them back to the federal government and they will return it to you with your EIN number. As a sole proprietorship when you hire employees you need to use the EIN.

You will need a budget of $3,000 to $5,000 to publish a book. The cost will be more if the book will be unusually large or in full color. Printing expense for most printers will require you to pay one third of the money to start, one third when the book is ready to print and the other third of the money will be due upon completion. Promote your book.

Reference:

Para Publishing: Starting and Running Your Publishing Business

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How to Get Published: Researching the Market

By Lanee’ Blunt

Research your market--pear83

Writing your first non-fiction book or novel is very rewarding. It is a great feeling to have a completed 60,000 or 80,000 word manuscript in your hand. Getting a book published is very challenging. If you are a new writer and want to break into the publishing market, you must have a book proposal. Most publishing houses want to see only a proposal and not the full manuscript until they request it. The first thing you must do is to research your market.

Know the market

If you are writing a non-fiction proposal or book you must know your market. You must know what has been done on your topic and if you can add a new spin to it. Find out what the editor has bought recently. If you are a fiction writer stick to your genre for example, don’t send a romance that has a  mystery sub-plot to a mystery publisher.

Read on your subject

Read at least 6 to 10 books in the genre that you are writing. A horror writer should read every horror book that has just come to the market. Don’t just read it, but read it like a writer taking notes on what worked and what doesn’t work.

Read books similar to yours

Visit book stores and read books from the publishing house that you want to send a query to. How has your subject been covered and can you add something fresh?


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Creating a Character Sketch

By Lanee’ Blunt

Write a character sketch--
lupoianfla

Character development is important when writing a short story.  You must know your characters to make your story convincing. Writing a character sketch will help you, but most new writers hate this preliminary work.  They want to dive right in and start writing the story, which is fine, but having the character sketch saves you from feeling lost and not knowing how your character will react in a certain situation.

When a character sketch is done correctly it helps you understand your characters by digging into their background, you’ll feel that you know them better than you do your own friends.  According to Robert J. Ray’s book, The Weekend Novelist, “You do character sketches to practice pulling useful traits from the real world onto the page, where you combine them with character qualities from your reading experience.

What is Included in a Character Sketch

A character sketch is an outline on each of your major characters.  You ask questions and answer them.  What does your character want?  What drives him? How does he handle the obstacles in his path?  When he has a problem how does he handle it?  What does he do too much of?  How did he spend last week before the story opened? This seems silly at first, but you will be surprised just how this will lead you into character development.

Background Information Leads to Motivation

Don’t worry about getting your sentences perfect or if you have used the right grammar.  The sketch is a place for your imagination.  Think about your character as a real person where did she go to school?  What kind of student was she?  What are her early childhood experiences?  What is her occupation? What year was she born?  Background information leads to motivation because early experiences may have forced her to do what she is doing.

Sketch the Personality

Is she honest? Is she stingy, generous, or what?  Is she happily married or does she cheat on her husband?  Is she a flirt?   Your answers don’t have to be long they can be short.  For example, Robert Jones never wanted to be married so when he was forced into marriage, by Joanna getting pregnant, it made him a bitter man.

Sketch the Physical

Describe the characters physical appearance in the character sketch, so when you are ready to write the story you already know what she looks like.  How tall is she?  How old? What color is her hair? What does she look like?

When writing a character sketch you don’t have to write the answers like you are writing an essay.  Just a few notes; in outline form, will be fine.

Reference:

Robert J. Ray; The Weekend Novelist; Dell

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