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

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.
 
Last edited:
"andy" said:
delete
Click to expand...

Even if that is the case it still doesn't explain everything else that is grammatically incorrect with his posts.


I'm going to be brutally honest here; There isn't an agent in the world that would take you on if your novel is anything like the quality of your posts. It may sound harsh, but you better get used to criticism if you want to be a writer.
 
dvdbunny said:
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.
Click to expand...

Yes, but if you're writing the chapters that are past tense as if you're living through them, then introduce them in the past tense but write them in the present as in:

I once was at a bar, the barman said to me:

"hi, how's it going mate?"
"Yes it's going fine, I'm about to leave."
I leave the bar and go down the street, I see Andrew, the crazy fool from earlier, he's wearing a pink coat and a pair of corduroys. I want to go home with him, purely because of how he's dressed, but I compose myself....

See what I mean?
 
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.
 
Hot tips for would-be novelists:

The old adage - there's a book in everyone and it's best left there...

Now ask yourself why you want to write a novel. The answer is usually money.

The key to creative writing is creativity. You need to be a storyteller. Anyone who can string a story together on a blank piece of paper with nothing more than a pencil and come up with something interesting, entertaining and original has the basic skillset for success.
If your spelling's lousy use spellcheck. If your structure's lousy you'll need help.

Words per page. Words per page are usually calculated in the same manner as typing by counting every letter, punctuation mark and space and dividing the count by five - the fundamental measure used by typists to measure words-per-minute.

Should you learn to touch type? Possibly. Most people with determination and discipline should be able to self-teach and pick up basic touch typing in a few weeks. After which you should rarely need to look at a keyboard. Now take a look at your keyboard and you'll see that the home keys, F and J, have small dimples. F and J are the 'home keys' or datum keys which touch typists use to reference themselves without looking at the keyboard.

The advantage with touch typing is your fluid thoughts can flow into text without deviating to look at keyboard trivia.

Writers' Block. Writers' block is when you get to the point where creativity ceases. Unless you're relentlessly creative you take writer's leave and take time out.

Editiorial Manuscript. Editiorial manuscript is double-spaced. With margins to insert editorial code - the shorthand instructions editors and publishers use to correct script.

Best tip: Expect to fail in the very competitive world of writing. Don't take it seriously or assume you'll make money which means you cannot be disappointed.
 
loopstah said:
I've been unsuccessfully trying to write a fantasy novel for nearly 10 years :(
It'll probably be another 10 years before I have anything remotely readable.
Click to expand...
An internationally published bestselling author whose books I seek out wrote for at least 20 years before getting their first book published, maybe 30 years. The first book they had published was rejected by 4 publishers, two of whom didn't even bother sending a rejection letter. They wrote lots of other stuff that was repeatedly rejected, too.

So 10 years isn't so bad.

A rather harsh piece of advice from another author was to write about a million words and then burn it all (because your first million or so words would be just enough training to be competent).
 
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?
 
Last edited:
EVH said:
Someone once told me that a full page of type (size 12) on a A4 sheet would take the average person five minutes to read*

Could be made up, but assuming it's 340 pages then that's a good 28 hours reading time.

Does that seem overly long? Perhaps not for the first draft, then again quality > quantity.

My advice is write as much as you can then prune it back accordingly.



* May not be true
Click to expand...


Way too high, unless you can't read properly.
 
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.
 
dvdbunny said:
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
Click to expand...


K I'm mildly curious how you can sell fiction as non fiction :/
 
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.
 
dvdbunny said:
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.
Click to expand...

In that case it will be sold as fiction.
 
So it will be in the fiction section of the book store?
As every fiction book is supposed to read like it's true :p
 
Tefal said:
yeah thats what I'm asking isn't that false advertising etc, or just bare faced lies?:confused:

Why publish it as true if it's not?
Click to expand...

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.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom