Setting up Your Novel by Jo Wilkins

Every author has an idea swirling in their head that they think about non-stop. It consumes their every thought. They talk about the storyline to everyone who will listen, and they think it will make a killer book and eventually a blockbuster movie. So, where do you start? How do you go from concept to a salable product?

In the construction of any idea, there are things an author must consider. To sell a product to a publisher, consider a few techniques that help the reader understand the work.

Keep your writing within certain parameters. The American audience wants a story that moves swiftly and brings them into the plight of the main character as soon as possible. It should make the reader care about the character’s plight and root for that character’s success overcoming the obstacles set before him in the plot. The reader must also see the story from the eyes of only one character at a time. Make the characters interesting and each one needs a real purpose within the plot.

So, the first thing to do is to organize the material floating around your brain. There are several methods to organizing a story. One is to use a process taught in most college English and logic classes. This process is taught under more than one descriptive name: Clustering, Mind Mapping, and the Bubble method. This way of fleshing out a concept into specifics is used by millions. Creative writing teachers teach them in many forms, but any way you use this technique, it will help bring your ideas into a cohesive order and allow you to put together a workable outline for your story.  

To do this, you should start with a large sheet of paper, the bigger the better (I use a sheet 24" by 30" for my students to doodle on in class). Place a small circle in the middle of the sheet, make it just big enough to hold your working title or the theme of the story. This allows you to expand on the thoughts you have treasured for so long. You can now build on those ideas fleshing them into a complete story your reader will enjoy sharing with the characters you develop.

Developing the plot in this way allows you to free-write your way from ideas to concept. I have included sample diagrams at the end of the piece that will show the concept of bubbling. The examples show how to use the method with storyline, setting, and/or a character analysis.

When adding information on each of these bubble sheets free your mind and add everything you can think of to define the object of the diagram. Put down everything that will define the concept you are expanding on. You may not use everything you put down, but you don't want to lose an idea until you have the story defined.

Why are even small ideas significant? After a second look, what looks insignificant may turn out key to plot movement. The more you, the author, know about the plot, the character, or the scene you are constructing, the better picture you can paint for the reader. And, remember, it is the responsibility of the author to use your pen as a paint brush to paint a picture so vivid the reader sees the same image the author has in his mind. If the author blocks the reader from what’s in his mind by writing in vague passive voice, the reader will fill in the gaps. They will relate the plot events to their own world, making the reader the director of the author's story.

Second, consider choosing whose point of view (P.O.V.) will tell the story. Choosing the wrong P.O.V. (or choosing too many) can make or break a story. You, as the author, are the only one who can make this decision. Will you tell the story in first person, from the mind of your main character? Look at how Susanne Collins put her readers into Katniss' head to live the Hunger Games with the character. Or, maybe you could have your readers live the duality in Stephanie Myer's character, Melanie/Wanderer, portrayed in The Host.

You could also choose to write your story in third person (the he said ─ she said experience) as in the Nikki Heat series. Third person stories not only tell the story in abstract, but they show it from the character's P.O.V.

A lot of authors don't understand P.O.V. in its purest form. But to bring it down to basics, choose one character (the P.O.V. character) for an entire story or just one scene. The reader should experience the inner feelings of this character only. The main character can see indecision, fear, or happiness in the other characters, but the other characters can express their feelings only through dialogue.

There are types of P.O.V, to consider other than first or third person. Second person is where the author talks directly to the reader as I am in this piece. Omniscient (The least salable P.O.V. you can write in) is where someone outside of the story is telling the reader what they need to know about the character's or the plot. This only works if you establish the storyteller as a character, the narrator.

Of all of these P.O.V's, agent's and publishers consider the third person the most saleable, although, lately, the first-person novel has made a comeback. Whatever P.O.V. you select, if you write from your heart and construct an intriguing, intricate plot, you can make it something that will catch an agent's or publisher's attention.

More Than Just a Villain by Janelle Evans

All books need an antagonist or villain—they add tension and often are the cause of motivation to our protagonist. But often writers forget to give them as much depth as their protagonist. A villain who is bad just because he wants to be bad is a very boring bad guy. Think in terms of real life when considering antagonist. It’s all about perception, and you see it everywhere.

You might be liked by one person and hated by another. Maybe that person who hates you is justified in how they feel, but the wrong you did to them was out of a great need you can’t express at this time. You could feel torn about what you’ve done, but the secret of why this must be kept isn’t yours to share.

This is just one example, and I’m not saying every antagonist should be a misunderstood good guy either. Let’s face it—being cruel is a human condition. But even the meanest people have their reasons. As a writer you need to have those reasons fleshed out. Even if you never share them with your readers, it will help give authenticity and consistency to your antagonist as you write. Remember the best protagonist have a strong antagonist to face. Take the time to make that antagonist unforgettable.

Platforms, What They Are and Why You Need One By Denice Whitmore

New authors often hear that they need a platform in order to sell their book. This is often a new concept. What is a platform? Your platform is how you present your expertise on the topic you write about. Say you write a book on budgeting. Do you have a degree in finance? Are you sharing how you overcame your budgeting mishaps and now live a debt free, frugal life? What in your experience makes you qualified to give advice on this topic?

A platform is not just your experience in a field; it’s how you present your expertise to the public. Do you have a website with thousands of followers? Do you write a weekly blog? Do you have a YouTube channel with videos? How much social media do you do in relation to your chosen topic? All these things get your name out there and lend to your experience. They give people a reason to listen to your advice. When you have established your online presence as an expert in your field, you have built a readymade audience for the book you want to write. If people already follow your blog, follow your tweets, join your Facebook group, they will be excited to buy your book.

This works for fiction as well as non-fiction. On July 15, 2018 NewLink Publishing released Ghost of a Chance: a SEEK Team Investigation, By Sharon Day. This book is about a team of ghost hunters led by a psychic. Sharon has a website dedicated to ghost hunting, Bigfoot searches, and all things paranormal. She writes a blog, has self-published books in the past, and we are excited to release her first traditionally published book. She has built a ready-made audience for her new book release. She has put a lot of time and effort into building her platform and it is paying off. Check out her website at www.ghosthuntingtheories.com.

So, before you think about writing a book, think about getting your name out there. This pre-marketing strategy could even help your book get picked up by a reputable publisher. Give it some thought. Build your platform and get your name out there. It will pay off in the long run.

Keep writing!

Three Ways to Raise Your Novels Ability to Entertain by Janelle Evans

Writing a book is hard. Writing a book someone else would actually enjoy reading is even harder. Trust me, my love of reading has led me to many a stinker. Some of those were supposed to be New York Best-Selling, so not even well-known authors are immune to bad story telling. In hopes to improve writers everywhere, here are three things that keep a reader captive.

1.      Don’t start your story with giving the readers a ton of backstory. It’s a mistake that will have readers closing a book faster than anything else. Yes, all characters have a backstory, but SO WHAT! People in real life have backstories, too. People don’t generally go around wanting to here another person’s history without spending some time with them first. So, give your reader a character in an opening scenario that grabs their interest.

2.      Keep your sentences tight. This goes way beyond the passive verbs “was” or “to be.” Crazy long sentences with flowery descriptions or lists drags the pace of any story. Stick to the point, and as I’ve said a thousand times, build the world around your character as you go. Not every inch of a place has to be described, only the parts pertinent to the story.

3.      Don’t make your reader wonder who is speaking. Snappy dialogue can go a long way in keeping a reader interested. But if they have to reread sections twice just to figure out who’s speaking, you will lose them.

Remember, your goal is to achieve a seamless effect, where your story is so easy to read and understand, it’s as if the words on the page disappear. Great writers aren’t searching for praise on their word choices and sentence structures. An author’s ability to write is self-evident by the enjoyment others get by reading their work.