Anne Said:

What is the best book to help a person learn how to write a novel?

We Answered:

While TrueAim makes a good point about studying a novel you really enjoy to see how the writer created its structure and characters, I must disagree with the statement re how-to books being written by and for "losers and wannabes." I myself have written magazine columns focussed on how-to info for aspiring writers.

The books I most often recommend include:

James N. Frey's How to Write a Damn Good Novel, along with its two sequels

Nancy Kress, Beginnings, Middles, and Ends

Jack M. Bickham, Scene and Structure

Any of Gary Provost's books, for fiction or nonfiction. This man was the single best teacher I've had, with a real gift for showing people how to make the most out of every word.

Natalie Goldberg's books, especially Writing Down the Bones. Her exercises for stimulating creativity, along with her approach to the technique known as "freewriting," are among the best.

The Writer's Digest Bookshelf series, from Writer's Digest Books, offers many very good books with serious nuts and bolts information.

I hope this helps. Good luck with your novel!

Chad Said:

Will going to college help me learn to write?

We Answered:

College will help you learn to organize your thoughts and write technically. Which is very important. You can also take creative writing classes that will help you and will probably be fun for you.

The creative side of writing im not sure can necessarily be taught. But do it as long as its what you want to do.

p.s I suggest the book "complete idiots guide to writing a novel" lol I just read it. Its pretty good. Full of lots of ideas, basics and in and outs of the industry. It will tell you some basics for getting a book published as well.

Perry Said:

What is the best book out there to learn characterization when writing a novel.?

We Answered:

I have the book on Personality for characters. I got it from: writersdigestbookclub.com

Writers digest book club.

Ricardo Said:

Where in the Interner could I learn how to write a novel, a book, and a biography?

We Answered:

try this

http://www.spacejock.com.au/Articles.htm…

Lester Said:

Im a teenager and I want to learn to write a novel.?

We Answered:

There is no set process for writing a story. The time it takes to write it depends on you, really, and the way you go about planning it is also dependent on the writer. Here's what I do:

1. First, I plan. Some writers plan, some writers don't. The more successful ones do. JK Rowling filled notebooks about her characters and spent a little over a decade finishing seven books. Meyer wrote her four books in about four years and, as I understand it, did not spend as much time planning and outlining. The extent to which you plan also depends on the writer. When I get a great idea, I start planning my characters because my characters are the ones that make the plot happen- things don't happen to them; they make things happen. So I build up their personalities until they're believable and then fit the plot idea I originally had around them. By the way, to make sure your characters aren't too cliche, you can use a "Mary Sue Litmus Test." They're proper useful:

http://www.springhole.net/quizzes/marysu…

http://www.ponylandpress.com/ms-test.htm…

http://www.theninemuses.net/hp/work/mary…

http://www.katfeete.net/writing/marysue.…

And to make sure that your story isn't missing any of the five pieces of a story, make sure it has each of the following: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?…

2. After I'm satisfied with my planning, I write. Different writers go about this in different ways. Some write chronologically, starting at the beginning and then finishing with the end. Others will jump around, writing different scenes at different times. I've personally never seen the benefits of that approach. I feel like it would be messy. So I write chronologically. And finishing a story might take me a while, depending on how much time I have to write. I normally don't have much time at all, so it'd take me years.

3. After I've finished the story, I edit. This is an especially important part of the process. You can't call a work finished if it hasn't been edited, otherwise you'll miss any mistakes you've made. For example, if you choose to change the name of a place halfway through your story and forget to change it on such-and-such page, there's a mistake. Or if you've said that your characters are going one place, but they end up going another as if they were going *there* all this time. Or if you've given us some rule/information about the setting, but then something happens that contradicts that rule/information and you don't give us any explanations. (That last one happens a lot in Meyer's work. Remember, more planning = more success.)

Another thing about editing is that *you* can't be the only one to do it. After working on a story for so long, your head has probably become so stuffed up with it that some things probably slip past your notice. It happens to me all the time- that's why you should wait a few weeks after finishing it before you begin editing. Anyway, also enlist the help of a few people you trust will tell you the truth and who know the English language pretty well. My suggestion is a few friends, your parents if you're comfortable, and your English teacher- and especially your English teacher.

And there you have it. Good luck with this- it really does take a lot to complete a story.

Shelly Said:

Is it possible to write a novel and get it published if you have no experience and read few of them yourself?

We Answered:

You start in the 808 section of your library and read everything there to do with writing and publishing.

Then you read the library.

All good writers are great readers.

You put Butt In Chair and write for at least two hours every day, no skipping. (That's a light schedule for a pro writer.)

If that's too much work, then forget it.

You may have an amazing story, but if you don't know how to put it down in a coherent and interesting manner, you won't sell it, unless you hire an expensive ghostwriter.

Many people want to run in the Boston Marathon, but few are willing to do the work it takes to get there.

From an editor: Why most books are rejected:

http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/arc…

Neil Gaiman's Library:

http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/wp-con…

Joshua Said:

How do you write a novel report?

We Answered:

Talk about isolation, loneliness and the desperation of the American Dream.