"I've always wanted to write a novel." How many times have you said that to yourself? In Writing Your First Novel John Reynolds (who has recently published his first novel Uncommon Enemy - available as an eBook) provides clear guidelines and help for the first time novelist. Using his own experiences and examples from his novel and those of other writers he has written an informative and motivational book that will guide you towards realizing your dream of holding, in your hand, your first novel. Key areas include Making a Start, Your Characters, Your Dialogue, Descriptive Passages, Love and Sex, Grammar, Attention to Detail, Crisis and Climax, Resources, Sources of Support, It's Finished: Now what? Writing Your First Novel also offers sound advice on how to get your book published and promoted.
There are plenty of people that will inform you that a novel is probably the most difficult type of book to get published, particularly if you're an unknown author or have no track record as a novelist; but don't let that put you off. There are ways and means.
My novel Uncommon Enemy was written in my spare time, evenings, weekends and holiday periods. Yet in spite of the commitment of time and energy, it was very much a labour of love. Why? Because I wanted to do it, I was motivated to do it. This book can provide you with the type of advice and guidance that will lift your level of motivation as you begin to see the ways in which you too can develop and produce your first novel.
I'm not claiming that Uncommon Enemy is the epitome of literary excellence, but I do know it's a good yarn because plenty of readers have told me so. Obviously I'm very familiar with its content, how each of the sentences, paragraphs, pages and chapters originated, changed, developed and were completed and I'll be sharing this information with you. To more clearly illustrate the points I've made about writing a novel I've quoted extracts from Uncommon Enemy. Read them with a critical eye. If they help you improve your own writing, that's great. If you can improve on my style, or the style of other authors whose work is also quoted, that's even better.
One of the key points made in the book is to base your story on your own experiences. Everyone has interesting life experiences. If you grew up in a small town, a large city or have spent time in another country, consider using these environments as your main setting. Maybe your workplace can be incorporated into your novel - even the most mundane place of employment can be used to develop a plot or characters by fleshing them out and making them larger than life. Writing Your First Novel will show you how to get your novel underway and then how to develop all the key areas such as plot, characters and dialogue.
Although written primarily for the first time novelist Writing Your First Novel will also be of benefit to any writer of fiction as the book is structured to enable the reader to dip into relevant sections that will provide advice and guidance to areas of particular interest to them.
Writing Your First Novel also offers sound advice on how to get your book published and promoted.
There are heaps of books and websites providing you with information on many different types of writing, including the novel. However, if you've thought to yourself or even said to other people, "I'd love to write a novel," then this book will be of considerable interest and help to you.
Yes, there are thousands of people who have written novels, but there are millions who haven't. Writing Your First Novel will motivate you to take the first steps on a challenging journey that will culminate in your very first novel - and provide you with the motivation to further your writing career.
