What Every First-Time Novelist Needs to Know
Very few things are as quintessentially American as apple pie. But one of those concepts is the great American novel. And writing one is often seen as the pinnacle of literary accomplishment.
If you're dreaming every night of your name on a dust jacket, chances are you already know putting pen to paper – or keystroke to screen – isn't simple. So, before you sit down in a marathon writing spree, there are a few things you need to remember. It's not an exhaustive list, but keeping these tips in mind will help you in the long run.
1. Map out your story: No, we're not recommending you put every little detail in an outline or on index cards. This isn't a research paper. Leave yourself room to bob and weave with your plot, but certainly don't start without a plan. Take the time to flesh out your ideas – make sure everything is realistic. Novels that aren't believable – no matter the genre – won't work.
2. Refresh your grammar: Okay, we know it's not sexy. In fact, it's not even fun. But mind your Ps and Qs, as well as sentence structure and verb conjugation. We all make grammar mistakes more than we like to admit, but butchering the English language will result in a rejection letter. Don't take any chances – brush up or find a grammar expert who can fix your problems spots. Better yet, take a refresher course.
3. Line up proofreaders: Never submit a first draft of your manuscript. Your initial attempt won't be perfect, and misspellings or typos are immediate red flags for publishers. Extra eyes will catch things you will undoubtedly gloss over.
4. Know your subject: It doesn't matter what kind of novel you're writing. Take the time to do your research beforehand. Writing about medieval England? Make sure you know the right monarch – talking about Queen Elizabeth II isn't a good idea. Working on a psychokiller thriller where the murderer offs his victims with hard-to-detect drugs? Know what those drugs do. These aren't things you can wing.
5. Avoid lots of pop culture references: We know it's tempting. The latest celebutante indiscretion or escapades of the pop star du jour are easy go-to mentions. But don't do it. You'll date your novel. If it gets published, there's no guarantee that all your readers will recognize the references, and it's entirely possible that 15 years from now that celebutante or pop star will have vanished from society's memory.
