How to Get Published

by John Bowers

If you’re anything like me, nothing is more fun than writing a novel. Just the idea of starting a new one fills you with giddy anticipation, and you can hardly wait to get started. But once you begin, sometimes you run into problems you didn’t anticipate - how should my character react to this or that situation? Should he run or fight? Is he smart or dumb, assertive or indecisive? Does he know first aid? Can he handle a gun? Would he call the cops or take the law into his own hands? Is he smooth with the ladies or painfully shy? Can he dance? Can he swim? What color are his eyes?

These and many other details are important to your story, and if you haven’t answered those questions before you start writing, you can screech to a halt in a hurry. The problem may be that you haven’t defined your characters before you started writing, and without some ground rules you, the author, simply don’t know how they should react to given situations.

What you need, before you start writing, is backstory. (more…)

by Al Philipson

A good story often involves a number of details. Plots, people, and things that often come together at the end to produce the all-important climax.

Along the way, you’ll include a number of things which may or may not be important to the story. Keeping track of these things over the months it takes to write a novel can be daunting at best and impossible at worst, especially if, like me, you forget things easily (why did I come into this room?). (more…)

by Al Kalar

No matter what your political outlook, this is good material.

An author mentioned last Friday (10/2) that she uses current events as ideas for stories (she writes Fantasy). She was particularly hyped about the morning’s goings on.  Here’s my reply (slightly edited):

~~~~~

The Chicago Olympic fiasco is heating up as the media turns themselves inside out to spin it.

• It’s Daily’s fault.
• It’s Chicago’s fault.
• It’s a “good thing” for Obama because he’ll be distanced from all the corruption that will go on in Chicago (CNN).
• I’m waiting for them to blame Bush and Rush Limbaugh.

(more…)