You’ve always wanted to be the next big novelist, but you have no idea where to start. Very few people can just sit down in one sitting and write a full-length novel. We all have hectic lives and many things that pull us away from our writing. We have families, jobs, chores, school involvement – the list can go on forever. Yet, a writer must write. This is just a fact of life.

Writers are creative personalities with the desire to write. A writer of fiction might speak of a specific character speaking to them. While people that aren’t in the profession might not understand, fellow writers feel their pain. Characters often urge a writer on, occasionally to the point of tormenting the writer as well as inspire. Ignoring or procrastinating a writer’s need can lead to emotional fallout. What writers and other artists refer to as “the Muse” is relentless in its inability to let one sleep at night, and keeps one from paying full attention to important demands with the thoughtfulness we would otherwise give them.

But how does a writer find the time to write the next incredible novel in between their day-to-day stresses? First of all, set priorities! We can’t ignore our families or our jobs, but we can prioritize. Write when children are asleep or at school. Set a daily schedule to allow yourself a few hours to write. Plan play dates for your children or get a neighbor to babysit for a few hours and take that time to write. If you think you can manage without vacuuming for a day, take a little of your housekeeping time to write. It’s amazing how much a person can get done in just a few hours a day of peace and quiet.

Get a notebook and try to flesh out your chapters. That way you’ve got notes to follow on those days that you’re staring at a blank screen trying to figure out what comes next. As you consult your notes, more ideas will come. Being organized is a must. A five-subject notebook works best. You can dedicated a subject to your characters. Give them personalities and make notes on what place they have in your story.

Why not write your synopsis first? That way you have your entire work more or less plotted – beginning, middle, and end. This will help to keep you focused, and keep you from going off on tangents that waste time.

Keep a small notebook with you at all times. Everywhere you go, you’re introduced to people, conversations, and various other things that will spark ideas in your mind. Use this notebook to jot down ideas as they come.

Do your research for the novel on a specific day each week. Your writing time is valuable. Don’t waste time researching when you are supposed to be writing.

Having your own space to write and concentrate is the most important. Quiet is necessary as the Muse influences and inspires. Any outside noise and confusion will chase off your muse quickly. Establish your own space where no one will bother you. Instill boundaraies so that your family knows that this is your space and you’re not to be bothered. If you can’t establish your own space at home, try going to the local library.

Do you know what fosters your muse? Some writers must have absolute solitude without a single background noise. Others need music or television on in the background, but this is purely an individual choice and varies from writer to writer. There is no right or wrong. Whatever makes you more productive is definitely the way to go.

Last, but definitely not least – never give up. Life is always going to threaten to get in the way of your novel. Having confidence in yourself and your abilities is necessary for a novel to be completed. Keep the Muse alive and the Muse will help to guide you to your goal. First novels are published in spite of all the naysayers out there who say it’s almost impossible. The next first novelist could very well be you!


- Amanda Baker

Make a careful choice and make it early. Being careful about choosing writing for your career is essential. This wouldn’t have been the case if you had chosen, suppose, a lawyer’s profession. But unconventional professions like writing can sure raise eyebrows!

This is because the pitfalls in the profession are generally unknown. So is the strong career potential. But having made an informed decision, you need to prepare yourself, read alot and practice writing, by writing alot for yourself first.

Train Yourself For Skilled Writing

If you have a college education in literature, poetry or writing including journalism it really pays off here. You will learn a lot through education; otherwise learning how to write effectively takes years. However, there are steps you can adopt for writing good copy or fiction or whatever genre you have chosen.

1. Unless you are a ‘book worm’ from the beginning, you miss many things like the passing trends in different genres, which is the vital step for you to learn when you first start off. This helps you cut out your style.

2. Don’t restrict your reading to any particular subject throughout your career. This keeps you abreast with trends, plus you get updated regularly.

3. Watch movies, TV, Oprah and all of them. They are all extended forms of writing. In fact, you can think of them as creative voices of some form of writing only. When Oprah talks, she doesn’t appear to be following a script. Such is her fluency on any topic. But all of it is well-rehearsed and based on scripts.

4. Write your resumes and school papers yourself. They teach you presentation.

5. Develop interest in the subject in which you plan to write. Studying anything out of compulsion takes you nowhere.

How To Write

The art of writing is all about presenting your true beliefs about the subject. The presentation should stand out in the crowd so that it is not lost. Choose a different style (if possible each time) from the rest. Here are some helpful tips:

1. Having chosen what to write, decide on how to present it. It is the presentation which places your writing ahead of the pack and not the subject and facts alone. Some people adopt a hard-hitting style in short sentences for greater effect.

2. Structure your writing. Let the argument or the subject flow fluently. Don’t forget to check this point while you proof your writing. Readers can easily get confused if they think your writing is not for them because it is difficult to understand.

3. Writing is a one-way communication unlike public speeches. Readers will just put down your copy if they don’t get interested in the first paragraph. The first paragraph must tell readers your style, whether they can expect what they want, etc.

4. Keep the same tempo. Don’t let your complacency show. Always end the article on a softer note. An abrupt ending will let the reader down.


- Tony Jacowski

Question:

What was it like as new authors in the publishing world?

Answer:

As free-lance writers of informative articles, we had no prior experience with book publishers. We did a lot of research and were aware of some basic contract and publishing procedures, yet there were many things we were not prepared for. For instance, there was the book cover design to conceive of – which our good friend Brian McAndrew created. The back cover text had to be developed, an author’s bio written, photos to have taken and lists of nearly 2 hundred contacts to sort out. The marketing research took weeks to do, but it resulted in a 12-page plan to ease our way. Then there were formal things like dealing with the Library of Congress and Copyrighting. For instance, copies of the book had to be sent to the Library of Congress at our expense. There are rules to be aware of as well. The rights for free use (using quotes from other people) is so gray that we opted out of including this kind of text. Unfortunately, that meant more editing. We were disappointed because there were some very good quotes that would have added a great deal to the book.

Question:

What were some publishing experiences or unexpected turn of events?

Answer:

While Lillian was browsing the Internet looking up information on other publishers, she came upon Publish America’s website. It inspired her to send a query in on the spot. Within 3-days we received a request for a sample manuscript. Now, these publishers only accept 20% of the thousands of queries that cross their desks, so we were excited to have such a good response in a very short time. Unfortunately, we were also relocating our home from one part of town to another, finishing a garden year and working as well. Time was short and stress was high. We got that sample manuscript off in a timely fashion, however, and we received an acceptance within a few days. The heady sensation of signing the 7-year contract flew by us in a blur.

Question:

What time and resources do we put in for promoting the book?

Answer:

Every day we put in 2-6 hours into some aspect of the book. The Internet has proven to be a powerful tool where an immense amount of information can be found from newsletters, publishers, forums and authors. Every on-line communication we have is an opportunity to plug our book by simply attaching an auto signature. We developed promotional materials (flyers, mini-posters, large posters, bookmarks, labels) and, of course, galleys and sample packages for editors and booksellers. Most importantly, we had a great website built for us by Brian McAndrew of Beyond Graphix.

Question:

What did you learn in researching the book?

Answer:

We thought we were committed to the concept of the book in our lives, but when researching and writing this book we found we became much more motivated, more committed and more informed about waste reduction.

Question:

As a writer, what have you learned about staying organized or motivated?

Answer:

Having a plan of action for every project is vital. Every project should have an outline starting from the title through to the end. There should also be a market plan laid out. Who are you marketing to? How you are going about it? What will you do first? These are the most important tools of a writer. Most people think of a writing career being one where you have lots of leisure time and creating with words. On the contrary, most of the time is spent marketing and organizing projects. For instance, we might write an article and query it to a market. That market may take a few days to get back to us, but it may also be as long as a year before we hear from them. That article is idle and we do not get paid until after it is published. A writer may have hundreds of pieces of their work at various stages of writing and marketing at one time. They need to know where it is and its status, at a glance. We use the Excel program to take care of this. For the book, plans were indispensable. The market plan alone is a book in itself and will take us years to complete. That is normal, actually. A writer must spend much of their time promoting the book for years after publication in order to keep sales happening. Unfortunately, promotion and writing time are unpaid hours in the meantime.

Question:

When do you write?

Answer:

We have to do a bit of juggling to manage our business, day job and writing career with some kind of balance. Usually, We work as a team, though we write separately and then conglomerate and edit the work together. Because we share one computer, this can be a bit of a juggle. Dave works shift work so when he is at work or sleeping Lillian will use the computer to research and promote.

Question:

What is your professional background?

Answer:

Dave and Lillian began their (paid) writing career working as staff writers at Openminder Newsletter where they experienced the harried pace of getting several articles and even feature or interview articles ready for a by-weekly deadline. It was our start in the writing world and plunged us head-first into the community, interviewing unique and enterprising people. The concept of Trash Talk was already developed and this market snatched up the column immediately. When Openminder closed shop, we started a free-lance career. Our articles have since appeared in a variety of magazines including Seeds of Diversity, Country Connection and ISKRA.

Question:

Have you won any awards or contests?

Answer:

Yes, Dave has recently won first prize in the Nature category of BC Cottage Magazine’s 2004 Photo contest. Lillian has won several editorial awards for her poetry and has had her work published in 5 hardcover anthology books of poetry through contests.

Question:

What is the most important lesson in your writing career?

Answer:

Research. If you know something is coming up, research it and make a plan of action well ahead of time. If we did not start the market plan and develop a plan of action and estimated schedule soon after finding out the manuscript was accepted, we would have never been ready for the myriad of work ahead of us, much of which is time-sensitive. Doing it right is essential – there is but little chance to make an impression with a reviewer, reader or publication. Even with the best of preparation you will be caught off guard or unprepared. Don’t sweat it too much if you make a mistake. Think of it as a lesson.

Question:

Have you any advice for new writers?

Answer:

We hate to sound redundant, but again, do your research. Join forums and research the previous messages for several months ago. You will find many novice questions are thoroughly answered with many different people contributing ideas and opinions. Always research your market and query them in a professional manner before sending a finished product.


- Dave Brummet And Lillian Brummet

For me it’s Dune by Frank Herbert. Other authors I liked were Ray Bradbury and George Orwell… I do not consider Stephen King science fiction… he is many things but rarely that. Please don’t answer Dracula, Frakenstein, or and other books that are based more on horror than on actual science fiction.
Please do not put the Bible… even if you believe it’s fiction… it is NOT science fiction.
- Wolfie

I have this urge to express myself through words that cant be fulfilled due to my current low self-esteem and writer’s block… It’s just that… How can one think of writing when there are so many masterpieces out there? I acknowledge I am too perfectionist; I see my work as an insult compared to sooooo many things.

What do you suggest I do?
- Claudia G

Are there any writers out there who don’t want to make money from writing? Who don’t want to earn a living from their writing? Who don’t want to become rich from their writing?

Well, there probably are. And that’s fine. But this article isn’t for them. This article is for you. You who knows that you can’t wake up in the morning without the itch in your fingers, can’t get through the day without putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, you who can’t listen to a conversation on a train, a bus or at a coffee shop without thinking, “I’ve got to write that down and use it in my next story”, and you who sees many things in life as great story ideas.

Write and grow rich is for you.

Now, this is not entirely about getting financially rich from writing. But apply the following advice and you stand a great chance of making that happen. Riches do come in many forms, one of which is money. But the many other forms of riches life has to offer are also yours for the taking when you follow the lead of the greats of writing, storytelling and inspirational thinking.

So let’s have a look at the 7 essential elements that will help you to write and grow rich.

1. Desire

This is absolutely the most important step in achieving success in any endeavour, and ignoring it will mean almost certain failure. Putting it simply, you have to want it! Whatever your writing goal is – whether it’s to be a bestselling novelist, a successful screenwriter, to win a short story competition, to write for a national newspaper or magazine, or simply to finish something you’ve started, you must want it so much that the thought of it inspires a physical reaction in you, and the lack of it causes you both emotional and physical pain.

Does this sound extreme? Maybe. But you must have a deep, intense desire to make your writing dreams come true. So let’s put first things first – what is your magnificent obsession? What do you want more than anything else? Got it? Write it down and let’s move on.

2. Faith

It is imperative that you believe you can achieve your goal. It is also imperative that you believe in what you are writing, and why. JK Rowling said that it was her belief in the story of Harry Potter that kept her going through 5 years of planning the entire series and then the writing of the first novel. With absolutely no promise of publication and being well aware of how difficult it is for an unknown author to get published, she could easily have let economic and personal difficulties overwhelm her and quit writing. But it was an overriding sense that she had to do right by the book that kept her going.

So your second step is to examine your own commitment to what you are writing. Do you believe in the story you are telling? Does it mean anything to you personally, or to the world in general? And if you are writing non-fiction, do you believe in your topic, your point of view, and the value of what you are bringing to the world? Faith in yourself, and in your work is the one thing that has been known to work miracles.

3. Imagination

This may seem obvious, and yet it needs to be said. It is imagination that sets great writers and storytellers apart, just as it sets great artists, businessmen and movie-makers apart. Imagination falls into two categories – the creative and synthetic imaginations. And both are equally important to you as a writer.

Examples of the creative imagination are of course JK Rowling having Harry Potter stroll fully formed into her mind while she was travelling between Manchester and London by train, and then spending the next four hours creating Hogwarts and the major cast of characters in her mind. Then there’s anything Stephen King has ever written, from what happens when a dead pet resurrects itself, to what would you do if you were trapped in your car when your family dog turns rabid.

Great uses of the synthetic imagination (when the mind takes elements it already knows and recognises, and puts them together in new ways) are also abundant in fiction. How many variations on the classic boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl, have you read or seen? Hundreds, probably. And what about James Cameron’s epic film, Titanic? We all knew the boat would sink, we’d all seen it countless times before, but we still flocked to the cinema, enchanted by Cameron’s incredibly believable characters, Rose and Jack, and their moving but short lived love story.

So if you’re a fiction writer, don’t fall into the trap of thinking you have to dream up something that has never ever been seen before. Simply look at what you like to read and write about, and put a new angle, or twist on it, and then go for it.

For non-fiction writers, it’s open slather here. Simply pick your topic, take a fresh look at it, create a new angle and get into it. Your expertise and opinion matter certainly, but use your imagination to create a new way for your readers to see your topic, and you will have a ready-made audience.

4. Specialised knowledge

Many fiction writers have woven their own interests and areas of expertise into their novels. CS Lewis created a world rich in Christian symbolism, to reflect his own beliefs. John Grisham is an ex-lawyer who writes compelling courtroom dramas. Patricia Cornwell is a former medical examiner, and Candace Bushnell wrote about her own newspaper column in Sex and The City.

These are all excellent examples of how you can turn your ‘real-life’ career into the basis of life as a novelist. Of course there are also countless examples of authors who carry out extensive research, moving from one topic to another as they build their catalogue. Either way, to create a believable world is, for the fiction writer, as important as building credibility in your field is to the non-fiction writer. The upshot is, that one way or the other, you need to acquire some specialised knowledge if you are to write in a way that captures your audience. Whether you parlay your own knowledge into your work, or acquire what you need through research, it’s important to remember, that we are first and foremost scribes, reporting stories to the people around us.

5. Organised Planning

I am a great believer in planning. For the fiction writer, having a story plan, whether for a short story, novel or screenplay, ensures you keep yourself on track, not winding off down dead ends and blind alleys. For the non-fiction writer, it’s a matter of doing your research, gathering your notes, and writing an outline before you set about the main task of writing your article or book.

But organised planning for the writer means much more than planning the story, book or article you are writing right now. It also means planning for your own success as a writer. Travelling back to the first point, desire, you had to write down what you wanted to achieve as a writer. Have a look at that now. How are you going to get there? What steps can you take, starting now, that will move you in the direction of your goal? Saying you want to see your screenplay nominated for an Academy Award is a fine aspiration, but if you don’t even have an idea yet for your story, how do you think you’re ever going to be treading the red carpet?

So putting together an organised, step-by-step plan to get you from where you are now, to where you want to be, and adding a timeframe for your goal’s achievement will be an important step to getting you where you want to go. A great way to do this is to work backwards from your goal, imagining what came immediately before the goal, and then before that, and then right before that, until you have the step that you need to take RIGHT NOW to move you forward. It may be something as simple as buying yourself a special notebook to jot down your ideas, but whatever it is, it is one important step toward you achieving your writing desire.

6. Persistence

It has been said that persistence outstrips all other virtues, and when it comes to achieving success as a writer, I truly believe that, other than being ready when your opportunity comes, persistence is the one quality that will absolutely guarantee your success. JK Rowling would never have been the phenomenon she became if she had never finished her first book, would she? And remember she wrote several adult novels that never saw the light of day, before Harry turned her life on its ear. Stephen King wrote several novels before he hit pay dirt with Carrie. Jonathan Livingstone Seagull was rejected more than 200 times before being published. Matthew Reilly began his career as a self-publisher and is now one of Australia’s most popular authors. His persistence, and self-belief paid off.

So whatever you are writing, stick with it. Persistence is the one thing, along with a thick skin, that you’ll need in abundance to crack it in the competitive world of publishing. And remember, the so-called “experts” don’t always know it all. The man who handed JK Rowling her first advance, a mere £2,500, advised her not to give up her day job as “no one makes any money out of writing children’s books”. 12 years and over $1 billion later, I think she’s proven him wrong. Who are you going to prove wrong?

7. The Sixth Sense

This may seem like an unusual thing to suggest, but I truly believe that those who achieve great success as writers have an intuitive sense about which stories are the ones that are worth pursuing and which ones are better off left behind.

I advocate that you should pursue the ideas that “scare you a little, and excite you a lot”. This is a simpler way of describing the ’sixth sense’ idea and also may be easier for many of you to measure. As an example, JK Rowling said that when Harry appeared to her on that train journey, she had an actual physical response, unlike anything else she’d ever felt before with her writing. She felt quite light-headed when she got off the train, and likened the feeling to that delicious feeling at the start of a love affair.

Is this the sixth sense? The case could be argued either way. I am merely suggesting that the more in touch you are with your intuition, the more likely you are to be able to distinguish between the “Harry Potter” ideas and the “dead horses” that Bryce Courtney describes having experienced, when he just knew that an idea had run out of steam for him.

So those are the 7 steps to Writing and Growing Rich. Type them out, paste them up near where you write and refer to them often. And as you advance confidently in the direction of your dreams, may you experience success unexpected in common hours.


- Suzanne Harrison

In high school I really loved writing and did it almost everyday. Now that Im going into my third year of college, Its harder for me to write. Many things have happened in my life that you would think would inspire me but Ive got nothing. I really want to get into writing again. What are some writing exercises or tips to help give me that spark that I had once before?
- Candice J