Comments on: Writing My First Novel

By: John Robinson

John Robinson — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:37:12 +0000

@ butterfly, if you’re revising your first chapter that much, I’d highly recommend ditching it, and make your second chapter, the first chapter as something to try. As entering the scene as late as possible, is a good idea to play around with.

I’ve read a few times now, that this is often the practice, many times the first chapter is dropped although obviously that will depend on the narrative itself.

But, whatever you’ve left out – ie, whatever was in the first chapter – the important parts you can slip in via dialogue or use it as a piece of tension to resolve and explain which adds an instant sense of mystery and/or depth – don’t explain everything, allow it to come out like meeting a person for the first time, tease out the details.

One of the most important things I’ve learned, is that, if I have an issue with it or some aspect, then more likely than not my readers will have more of a problem with it so something needs fixed and the thing about agents, is that, often it will not be the first chapter but the summary and synopsis that will get their interests – this is often overlooked as the primary selling part of the pitch. If an agent or publisher likes the brief, they’re more likely to read your sample chapters – at least that’s been my experience.

Hope that helps

By: Red McGail

Red McGail — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:54:45 +0000

Oh so true I always think that my characters are either being too tortured or not tortured enough while i’m writing it but when I go back and re-read what I’ve written I fall in love with it.

By: Gareth Bradman

Gareth Bradman — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:32:27 +0000

Hi people
Boo i only managed to get to page 140 over christmas( laughable i know!) but i’m ever going foreward. I have found the parts i write that seem bad at the time are in fact really good when i re-read the newly written parts! I think writing is very much like when you are drawing a picture. You think it is bad up until you finish it when you realize it is in fact rather good!

By: Kate Elliott

Kate Elliott — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 07:59:24 +0000

Gareth: good for your mum! She sounds like a fabulous first reader.

Liz: I often can’t tell if what I’m writing works as I’m writing it. It isn’t until I got back and re-read, just as you say, that I begin to have an idea if I think it reads well, or poorly.

By: Kate Elliott

Kate Elliott — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 07:58:14 +0000

butterfly,

yes, handwringing is ENTIRELY normal. If you haven’t yet asked some friends to read the novel, try them out and see what their reaction is. Another suggestion? Set this novel aside for the moment and write a different novel. Then, when you’ve done that, come back to this one, and see if the process of writing the second one gives you some additional insight into #1 that will help you with your revisions. Good luck!

By: butterfly

butterfly — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 07:21:21 +0000

I like writing, I like being creative, but I find the novel-writing process frustrating. I’ve written 3 drafts of my first novel and it still feels like it hasn’t “gelled.” And I keep changing the first chapter, because I can’t decide how to start. I keep thinking, “would an agent like this opening…how about this one? how ’bout this one?”

Is this hand-wringing normal? I’d like to work on another draft because I still like my story and hope for a better version but I also feel overwhelmed.

By: Red McGail

Red McGail — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:09:46 +0000

thats really cool Liz. I do the same thing. I don’t really know what I just wrote until I go back and read it and I either think, wow that was one of the worst things that I have ever written, or hey that wasn’t too bad after all. Keep going on the story and don’t give up

-Red

By: Liz

Liz — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:04:40 +0000

I have finally started my first novel that I am actually serious about. It’s funny, starting for me is simple. I have the idea so fresh in my head, its easy to begin. The middle, now that, that is the beast.
My first novel, I started last month for NaNoWriMo, and I will admit it was my personal experiment. I just wanted to prove I could finish it. I did, and honestly, it sucks. Well, okay, the plot is pretty good and the characters are entertaining, BUT it has so many issues that I really really don’t feel like fixing. So I set it aside, figuring one day, I may go back and attack it and see if there is anything worth saving. The my new project started off as a short story that wasn’t supposed to make it past 5000 words. I don’t even know why I bother guess the final word count. After 4 days to write, it is 7000 words and no where near done. Lol.
I have come to realize, that I also don’t know the quality of my writing, until I go back and reread it. Yes, I know that makes almost no sense.But most of the time I write down what is going on in my head, and I am so wrapped up in the lives of my characters, their feelings, their atmosphere, I honestly have no idea if what I wrote. I will walk around all day, convinced that it must suck, and then I ‘ll go back and realize that it was actually decent.

By: Red McGail

Red McGail — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:52:04 +0000

That’s so exciting “G”areth (LOL) keep going and tay motivated. You’ll be there before you know.

P.S Don’t worry about the grammer, you can fix it all once you’ve finished writing the stoory down. That’s more important any way ( isn’t it?)

-Red

By: gareth Bradman

gareth Bradman — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:40:31 +0000

ps can’t believe i put gareth instead of Gareth lol I’m glad my wife will be going over my book when i’m done as my grammer is quite appaling!