You have an idea, you have a talent, but you still cannot turn that into a novel, that will be published as a book. When the idea is in your head, it seems pretty easy to write it down and to develop a good story, but at the moment you start writing, you will see that you should do more than writing to have a good product in the end.
If you are new in the world of writers and artists, you may think that art is easier than any other work. But, having an idea is not enough to write a good book. You can be inspired by the other writers, but if you want to be successful in this field, you shouldn’t copy them.
After you gather the ideas, you need to sit on your desk and start writing. You will get more and more ideas during the process, but don’t let them mix with the initial one. Write down all of them in other documents and use them only if it’s necessary for your novel. Also, you can keep some of them for your next one.
Here is a helpful guide for you and your writing, so you can turn your ideas into a good book:
Don’t expect to finish the novel in a day
Sometimes it may take you weeks, months, or even years to write a good novel, ready for publishing. You will have a lot of drafts and final versions, you will get better ideas during the writing, and you will improve every version until you are fully satisfied with your work. There will be days when you will write a lot, but sometimes you will have a lack of inspiration and creativity, and that is normal. Prepare yourself for a long journey.
Set a strong base
Write down the outline of the story. Determine the characters, the place and time, their personal stories, and decide why is worth telling the public about them. Then, you need to provide a plot twist that will make the story interesting, and to decide how the story ends and what happens with all of them. The initial enthusiasm may trick you that you can do everything, but it’s difficult to keep the novel coherent and interesting all the time. First, you need to “paint” the big picture, so you can crack the story into pieces and work on every one of them.
Decide which genre you want
If you are a beginner, we recommend you to keep with one genre. Even the experienced novelists avoid mixing too many genres in one book, so they can avoid confusing storylines. If you want a romance, decide if the end is happy or sad. Mysteries can be disturbing and tricky, so you need to be sure that you want that. The story shouldn’t be boring and predictable, so you need to build the line very carefully.
Once you decided what genre you want, you need to research the field you cover. Sometimes it may include scientific facts and the detailed knowledge will increase the worth of your book. Try to avoid bizarre fiction at the beginning. As you develop as a writer, you will be more courageous to try new things, but one thing is for sure, you must follow the facts, so you won’t turn your novel into parody in the end.
Revise your initial plan
Many successful authors started with one idea and finished with something very different. That is normal because they discover new things and get a lot of new ideas during the time they write the book. Writing is a mental exercise for you. If you are fully committed to your novel, you will get better with every new sentence. Don’t let the problems make you abandon your plans and ideas.
Don’t be afraid to change the concept
As we said, your first idea is not always the best. As you write, you need to answer some of the following questions:
– What is the role of my characters in the story?
– Why are they here?
– Why I like/hate them?
– How can I avoid writing clichés?
– What makes my storyline attractive?
– What makes my story different?
– How the characters will achieve their goals?
– Who will stand in their way?
It’s normal for some character to get a bigger role during the story, and for some important character to die, for example. Save a few drafts of the chapters and decide which one fits the best.
What about publishing?
When you finish the story, it’s good to ask someone to read it and to tell you if you can make it better. Don’t take the critics personally, because they will improve your writing skills. Next, you need to send your draft to a few publishers. Don’t expect that they will answer you the next day. You may need to try a few times until someone decides to publish the novel. When that happens, you should think about the cover design and the graphic editing of the book. You can look for some ideas on QINPrinting, or even provide your design to the publisher. They say that you don’t have to judge the book by its cover, but in modern times, the good cover is everything, because you need to visually attract potential readers. After you do that and they take the book in their hands, the probability that they will buy it is big.
When you get a positive answer from the publisher, your work will go through the editing and proofreading process. After that, your “baby” is ready to be printed and published. Follow this guide so you can turn every writing idea you have in a good book that will attract the readers all around the world. Don’t miss a step, but also, don’t be afraid to experiment with the storylines and characters. That is what makes one writer better than those who follow just one pattern all the time.
