Best books for your children


booksarecool.net keyword stats



Most current MSN search phrases:

cloned golf club sellers Cool Writing MSN
movies eragon book 3
writing asthma
broadway raw diet recipes

Don't Give Up On Writing That Novel

Think it's hard to get a novel published? Forto  stick  with  it.
most writers, it is - but it's certainly not
impossible. I've had two hit the shelves-inIf you're struggling with finishing your
10 countries, and with book club and movienovel,  these  tips  may  help:
rights picked up. People often ask me how I
did it, and the truth is simple. All it takes1. Tell yourself a little white lie: that you
is, 1) talent, and 2) actually writing thehave a real deadline. One of the main reasons
thing.writers give up is because they begin to
question whether anyone really cares. Pretend
As much as I hate to admit it, the second isthere's an editor or agent waiting, drumming
the  more  important  factor.his or her fingers, eager for that completed
manuscript  to  arrive.
Fact is, plenty of great novels go
unfinished. The statistics are staggering: of2. Set a daily goal. I set a minimum of two
those who start writing a novel, only abouthours a day, every day. You may prefer to
3% will finish. And unless you're the childdesignate a certain number of pages, such as
of a rock star or Shakespeare's long-lostthree to five. Writing is a lot like dieting:
descendent, no agent or publisher will lookpeople who approach it reasonably on a daily
at your novel unless it's complete. Only inbasis are more likely to meet with success
rare instances will a publisher make an offerthan  those  who  try  a  crash  program.
to a newbie novelist based on a partial
manuscript.3. Don't write a novel - write a first draft.
A first draft can be imperfect - and in fact,
On my first novel, Flip-Flopped, I actuallyit will be. That's okay. Just get the pages
did have interest from an editor at a majordown.  You  can  fix  it on the second draft.
publishing house before I was finished. I'd
been taking a writing class, and the teacher4. Be careful whom you show it to. It can be
passed along a short description of my bookhelpful to get feedback as you go, but choose
to an editor acquaintance of hers, whoyour readers carefully. Giving your precious
professed interest. I'd written about 100pages to someone who is frustrated at their
pages at the time and was elated - that is,own inability to write a novel is like
until my teacher added, "Of course, shehanding  them a gun ... pointed right at you.
doesn't  want  to  see  it  until it's done."
5. Spend more time writing than you spend
It may seem unfair. If your novel starts withplanning. It can be helpful to have an
a bang, why can't you just give a fewoutline and some basic research, but
chapters and an outline? Surely that's enoughtypically writers who mire themselves in
to prove your mettle. But publishers wantcreating lengthy drafts of what they're going
evidence of more than writing skills. Theyto write rarely get around to actually
need to see you can go the distance. In thewriting.
world of writing, a novel is the marathon. A
finished manuscript is the only way to show6. Feel the joy. Remind yourself why you're
you can cross the finish line in the samewriting a novel. Few people if any set out to
sort  of  shape  you  started.write a first novel because they have to.
They do it because they have something to
It took me two years to write my first novel.say...a passion for the written word...a
Even with an editor waiting - and knowing shedream of seeing their name on a shelf next to
wouldn't wait forever - I nearly gave up manywriters they admire. Hard work may be the
times along the way. A single mom with abackbone of a writing career, but it's the
full-time job, my only writing time was injoy of creating something amazing that keeps
the early hours before work and during myus  going.
son's naptime on weekends. I not only had to
learn novel basics like how to plot andSo keep going!
create strong characters, I had to learn how



1 A B 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 57 58 59 60 61 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88