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Remembering Charles Young on Veterans Day Spilling the Tea on Tea Safety Tips for Black Friday Shoppers Did Ben Franklin Want the Turkey as America’s
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National Symbol? Green Beans With Ginger and Garlic How to Write a Novel
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S o , Y ou W ant to W rite a N ovel
If the number of participants in the internet-based writing project National Novel Writing Month is any indicator, thousands of people, perhaps even you, have a story to tell. But getting your ideas onto the page can sometimes feel like dragging a stubborn child to their first day of kindergarten. Even the best authors struggle, and you will, too. That being said, keeping these three overarching principles in mind may help. Read If you want to become a great writer, consider the novels on your shelves as guides. Every famous author was once in your shoes, and, eventually, their writing appealed to a publishing agent, who in turn got it printed and into your hands. To inspire your own writing, read different genres and search out story elements you enjoy. The breadth of a writer’s ability is
often found in the range of authors they’ve read. Actually Write You may think this step is intuitive, but how often have you sat down in front of a computer, or with a pen and paper, waiting for inspiration that never came? Here’s what you need to know: Even if you’re the finest storyteller in the land, your first drafts are going to be very rough. Embrace bad writing as a necessary part of the process. To begin, just write something. Revise Writing gets you started, but revision gets you to the finish line. Once you get some pages written, scrutinize them. Change words, remove paragraphs, and be willing to raze entire chapters to the ground. Be a ruthless critic of your own work, over and over again. What remains in the ashes will be the
elements you’re truly pleased with, and this remnant can become the foundation for a great story. No magic guide will get your novel finished, much less picked up by a publisher. But if you write (even if just for yourself), revise, and read every day, you may come to enjoy the process regardless of how long it takes to finish. That is a success worth striving for.
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