I am trying to write a novel, could do with some help?

dvdbunny

dvdbunny

dvdbunny

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Hey Guys,

I have just started work on a novel, i am writing the first draft in Microsoft word using times new Roman font and size 12. How many pages would say 150 pages written in word be when converted to a paper back book at size 12 font in times new roman be?

TIA
 
wow guys thanks for all the amazing replies

I am the kind of guy that's really go to know how many pages, i like to the base the story on a page count. Then i make the story the best it can be within that set page count. So say 150 pages in Microsoft word in times new roman size 12, you guys are saying it will convert to 320 pages in a paper back book? I like the idea of just 150 pages in a paper back book.
 
Hi RandomTom

Thanks for the link, i just started reading that, i am going to finish reading it, but i am not sure if the article is really for me. The thing is once i finish writing the novel in word then i plan to re-draft it into a correct novel type format or even present it to my future agent to have a look at. and then take appropriate steps to make it all look right for the publisher.
 
Hello Guys

I have been celebrating, i finished my books first draft on Friday with 260,645 words. It took me exactly 10 weeks. I started with just 1000 words per day and then 2000, and then later started writing 4250, then 4500, then i got ill during ten days but wrote through five of those days with 5,350 words and then took the other five days off to recover and then starting writing 5500 words a days and one day i couldn't be bothered after writing 2500 words and so i didn't complete the other 3000 words which i had to add on the next day with 8500 words and then last Thursday i wrote 10000 words and finished on Friday with 2000 words.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend anyone who likes writing to go ahead and write a book, now i got to work on my second draft, but have already come up with several ideas for other books. I also thought i may hold off from another book until I have written a movie script.

Do you think i should now contact a literary agent?

Do i need to copyright my first draft before i go sending it into agencies?

What should i do, do you know?

TIA
 
thanks for the replies

I never intended to set a page number, i just wrote it and have finished it and once counted it was 260K, ofcourse i am going to clean it up a bit, i will probably loose several thousand words here and there and add another several thousand but before i do so i would like to get an agent to read through the first draft so they can use their experience and tell me which parts need improvement.
 
Guys

Thanks for all the replies, much appreciated

My book is a fictional auto biography of my life, but i want to sell it as a truth life story. The book is about something that people can really relate to and it makes them think what if? but at the same time it takes you on a roller coaster ride, it's a mix of fact and fiction. It's also really out there. You got to have an open mind.

The story is not for everyone and my parents and friends would think i'm a nutcase. So i created an alias for this book. I plan on telling my agent and publisher that it's fiction but must be sold as a real autobiography. My name on the front cover must be the alias, but the agent and publisher would be the only people that know my real name.

Now in order to do the above, how will that work with the copyright issues? some time in the future i plan on writing a film script of the book, how do i stop others from copying what i say is real when in fact only i know it's fiction.

The book has been written in a special way so i can only really say that it's all real.

any help much appreciated

TIA
 
Hey Guys,

I am currently writing my second draft, and have stumbled into a bit of a block.

I am writing about a past memory between myself and a friend. But i don't know how to correctly write it. here's an example

I write only once that 'i have a distinctive memory that's been haunting me for these last few years. It starts in 1985, my friend and I are taking a stroll along the beach...'

So that's the first bit, then if i want to write about a character then do i need to write in the past tense or can it also be written in the present tense. That's my difficultly.

My first draft i would write about conversations between myself and my friend in the present tense even though it's a past memory that i am writing about. The idea was i wanted to write in this way for the immersion to the reader, it's better having them read this way as it's so much more immersive that they kind of forget that what they are reading is the past but really the present. But then problem arises is that this doesn't fit within good english criteria, as if you write about a past memory then you have to write in the past tense right?

But then how do i do it without writing too much like the past tense.

Sorry this is quite difficult to describe

A little more examples

If i was writing past tense it would read like this 'Then he came towards me and shook my hand, i never believed that i could stand a chance against him'

another example of past tense 'we had only been traveling for a few minutes or so.'

Now present tense 'we have only been traveling for a few minutes or so.'

Now here it comes, which sentence sounds better? I am a little loss or maybe really tired and perhaps my mind isn't thinking straight, but would really like to hear your opinions.

much appreicated

Many thanks
 
ah thanks guys for all your replies, oh yes my grammar is sometimes pretty bad, I am working on that.

So let me just get this straight

It's always best to write in past tense for writings of the past. Now after a few chapters of the past the rest is all present day, so I then should write in the present tense right? The reason I say this is because the entire story is written as a fictional autobiography but it reads like i am reading the story to the reader. It spans through the many different perspectives from the different characters in the story.
 
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iamdjdz thanks for your reply

I am so happy, for a second I thought I had written my book in the wrong way. The example you gave is exactly how I have written my book. I introduce it as the past but then write it in the present.

and this is for seek

When i write on forums my writing style is pretty ridiculous but when i am typing away for my novel my style is far better.

But thanks for your criticism guys, it helps me to become a better writer to listen to all your thoughts.
 
Guys

Thanks for the replies, it's been a few days. I had no idea I got more replies.

I keep getting kind of confused. This editing is driving me crazy.

I need some serious help

I introduced my different chapters as the past but wrote in the present. But then I realized that the whole book isn't like that. It's a rather unusual book I have been working on.

The book is a fictional autobiography of this fictional character that I have created. The story talks of events that have happened throughout history. From the 1920-2008 period. Different chapters read of different things happening throughout those years from that time line. But each chapter jumps back and forth between those past years and the present day. The idea of the story is that the fictional character from present day is reading these journals from the past. When I write out these journals I am introducing them as the past but then writing them out in the present. I want to give the reader that immersion that what he's reading is like this is happening just yesterday and not some forty or fifty years ago. Then the way I write all this is I slowly on each chapter I bring the reader back to the present day (back to the present perspective of the fictional character who is reading the journals). The idea is a seamless integration from past to present so to thoroughly immerse the reader in a world of fantasy make belief. So it's kind of like the same way that directors direct movies.

Now I have written the entire first draft in the style I have suggested above. The present day part of the story happens within a three month period. So a quick rehash, the journals are being read by the present day character but over a three month period in the present. When I write what's in the journals i am changing the perspective to a different character each time for the different years of my chosen time line period. The story then reads from each of these characters first person perspectives.

Here is a little excerpt from the present day part of the book

When I close my eyes for what seem like five minutes of relaxation, upon opening them I am now in Belmonte.

Isn't it better to write the present in the past tense as well?

You know all of this typing has made me forget what i originally wanted to ask, but any how any replies would be most appreicated.

Many thanks


EDIT: I just remembered what I originally wanted to ask. When I read through my first draft. The present day writings I have seemed to of stumbled to some confusion and have changed the writing style throughout from the past to the present tense and constantly it goes back and forth through them. I have done this without realizing at the time I wrote the first draft. So I am going to have to focus on that a lot to get it all in the correct tense. In my book as it's a fictional autobiography I do mention at times to the reader that my travels is what made me write this book. I actually write that in the present day parts of the book. Now the problem I have is that I am trying to get across to the reader that after the end of my travels I decided to write this book. So during the story I am not taking notes. It's at the end when I have cracked the mystery in this fictional story that is when I decide to write the book. But I want the reader to know that without me having to write it for them to read. That is my intention. How do i do such a thing?
 
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Hi Guys,

I am now trying to print my book, i keep printing it incorrectly. How can i print it like a book? So when you turn one page (like the size of one page in a book) then read the other side before onto the right page and then repeat.
 
I don't think that i am explaining this correctly, sorry for the confusion

The book is fiction, but while you read it, it's supposed to be like real, but it's actually fiction, the reader knows it's fiction.
 
Azagoth said:
Don't forget though, this is the guy who claimed he was running Crysis at high levels on a mid-range budget PC. (link) So, I'm guessing embellishment comes easily here.
Click to expand...

I can't believe your still going on about that, i was running it on high and it still runs perfectly. I have even updated now my PC to core 2 duo and made a PC worth £400 able to play crysis on max everything at 30 fps. Just not ulra high as that PC is running XP.
 
Okay guys please stay on thread, we've all had some laughs.

Please can you help me

I have tried to do some printouts and i am having a lot of problems. I want the printer to print 2 word pages on a piece of a4 paper and then print page 3 and 4 onto the other side of the paper, but i want the pages printed vertically onto the a4 paper. This way i can take my 327 page book and basically get 4 pages to each piece of paper, 2 pages on each side, front and back.

I am hopeless at this, could you please give me some screen shots of the print tab in word to show me how to print this.

many thanks in advance
 
Many thanks for your replies

I have edited my book as much as i can, now i want to print it using the least amount of paper and ink. While still allowing the text to be very readable. I am going to give the print out to a friend that said he would give it a read and do any corrections. The way i want to print it the book should come out on only 82 pages. That's 2 pages to each side, and double sided. So 4 pages per sheet multiplied by 82 pages = 328 pages which is my total page count in word.

I tried the 2 pages per sheet, it didn't seem to work. It prints the 2 pages but in landscape even though i chose portrait in the printer tab.

anyone can help please
 
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