How to Get Published

by John Bowers

If you’re a writer, you were probably a reader first. Odds are you read all the time because you’re in love with the printed word. You’re so in love with it that reading it isn’t enough…you need to write it too.

So you’ve read hundreds of novels, maybe even thousands. But how many of them do you remember? How many can you name? How many can you cite, years after you read them, and tell me something about the plot? Probably not very many. And it’s the same with me.

We’ve all read books that entertained us for a few hours, but a week later we really couldn’t remember them. We moved on to the next novel, and the next, and each one briefly did its job-to entertain us-but then we forgot all about it. I’ve come across used books that look interesting and sometimes I’ll start to read one, only to discover after a few chapters that I’ve already read it-years ago! In an age of mass-market paperbacks only a very few rise to the level of “memorable”, but when we do find one we recognize pretty quickly that…this one is special. (more…)

by John Bowers

Nobody can write all the time. Most of us would like to, but in the real world we have jobs, families, and bills to pay. Given our obligations, few of us can devote the time to writing that we’d like, and finishing a project often takes us much longer than we prefer. Writing a novel entails several things: coming up with a story idea, identifying the characters, plotting the story, and writing it. All those things take time, and many things get in the way-work, family, social events, reading, watching TV…and writer’s block.

Writer’s block is a beast. It most often hits new writers who aren’t quite sure where their story is going, but it affects everyone at one time or another. You may be halfway through your novel, or right down to the final few chapters, and there it is-you’re staring at a blank computer screen with no idea what to write. Even if you outlined your book in advance, writer’s block can stare back at you from a blank page, baring its yellow fangs and snarling at you. And it’s frustrating. (more…)

A Rerun

By Al Kalar

If you wouldn’t write it and sign it, don’t say it.

Your book is cleaned up. You’ve created a masterpiece that will appeal to a targeted segment of readers (or who knows, a blockbuster best seller?). The first paragraph of your book “sings” and will hook the reader into a ride that won’t let him/her go until the last sentence.

So, how do you go about finding a publisher? (more…)

A Rerun

By Al Kalar

Three hints for making a speech:
Be sincere.
Be brief.
Be seated.

The battle is over and the dust is settling. The girl says, “yes”. The bad guy is busted by the cops. The rescuers break through to the survivors. The scam succeeds. So, now what happens?

If it happened to me, I’d be talking about it to anyone who’d listen for the next couple of years. I’d bore them to death.

Don’t. (more…)

A Rerun

By Al Kalar

Make your characters grow

The arc, or climax, in a story is the place where most of your accumulated problems come together. It’s the rescue, the big battle, the proposal where the girl says “yes”, landing the big job, getting away with the heist or getting caught. It’s usually the most dramatic scene (with the possible exception of the start) in the book.

For a non-fiction work, it may be where you tie all your lines of logic together, the proposal, or exposition of the consequences of what happened before in a history work. It’s the point towards which you were going with the front portion of your book. (more…)

A Rerun

By Al Kalar

We’re going to cover several topics today: plot development (the overall theme), introducing characters, character growth, and repeated words.

Plot development originally takes place when you outline your book. Sometimes the characters take over and alter your plans, but don’t let that stop you from at least trying to control the situation.

So, work within your plot plan when you can.

Develop the situation

The main reason for the middle of your yarn is to develop the situation(s) being faced by your main character(s). Everything here eventually leads to the climax (arc) of the story. (more…)

A Rerun

By Al Kalar

“The writer is a man who is paid per piece or per word or perhaps.”

Robert Benchley

Dialog

Many a good story dies because of poorly written dialog. It’s all the fault of your English teacher, so blame it on him/her if it makes you feel better.

People don’t speak the way we were taught to write (with a few exceptions). We use contractions, slang, and made-up words that would get an “F” on an English term paper. (more…)

A Rerun

by Al Kalar

A poet who reads his verse in public may have other nasty habits. -Lazarus Long

Setting

Every story takes place somewhere and some-when.

If you’re dealing with real places and real periods in the present or history, you’d best know everything you can about the topography, plant life, seasons, maps, and what is/was going on at that place/time. Research can be boring, but if you stumble here, hundreds of readers will take great delight in correcting you for your blunder.

Harry Turtledove is a history major and the publisher of several fine alternate history novels. He researches his stories meticulously. In spite of that, every now and then, his fans enjoy pointing out some small error he made in a book. Since he’s so careful, these incidents are not common, but they do happen.

Now, if Turtledove has this problem in spite of the fact that this is his area of expertise, how much more will you suffer if you mess up? You will, but do your best to create as few errors as possible. (more…)

A Rerun

by Al Kalar

“The bad guy is never a villain in his own eyes.”

There were some other things I wanted to address before we got here, but I noticed that we haven’t gotten into any of the “fun” stuff. So, I’ll skip a few things (we’ll get back to them) and get into the actual writing.

Every story needs to start somewhere. So does a report or a textbook.

Reports and textbooks should probably start out with the “tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em” (especially the report). However, if you can start out with a story, even if it’s just an anecdote, you’ll get more interest; especially from a bored student.

Unless you have a loyal following of fans, your start is going to help to sell your book or kill a sale. Remember, we’re learning how to write a “salable” book. If it won’t sell, you may as well go to a vanity press, have a few copies printed and give them to your friends and relatives. If you want to be a real-live “author” your stuff needs to sell. (more…)

A Rerun

By Al Kalar

“No battle plan survives contact with the enemy”. - Generalfeldmarschall Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

We’ll get back to this quote.

Fine. You know who your audience is, you can write well in your chosen language, and you know why you are writing your book (or pamphlet). Now we can start in on the elements of your story.

Developing Plot and characters

Mapping

Some authors know where they are going and how they plan to get there. These “super writers” can carry around a complicated plot in their heads along with all the twists and turns they intend to include.

But most of us in the mundane world of scrivening are better off if we make a “map” of our plot. (more…)