Have you been wanting to write a novel for a long time but don't know where to start? The beginning of a book is often the hardest part of the job, but getting it right is essential. The beginning of the novel should set the tone for the entire book and engage the reader, but it should not contain too much new information, and the plot should not develop rapidly. In this article, we provide some tips to help you write the beginning of your next novel.

Steps

Story development

Find a source of inspiration. Almost all novels begin with inspiration. Perhaps you have come up with a great character, an original place, or an unusual problem that you want to tell about in the novel. Whatever the idea, the novel can be built around it.

• Write about what you already know, or at least about what you are interested in learning new things about. If you want to write a novel about Russia in the 17th century but don't know anything about that period or Russian culture, you might be better off choosing a different topic.
• Pick a place, topic, or culture that you are familiar with. Books are more personal if the author knows something about the topic from experience.

1. Sketch out lots of ideas. Before you move on to writing the first chapter, you will need to sketch out as many ideas as you can. This initial stage of work will allow you to see the idea of ​​the novel as a whole.

   • What is the essence of the novel? Do you want it to be entertaining, or are you trying to talk about some political or moral issue?
   • Who is your target audience? Who are you talking to in your book?
   • What will the genre be like? Will it be a romance novel, family drama, sci-fi, crime novel, youth literature, or a book that combines elements from different genres?

2. Think of heroes. It's not worth telling everything about the characters on the first pages, but in order to better understand the actions of the characters, you need to think through their stories. Write down the history of each of the characters. Try to answer the following questions:

   • Where is this hero from?
   • How was he brought up?
   • What does he appreciate?
   • What does he hate?
   • What does he look like? He speaks? Behaves?
   • What is the conflict of this hero? How can he solve this problem?

3. Describe the location. There may be many or few descriptions, but they must be present in any case. Before you get started, ask yourself the following questions:

   • Where does the action usually take place in books of this genre?
   • What mood will set the place? How can you achieve the desired effect?
   • Is this place real or fictional? Is it a city or a rural area? Is it a big city or a small one?
   • What cities, towns, roads and structures are nearby?
   • Do I need to explore this place to learn more about it?

4. Make a plan. At this stage, you will need to combine all the sketches to get a coherent story. Not all of the ideas you have right away will make it into the book, so now you need to figure out what works and what doesn't, and what the structure of the novel should be.

   • You can draw a diagram on a board or a large sheet of paper, or you can do it on a computer. If you write on the board, don't forget to take a good photo of the board at the end - you don't want all your work to be accidentally destroyed.
   • Start by selecting heroes. All the characters that appear several times in the book must be taken into account on the plan. Write their names and brief descriptions. For example, you can include age, gender, important physical characteristics, and role in the novel.
   • Make a list of all the chapters and write what happens in them. It is not necessary to write in too much detail, but it is worth pointing out the key points that are based on the events of the previous chapters.

   Getting Started with Text

   1. Decide on a style. You can start with a dream, a conversation, or a description of the scene or characters. Sometimes novels begin immediately with action. Whatever you choose, it's important that the style, tone, and emphasis of the introduction matches the rest of the text.

      Start writing. When you start writing your first draft, remember that it doesn't have to be perfect. That's why it's called a draft!

      Enter some important heroes. At the beginning of the novel, you should tell the reader what characters he will meet and introduce them to the main character. This will allow the reader to immediately understand what the plot is based on.

      • Don't spend too much time describing the appearance of the characters. A few phrases will be enough for the reader to form an image. It is important to remember, however, that readers become attached to characters when they present them in their own way. For example, if you say that a character is handsome, the reader will present him as he imagines a handsome person to be. If you write that the character has a sharp, protruding chin, the reader may find it ugly and make it harder for them to get used to the character. If there are too many details, the reader will not be able to get close to the character.
      • Don't feel like you have to describe the characters in detail right away. Leave interesting information for later. Give as much information about the characters as needed to advance the plot. Let them be a little mysterious.
      • Remember that you don’t need to describe everyone at once, otherwise the reader will get confused in the descriptions.

   2. Engage the reader in a problem or dilemma that will be traced to the end of the book. Many aspiring writers spend too much time describing the setting and the characters, which tires the readers. After describing the place and a couple of characters, move on to a problem, dilemma, or hint that a problem may soon arise. This will help you keep the reader's attention.

      • Hint at a possible direction for the plot. At the beginning of the novel, there should be a hint (but not a direct indication) of how the plot will develop and what will await the reader if he decides to read the entire novel. You will need to intrigue the reader.

   3. Write meaningfully. The introduction should be connected to the rest of the novel, and not just describe the backstory and context. Let the introduction be important! Each chapter, including the first, should be a piece of the puzzle.

      • If the problem you write about in the first chapter resolves fairly quickly, come up with another more difficult problem. You can also make the introduction more mysterious so that the reader does not immediately guess what will happen next.

      Common mistakes

      1. Don't give out too much information at once. At the beginning of the novel, the place should be described and information given that will arouse the reader's interest. Don't give away all the important information now - you just need to keep readers interested.

         Avoid cliches. This advice may seem obvious, but clichés in the introduction and character descriptions often lead readers to abandon books. There are exceptions to all rules, but the most common ones are:

         Keep your introduction short. The introduction should be as short as possible. If possible, start describing the conflict on the first page. Do not force the reader to overcome 50-100 pages in search of interesting things.

The novel is a prose narrative literary genre that reflects a fictional reality, revealing the deep layers of human life. No matter what type of novel you want to write - literary or commercial, romantic or science fiction, war epic or family drama - you will need limitless creative energy and the ability to express yourself through your novel, patience to carry out your intention, because the creation of a novel - this is a painstaking and lengthy process that requires special perseverance and consistency in the process of editing and finalizing.

Steps

Creating a fictional world

1. Inspiration. Writing a novel is a creative process and you never know when a good idea might hit you. Therefore, you should always be fully equipped and carry a notebook and pen with you so that you can write down ideas as they arise. You can feel inspired during your morning commute, or over a cup of coffee. Inspiration is unpredictable, so listen to your thoughts and try to get them on paper so you don't forget.

   • To be a writer, you need to be in a state of inspiration as long as possible. Sometimes, writers find it difficult to generate ideas. Almost all writers face this problem, and inspiration is the best way to solve it.
   • The source of inspiration does not have to be books. It could be a TV show, a movie, or even a visit to an exhibition or art gallery. Inspiration comes in endless forms!
   • Use your laptop to write down whatever comes to mind. It can be notes describing your observations, a few paragraphs, or even just fragmentary sentences that will later form the basis of your novel.
   • Try to think about all the stories you've heard from people you know and love, from your great-grandmother's stories to TV news stories and even your childhood memories.
   • Try to think about an event that happened in childhood or in the recent past, which for some reason stuck in your memory. It could be the mysterious death of a woman in your town, your neighbor's strange pet addiction, or your trip to London that you keep thinking about. For example, the famous scene when the colonel, before being shot, recalls how his father took him to look at the ice from the novel One hundred years of solitude was based on childhood memories of Marquez.
   • Some say that "you need to write about what you know well." Others feel that you should "write about what you don't know". Come up with or invent something from your own life that does not leave you indifferent, that excites you, awakens your inspiration, interests you, turns you on and try to develop this theme in more detail in the novel.

2. Choose a genre. Not all novels are clearly categorized, but it is very helpful to determine from the very beginning what genre your work will fall into and what audience it will be aimed at. Try to read as many classics of the chosen genre as possible. This will give you an idea of ​​how to build a novel according to existing standards. And if you have not settled on a specific genre yet or are going to create something new, located at the intersection of different genres, then you will simply need to study all these styles and their characteristic features. Let's consider several possible options:

   • The novel is a literary work imbued with a deep understanding of life, symbolism, which uses complex literary techniques. Try to read more of the classic works of great novelists, guided by the list of "The 100 Greatest Books of World Literature" according to The Guardian newspaper, and include "100 Greatest Novels of All Time" .
   • Commercial (or tabloid) novels are created to entertain the audience on the one hand, and on the other hand, with the expectation of selling the maximum number of copies in a wide genre range, from science fiction, mysticism and fantasy, to thrillers, romance or historical novels. Many novels of this type are serialized and have predictable endings.
   • There is no clear line between commercial and non-commercial novels. Many science fiction and thriller writers have created complex and profound works that can rightly be considered gems of classical literature. Just because a novel is popular doesn't mean it's low-brow and part of pop culture.
   • You just need to read as much as possible of the literature of the genre in which you are going to write your novel. This will allow you to get a complete picture of the traditions, rules and style of the genre in which you intend to fulfill yourself and will help you in your work.

3. Consider the situation. After choosing a genre, you need to move on to choosing a place that should not be limited to the city or village. It's all about your imagination, which is limitless and can bring characters outside the universe. The right choice of setting will determine the mood and tone of your novel, and serve as the setting against which the plot will unfold. Think carefully about the following questions:

   • Will the events of the novel unfold in a setting you know well?
   • On what time continuum is the plot of your novel based? In the past, present or future?
   • Will the events of your novel unfold on Earth, or in space?
   • Will the events take place in one city or district, or in several places?
   • Determine the time range of your story: month, year, decade, etc.?
   • Will the ending be optimistic, or will the novel be full of pessimism?

4. Think of characters. The most important and basic will be the main character, who should be as specific as possible, with recognizable features and worldview. The main characters don't have to be positive, but they do need to be related to each other and described in a way that makes them memorable. The reader must somehow associate himself with the main characters, find common ground with them. This is what attracts readers to literature.

   • Remember that characters don't have to be likable, but they do have to be interesting. For example, Humbert from the novel "Lolita", which may cause contempt, but he somehow attracts and his personality is interesting to readers.
   • A novel should have several main characters. Don't be limited to just one. Interest is the same event, told from different points of view.
   • Secondary characters are designed to reveal and strengthen the personality of the main character, showing the environment in which he exists, in which he was formed as a person. Think about how you want the main characters to be when you surround them with supporting characters.
   • At the same time, all the characters in your novel do not have to be fixed from the very beginning. They may appear in the course of writing a novel, as you create your creation. Sometimes it happens that you start writing about someone who you think is the main character, but he gradually fades into the background, making way for another character. It all depends on your inner voice and inspiration. Trust him.
   • Many writers write off their heroes from real people, trying to imagine themselves in their place, even for a while mentally turning into their heroes. Your characters must be detailed and must exist in your mind as if they were alive. Then the reader will have a similar feeling that they see them with their mind's eye.

5. Write down the plot. Most novels, regardless of genre or style, are based on some kind of conflict that escalates to a climax and climax, and then resolves into a denouement. This, however, does not mean at all that all novels should end with a happy ending. Rather, the conflict helps to fully reveal the character of the characters, motivating their behavior throughout your novel.

   • There are no ready-made formulas for plot construction. Although there is one win-win option, according to the scheme, exposition, plot, development, climax, denouement and post-position, prologue and epilogue (optional).
   • You can also start with the main conflict and work backwards to show exactly why the conflict arose. For example, you might start with a girl returning home from her father's funeral and the reader taking a journey in a kind of time machine, gradually immersing herself in the events leading up to her father's death.
   • Similarly, the conflict does not have to be resolved. You can end the novel with ellipsis, leaving a certain veil of understatement. This is a very interesting take.
   • The main thing is that the novel should not be primitive and predictable. You can start the story in the present, then move to the future, periodically sending readers to the past, or start in the past, then move to the future and end the action in the present. A good such "non-linear" novel is Julio Cortazar's "Hopscotch" (The Hopscotch Game).
   • Reread some of your favorite novels and try to identify what type of plot they are. Follow how the events in the novel unfold and notice how much more interesting it is to read novels with non-linear plots.

6. Decide on whose behalf the story will be told. Novels are usually written in the third or first person, although sometimes there are works written in the second person or in a combination. If you've settled on first-person, then you should tell everything as if you were one of the characters, using the pronouns "I" and "We". Second-person narratives also give the impression that the author is a character, but the pronouns "You" and "You" are used. A striking example of such a story is the works of Yevgeny Grishkovets. And, finally, third-person narration allows you to be completely free, not limited by linguistic boundaries, use symbols and be, as it were, an outside observer.

   • It is not at all necessary to decide from the very beginning on whose behalf the narration will be conducted. You can write the first sentence, even several paragraphs or chapters, before you know which style is best for you.
   • There are no rigid bindings between the style of the novel and the method of narration. But if you are writing a massive, monumental, panoramic novel with a wide range of multiple characters, then third-person narration can be very handy and allows for the use of symbols, digressions, and similar literary devices.

7. You can start from scratch. Although sometimes it is useful to first come up with a plot, determine for yourself the characters, heroes and the place where the event will unfold. However, this is not a necessary preparatory procedure. if you start obsessing over preparation, you can get bogged down in details and minutiae without moving forward. Try to follow your inspiration, which may come from an overheard conversation at the grocery store, a historical fact, or a grandmother's story. This may be quite enough to start writing a novel, using this fact as the end of a thread in a ball, which you will gradually unwind, involving readers in a whirlwind of events.

   • If you spend too much time on the preparatory stage, trying to think through everything to the smallest detail, then you will simply stifle your inspiration, squandering your full potential before you even start writing a novel.

   Drafting a novel

   1. First of all, make a plan or outline. Every writer has his own system of writing an outline. Creating a plan will help you identify the main ideas and identify a chain of intermediate goals that will lead you to the implementation of the final result. But if you prefer to write based solely on inspiration, then you can safely rely on your intuition until you find that you need to organize your writing in some way. All in your hands.

      • Your plan should not be too straight forward. You can make brief character sketches of all the characters, or create so-called Euler-Venn diagrams, which will visually show the common areas in which the interests of different characters intersect.
      • Don't try to blindly follow your plan. Its function is to organize the creative process in a certain way, to give it a gradient that will give a certain acceleration to the process of creating a novel. The plan can be changed at any time.
      • Sometimes the plan is much more useful in the later stages of writing a novel, turning into a kind of second wind if writing has reached a dead end. Using the plan in this case, you can better understand the structure of the novel, where to go next, what is better to cut and where something needs to be added.

   2. Try to organize the process of writing a novel in the best possible way. Allocate a specific place and time where and when you will work on your novel. It all depends on your priorities and preferences and you can do it at any time convenient for you. The most important thing to understand is that writing a novel is painstaking and difficult work, and that inspiration comes only in the process, and not while idlely waiting for a mythical insight.

      • If possible, arrange a workspace that will make you feel most comfortable and that will most favor your creativity, without distractions. Make sure you have a chair and a desk that won't cause back pain if you work long hours. Remember that writing a novel is a lengthy process, often taking several months.
      • Some prefer to have a snack while working, others drink coffee or tea. Try to determine what exactly your body needs for the most productive work: a hearty breakfast or, on the contrary, a light dinner. Again, everything is purely individual.

   3. Do your own research. Try to learn as much as you can about the subject and object of your novel. Study the era you are writing about, the culture of the countries and traditions of the peoples mentioned in the novel, and so on). If you are writing a science fiction novel, then try to understand the essence of scientific concepts, read the works of futurologists. You will need a little less study effort if you are writing a novel based on real events in your life, but in any case, accuracy and plausibility are welcome.

      • Go to the library. There you can find a lot of interesting unique books and, in addition, the library is very convenient to work on writing a book.
      • Communicate with interesting and knowledgeable people in the matter that interests you. If you cannot find the necessary literature even in the library, then contact knowledgeable people who can advise you. Prepare the necessary questions in advance.
      • Sometimes the learning process may include reading other novels that are similar to the one you are working on. For example, if you are writing a World War II novel with a French army soldier as the main character, read other novels written on the subject from a different perspective. On the one hand, this will avoid repetition, and on the other hand, it will enrich you with new information.
      • Studying the material can also affect the scope and content of your novel. It is quite possible that in the process of studying you will have new storylines, or even entire chapters that complement the image of the main character.

   4. Write the first draft of the novel. When you feel that you are ready to get to work, do not delay it, immediately take on writing a novel. Do not worry about the imperfection of the language, since this is only a draft, which will subsequently be polished and finalized. Write without self-criticism. The first draft doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be done. Remember that this is a blank, which, however, is quite possibly the most convincing version.

      • Get in the habit of writing every single day. The bigger, the better. You need to understand what you are doing. Many remarkable writers remain unnoticed and unknown only because they did not bother to bring the matter to its logical conclusion and write, as they say, in a box.
      • Set intermediate goals for yourself: write a chapter, a few pages, or a certain number of words each day. This will push you to be productive on a regular basis.
      • In addition, you can set long-term goals for yourself. For example, to finish writing the first draft draft in a year, or in six months. Define an "End Date" and stick to it.

      Novel editing

      1. You can write as many draft versions of the novel as you like. If you are lucky, you will be able to achieve the desired result in three visits. And, perhaps, to achieve the necessary credibility, you will need more than a dozen different versions. It is very important to stop in time and first independently evaluate what was written, and then consult with others if it is difficult for you to decide whether the novel is ready, or it makes sense to continue working. But if you rush and show the novel to others too early, then you risk losing inspiration. Once you've written enough drafts, you can start editing.

         • When Hemingway was asked what was the most difficult part of writing A Farewell to Arms (after rewriting it thirty-nine times), he replied, "Getting the words right."
         • After you've written the first version, take a break, take a break from the novel for a few weeks or even a few months, and try to relax and read your creation as if you were a reader. What parts require detailing and additional explanations? Which parts are too long and boring?
         • Experience shows that if you skip sections that are too long and boring while reading, then ordinary readers will do the same. Think about how you can make the novel more appealing to readers by shortening or editing some of the oversized parts.
         • Each new draft or new revision may address one or more specific deficiencies. For example, you could write one completely new variation focusing on what will make it more engaging for the reader, and write another variation to refine and improve the storyline. The third version may be aimed at polishing the central part of the novel.
         • Repeat the process of creating edited versions over and over again until you have text that you can proudly show to others. This may take a few months or a few years, but it certainly needs to be done. Stock up on patience.

      2. Practice your editing skills. When you feel that you have achieved perfection, proceed to the next stage - to reduce paragraphs or uninteresting sentences, from standard or repetitive phrases, or simply streamline the lexical structure of the text. You don't have to edit and change every phrase - you'll have to change them in later revisions anyway. Stick to the general line of editing until you achieve the desired result.

         • Print out your novel and read it aloud. Delete or revise anything that seems wrong to you.
         • Do not skimp on deleting paragraphs or entire chapters from the text. Get rid of everything superfluous. remember the proverb: "what is written with a pen cannot be cut down with an ax." In the sense that you can always use blocks that are unnecessary in this context in other texts.

      3. Show the printed text to other people. Start with a manuscript that you can trust and trust in people, and only then proceed to familiarize other readers with the novel. However, you will have to face a situation where family and friends will not be completely frank with you, leaving their feedback, because they do not want to hurt you with their criticism. Therefore, it is recommended to resort to one of the following options:

         • Sign up for writing workshops at colleges and educational centers. The program of seminars includes acquaintance with new works written by other writers, as well as discussion and careful analysis of the read works. Here you can get a full-fledged healthy criticism of your work.
         • Organize a writers' club. If you know other people who also write novels, you can arrange regular meetings with them to discuss and exchange experiences.
         • Don't take all criticism at face value. Listen to a few critics before making your final decision.
         • If you're thinking about writing novels and you feel like it could be your life's work, try to get a professional university degree in fiction. You will not only receive the necessary knowledge from the best experts in the field of literature and art, but you will also be able to get a detailed review and analysis of your work.

      4. Try to publish your novel. Many aspiring writers perceive their creation as a touchstone, the first pancake, which is lumpy, and do not even dare to send it to publishers. However, if you feel confident enough in your abilities, you can turn to a traditional book publisher, an electronic online publisher, or resort to the services of

         • If you decide to go the traditional route, it is very helpful to find a literary agent who will present your novel to various publishers. To do this, you will need to make an application to a special organization with an annotation of your manuscript.
         • As for samizdat, there are a lot of companies providing print services, and they all have different levels and different specializations. Carefully read the product samples and only then choose what suits you best.
         • And if you do not want to publish your novel, then you can postpone work, take a break and, with a sense of accomplishment to yourself, start writing a new work.
      • If you do not know how to continue the work you have begun, in which direction to develop the plot, imagine one of your characters standing behind your back and telling you what to do next.
      • Write about what you like, let your imagination run wild. For example, if you are a sci-fi lover, then you might not like the idea of ​​writing a historical novel.
      • "It is far better to write for yourself and have your work published than to write for publication and read your own novel." Write how you like, enjoy the process, without thinking about the opinion of the critics. Believe me, the readership is vast and diverse, and there is always a chance that if a work is written from the heart, sincerely, with love and interesting, then it will find its niche.
      • Read a lot of books (especially those related to your chosen genre or the topic of your novel). Read before you start, during and after you finish. This is very helpful and efficient.
      • Do not forget that your characters and heroes should be interesting, different and with life positions different from your own. Nobody wants another Mary Sue, and although readers may accept some repetition, the author of a new novel should avoid it and strive for variety and originality.
      • Don't wait for inspiration. It doesn't come out of nowhere. Writing is like digestion, if you haven't eaten anything, the system doesn't work. For example, do you know when a writer suddenly has an idea, seemingly out of nowhere? When he has certain accumulations of observations, rotating and processing in the subconscious, and jumping out in the form of an idea, taking on a verbal form. This may seem spontaneous, but it actually works 100% because such ideas are always original and interesting.
      • There are many different applications (eg Google Keep, Astrid Tasks) for smartphones, tablets, iPods that can be very useful for jotting down and documenting these random ideas wherever they take you. For some mobile devices, even suites or word office suites have been developed that allow you to write on the go.
      • Take some time to select music that can be a source of inspiration, creating a special atmosphere and emotions that are in tune with your storytelling. Listen to your music library, trying to catch the desired intonation. Make a list of songs and musical compositions that fit into the concept of your novel or short story, like a movie soundtrack. This will help add the necessary emotional notes to the novel. Also, you can try to write a chapter or part of it, trying to verbalize your feelings and emotions that come from listening to this music.
      • After some time after starting work, you should feel how well you are doing all this, how much writing a novel captures your imagination and captivates. If you don't feel it right away, keep trying different variations. Sometimes it helps to listen to music not while writing a novel, but during breaks. Good and well-chosen music can become a kind of generator of ideas about the storyline, adding new colors and rhythm to your work.
      • Start keeping a diary, get a notebook or notebook in which you can write down all your current thoughts. This is great for developing writing skills. Remember that this is your novel and if you want to radically change its subject, then feel free to do it, change the storyline from the war in the Middle East to the conflict in high school. This can be done at any stage of writing a novel. Therefore, before starting a novel, make sure that what you are going to tell is really interesting to you.
      • Adhere to the principle of "not a day without a page", regardless of the presence of inspiration.
      • If you're having trouble developing a realistic character from your novel, here's what you can do: Communicate constantly in your mind with him. Wherever you are: in the grocery store, at work, in the mall, or even on the street, imagine that this character is with you and how he would behave in this or that particular situation. At the same time, note to yourself what they would do in the same way as you and how your behavior would differ.
      • Sometimes everything is perfect in a character, except for his name, which suits him like a saddle for a cow. Buy a book for future parents, in which you can find a wide variety of names. In addition, there are numerous sites on the Internet that can generate names and/or explain their meaning. You can also try using an online translator to create new original names, formed as a translation of a famous word in English. This often gives the character a special charm and flair.
      • To become a writer, one must be a reader, listener of radio programs, and a viewer of a TV show. In addition, you need to travel, communicate a lot, go to parties, wander around the city ... That is, you need to live a full life. Inspiration, how love can "unintentionally swoop" at any moment.
      • Just because you like your story doesn't mean that others will like it. Give the finished work to at least three or four reliable, trusted friends and acquaintances to read before sending the novel to the publisher. Don't forget to document the copyright for your work, even if it's not finished yet.
      • "Avoid clichés like the plague" (ironically, this useful and good advice is used so often that it has become a cliché itself). The use of template expressions and clogged phrases always causes boredom and annoyance.
      • If you are a procrastinator, that is, you like to put everything on the back burner, try participating in the NaNoWriMo event, which brings together writers from the country who commit themselves to writing texts consisting of 50,000 words within a month. This is a good incentive to complete the novel. And, in general, writers tend to work better when they have a specific deadline for a novel.

4 223 0 The question of how to write a book has been bothering you for a long time? In this article we will try to talk about the main aspects and secrets of writing. After reading, you will understand that nothing is impossible! Getting started is easier than you think.

How to choose a book genre

If you decide to write a book, the first place to start is to assess your potential. You need to understand whether you want and can write a story or whether it will be a full-fledged novel. Each genre has its own characteristics. Based on them, you will have to stick to a certain emphasis.

Genre	Peculiarities
Autobiography	This should not be a diary entry, but an exciting story about you. Even ordinary facts must be presented in such a way that they look harmonious in the work. It is worth writing a book in this style only if you really have something useful to tell readers.
Household prose	The writer must highlight the things that surround the hero in everyday life. These include shops, public transport, work, household items, etc. It is important to take into account the specifics of the city in which the action takes place. For example, what is called “entrance” in Moscow, in the Northern capital - “front door”.
Science fiction	You can master this genre if you are well versed in scientific topics. Here it is important to explain the events taking place in such a way that it is as close to reality as possible. At the same time, you should not get carried away and plunge into scientific jungle, you need to write in a simple and understandable language.
Historical novel	The story will take place in a certain era. The task of the writer is to periodically focus on the clothes of the characters and architecture. In speech, you must use historicisms, archaisms and jargon of that time.
fantasy	The task of the writer in this genre is to describe the fictional world in such a way that the reader understands everything. What the area looks like, what kind of mentality and culture the characters have, and other key points that are important for immersion in a fantastic environment - all this must be depicted in the work.
Detective	When writing a book in this genre, it is important to enable the reader to participate in the investigation in absentia. You must describe all sorts of clues and clues that the characters will discover. Do not get carried away and deliberately try to confuse the reader. An exception would be a twist where the protagonist investigating a crime is himself misled. All actions leading to the exposure of the villain must be rational.
Love story	The book is written according to a standard template. The relationship of the future couple is described. As a rule, the main character is a dream man who has practically no flaws, and the heroine is usually either incredibly beautiful, or, on the contrary, has an inconspicuous appearance. Heroes will have to see in each other what others do not see.
Comedy	It's hard to write a funny book. Comedy will make the reader laugh from the beginning of the work. Each page must contain at least one quality joke. At the same time, make sure that it is logical, appropriate and suitable for the character of the characters and the given situation.

Pick a genre that feels natural to you. The book should be exciting, believable and colorful.

How to write a book in 30 days

Will you search for inspiration all your life and wait for the thought to take off on its own? R. Bradbury and S. King believe that the muse should not be expected. She must be found and interested. Let's trust the advice of experienced writers, according to which you first need a plan and a thorough study of the structure of a work that has not yet been written. Act today, and in 30 days you will have a book ready. Shall we start?

Step 1. Come up with an idea

There are three options where you can get topics for a future book:

1. Be interested in the events taking place around you.
2. Relentlessly study and master something new.
3. Do not be afraid to change jobs often, find interesting hobbies, make new acquaintances.

For many writers, the last point was one of the fundamental ones. For example, Ivan Bunin tirelessly changed specialties and traveled around Russia. As a result, this gave him a huge life experience, which laid the foundation for many plots.

Step 2. Overcome the fear of a white sheet

The fear of a blank sheet is the main phobia of all writers, which prevents them from writing their first book. How to overcome it?

1. On the first pages, sketch out the main ideas for the piece.
2. Reread your notes. At least twice.
3. Ask someone you know to rate them.
4. Stop at a specific idea and make sure that similar works have not been published before.

Put it aside for a few days, and then read it again, make sure you made the right choice and proceed to step 3.

Step 3. Work on the characters

Characters are the soul of the book. Few people remember the cases that Sherlock Holmes investigated, but the character himself is familiar to almost everyone. You should try to create unique and thoughtful heroes.

Often, characters are first prescribed for a work, and then a plot is prescribed for their character and aspirations.

To create an interesting and original character, follow the plan:

1. Biography. It includes the full name of the hero, deposits, family, education and financial situation. It is not necessary to use this data in the book. The information helps you, as the author, come up with a realistic character.
2. Motivation. It is important that the reader gets acquainted in the book not only with the actions of the character, but also with his goals and desires. He must understand why the hero does it.
3. Qualities. Describe the character in detail. The reader will be bored with a hero without flaws, so be sure to add negative qualities to him.
4. Development. The main character must develop throughout the work. Without moving forward, it will look boring and uninteresting in the eyes of the reader.

Step 4. Develop the plot

Genre and idea become the basis of the plot. His plan will help you always keep an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe future work in your head and avoid a situation where you reach a dead end and no longer understand what to write about. The plot of each book develops in certain stages.

Structure element	Peculiarities
exposition	At the beginning of the book, the reader should be brought up to date. The exposition describes the time, place and the necessary information about the characters.
tie	At this point in the story, you should mention the key event that started the conflict. The main characters face a task that they will solve in the book. There may be several of them - the main and side problems. The main thing is to complete them by the end of the story.
Development of action	Here you are given a huge scope for activity. You can put the characters in incredible situations and twist the plot however you like. As a result, you should lead the reader to the next structural element of the work.
climax	At this stage, the point of highest tension is observed. Things are coming to an end...
denouement	In conclusion, you need to end the conflict that has arisen. This action will become the last part of the work.

Try to write an outline for each chapter of the book. Start with general outlines. On the basis of the created skeleton, build up the details. As necessary, you can change various nuances. What you need to definitely decide on is the plot and the climax. Without this information, it is not recommended to start writing a book.

Important! The plot must be consistent. All events, actions, solving problems and problems are supported logically.

Otherwise, such a style of narration, when the characters were captured, it is not clear how they freed themselves and for some reason went into the forest, will confuse any reader.

Where to write a book?

Surely it will be more convenient for you to write a book on a desktop computer. Sitting in a chair in front of the monitor, you feel like in a study, and this disciplines you. The computer allows you to install various programs. If you like mobility, you can use a laptop. It is convenient to take with you and write down thoughts that arise outside the home.

If you do not want to use modern technology to write a book, then buy a notebook or several at once. It can also be purchased in the absence of a laptop to record thoughts that come outside the home. It is desirable that the notebook be in a cage. This is necessary if you need to highlight a paragraph, make a drawing or sketch.

How many pages to write per day?

Set clear boundaries for yourself and write a certain number of pages every day. There is no average. Everyone has her own. It all depends on the volume of the work. For example, a story can be written in 2 days, and a complex novel in six months.

If you want to write a 300 page book in 30 days, then you need to add time for fresh proofreading and editing. If you spend 1 day on this every 5 days of writing a book, then you need to write 12 pages per day.

Editing and publishing your book

When you put the last point in the book, set it aside for a couple of weeks or more. You must have a fresh eye to see all the flaws that were not noticeable while working on the work. Be prepared for the fact that after editing it will lose a significant part of the volume.

Step-by-step instruction book edits:

1. Edit the book with the utmost rigor. If you see that the passage is damp, then without regret, either redo it or throw it out. There should not be anything superfluous in the work. Unfounded epithets and metaphors are not suitable for prose.
2. Your work should not contain tautologies, repetitions, an overabundance of verbs, grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors.
3. If you know someone who is professionally familiar with literature or has a natural flair, then ask them to read the book. He will point you to inaccuracies and mistakes that have been overlooked.

Whether you publish a book or not is up to you. All writers want their work to be read and appreciated, but many are embarrassed to show their work to the public. There are several options for your creative implementation:

1. samizdat. If you want to show creativity only to close people, then the option of publishing on your own is suitable for you. All that is needed is to contact the local printing house or publishing house, where you can order the printing of the required number of copies of books.
2. publishing house. This publishing method is right for you if you want more. Familiarize yourself with the sites of major publishers, evaluate which of them will suit your work. But you should not stop at one option, send work to different companies. This way you increase your chances of success.
3. Internet platforms. There is another way to express yourself - a literary platform. There are a great many of them, so you can choose the one that will be comfortable for you. Perhaps, having found fans of your work, to expand your audience, you will start a blog or open a community on social networks.

Self-published for sale

If you want to publish a book and sell it yourself, it will be cheaper than contacting a publisher. You will receive the rights to sell, set prices and advertise. Beforehand, you will have to hire a designer to work on the cover, and a proofreader and editor to bring the text into perfect condition.

To publish on your own, you need to obtain copyright. To do this, register on the government website. You also need to have a 13-digit ISBN code. Thanks to him, your work will be available for bookstores.

Publishing an e-book is much cheaper than a paper book, but brings less income. Sales can be conducted, for example, through Amazon.

How to write a summary for a book

Writing a good book is half the battle. Much attention is paid to the annotation. It is the hallmark of the book. By it, people judge whether a book is worth reading or not. The description of the work is written in about 1500 characters. In them, you need to fit a description of the work, leaving a secret denouement of the plot.

The annotation structure looks like this:

According to this scheme, you will be able to write a draft annotation. The next task is to edit the text for the target audience.

1. If the reader is a person without literary taste, then the description of the book is made in simple language, without embellishment. Focus on something provocative, useful, or intriguing. With your words, you must guarantee the reader the usual pleasures - laughter, fear, etc.

Example:

The novel is about a woman who falls in love with a married man.

2. If the book was written for people with a fine literary taste, then focus on the aesthetic beauty of the text and its high quality.

Example:

Before you is a novel about the painful and complex feelings experienced by the main character for someone else's husband.

How to write books to earn money?

Every modern writer wants not only to write, but also to earn money. How to write a book to make a profit:

1. Select the desired genre.
2. Create your own style.
3. Structure the work.
4. Intrigue the reader: annotation, introduction, cover.

Writing about what excites people today is half the battle. Popular genres are:

• love story;
• fairy tales for children;
• autobiography;
• teaching aids.

Style with a twist will help you stand out from the competition, and the right structure will help the reader find what they are looking for.

The cover of the book should excite the imagination. Go to the store and study the books that are top sellers. They usually use:

• Photo;
• abstraction;
• collage;
• combination of fonts.

Let the cover look unconventional. Usually, anything that makes the imagination work becomes quite popular.

How to write a fairy tale / fantasy book

The fantasy genre is incredibly popular today. This genre has no canons, so you will be absolutely free in it. The main task is to keep the reader's interest throughout the story so that he, with bated breath, follows the events in the fantasy world.

The story is based on the same principles. To write a book in this genre, follow the instructions:

1. Come up with characters and give them simple but resonant names. It can be people, animals and fictional creatures. Describe the world they live in.
2. Put difficulty heroes in the way. The more intricate they are, the more ingenuity the characters will have to show. If a fairy tale is written for kids, then the text should be simple, without ornate logical reasoning. The best stories for crumbs are friendship, helping elders, hygiene, etc.
3. Add negative characters. They will appear on the path of the main characters, but at the end of the tale they will either correct themselves or eliminate themselves.
4. Send the main characters on a journey during which they will make new acquaintances. Heroes must help someone, and those, in turn, will repay good at the right time. You have the right to come up with any other plot. A fairy tale can be written for several pages or a couple of dozen chapters - it all depends on your imagination and ideas.
5. At the end of the fairy tale, all the goals and dreams of the main character must come true, and everyone in need should receive help. Write the final part so that the children understand that good always triumphs over evil.

Online Assistants for the Writer

There are many services and programs created to help the writer.

Books to Improve Your Writing

Read more classics. This will help you improve your style as well as understand how different writers' worlds work. If you want to learn more about how to learn to write, then we can recommend the following “tutorials” for you:

1. Chris Baty Literary Marathon.
2. Olga Solomatina "Writing is easy."
3. Stephen King How to Write a Book. Memoirs of Mastery.
4. Anne Lamothe "Bird by Bird"
5. Mark Levy "Genius to order".
6. Blake Snyder Save the Cat!
7. Beginning Writer's Notebook "642 Ideas to Write About".
8. Marina Moskvina "Learn to see".
9. James N. Frey "How to Write a Great Novel."
10. Hillary Rettig Writing Professionally.

1. Forget about limits and restrictions. Let your imagination run wild and change reality!
2. To attract the reader, come up with an attractive headline and first paragraph.
3. A notepad or laptop should always be at hand. When you hear or think of something unusual, immediately write it down. Suddenly, this particular detail will become the highlight of your work.
4. It will be easier for you to write about your characters if you draw them. Accuracy is not needed, a simple sketch will suffice.
5. Name the characters something interesting so that their names are remembered. But do not overdo it - sometimes too exotic names sometimes look silly.
6. If there are no original ideas, but you really want to write a book, then start writing about something everyday. Then you will let your imagination run wild and add interesting details.
7. Don't be discouraged if someone doesn't like your book. The writer must be ready for criticism.
8. The first book may not bring the desired success, but this experience will allow you to draw conclusions and work on mistakes.

How to write a bestseller?

Useful articles:

Dear Colleagues! I did a little research, which I hope will be useful to you. We are talking about the beginning of the work, about that (or those) first phrases that set the tone for the entire text. About the phrase - tuning fork. I don't know about you, but I always overreact to how a piece starts. And I always really wanted to understand why one sentence acts like a baited hook for the reader, and the other is so boring that you immediately want to close the book and never open it again. In general, I analyzed several texts by famous authors. And I came to the conclusion that all the tuning fork phrases I found can be reduced to 9 types. I do not claim that there are exactly nine of them, maybe less, maybe more. I analyzed only 21 works, so it is very likely that there are some other types that I have not taken into account. Maybe you will have some ideas about this.

1. Event

"it happened... this event.... it all started.... this story happened... on that day... in that year... on the night when..."

Stephen King. "Dark Half"
Human lives - their actual lives, not just physical existence - begin in different ways. Born and raised in the Ridgway area of ​​Bergenfield, New Jersey, Thad Beaumont's real life began in 1960. TWO EVENTS HAPPENED TO HIM THAT YEAR.

Stephen King. "Mobile phone"

THE EVENT that became known as "The Impulse" HAPPENED on the first of October at 3:30 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Stephen King. "Fog"

THIS IS HOW IT HAPPENED. In July 19, on the night that northern New England finally passed the most terrible period of hot days in its entire history, a storm of unprecedented strength broke out in the western region of Maine.

Stephen King. "Tommyknockers"

THAT DAY, Anderson left the house with Peter, an aging beagle who was blind in one eye.

Cornelia Funke. "Inkheart"

It rained THAT NIGHT, a drizzling, whispering rain. Even after many years, as soon as she closed her eyes, Meggie heard how he seemed to be tapping his fingers on the glass...
THAT NIGHT WHEN EVERYTHING STARTED AND MUCH CHANGED FOREVER, one of Meggie's favorite books lay under her pillow.

2. Exception

“Everyone was sitting at home, and he (she) ... everyone hid and only one (one) ..., everyone was silent, only he (she) ..., everyone thought ... everyone wanted, but .. ."

Joanne Rowling. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"

The record-breaking hot day of this summer was coming to an end. The large, square houses of Privet Alley were enveloped in a drowsy silence... Local residents, forced to give up their usual activities - washing cars and caring for lawns - spent time in their cool houses, wide open windows in the hope of luring a non-existent breeze into the room. THE ONLY PERSON REMAINING IN THE STREET WAS A TEENAGE BOY lying on his back in the flowerbed near No. 4.

3. Post hoc

“then they said ... it became known among the people ... he (she) only then understood (a) ...)

Andrzej Sapkowski. The Witcher

THEN IT WAS SAID that this man came from the north, from the side of the Kanatchik Gate.

4. Direct collision

"a monster appeared... found a door... a strange object lay..."

Stephen King. "Kujo"

One day, not very long ago, a MONSTER APPEARED in the small town of Castle Rock.

Neil Gaiman. "Coraline"

Coraline DISCOVERED THE DOOR shortly after moving into the house.

Stephen King. "It"

The HORROR that continued for the next twenty-eight years - and was there an end to it at all? — STARTED, as far as I can tell, WITH A BOAT made out of a sheet of newspaper and swept up in a rain stream that carried it down a water trough.

5. Coming Trouble

“a quarrel was unavoidable .... the day began with a quarrel .... a quarrel was ready to escalate ... I would give (a) everything to avoid this conversation ... day X was approaching, and nothing could change it .. ."

Stephen King. "Children of the Corn"

Bert deliberately turned up the radio louder: THERE IS ANOTHER quarrel brewing, and he hoped to avoid it in this way.

Joanne Rowling. "Harry Potter And The Chamber of secrets"

Not for the first time in the house number four on Privet Alley, a quarrel broke out at breakfast.

6. Premonition

“His heart sank.... everything went cold inside... his heart began to beat...)

Stephen King. "1408"

Mike Enslin was still opening the revolving door when he saw Olin, the manager of the Dolphin Hotel, sitting in one of the large lobby chairs. Mike's HEART DROP.

7. Everyone spoke

“among the residents, this house was considered cursed.... everyone knew that this place was unclean... according to rumors, something terrible happened here... before, everyone thought that...”

Joanne Rowling. "Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban"

The villagers of Little Wiselton used to call this house "Riddle's house"... the Riddley's house was now deserted and uninhabited. The small townspeople agreed that the OLD HOUSE IS VERY "SININTER".

Stephen King. "Salimov's Destiny"

ALMOST EVERYBODY THOUGHT that a man with a boy was father and son.

8. Paradox

“instead of getting a bicycle for his birthday, he didn’t get anything and was terribly happy about it .... if she had a choice between parents and an orphanage, she would choose the latter ... among the new shoes, he saw so old and worn out, that his heart jumped for joy: this is what you need! ... "

Here I did not find suitable examples, but I am absolutely sure that I have read similar beginnings more than once.

9. Unproven axiom

"whoever eats melon jam will surely die... it always happens to those whose name begins with the letter "A"... "

Ildiko von Curti. "Moonlight Tariff"

The foot is an almost unexplored area of ​​women's problems.

Do you feel that you have a talent for writing and have a desire to develop it? Then it's worth learning all about how to write a book. We offer step-by-step instructions, following which you can become a bestseller author. Well, if not a bestseller, then a good work - for sure.

Every person has a story to tell. But will readers find everything interesting? When choosing a topic, you need to ask yourself this question. Of course, you can't please everyone. The same text rarely arouses the delight of intelligent thinkers of advanced age and troubled teenagers. Therefore, it is worth describing your reader. Imagine who he is and what he reads.

The text must:

• To be interesting, close, understandable to him.
• Report something important or useful.
• Tell a memorable story.
• To reveal the image of a bright hero, perhaps similar to the reader.
• Create a fascinating world that you don't want to part with.

There are stories that have become the skeleton of most works of art. For example, the protagonist lives his life, but he is drawn into adventures. He overcomes obstacles, defeats villains, perhaps falls in love and emerges victorious.

Outline the plot and identify the conflict

The word "outline" in the title of this paragraph was not used in vain, because the plot can be repeatedly changed, redone. This happens when, having revived your own heroes, you begin to recognize and understand them better.

What makes the story interesting is the conflict, that is, the confrontation of the protagonist with someone or something opposite. How to write a good book? Develop an interesting topic, come up with an exciting plot and a vivid conflict.

Here are the most common protagonist conflicts:

• He is against nature: overcoming cataclysms, fighting for survival.
• He is against society: a clash of views.
• He versus another hero is the most common conflict.
• He is against himself - an internal struggle.

It is not necessary to choose one of them, because each author has his own vision of the plot. But it is still worth determining its approximate outlines.

Create characters

No story can exist without characters. In literature, everything is possible - the wind or, for example, a chair can easily become the main characters. Let even silent or abstract.

It is important that the speech of the characters correspond to their age, education and other components. The effect of this literary pattern is illustrated in Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw. The classic did not spend much time describing the portrait of the main character Eliza Doolittle. But he carefully thought up all the lines of the girl, demonstrating the low level of her general culture. To write a book, you need to take into account all the details of the image of your characters.

When several images are individually outlined, you can begin to bring them together, introduce them.

Here are some ideas of what the characters can do while they are talking.

• walk pets
• Picking or wrapping gifts
• Getting a tattoo
• Playing board games
• Doing a morning run
• Buying groceries in the supermarket
• Ride in an elevator

This list can be continued indefinitely, and each author has the opportunity to come up with his own original version.

Lay down the plan

How to write a book, the plan of which is not yet complicated? The answer is unequivocal - to sit down without delay for the scenario plan. It structures the text, arranges thoughts, reminds of logic and consistency.

It is customary to apply the term “scenario plan” to a literary work, since it is a chain of scenes and plot events.

Someone is not used to using it, but for someone it is the first step in an effort to write a book.

The plan plays the role of a scheme, a cheat sheet for the author. Some depict it in the form of various plates, diagrams, puzzles or cards. But it doesn't matter what it looks like. The main thing is the content: the names of the characters, their motives, external conflict, internal experiences.

Structurally, the scenario plan should consist of three parts: conflict, path to disaster, conflict resolution. If you make a detailed plan, you can write separately plot pictures, events, scenes, even dialogues. For example:

Chapter 15 The focal hero is Veronica (that is, what is happening will be depicted on her behalf and through the prism of her worldview). Veronica and Alexander meet in a cafe. There is a quarrel between them, as a result of which Veronica, not expecting from herself, confesses her love to Alexander and runs away.

Come up with a catchy start

Questions “How to write a book? Where to begin?" almost all young authors are concerned, because it is known that it depends on the first lines whether they read the novel to the end or not.

A few options to get you started:

• Prologue.
• Legend or parable.
• Background (events from the past of the hero).
• An excerpt from the middle of the story.
• Dialogue of characters who are not the main characters, but related to the events.
• Finale (and then the story begins about why it happened).

In the literary environment, there are many adherents of writing books from the end. For example, John Irwin. The author claims that it is precisely from the last lines that one can write a masterpiece without missing anything important along the way. The secret of his technique is to write one last sentence first. After him, the penultimate one. And continue like this until there is an understanding of what is happening, an understanding in which direction your own thoughts are moving.

Phrases that begin the first chapter can be:

• Portrait - a description of the hero.
• Biographical - a story about his life.
• Effective - active dialogues of characters without preliminary explanations.
• Landscape - a description of nature.
• Detailed - a description of the detail that will become an important symbol in the text.
• Autobiographical - a first-person story about your life.

Start writing with inspiration

“Summoning the Muse” by the clock is an important skill for someone who wants to learn how to write a book correctly. A good way out would be to create a ritual of writing, arranging the space for its comfortable implementation.

Morning hours with a cup of tonic tea or evening vigils with aromatic coffee? - at the discretion of the creator of the future masterpiece, here one should start from personal biorhythms and life circumstances.

World literature knows the most amazing combinations: Ernest Hemingway writing standing up, Marcel Proust thinking up lying down, Friedrich Schiller inspired by the aroma of rotten apples.

It makes sense to surround yourself with your favorite objects, music, smells, even start a card file of inspiring things - it is quite possible that with such a list it will be possible to write a book faster. And obviously nicer.

How to Write Your Own Book, or Randy Ingermanson's Snowflake Way

• Tell the story you want to write about in 15 words.
• Avoid names, but indicate the difficulties and problems that the hero must overcome.
• We turn the first sentence into the first page of a text of 5 sentences.

1 line- introduction.

2 and 3- conflicts.

4 - the most intense part of the plot.

5 - ending.

• We create a questionnaire for the characters, indicating their name, character traits, and features of appearance. We speculate what might happen to them in the end.
• We write a whole section from each sentence of the second step. Four sections should end with a conflict, and the fifth with a denouement. Following this scheme, writing a book will be much easier.
• We expand the questionnaire of heroes until it becomes a full-fledged story about each of the characters.
• We find points of contact in their stories, reduce them to conflict.
• We write down the list of scenes that will develop in chronological order. We indicate the main character in each of them.
• We paint each scene or coordinate a detailed plan.
• We are writing the first draft.

You can talk a lot about how to write a book, because a book today is a definite trend. So why not catch the trendy wave and try your hand at writing? This is an opportunity to express yourself and gain creative experience.