Writing Right
Your writing will get better with every hour you spend doing. There will be days when it flows easily and there will be days when you feel frustrated and want to give up. The key is to persevere and write consistently and as much as you can. Do not worry about editing as you go, let your writing flow. There are basically three stages to writing a book.
1. Planning
2. Writing
3. Editing
The planning stage is when you map out your book, decide on your characters, create your outline and brainstorm your conflicts. Figure out your book in your head first, paper second and then come to book editing, re-write and edit and re-write until it is perfect. Make it sure too that this editing should be done only by a professional book editor. You will find your novel may not follow the original outline to the tee, this is okay. As you write, your characters will begin to take shape, develop and internal character traits will arise and build depth to your book. Write your outline to be the most page turning it can possibly be and then simply let it flow.
When you’re writing, the number one thing you need to remember is don’t worry about getting it perfect the first time. That’s what editing is for. The writing process is all about getting your mind into the world you’ve created, into your characters heads. When you’re writing, that’s the time to use your creative side of your brain, if a sentence isn’t grammatically perfect, don’t worry about it. If the prose isn’t quite perfect, don’t worry about it. If your spelling or punctuation leaves a lot to be desired, again don’t worry about it. This is when you just worry about having your story flow. Your first draft is simply a sketch that you will fill in and perfect later. Immerse yourself in your characters, the setting, problems, emotions and the beginning of a great novel will be born.
Your second draft is when you do a full read through. Here is when you bring your analytical part of your brain in while at the same time continuing to use the creative side as well. This is when your main purpose is to ensure that your novel flows properly, is the dialogue believable, are the characters full and vivid, and is the plot exciting and following a build up to an event, a conflict. Does the reader get lost within your world with rich, full descriptions or does the reader remain an outsider not quite becoming engrossed?
Is each character or situation consistent, does it have continuity? For example, does your character have a red sweater on one moment and a thick, furry jacket the next? Are the characters suddenly placed in another room without explanation? Does a character introduced at the beginning and described in great detail disappear never to reappear in your story, if so why were they introduced in the first place? Is there a large section of dialogue that adds nothing to your story? If so, get rid of it no matter how much in love you are with your great prose. If it doesn’t move your story forward, build your characters or enthrall your reader in the place, get rid of it. If you find your novel wandering aimlessly for ten pages, get rid of it. In conclusion don’t be afraid to cut if it doesn’t add to your novel, because if you don’t, your editor certainly will!
At the same time watch for areas that you need to add to. Is a main character described in great enough detail? Are you showing your reader a place or character or are you telling your reader? For example, stating that she is pretty is telling your reader, describing her long, curly locks that draped about her pearl white skin, her small perfectly upturned nose delicately placed upon my shoulder is showing your reader. This is one of the biggest mistakes that first time writers make. No matter how many times we have been told or have heard to show not tell, people still fall back to telling.
Also, watch for a consistent point of view that you’re writing from. For example are you writing as a third person looking in and then suddenly writing first person from one of your characters points of view? If you switch from the point of view from one character to the next make sure that the reader is moved seamlessly from one to the other. Don’t leave the reader wondering what has happened for a couple of pages before they suddenly realize that they’re inside another person’s head.
After you have read through your manuscript completely, leave it for a short period of time. Let your book drift from your mind and prepare for author website. You have been engrossed in the world you’ve created. What may seem obvious to you at the time may not actually come across in your writing to the reader. The world that you’ve created may be complete in your mind but is that same imagery being put across in your writing? Are your characters as full and vivid in your writing as you think they are? This is why you want to take a break from your novel before coming back to it for a final review. For some it may be a week, for others it could be a month. Decide what is right for you to be able to look at the manuscript with fresh eyes and an open mind.
This last read through is to ensure that your grammar is correct, the layout is correct, page numbers and chapters are correct, your book flows well and generally your manuscript is as good as it’s going to get in your mind. Once all this is done it is finally time to send your manuscript to an editor. This could take anywhere from a week to a month depending on the length of your book, the number of revisions it may need and how busy your editor is.
While your book editor is reading through your manuscript it’s a perfect time to spend on the marketing of your book. Ideally your marketing would begin three months before the release of your novel so depending on the fluency of your writing, your re-writing and your editor, you’ll be able to judge for yourself what your time-line should be. If your editor is going to take longer than a month to complete your manuscript, you should look for another editor. For a typical self publishers e-book, three months from sending your manuscript for a first edit and having it published is a realistic time-line.
When you get your manuscript back from your editor it will contain two edits. One will focus on grammar and punctuation and the second will critique your writing. Remember don’t take it personal. This simply is a critique of your writing not you as a person. An experienced book editor knows what sells, what your readers expect in a novel and what publishing house are looking for in a manuscript. Take your editors advice, discuss with them their thoughts on what needs to be re-written, what areas are lacking and what areas are well written. Your editor should tell you what you have done well as well as what you could use some work on. Remember, if you plan to be a writer, this is only your first book of many. You will continue to improve with each book and having an honest critique of your work is necessary.
You will continue to re-write and methodically go through each page of your manuscript until the final polish of your manuscript is done. All your prose is rich and full, your grammar, punctuation and spelling is perfect, your characters are lifelike and developed, your plot is compelling and moves the reader along, your story is rife with conflict and resolution and your readers are left immersed in a world you’ve created and a cast of characters that are deep with emotion and personality.
Congratulations, you’ve written your great Opus, the book you’ve had hidden within you, the next best seller. Now it’s time to let everyone know about it. Before you rush out and print off ten thousand copies to be ready for the ensuing rush of orders you’re bound to receive, stop. It’s time to market your book and unless it’s done right you’re going to be the only person that knows it exists.
Rick Momsen is CEO of Pegasus Publishing and author of The Complete E-book Marketing and Publishing Guide
1. Planning
2. Writing
3. Editing
The planning stage is when you map out your book, decide on your characters, create your outline and brainstorm your conflicts. Figure out your book in your head first, paper second and then come to book editing, re-write and edit and re-write until it is perfect. Make it sure too that this editing should be done only by a professional book editor. You will find your novel may not follow the original outline to the tee, this is okay. As you write, your characters will begin to take shape, develop and internal character traits will arise and build depth to your book. Write your outline to be the most page turning it can possibly be and then simply let it flow.
When you’re writing, the number one thing you need to remember is don’t worry about getting it perfect the first time. That’s what editing is for. The writing process is all about getting your mind into the world you’ve created, into your characters heads. When you’re writing, that’s the time to use your creative side of your brain, if a sentence isn’t grammatically perfect, don’t worry about it. If the prose isn’t quite perfect, don’t worry about it. If your spelling or punctuation leaves a lot to be desired, again don’t worry about it. This is when you just worry about having your story flow. Your first draft is simply a sketch that you will fill in and perfect later. Immerse yourself in your characters, the setting, problems, emotions and the beginning of a great novel will be born.
Your second draft is when you do a full read through. Here is when you bring your analytical part of your brain in while at the same time continuing to use the creative side as well. This is when your main purpose is to ensure that your novel flows properly, is the dialogue believable, are the characters full and vivid, and is the plot exciting and following a build up to an event, a conflict. Does the reader get lost within your world with rich, full descriptions or does the reader remain an outsider not quite becoming engrossed?
Is each character or situation consistent, does it have continuity? For example, does your character have a red sweater on one moment and a thick, furry jacket the next? Are the characters suddenly placed in another room without explanation? Does a character introduced at the beginning and described in great detail disappear never to reappear in your story, if so why were they introduced in the first place? Is there a large section of dialogue that adds nothing to your story? If so, get rid of it no matter how much in love you are with your great prose. If it doesn’t move your story forward, build your characters or enthrall your reader in the place, get rid of it. If you find your novel wandering aimlessly for ten pages, get rid of it. In conclusion don’t be afraid to cut if it doesn’t add to your novel, because if you don’t, your editor certainly will!
At the same time watch for areas that you need to add to. Is a main character described in great enough detail? Are you showing your reader a place or character or are you telling your reader? For example, stating that she is pretty is telling your reader, describing her long, curly locks that draped about her pearl white skin, her small perfectly upturned nose delicately placed upon my shoulder is showing your reader. This is one of the biggest mistakes that first time writers make. No matter how many times we have been told or have heard to show not tell, people still fall back to telling.
Also, watch for a consistent point of view that you’re writing from. For example are you writing as a third person looking in and then suddenly writing first person from one of your characters points of view? If you switch from the point of view from one character to the next make sure that the reader is moved seamlessly from one to the other. Don’t leave the reader wondering what has happened for a couple of pages before they suddenly realize that they’re inside another person’s head.
After you have read through your manuscript completely, leave it for a short period of time. Let your book drift from your mind and prepare for author website. You have been engrossed in the world you’ve created. What may seem obvious to you at the time may not actually come across in your writing to the reader. The world that you’ve created may be complete in your mind but is that same imagery being put across in your writing? Are your characters as full and vivid in your writing as you think they are? This is why you want to take a break from your novel before coming back to it for a final review. For some it may be a week, for others it could be a month. Decide what is right for you to be able to look at the manuscript with fresh eyes and an open mind.
This last read through is to ensure that your grammar is correct, the layout is correct, page numbers and chapters are correct, your book flows well and generally your manuscript is as good as it’s going to get in your mind. Once all this is done it is finally time to send your manuscript to an editor. This could take anywhere from a week to a month depending on the length of your book, the number of revisions it may need and how busy your editor is.
While your book editor is reading through your manuscript it’s a perfect time to spend on the marketing of your book. Ideally your marketing would begin three months before the release of your novel so depending on the fluency of your writing, your re-writing and your editor, you’ll be able to judge for yourself what your time-line should be. If your editor is going to take longer than a month to complete your manuscript, you should look for another editor. For a typical self publishers e-book, three months from sending your manuscript for a first edit and having it published is a realistic time-line.
When you get your manuscript back from your editor it will contain two edits. One will focus on grammar and punctuation and the second will critique your writing. Remember don’t take it personal. This simply is a critique of your writing not you as a person. An experienced book editor knows what sells, what your readers expect in a novel and what publishing house are looking for in a manuscript. Take your editors advice, discuss with them their thoughts on what needs to be re-written, what areas are lacking and what areas are well written. Your editor should tell you what you have done well as well as what you could use some work on. Remember, if you plan to be a writer, this is only your first book of many. You will continue to improve with each book and having an honest critique of your work is necessary.
You will continue to re-write and methodically go through each page of your manuscript until the final polish of your manuscript is done. All your prose is rich and full, your grammar, punctuation and spelling is perfect, your characters are lifelike and developed, your plot is compelling and moves the reader along, your story is rife with conflict and resolution and your readers are left immersed in a world you’ve created and a cast of characters that are deep with emotion and personality.
Congratulations, you’ve written your great Opus, the book you’ve had hidden within you, the next best seller. Now it’s time to let everyone know about it. Before you rush out and print off ten thousand copies to be ready for the ensuing rush of orders you’re bound to receive, stop. It’s time to market your book and unless it’s done right you’re going to be the only person that knows it exists.
Rick Momsen is CEO of Pegasus Publishing and author of The Complete E-book Marketing and Publishing Guide