Publishing a Novel

For most of us who are interested in writing a novel, we dream of the day our work is published. Seeing our words on paper is very fulfilling.  However, that is not always an easy step.  Many times we can send in a submission and then receive the dreaded rejection letter. So what can we do to keep enduring? Should we make changes to our novel? Or do we start over again?
First it is important to remember that not all publishing companies will be interested in your work. But that does not mean that you should give up. Try to keep a positive outlook and keep trying with different companies. For example, maybe the company is currently looking for romance fiction and science fiction; so your novel simply may not fit into their desired genre.  If you feel like everything is a dead end then consider online options. You could post a few chapters on a website catering to new authors and see if you get positive feedback from the comments section. Many people are going to online reading thus opening the way to worldwide viewers and interest. It is common for different countries to have different interests so possibly your story will connect with readers on the other side of the world. In addition, some of those websites allow free books to be posted, and readers can read online for free also.  It's good exposure.
If the an agent gives you feedback, can you look at it positively and see if those changes are beneficial to your story. Or is the agent trying to make your work completely off from your original purpose. Maybe you want to write romance fiction and the agent is trying to turn it into erotica fiction.  Know your limits, and as a writer; know what you want from your own story.  Criticism can be hard to take but it can also be very helpful. If we don't take our writing too seriously we can become better writers by listening to advice. If the agent just didn't like your work then really that is personal taste and doesn't reflect that you are not qualified or that your novel is no good.
If you have shared your work with a qualified person and they give you input - don't be too sensitive because these suggestions can make your novel better. There are programs or workshops that help writers develop their stories and give advice to make your novel better as well. These groups can really help you hone your novel and once you have made needed changes submitting it to a publishing company can be very rewarding when they see that you took the time to make your novel better.
What if you feel like you can't move forward and make the needed changes or you at a loss for what to change? Do you scrap the entire novel? That could be a little extreme especially if you have worked hard hours, days, months even years to write it. Possibly you need to table the novel for a moment and take a breather. Give yourself some time to think about other things. Coming back to it with a fresh outlook can truly be beneficial.

Writing a Novel

Do you want to write a novel?  Well, the first thing you will need is an idea.  Reading novels online can be a good source of ideas for you.  Many sources have novels that you can read free, so you can simply open a website and read a book for free to inspire your creative juices.  Reading other books is a great way to inspire new ideas.  Literature is meant to inspire.  So grab a romance novel or a mystery novel and read a few chapters.  Or do a search on the web for writing ideas.  Make sure the idea is something that really speaks to you - if you are not excited about telling the story, the readers will not be excited about reading it.  Popular books can help us to think like a writer, and you will be imitating great writing, so it will help you to raise your quality as well.
Maybe you had some past experience that can motivate a story.  Is there some experience that you enjoy talking about?  Try writing it down.  It doesn't have to be the beginning of the novel, but maybe you can fit it in somewhere and make the authenticity more meaningful.  My high school writing teacher told us to have a notebook with us at all times in case you think of a sentence or a plot twist or a character.  Basically we are hit by inspiration at any possible time, so we need to write it down before we forget it.  Thanks to cell phones, we have a great memo pad with us all the time now.  No excuse for forgetting to write it down.  Find an app that you like to use - either for voice memos or for writing a quick memo.  I like writing it down, because it's easier to quickly check later.
If you are like me, you don't want feedback from others while you write; but this is actually indispensable.  Imagine you are working on a piece of science fiction and you get done writing 45 chapters before someone else takes a look and tells you that it is no more than Star Trek fan fiction.  Ouch!  When you write, have someone read it and give you feedback, then make changes.  Proof-read for errors in spelling and grammar - that should be obvious too.  But for content suggestions, the writer is too close to the work to be objective.  It is art and sometimes we cannot see obvious problems until they are pointed out to us.  Do you think popular books were simply printed from the computer of the author?  Nope, they were examined and poked and prodded like a flank steak at an Outback Steakhouse.  Publishers and agents know that if anyone will read a novel, it has to be perfect.
Online novels have changed the game, now anyone can post a novel online and readers can read online.  So there is less quality control than ever before.  If you want your novel to stand out from the crowd, proofread and have a friend read it also.  Make sure that your ideas are original and that your language is not too confusing.  Don't be satisfied to just tell a story, write some literature!  Be a great novelist.  You can do it.

Free Books

That gets people's attention - we all like to get free stuff.  But lately things have changed and we are suspicious of the word free.  When someone tells us we can have something free, we assume there are strings attached.  Nothing is free. novels
Well I am here to tell you today that free stuff does exist, and it's all thanks to the internet.  We get access to maps for free thanks to Google, and there is lots of free advice available on so many websites - why not free books?  With the advent of e-readers, and now websites that post books for free, readers can find lots of interesting things to read at no cost at all.
What kinds of literature are you interested in?  If science fiction is your thing, do a search and look for online books in that genre.  Maybe you want to find popular books to read, do a search for book lists of popular books; find out what is hot right now.  Romance fiction has so many possibilities that you may have to limit your searches to a specific type of romance - there is plenty of free reading to be done.
But this raises another question - can I read online or will I have to download an app?  There are many websites available now that allow you to simply read online.  No download, no software issues.  If you have data access then you can read online for free.  It really is a wonderful age we live in.
How do these websites make money, nothing is free.  My answer to that is simple.  Who cares!  They obviously have advertising on the screen and they have their own ways to make money but as long as I can read for free I am fine with whatever they want to do.
Another bonus I have found is that the authors available to choose from are unknown.  I like to find my favorite author as much as the next guy, but to read something written by an amateur author is something kind of special..Popular books are fine, but imagine finding a book nobody has heard of, and few have actually read.  It's exciting to me because I am also an aspiring author and to think that I could post my work online and have it discovered is great.  I don't mean "discovered" like Steven Speilberg will read it and want to make a movie from it; I mean "discovered" like enjoyed by someone.  I write to entertain and that does not have to mean 5 million people.  It could be just one.
So do a search and find a novel that you want to read.  Find something new and exciting.  Not every story has been told yet, there is still a lot of imagination out there.  Don't go to a bookstore and find something that has been edited and copyrighted and published.  Go online and find a free book to read.  Discover some new talent and be inspired yourself.
The future is now, and there are millions of free books online to read.  Online fiction could become your new favorite thing.

Writing Drama

Creating a novel that will captivate our audience takes imagination and drama. Whether we are writing science fiction, romance fiction or suspense fiction; giving our novel some drama can make for more enjoyable reading. Popular books have conflicts that create drama. A conflict is having two or more forces in opposition.  When we create a conflict that is enticing, our readers will want to keep reading our novel.
Consider great literature from the past and you can see how creating drama in our novel is vital. Scarlet Pimpernel is a great example of intrigue using conflict. Sir Percy and Marguerite, Marguerite and Chauvelin and those in conflict with the Scarlet Pimpernel. All of the twists and turns make for very exciting reading.
As we read these novels and see the depth of conflict we have better drama. So creating drama in our novels is important and is not to be taken lightly. If we have developed good characters and put them in intriguing situations that fill our readers with anticipation they will definitely want to keep reading.
It would be a good idea to become familiar with the topic you are writing about so you can create believable drama. So take the time to do research. If you are writing about a particular building, take the time to go to it - that would be great, but if that is not possible, take the time to research things online or at your local library. Online you should be able to see pictures and the surrounding so you can capture your audiences imagination. They should be able to feel like they are in that space.
We may have a story line in mind that is interesting but to make it dramatic we need to engage your reader. Take time to think about how the character will react to a situation - maybe it will be completely different than most readers would suspect.  Or take the topic and delve deeper so that interesting becomes fascinating to our readers, this means adding details, details, and more details. We want to remember that if we are writing a suspense fiction our readers should be nail biting and sitting on the edge of their seats with anticipation. With romance fiction having our two love interests face a trial together or between each other gives depth. Have you ever noticed that love stories rarely involve a pair falling in love and living happily ever after?  This is a perfect opportunity for drama.  Another woman?!  How could he?  A past mistake, or indiscretion?  Maybe she forgot to mention that she hides a criminal past.  What drama will unfold?  Drama requires conflict.  And it is never too late in the book for more drama.  Perhaps you feel like the last chapter is the time for a happily ever after - but maybe the last chapter leaves more questions than answers.  This type of drama keeps readers coming back for more.
Adding forceful characters and giving them great conflicts gives better drama to our novels. Ultimately this will impel our readers to keep reading and hopefully develop a fan base that can not wait for our next novel to come out.  I think you have more than one work of fiction to work on now, let's get on with the drama!

A Dictionary and a Thesaurus

When we are writing in English, we need to be students of the language.  And The words we use in our everyday speech do not compare to the plethora of words available to a writer.  Dr. Seuss wrote a book using just fifty different words (Green Eggs and Ham), so obviously we can write using very few - but how many words are there?
research into the subject found all kinds of data, but basically I think we can agree that English consists of hundreds of thousands of words (maybe 1 million) but the spoken language used every day by most people consists of about 40,000 words.  So to be a fluent speaker you do not need to know hundreds of thousands of words.  That's good news - but what about writers?
Walk.  I type in that single verb on my computer and right-click for synonyms and get 8 excellent suggestions.  If I'm not happy with those 8, I can click on the Thesaurus for even more.  Now when I write a romance fiction I will not be happy to have my character walk home at night, but she will saunter, stroll, amble, or march home; depending on her mood of course.  And in my science fiction novel my male lead will stride, pace, or hike to the next mission.  Adding some variety to our verbs can really help the reader to ascertain mood without having to tell them that our character was in that mood.  I am firmly against spoon-feeding the reader.
Maybe this is a free book, posted online for readers to find free fiction.  There is a lot of competition and many of them are spoon-feeding their readers.  Be different!  They want to read a novel online, they will appreciate the effort you made to use a dictionary or a thesaurus.  Fiction is a chance to escape reality, but does not have to be mindless.  The man marched to the door and flung it open, he expected to find his wife there with his brother and was ready for anything...except the truth!  Isn't the verb "march" better than "walk" here?  The girl stepped out of the bar and toddled to her car, not a care in the world.  Don't use the word walk in your romance novel, it just doesn't belong.
Sometimes I worry that writers of fiction are concerned about breaking their "groove" and don't want to interrupt a thought - that is valid.  A dictionary and a thesaurus can be used when you are proof-reading the passage later.  If you are typing away and don't want to stop - don't!  Even if you can't think of the word you want, just type in the idea in [brackets] and keep writing.  We want you to put words on paper, we want you to be a writer and contribute to Literature in general, so don't stop writing to look anything up if you don't absolutely have to.  But do not neglect the importance of going back and re-reading this work with the intention of making it better.  Change adjectives and verbs - that's where a dictionary and a thesaurus will really come in handy.
Look at your favourite novels and see what words the author used, you will see that he has done a great job of indicating mood with his verbs and adjectives.  Popular books have teams of people researching these types of details, and if you are planning to post your book online for people to read free, you may be alone.  Online reading can get you followers and constructive criticism.

Writing Help

It's 2017 and we are still writing fiction novels like it's 1999 - sit down at the computer and start typing.  Do you have a block?  You will sit there and stare at your screen until it passes.
Well I am here to tell you today that literature has help.  That's right, whether you are writing romance novels or trying to write the great murder mystery novel, there is help available today that was not there just a few years ago.
For example, are you a terrible typist?  I think that many creative people find that getting words on the page (or screen) to be the worst part.  I mean, if we could just talk and tell a story, it would likely help the ideas to keep flowing and maybe that pesky writer's block would just go away.  If this describes you, then stop everything and search for a dictation app right now.  The technology is getting really good, you can just talk away in your normal voice and pace - and the book will write itself.  Of course, it's good to proofread it later to make sure - but as long as the ideas are flowing, just keep talking.
Another advantage to a dictation app may be the possibility of getting your book digital more quickly.  What I mean by that is there are websites where readers can read books online.  Many of them are free to read novels.  So if you can just talk into your phone, and then post it on a website, people can read your novel online right away.  Another break through in technology.
Is the silence killing you in your house?  Or do you live near a noisy park, fire station, or school?  Why not try listening to ambient music while you write?  A cheap bluetooth speaker and some mild instrumental music can drown out that background noise for you.  I bought mine for less than fifteen dollars, and use my phone.  Simple and cheap.
Try tracking your time.  I use the timer on my phone (look in your alarm clock app) and simply give myself a deadline for this chapter or sequence in the novel.  I have a character who needs to have this particular issue resolved in the next hour or two.  I find that this helps me to focus on getting something done, and will help me avoid distractions.
What about the computer you use for typing?  Is it also your home computer, the kids homework computer, and the research computer?  Well, research is a big part of any novel, especially if you are using a setting you are not familiar with or a real time in the past.  You will need to have internet access to do research of course.  But there is a danger of getting distracted by all the other things that you have on this computer.  Internet banking?  Don't do it!  Focus on the novel you are writing.  We will address this more in the next article.  For now let's stick to research.
Make sure that your research is using reliable sources.  Maybe make sure you can find the same number twice before using it.  For example, if you have a romance novel and the ending is at the top of Mount Everest for the wedding (clearly a terrible idea for a romance novel, I know), make sure you have the accurate height of that mountain before adding it to your story.  Check, and double-check.  Another huge advantage to life in 2017, that information is just a click away!

Research

Doing research is an important part in writing any interesting novel, even if it is fiction. It is vital that the story be researched so that people reading the novel get a feeling of where they are and what the surroundings are like - setting.
Research is the careful search of information about a particular matter. It is necessary to take time to read about a subject you want to write about. It also involves interviewing people who may have a great knowledge or have studied in a certain field to help you get an expert opinion. When writing fiction we may argue that details and facts are not important; yet if we want the reader to feel like our story is believable, then getting our facts straight is important. Especially if we are writing about a specific period of time. It would be beneficial to research what people wore for clothing, what their transportation would have been or the housing types and amenities (ie: electricity, running water, etc).
If we consider what we want to achieve in our novel our research can help us to get to the conclusion with a nice flow. It may be necessary to explain further details to make a matter clear. Even if you think that the basic facts give sufficient explanation, expanding on certain details may be beneficial for convincing your readers. This is true if you are writing a science fiction novel for example. Some laws of science are better understood if given a little more explanation. The story may be fiction, but laws of gravity and matter normally have to be consistent.  And when we are creating names it is good to keep a record of what each item does, so that as you write you don't add or take away from your plot.
When our readers see that we have taken the time to write about clear details this will keep them invested and they will want to keep reading. To help us with keeping our details straight, it can be helpful to do drawings of what you think a room would look like. Then as you write you can look at your drawing and bring it life with your words. To make sure that the room is accurate to the time you are writing, do a little searching online or at your local library. Would they have had electricity? No, then dark shadows from candlelight can add a nice edge to your novel. Details about fabric can also help your readers to imagine the clothing people would wear, the linens on a bed or the heaviness of curtains. Read some romance fiction and focus on these details as you read - many writers of this genre are excellent descriptive writers.
The more details you find in your research the more prepared you will be. You do not need to add every detail to your novel yet doing this in depth research will make sure you have got it right. You will not be second guessing but can write with focus, and your novel should flow wonderfully.  Great literature is created every day, maybe you will create the next great novel.  Do your research and read other works.  Lots of free fiction is available online, pay attention to how other writers write.
Doing great research can make a huge difference.

Avoiding Distractions

Although writing has become easier in our modern era due to things like dictation apps and easy access to reference material, there are some downsides to modern technology that can be a nuisance.  Actually it could be more than just a nuisance, it could harm productivity of a writer, so it is downright dangerous.  Here are some tips to help you write.
A lot of these seem like common sense, and apply even if you are just reading a novel.  Writing fiction becomes much more difficult with these distractions.  Imagine you are trying to write a beautiful romance novel and your thoughts get interrupted every twelve seconds by a Facebook like or Instagram notification.
Or you are deep in the psyche of the killer in your mystery novel, trying to write some suspense fiction well, but your phone beeps every time you receive an email.  Do you think popular books were written like that?  Can you imagine Alexandre Dumas writing with that sort of constant barrage of interruptions?
What can we do?  Silence your devices.  Don't have too many tabs open on your web browser.  Close your email and don't look at it until your writing time is finished.  Did you know Gmail has a pause feature on the inbox?  You can actually stop mail from coming in for a while.  Literature takes time to create, don't rush it.  Also, don't jeopardize the possibility that you could turn out a great novel.  Popular books don't come along by accident, and there is some sacrifice involved.
How much time do you spend everyday looking at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram?  I don't want to come across as a zealot who thinks you should abandon all social networking - but if you want to write a great novel it is possible that the sacrifice of time will have to come from these things.  If you are on these sites, can you simply abandon your account for a month while you focus on your writing?  Don't post anything for 30 days, don't retweet or "like" anything - just fall off the grid for a month while you focus on your novel.  How many words do you want to write?  I think you could do it!
Go for a brisk walk outside for 20 minutes and then sit down to write.  Have calm smells nearby, like lavender or lemons.  Write near a window.
Another idea to help you be more productive is to have a piece of paper handy.  If you think of something you want to do that is not novel-centered, write it down.  For example, if you are writing science fiction and you are researching planets online, then you see a picture of the moon and it reminds you that you need to buy toilet paper (sometimes the connection is random), write it down and move on with your science fiction related research.  Don't get distracted and open a website page to buy toilet paper and then see that there is free shipping if you buy thirty dollars so then you should get some face cream also.  Your writing has de-railed.
Focus on your task, and right now your task is to write.