What is the best way to write a novel and get it published?

Question

I am hoping to write a novel, have the muse but not the fire, have ideas but not the passion to get writing.

Answer 1

Start by writing small. short pieces, poetry, articles, letters to publications, and submit, submit, submit, and follow-up, follow-up, follow up!

Your novel will come.

Also, read, read, read. From every source. Study modern novel formats, their simplicity. Mimic if necessary. Never forget to go back and read the classics. Hemingway will teach you to read. Falkner and Lawrence will teach you to write.

Never ignore women authors, both classical and modern. Writing belongs not to man, but to humans.

Answer 2

Writing a novel is easy. Set aside at least one hour a day to write. Within six months you'll novel will be finished. To get your novel published is an entirely different mater. That's tough, and the true challenge to any writer. So many books out there that doesn't sell at all. The long, hard road to publish usually starts from scratch. You send query letters to publishing companies, look them up in writer's digest annual guide, and you wait, wait,and wait for a response, usually a form rejection letter. Yet, there's always a chance of having a novel published. Not a good chance, but one nevertheless. I know I've been writing for 26 years, three novels rejected, only essays, articles, and poems published. It's a labor of love and sorrow.

Answer 3

"I have the muse but not the fire, ideas but no passion"??
Whats that all about ? you thought about it but can't really be bothered??
How did you find the energy to submit this question?
Most people get a book written because they feel they have a story to tell and they initially write to get it off their chest!
There is an old cliche :- Two guys were talking in a bar, one said to the other "What do you do for a living"? The other guy said "I'm an author" The first guy said "Yes but what do you do for a living"??
What it really boils down to is I personally don't know any one that makes a living from writing books.
If you have asked this question looking for some initiative
you won't get any from me , you need it already before you start, and if it's money and film rights and fame your looking for, forget the project altogether.
If you ever really get serious about the idea contact me, I'm not trying to put you down, I just can't see you being at all interested in writing!
I'm honestly surprised you made the effort to post this question!
This answer is not meant to encourage you but just to point out a few facts of life. If you really want it go for it and good luck to you whatever you do!!

Answer 4

A fellow writer! Goodie!

This is what i am doing, and plan to do.

When i write i write from the heart, you have to write about what you know, and there has to be passion else no one will read what you have written.

When you have got a good section of your book done you have to get an agent, this person then works on your behalf to help get your book published. You haven't get a book published by a MAJOR publisher unless you have an agent. Personally i see it as insurance, then people don't Rip off your idea.

You will find that people will try and tell you you don't need an agent, that rubbish, also be aware of self publishing websites, this is no way to sell books.

I'm also doing a creative writing course at uni to help me perfect my skills and find an agent.

Good luck!

Answer 5

If you have a Macintosh with OS X or a PC with MS-Windows (95 or up, see instructions on download page) and want to write stories you can share with a lot of people really fast/easily, try writing one as interactive fiction - using the free Inform 7 program.

If you want to write a conventional novel that is printed on paper and sold, there are some freeware programs that will help with that.

It sounds like you are having a hard time finding how to get started with your story. I have included a link to a web page that tells how to do that.

You should also try to find interviews of authors. I find those books pretty helpful.

There was a book out a few decades ago, called "Intersections". It told how to write science fiction stories.

There are books that come out from time to time that are called writer's guides that tell you how to write for a particular field, and get published.

Schlep around Amazon.com and you can probably find a few of each type of book.

As for writing the novel, that is pretty well established.

Some writers prefer to come up with an ending first and develop the story toward that end or by working backwards from it to a start.

Other writers prefer to start at the beginning and work their way to the end, finding out kind of like the reader does what happens next.

There is an old adage that says, writing a story is a lot like picking up a puppy. Start in the middle. What that means is that there should be a little action already going on, after something has already happened, in at the beginning of the first scene. What happened before is kind of the "backstory".

Regardless of what piece you imagine/write-down first, and what piece will eventually be at the start of your book, you always have to write down the following in preparation to write your story.

- protagonist/hero
- antagonist/villain
- flat characters (e.g. foils and such)
- theme (man against man, man versus an indifferent universe, man versus nature)
- conflict (who does not get along with who/what)
- rising action (conflict builds, mischief swirls, who knows what lurks in the hearts of men... the shadow knows!)
- climax (good and bad have it out with each other, once and for all)
- denouement (reunited lovers kiss, the family treasure is returned, they live happily ever after - you decide)
- moral (the "why" you want the reader to think they read this story in order to get)

If you have a story without any moral/message, it is going to seem weak, the purpose of all writing is to educate or make a point, even if that is not why you write it.

People want to feel they got something out of a story, other than just several hours of mental distraction. They want to feel smarter, wiser, surer about something, provoked, piqued, disquieted, soothed - whatever. But something, it has to be something.

Otherwise, they will want their several hours and several dollars back from you!

Answer 6

if you're stuck and don't know where to start, sit down with a pen and a piece of paper and just start writing the first things that come into your head. make sure there's no music playing or any distractions, don't reply to sms's and don't answer your phone.

if you can do this for an hour a day, every day, you'll find that your ideas just kind of work their way out onto paper. another good thing to get you started is the writer's handbook, whichever edition they're up to. it's full of suggestions, exercises and tips about how to write.

it can be really hard to know where to start, and remember that if you wanted to be an athlete, you wouldn't just expect to walk onto the playing field and know what you're doing. you'd expect to train, train, train and then train again. you'd expect to practice, to watch your diet, to always keep your goal in mind. don't treat being an author or writing a story in a different way because just like everything else, you have to develop your skill to write, and you have to practice it.

Answer 7

How can you have the muse but not the fire? The muse is the fire, the inspiration and the passion. If you don't care, why would anyone want to read your book?

Answer 8

the novel is Alfi with all aspects , write what you think without any rules it is not mean any thing but it means the rules my be block for you i advise you little rule interdiction--body-end you must arrange every things and show what is new in your novel comparing to others ,don't be safaried may be you good writer,trust in your self and begin and you must knew how many in the shadow must go to the first class and it is not every thing shine be a gold.
nagyelsonbaty@yahoo.c0m
writer in Arabia
editor in chief of Elserw voice magazine
egypt,Damita,elserw city
postal code 34723

Answer 9

be american very hard to get published in the uk not much help here either for starting out... short stories etc... where as in america there are short story magazines left right and centre that how people like stephen king and dean knootz started out

Answer 10

Don't view it as a "job" - view it as something you like and want to do. To begin with devote 5 minutes a day to writing. Then up it each week and soon you'll be on your way. IF YOU DON'T ENJOY IT WHY BOTHER???