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Our Courses University of Cape Town Small Business Management Internet Marketing Internet Super-User Internet and the Law Project Administration Financial Management Business Writing Practical Labour Law Guest House Management Sectional Title University of Stellenbosch Wine Evaluation Industry Partners Creative Writing Contact Us Name: Email: Phone: Message: Preferred method of contact: Email Phone	Creative writing \| Five tips to help you start - and finish - that novel By Ron Irwin So you want to write a novel? Here are five suggestions to help you compile that story and get it right from the start… 1. Grab the Reader, Right From the Start. Understand that most editors make the decision to buy or reject a manuscript after reading only the first few pages, and often just the first few paragraphs. You have one page to really hook the reader therefore start with a bang. Begin your story with a situation that is designed to excite the reader’s natural curiosity and make her want to read more. 2. Develop Main Characters Who Are Absolutely Fascinating…and Imperfect. Readers will not tolerate bland main characters. We meet boring people every day. Make your characters breathe by giving them traits we can all identify with. But be sure to give them strange habits and make them less than perfect. Give them hang-ups, phobias and issues. Sherlock Holmes does drugs, James Bond drinks too much and the average Jane Austen heroine is less than statuesque. Readers love flawed characters, don’t you? 3. Give Them Problems They Must Solve: What drives a novel? A great character solving a great problem. Before you start writing, ask yourself what your character really wants. What is she willing to sacrifice? 4. Don’t Give The People What they Want: Do not cave in and make things easy for the character or the reader. If your main character badly wants Mr. Right, make him come from a family that hates hers (think Romeo and Juliet) or impossibly rich and in love with the character’s sister (think Jane Austen). If a shark attacks a sleepy community, make it really hard to kill (think Jaws). Readers like to see characters they admire get the things they hope for after a long, bitter struggle and they read on until this happens….on the last page. 5. End the Novel…Right at the Beginning. Start ending your novel right from page one. Your novel should build to the ending from page one, not in the last few paragraphs. Click here for more information on the Random House Struik Creative Writing Course. Back to SmartyPants Newsletter - January 2010 Edition Comments #1 Thembi 2010-03-17 13:02 I am actually writing a book, its about me but I gave it a character, sometimes I find it difficult to write some of the painful stuff and like right now I havent touched in for months because the point that I am at is painful, I find it difficult to contine. What is your adivce. Quote #2 Karin 2010-03-17 15:32 We have a lot of students in the same situation as you and I think what keeps them motivated is that they can share their experiences with fellow writers. When you get stuck one of the best things to do is to share this with someone who might have been in the same situation and ask them what they did to get through it. Quote Refresh comments list Add comment Name (required) E-mail (required) Website Notify me of follow-up comments Send Cancel	Sign up now Previous editions September 2010 Edition August 2010 Edition July 2010 Edition June 2010 Edition May 2010 Edition April 2010 Edition March 2010 Edition February 2010 Edition January 2010 Edition December 2009 Edition
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Creative writing | Five tips to help you start - and finish - that novel

By Ron Irwin

So you want to write a novel? Here are five suggestions to help you compile that story and get it right from the start…

1. Grab the Reader, Right From the Start.
Understand that most editors make the decision to buy or reject a manuscript after reading only the first few pages, and often just the first few paragraphs. You have one page to really hook the reader therefore start with a bang. Begin your story with a situation that is designed to excite the reader’s natural curiosity and make her want to read more.

2. Develop Main Characters Who Are Absolutely Fascinating…and Imperfect.
Readers will not tolerate bland main characters. We meet boring people every day. Make your characters breathe by giving them traits we can all identify with. But be sure to give them strange habits and make them less than perfect. Give them hang-ups, phobias and once_upon_a_time

issues. Sherlock Holmes does drugs, James Bond drinks too much and the average Jane Austen heroine is less than statuesque. Readers love flawed characters, don’t you?

3. Give Them Problems They Must Solve:
What drives a novel? A great character solving a great problem. Before you start writing, ask yourself what your character really wants. What is she willing to sacrifice?

4. Don’t Give The People What they Want:
Do not cave in and make things easy for the character or the reader. If your main character badly wants Mr. Right, make him come from a family that hates hers (think Romeo and Juliet) or impossibly rich and in love with the character’s sister (think Jane Austen). If a shark attacks a sleepy community, make it really hard to kill (think Jaws). Readers like to see characters they admire get the things they hope for after a long, bitter struggle and they read on until this happens….on the last page.

5. End the Novel…Right at the Beginning.
Start ending your novel right from page one. Your novel should build to the ending from page one, not in the last few paragraphs.

Click here for more information on the Random House Struik Creative Writing Course.

Back to SmartyPants Newsletter - January 2010 Edition

Comments

#1 Thembi 2010-03-17 13:02

I am actually writing a book, its about me but I gave it a character, sometimes I find it difficult to write some of the painful stuff and like right now I havent touched in for months because the point that I am at is painful, I find it difficult to contine.
What is your adivce.

Quote

#2 Karin 2010-03-17 15:32

We have a lot of students in the same situation as you and I think what keeps them motivated is that they can share their experiences with fellow writers. When you get stuck one of the best things to do is to share this with someone who might have been in the same situation and ask them what they did to get through it.

Quote

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