Position:Home>Books & Authors> How do you write a big book...

Jorge, for a truly big book, you need to have multiple plot lines going (a main plot and at least one subplot) which weave or at least touch one another, all solved by whatever resolves your main plot!. You'll need extremely well-rounded characters, both your protagonist and your antagonist, and probably a few well-rounded supporting players as well!.

I strongly recommend you not attempt a novel (of any size, but especially a big one) without a master plan which is so detailed you know all the scenes, who's in them, where they're set, how they connect to the previous and next scenes, and why they're there!. Failure to plan accounts for most incomplete novels by beginners!.

When you're talking big book, you have the option of employing multiple points of view, so you may need to be able to write in different voices, as different narrators!. This takes some practice!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Take a pencil and a lot of paper and write on it!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

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lots of characters and interesting and imaginative storiesWww@QuestionHome@Com

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I'm trying to write a novel myself, so this may or may not be helpful!.

First, try and get an idea of what your story is about in the simplest terms, usually in a handful of sentences!. This doesn't have to convey why the book was so goo, but it will force you to think about the story's most central idea!.

Once you've done that, try to expand the story into several larger synopses, then maybe outline it!. Along the way, create backgrounds on your main characters - without getting into too many details (graduated summa *** laude from Harvard; a really good tipper) you want to bring out 1) what their role in the story is and 2) why they act the way they do!.

Once you've gotten to that part, you should start to try writing the story!. It's probably going to suck the 1st few drafts!. Keep in mind, writing anything involves perseverance!. I know of one writer who claimed she goes through about 50 drafts before settling on the completed one!. Much of writing is about that - being organized and motivated!. Much of what you'll hear about writing has nothing to do with the "craft" of writing, but deals with those motivational and organizational skills - sounding like self-help dogma!.

Computer or Print!?
Because of the widespread use of computers, it's probably assumed that you'll use a PC w/word processing software!. Word processors are extremely helpful, but the same things that make them useful also make them troublesome!. It's easy to start a new project using WP, but making it easy to start over makes it difficult to stay the course with a troublesome-yet still -promising project!. In the time it takes to write one book, you can find yourself starting and discarding numerous promising book-projects simply because it's too easy to hit "open new document"!. Similarly, on a word processor, it's easy to discard anything within a document - you'll find yourself in that trap where you can't get past that 1st paragraph ("the night was!.!.!.!.moist"!?!) because among other things, the WP makes it easy to get rid of what you don't like w/o fostering a sense in you as to what can work in that troubled paragraph!.

Try to develop a taste for a writing style, any style!. Styless writing that nears "Dick and Jane went for a walk with Spot" will suck the life out of the most promising premise!. Read as much as you can, but try to keep in mind what you find most effective in what you read!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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