Writing a great novel is a high form of art. Indeed, most of us are mesmerised by outstanding writing. Whilst some people seem to have a natural talent for writing, few have innate writing ability. Even winners of literature prizes have to learn their craft and it can take many drafts and edits to arrive at the finished article. Besides reading the masters, all would-be authors need to familiarise themselves with the fundamentals of writing.
This book is written to assist those who would like to get writing their own novel. It explains how to develop credible characters, how to structure plots and subplots, the use of dialogue, and other literary tools. If you have ever wanted to write but never got very far, then this could be the panacea you need. Read it and allow your creative juices to flow!
Credits
Preface
Chapter 1 WHAT IS A NOVEL?
The Origins of Storytelling
Presentation of Novels Today
What Constitutes a Novel?
Genre of Novels
Audience and the Novel
Chapter 2 STRUCTURE AND STYLE
Narrative or Story Structure
Other Devices Used in Story Writing
Style in Writing
Basic Rules of Style
Chapter 3 DEVELOPING A POINT OF VIEW
Introduction
Chapter 4 DEVELOPING THE MAIN PLOT
The Plot
What is a Plot-Driven Novel?
Developing the Plot
Theme
Chapter 5 WRITING A SYNOPSIS
A Matter of Words
Writing a Synopsis
Chapter 6 DEVELOPING SUBPLOTS
Deciding on Subplots
Chapter 7 CHARACTERS: HOW TO DEVELOP CHARACTERS
The Importance of Characters
Chapter 8 DIALOGUE AND CHARACTERS
Dialect
Chapter 9 MAINTAINING THE READER’S INTEREST – DEVELOPING PACE
Use of Pace
Creating the Pace
Chapter 10 REVISING YOUR NOVEL – THE IMPORTANCE OF EDITING AND REVISION
How to Revise and Edit
Chapter 11 DEALING WITH WRITER’S BLOCK/MAINTAINING YOUR CREATIVITY
Writer’s Block
Not Writing a Novel - Tips to Get Started AND Finish that Novel
Chapter 12 MANUSCRIPT FORMAT AND LAYOUT
Preparation
Chapter 13 MARKETING YOUR NOVEL
Marketing Options
Marketing Your Book
Marketing Elements
Projecting for the Future
APPENDIX
Distance learning and online courses
E-books by John Mason and ACS Staff
Printed books by John Mason
Useful contacts
ACS global partners
Social media