Travis Said:

I'm thinking of writing a novel, any advice?

We Answered:

I'll have to disagree a bit with the above poster.

If you think you can write like Lawrence Block, then don't. Because then you'd just be a knock-off. An imitator. You never want to imitate your idols, no matter who they are. You want to develop your own unique voice and style.

As far as "thinking" about writing a novel, quit thinking. Start writing. Write notes, write snippets of dialogue, plot it out. Write. Even if it's crap the first time.

Write.

Shawn Said:

I want to start writing a novel. Advice and any site I can go to for this sort of thing?

We Answered:

Really good ideas and it sounds like something really epic, so good luck writing it. It's more ambitious than most of the stuff people come up with around here, so bravo! My main suggestion for starting out is always start with a hook or some kind of action. If a character is in some sort of peril right away - especially in a novel like this - the reader will become involved right away. You have a lot of characters so introduce them slowly, make them relate to each other in realistic ways (don't be afraid to have them argue, tension is your friend). If the characters are believable to you, they'll be believable to the reader.

You could write out the outline like you've done here, but give the story freedom to go its own direction if it pulls you that way. When you edit, don't be afraid to 'kill your darlings' if it feels like it's weighing the action down. Planning is my weak spot, but that helps me anyway. Lots of luck, sounds like it will be great!

Tracey Said:

15, need some short novel writing advice.?

We Answered:

This is what I do:
I come up with the idea and write a basic plot line on a piece of paper. I try to give it a beginning, middle, and end(not necessary at first, but helpful). Then I take out some note cards and write out all the scenes I visualized for my idea listing characters, locations, times, etc. I try to put them into some kind of order before reading over them. I look for plot holes and make up more scenes to fill the holes. After I have at least 20-30 scene cards, I start writing nonstop. I write in all my scenes (usually with a word count of 50,000 for a first draft novel). I read the first draft after it's finished and make and delete more scene cards. Then I write the second draft. I read over this, fix any mistakes I might find, and show it to a friend, family member, teacher etc and ask them for a critique. Depending on their reaction, I might make one more draft or I might just clean it up a bit and consider it done.

Jane Said:

Need tips and advice on writing a romantic novel?

We Answered:

One of the hardest parts of writing a story is starting it.

If you want some examples first, I recommend reading some romance novels to start with. It will give you a general idea, and maybe it will help your mind kick-start your novel.

One thing is to just remember, every amazing book starts with one sentence. Start with that first sentence. Then, after that sentence, write another one. And then again. Don't worry about word count or anything, just keep writing.

Soon enough, your ideas will start to build on top of another, and you'll have your story. :]

Good luck!

Melinda Said:

What's your best advice for writing a novel?

We Answered:

DO:
~Finish the book at all costs, even if you think the end sucks. You can fix it later, but you might miss out on something truly great if you don't finish.
~Take the time to explore the setting and characters. If you rush through, the book ends up sounding like a third-grader wrote it. (Believe me, I've been there.)
~Like what you're writing. Don't try to write about something you hate. That's just silly.
~Put as much of yourself in the story as possible. Make it YOUR story, and no one else's. I like to put references to things I've read, for example, and I've noticed my characters all have a little bit of me in them.
~Use proper punctuation and grammar. For one thing, it's a good practice for the rest of your life, and for another, it makes life easier for other people who want to read it. See below for more on that.

DON'T:
~Rush. See above.
~Use stereotypes. If you like the way a story is, then feel free to copy certain ELEMENTS of it, but if you hand it to a friend and the friend says, "This reminds me of a scene from (insert popular book title here)," try again. Originality is what makes a good writer GREAT.
~Hide it from the world. Let everybody read it. Join a writing group. Have your friends criticize it. But it can never get better if you're only looking at it from one (your own) point of view.
~Drive yourself crazy with it. If you find yourself stuck, then go think about something else for a moment. Some writers write their books out of order; you might try writing a different scene than the one you're stuck on. Personally, I write chronologically; if I get stuck, I work on another story until something comes to mind. But if you spend too much time mulling over one little detail, you'll start to hate the book.
~Make it a chore. If you want to be a writer, you should enjoy the process! Remember to have fun.

Mary Said:

I need some novel writing advice!!?

We Answered:

The thing is, NaNoWriMo's "a novel in one month" motto is sort of an overstatement. Really it means "dish out 50k words in one month, which would equal to the amount of a novel."
NaNo isn't about writing good, or having an interesting plot. They are things to consider, they would be a great plus, but it's not a necessity. You just write. Because of these flexible rules, there's no real need to transition gracefully from one period of time to another in your story. If you want to jump ahead, just jump ahead. When you get more ideas for the missing time frame, you can always go back and fill it.

Kay Said:

Hi I'm writing a crime novel, and need some advice, about number plates?

We Answered:

you don't have to spell it out for the reader. leave the number "off-screen". you may even have it be some sort of red herring later on.