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.
Showing posts with label mystery novel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mystery novel. Show all posts
Friday, December 29, 2017
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
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!
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!
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.
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.
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Popular Novels
If you enjoy reading, there is nothing worse than starting a novel and thinking right away "this is not good", but you want to give it the benefit of the doubt so you keep reading. Now you are in the middle of the book and feel you have gone this far and maybe it will get better. Now you are at the end and feel like you just wasted hours on a very poorly written novel.
So can we say that all literature is the same? Of course not. So what makes a novel popular? When we find an author that we really enjoy we will want to read their other books. This makes them popular to us personally. We may realize though that you enjoyed one of their novels but the others are not as enjoyable or you may not like the plot.
We also have the help of famous people creating book clubs or lists of novels they would recommend. You may take the time and read a couple from their list or suggestions. If you agree with their choices then you may decide that they have the same interests as you and from that point you think they are good choices and you will continue to read their novel suggestions.
We may trust a newspaper's choices or critiques of novels. This can be helpful if they introduce us to a new author as they are given samples to read and review. This process can help us find new novels to read and hopefully enjoy. And again we may then be introduced to an up and coming author and we will look forward to their new works of literature.
If we are involved in a book club with friends this too can introduce us to new genres of novels. These can be classic literature, current popular authors or a novel that is all the buzz. You could join a romance novel book club or a mystery novel book club - the possibilities are endless. When we read a book with a club the point is to come together and discuss it. From this situation we can find that even though a novel is popular doesn't mean everyone will feel the same way. This process can help you identify what genres you enjoy reading too.
With these different avenues available to help you select what novel to read, it will hopefully help you see that what may be popular to some doesn't necessarily mean you will like it. That is why there are so many genres available - so we can find one we enjoy and look in that category and see what is popular and open up another path of novels. Maybe you don't like erotic novels, but you enjoy historical fiction and you like romance. What about historical romance novels? Once you start doing research into the genre you like, you will find there are so many branches of each one that it is nearly impossible to be a fan of all of them.
Literature is so diverse, and maybe that is what makes us keep coming back for more. Will it stop me from finding books that I hope will be good and they still disappoint me? No. But that won't stop me from starting another one.
So can we say that all literature is the same? Of course not. So what makes a novel popular? When we find an author that we really enjoy we will want to read their other books. This makes them popular to us personally. We may realize though that you enjoyed one of their novels but the others are not as enjoyable or you may not like the plot.
We also have the help of famous people creating book clubs or lists of novels they would recommend. You may take the time and read a couple from their list or suggestions. If you agree with their choices then you may decide that they have the same interests as you and from that point you think they are good choices and you will continue to read their novel suggestions.
We may trust a newspaper's choices or critiques of novels. This can be helpful if they introduce us to a new author as they are given samples to read and review. This process can help us find new novels to read and hopefully enjoy. And again we may then be introduced to an up and coming author and we will look forward to their new works of literature.
If we are involved in a book club with friends this too can introduce us to new genres of novels. These can be classic literature, current popular authors or a novel that is all the buzz. You could join a romance novel book club or a mystery novel book club - the possibilities are endless. When we read a book with a club the point is to come together and discuss it. From this situation we can find that even though a novel is popular doesn't mean everyone will feel the same way. This process can help you identify what genres you enjoy reading too.
With these different avenues available to help you select what novel to read, it will hopefully help you see that what may be popular to some doesn't necessarily mean you will like it. That is why there are so many genres available - so we can find one we enjoy and look in that category and see what is popular and open up another path of novels. Maybe you don't like erotic novels, but you enjoy historical fiction and you like romance. What about historical romance novels? Once you start doing research into the genre you like, you will find there are so many branches of each one that it is nearly impossible to be a fan of all of them.
Literature is so diverse, and maybe that is what makes us keep coming back for more. Will it stop me from finding books that I hope will be good and they still disappoint me? No. But that won't stop me from starting another one.
Reading Options
Why should I buy a Kindle? Maybe you have asked yourself this question - e-readers are becoming big business and they are not new. Some have been around for years and maybe you think that if you have not bought one yet, then you really don't need one.
I like reading my novels in paper, I understand the hesitance to spend money on another electronic gizmo that just makes the reading process seem less real. Paper is good, and holding a book is what reading is all about. I like reading novels and holding the paperback book feels right. I set it down on my desk and it's comforting to see it there, reminding me to come back and read.
Oops, that's the problem with conventional literature - it's on my desk at home. Now I'm sitting in line at the clinic or riding the bus to work and my book just sits there. Is an e-reader going to be any better for me? I don't think so. I travel light in my daily commute and don't have space for another device. I already have my tablet and my phone with me. I don't want to carry a third device that needs to be charged.
Online reading is the answer I think. I have data on my phone, maybe I can find a website to read a thriller while I wait for the train. Doctor's office making me wait for 35 minutes? no problem, a romance novel is readily available. Literature has changed so much in the past 20 years, and I have resisted it as much as anyone I know. But here is a nearly perfect solution to my problem of not having anything to read. I can read online. Why didn't this become a thing before? Maybe data coverage wasn't good enough so people had to download their books. I always have data, and if I want to read on a bigger screen then I can tether my tablet to my phone's data and read on it.
Where can I find online novels so that I can read on the go? There are solutions out there, and many of them feature tons of genres and features like bookmarks and books posted one chapter at a time - so that I get a reminder to come back and read the net chapter of that mystery novel I can't wait to finish.
Some people will never give up the paper book. I understand where you are coming from, if I am reading a deep historical fiction novel or a murder mystery novel then maybe I prefer to be in my favorite chair holding the book. But my schedule is more chaotic, I don't have 45 minutes of reading time scheduled every night with a glass of wine. What I do have is a normal life that sees me wasting lots of potential reading time every day. If I can just turn on my phone and open up a book, then I am all for doing my reading online. Online novels can be read anywhere that you have ten minutes to kill. Read a chapter of a new book online, I think it's a very good option for people on the go.
I like reading my novels in paper, I understand the hesitance to spend money on another electronic gizmo that just makes the reading process seem less real. Paper is good, and holding a book is what reading is all about. I like reading novels and holding the paperback book feels right. I set it down on my desk and it's comforting to see it there, reminding me to come back and read.
Oops, that's the problem with conventional literature - it's on my desk at home. Now I'm sitting in line at the clinic or riding the bus to work and my book just sits there. Is an e-reader going to be any better for me? I don't think so. I travel light in my daily commute and don't have space for another device. I already have my tablet and my phone with me. I don't want to carry a third device that needs to be charged.
Online reading is the answer I think. I have data on my phone, maybe I can find a website to read a thriller while I wait for the train. Doctor's office making me wait for 35 minutes? no problem, a romance novel is readily available. Literature has changed so much in the past 20 years, and I have resisted it as much as anyone I know. But here is a nearly perfect solution to my problem of not having anything to read. I can read online. Why didn't this become a thing before? Maybe data coverage wasn't good enough so people had to download their books. I always have data, and if I want to read on a bigger screen then I can tether my tablet to my phone's data and read on it.
Where can I find online novels so that I can read on the go? There are solutions out there, and many of them feature tons of genres and features like bookmarks and books posted one chapter at a time - so that I get a reminder to come back and read the net chapter of that mystery novel I can't wait to finish.
Some people will never give up the paper book. I understand where you are coming from, if I am reading a deep historical fiction novel or a murder mystery novel then maybe I prefer to be in my favorite chair holding the book. But my schedule is more chaotic, I don't have 45 minutes of reading time scheduled every night with a glass of wine. What I do have is a normal life that sees me wasting lots of potential reading time every day. If I can just turn on my phone and open up a book, then I am all for doing my reading online. Online novels can be read anywhere that you have ten minutes to kill. Read a chapter of a new book online, I think it's a very good option for people on the go.
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