Writing a novel...?

Question

I posted a few minutes ago about this topic but i feel I didn’t adequately state what it was I wanted advice about. So here goes: I’m writing a book. I have all these great ideas in my head, but on paper they’re very brief. I expressed worry about the novel not being enough pages, but I really meant that I’m afraid the adventures are too short and are lacking in detail. I’m also a little worried that the story will seem rushed. So, how do I add in those details that make the accounts longer, for the sake of a good read, not page numbers? And how do I transition smoothly from one escapade to the next if there is time in between? Right now it seems as if the characters jump from one day to the next and there are no little actions such as brushing their teeth or whatever, that aren’t necessary to be mentioned. I don’t want to flat-out write “She brushed her teeth,” but I want the reader to know some action may have occurred between waking up and eating breakfast, if that makes any sense..

Answer 1

If the characters jump from one day to the next, that is your fault as the author. You haven't done your homework. You haven't done character studies. You havent fully developed your characters and fleshed them out. You dont have a well developed plot as a spine for your story. Those are the things you do before you start to write. And if you do them, then yoiu will know the things your character does. No, we don't have to know their morning toilette routine, but you do need to know your characters well enough that you can tell your readers interesting things about them.

Stop writing. Start working on the background stuff. The analysis and studies. The outline. The backstories. The research. All those things are done before you start to write.

And BTW - I bet I could have one of my characters brush their teeth and it be interesting to the reader. And I can do it by showing - not telling.

Angela stood before the mirror, letting the sink fill up with warm water as she stared at her face. She frowned as she noticed the roots of her hair were coming in brown again. That meant another fifty bucks at the beauty salon to get the roots colored. She wondered if it was really worth it. She wasn't having that much more fun as a blonde anyway. She sighed as she picked up her tooth brush and covered the bristles with that minty fresh paste -- the one with the TV commercials that show how when girls use it, hot guys throw themselves at in their direction. She was almost finished her first tube, and not one even lukewarm guy had spoken to her on the elevator. She sighed again as she stuffed the brush in her mouth and scrubbed as it bubbled away, attacking that deadly plaque that was standing between her and hot looking guys. What Madison Avenue executives thought this crap up anyway? Who decided to equate using the right toothpaste with finding and marrying the right guy? Did that mean if she just used generic toothpaste, she would end up with some generic guy with buck teeth and a bad comb-over from the accounting department? The kind of guy who snorted when he laughed and wore white socks with a black suit? Probably. She spit the water into the sink and rinsed. This morning, she would even remember to floss. Hot guys, look out. Angela Smith is brushed and flossed and on the prowl this morning.

See??? 260 words and all she did was brush and floss.

And by the way never write your ending first. You will paint yourself into a corner and limit your creative thought process along the way. And don't worry about number of pages .. Industry standard is in words - 250 words per page. Pax - C

Answer 2

Haha, that's great.

Well, I am also writing a book and I can tell you,

1. I've heard it's best to start writing the END of the book first, that way you can pull all the events/ideas together so it all fits easier. Know where you are going with the story.

2. If you think about it, in most books, the author only puts things like that in the book if it leads to another *importasnt* event. Think of the movie... The Bourne Supremacy for example. Does Jason Bourne EVER change his clothes or brush his teeth that WHOLE time?... not once.... ewww...

You may find it better to put yourself in those events. What do you see around you? What color are the trees? put that stuff in there to drag it out a little. Give your readers the ability to "See" the world they are reading.

Also, read other books that have good detail... I've heard Harry Poter was a GREAT example of good reading.

Right now, it sounds like you're working on your first draft. So only write the MAIN ideas. Write details later. My 1st draft has 46 8x11 pages and I'm not even close to getting all the main ideas down, not even CLOSE to details yet. Don't worry about length until you have all ideas down... otherwise you could lose a lot of ideas.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I have found a relatively inexpensive hobby recently in writing so I promise you I am no authority, but I believe you should avoid excessive use of adjectives, especially to describe something you know your readers can instantly associate with. If the story is short, it's short. Just write it as fast as it comes. when you're finished, consider it your outline. Go back and cut everything you can without changing the meaning of the story. Then, examine it as "the big picture". What can you move and to where, would it make sense. Will your readers want to know what happens next or will they care? Does the conflict crescendo at an appropriate point? Is there sufficient conflict? (This is all good advice for me too I think, like I said, I've only been writing since... maybe June) but anyway, that's my thinking at the moment, which is likely to change.

Answer 4

I believe that in writing something especially as great as a book, you need to take your time. It's good to write all your thoughts that first come to you. And the answers to the questions that you are having will fall into place as you ponder over your writings and ask yourself, "what is it that I want to get across to the reader?" Your inspiration will come alive at different moments about the troubled area you are having. As long as you believe in yourself and are truly inspired by what you want to say, the words and your writing style will come out. Be patient and be ready and have something to write on when you have moments of inspiration which could be when you awake in the morning or in the middle of the night. I believe in you, just remember you have the words, just take your time and they will come to you.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

she picked up her sonic electric toothbrush while opening up the newest freshest best tooth whitener invented. see my teeth will be perfect soon just like my perfect life. Sarah smiled at herself. Gee, my teeth do look whiter.

Answer 7

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