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does it required to write every single detail in making a novel.?
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Tifa wroteI just want to ask if..i write my own book(novel) do i need to write every single details to make my story more appealing..?
Tifa
I'd like to pass on a few words of wisdom. First thing is read several books on writing. Read books about writing in general and those specific to the genre you're planning on writing in. I'd also join one or two writing groups (on line or live). Their feed back can be valuable. One book I highly recomend is Marc McCutcheon's "Building Believable Characters." This book can help you with how to describe not only your characters, but lots of other things. I keep this book next to my computer when I write.
This is very important, You need to read other published books in the genre you plan to write your story in. Reading other books can show you how the publishers want the stories written, how other writers are doing it, and what's currently being published.
One rule that my first editor gave me was "Never bore your readers."
To answer your question. No, at first give the reader only what is nessary and give them the rest along the way.
I have to go to work now but I'll post more later. Good luck with your writing.
G W Pickle
TifaI'm back for a few. To continue, One thing I can't say enough is to start your book off in the middle of something (action preferably). You must capture or hook first the editor then the reader right off or you'll end up with the dredded rejection slip. I believe the editor gives you a page or two and the reader, on the average takes 8 seconds to decide if they'll buy your book. What that means to the writer is they must make the opening capture and hold the readers attention. Here's an example from my first book.
Chapter 1
I sit without talking. Her image waits for me to speak. Tears burn my eyes as they mist over. I wipe them away with my uniform sleeve. My throat constricts, forming a lump that makes speech impossible. I stare at what she once was, young and beautiful, remembering how she died, how much I loved Emma, and how I killed her. My heart aches, wishing she was more than a holographic image. I feel a dull, empty pain begin to gnaw at my soul. Slowly reaching out with a trembling hand, I hit the end button. The receptionist’s image instantly replaces Emma’s. She informs me that the director wishes to speak with me. Standing to leave, I tell the receptionist, “Maybe next time. I’m running late.” This is just what I don’t need. Some shrink wasting my time with a bunch of hogwash about repressed feelings and other garbage.
Opening the door, I find Mrs. French, a stout, semiattractive, older black lady, is standing there, effectively cutting off my only escape route.
In my opening I cause the reader to want to know how or why he killed her. I hooked them into reading more. I didn't tell the reader that our hero is in a high tech cemetery and that the program that produces the holo of Emma is also tied in to a psycological program designed to help the person work through their grief, and if the problem is to severe the person is refered to a live shrink. Had I told this it would have killed the mood and let them off the hook. Later on in the book you learn just what happened to Emma. Detail in small doses.
Once you get past the opening you must pace the action to keep the reader from wanting to stop reading.
I hope this helps.
G W Pickle
Roger Zelazny, wrote that, when introducing something new, he tried to use no more than 3 descriptions per paragraph, I think. He thought more than that interrupted the story's flow. If more description was needed, he tried to fill it in gradually as the story progressed. He said he main point was the story & to remember that the reader had an imagination.I don't recall where I read this. I think it was an intro to a short story or possibly to a short story book & I may have it somewhat wrong. I find his books very readable. I rarely have to go back to look up a detail I missed because I was skimming through all the seemingly null words - which is what long description is for me.
My pet peeve is description that doesn't fit - usually gender & sexually biased. Men & women see things differently, especially the opposite sex. As a man looking at a sexually attractive woman, I don't care what she's wearing unless it is relevant in some way. Women dress up for themselves & other women. They know the names of dress styles & various accessories. They care about it, most men don't.
i dont think that you should give too much pointless information unless absolutly nessicary(sorry about the spelling) in my book i let my friends read a chapter of my book everytime i finish it and let them decide what it needs more of or less of they're my best critics because they're honest and they woud be the age range that my book is aimed at
get someone who is in the age range that your book is aimed at and see what they think of it because if they're your friends they'll be brutally honest even if you dont want it
KeelinI've found that I get my best feedback from online crit groups. My experence with friends is that they pull punches & sidestep a lot of things that needed corrected. Most of my friends comments were no more than RA RA sessions. For live groups, I like to have a couple of friends and 4 or 5 strangers who know something about book writing.
G W Pickle
Hi,I wrote a couple books that didn't get published .. and then I read Stephen King's non-fiction book, "On Writing." In it, he give the following example (paraphrasing):
"Imagine a room. There is a table in the middle of the room with a cage on top. Inside the cage is a rabbit, and on rabbit's side is a painted green eight."
Are you picturing it?
You are, aren't you? Was it important whether the room was carpeted? Whether it had windows? What color the rabbit was? What kind of cage?
A writer has to walk a delicate tightrope of giving enough detail to draw the reader visually into the story, but not giving so much detail as to bog down the story and, well, bore the reader.
If it was important that the rabbit be white, by all means, make it white. If not, and it adds nothing, then leave it out.
Once I learned this, getting published was much easier.
Norm
www.normcowie.com
oh well GW each to his own if that works for you then who am i to argue but i wouldnt feel confident letting complete strabgers read my book as its my first and im not the best person to take critisim from my teachers let alone people ive never met ( again apologies for the spelling, you'd never think im duing eng. lit. for gcse )
KeelinAs with any crit I get, I look at how the other person writes. In the groups I belong, you have to do a couple of crits before you can post a crit. I look at what the person says then go back and see if I agree. If I see their point and agree with them I might change it. If I don't I won't. I won't get upset with the person who wrote a crit I disagree with. I know they're just trying to help. Remember the author is the one who decides what goes into the story and what doesn't. As for complete strangers reading my book, what do you think the editor/publisher is who decides if they want to publish your book. IMHO I get more useful information from a negative crit than a positive atta boy ra ra crit. Usually the only thing you get out of a ra ra crit is a good feeling and little else. I usually get some useful,constructive help from the negative. The ones I totally ignore are the ones that say I like or hate it. It does no good. Tell me why you like or hate it.
I also want to suggest that you get used to people making comments, both negative and positive about your work, especially rejection slips. It's something every writer has to deal with.
G W Pickle
by no means am i saying i dont take critisism i just dont like taking it from complete strangers until im sure that ive put 110% in to what ive written thats all and at the moment my friends will be honest with me but not so much that i completely lose all confidence thats all
Gary: The question isn't whether or not criticism pains a person, but how far you are willing to go to avoid pain.Like Keelin, I know I don't take criticism all to well, but that haven't,and will never stop me from publishing what I write, as the positive aspects far outweighs the negative.
Norm mentioned Stephen King's "On Writing" earlier. I think it is King who says "Write with the door closed. Rewrite with the door open." I found this to be good advise when I wrote my first novel. I didn't even show my closest friends anything I had written before I had a complete first draft of what became a book of 720 pages. It worked very well for me. My point is that there are as many ways to becoming a published writer as there are published writers.
So, Keelin: By all means take advice from writers with lots of experience, but don't let anyone tell you at what point, or how you should take it.
The best advice I can give is to join a writers group that has published writers serious about the business. That way you'll get not criticism per say, but honest appraisals. Most authors agree that friends are the worst critics - because a friend is afraid to offend, or perhaps isn't as much into reading. For whatever reason, most authors will look for advice elsewhere.
I personally don't use a writer's group, but I know of some that are very successful. Afterward, some of them do joint signings, and in one case I know, two co-wrote some books.
If you feel good about your story, and you know without a doubt that it's streamlined, fast moving, and never bogs down, by all means go alone. But sometimes you need someone who can look at it with a fresh eye.
Because remember, all of this has to prepare you for the potentially harsher criticism, and perhaps rejection, of editors.
Norm
ive only got this to say to norm you wrote "a friend is usually too afraid to offend"
clearly you've never met my friends
with regerds to the book ive decided to put it on hold until after november 21st as ive got modules coming up
anyways thanks for the advice use lot
really appriciated ;)
cya l8r pepole :P
Perhaps this will never get read, and perhaps this teeny tiny attempt at wisdom will go unnoticed. Either that, or I'll be repetitive. Here goes:I won't try and tell you how to write. Giving you my formula for writing is not a guarantee that it will work for you. A few things that have been told to me and that I have discovered through my own trial-and-error might be helpful though.
In the beginning, just write. Don't really think about trying to get it published or trying not to offend your audience. just write and write, and let your story and character evolve. Going back to reread your work is fine, but I strongly suggest that you DO NOT try and edit and write at the same time. Very often you get bogged down in changing what you've written into something else entirely and the writing process grinds to a halt.
Also, don't worry if it sucks. The first time through, there aren't going to be any editors breathing down your neck and if you submit it to fellow authors for review, I can just about promise that you'll receive only genuine critiques and praise, especially here on goodreads. Above all, don't be afraid to write.
I hope that that's helpful, even if it does not get read. Good luck.
WOW. I'm a fresh-caught writer. I have had troubles with descriptions on some characters and such. Thanks Gary and Norm. You have helped me get tips for my writting. Thanks again.
thank you for all the tips...to everyone ...............arigatou.............
it sure helpsme a lot....
well, i'm one of those..
i just want to ask if..i write my own book(novel) do i need to write every single details to make my story more appealing..?
i know that my story is interesting and other people says so....but i still want to know if it is required.
please help.