Many people have thought about writing a book or novel at least once in their lives. The thought of putting your fantasies on paper, publishing a book and making money from it, warms the hearts of thousands. But how do you write a novel if you've never done it before? Of course, it is impossible to find universal advice on writing a novel, because each writer has his own approach and his own methods, although the most popular ones can be identified.

Reading

The most banal advice, which, however, will serve you in good stead. The more novels you read, the more you will expand your vocabulary, the more beautiful your sentences will be and the more interesting you will be able to spin the plot in your book. As you read, note the failures and successes of someone else's work in order to understand how you can do better. But you shouldn't copy another author, you want to create your own unique novel, right?

Plot and characters

The most difficult thing in a successful novel is to come up with the right plot and interesting characters. Where to begin?

Work the way you feel most comfortable. For some authors, it is more convenient to first come up with a plot, and then choose characters for it, for others, the idea begins with the images of the characters, and only then the plot comes to mind. It's very individual, so work the way it works.

Stephen King says that he starts writing a novel from a certain situation. For example: “What happens if a woman is bedridden in empty house? After that, he begins to think about how events could develop and often he himself cannot immediately say how the book will end.

It is important that your characters are different and your reader can empathize with at least one of them. If this is not the case, then the book simply will not be able to "hook" its reader and he will be disappointed. Kurt Vonnegut also states that your character should want something, even something as simple as a sandwich. This is what will make it more human and interesting.

How to start a novel

Novels are a rather voluminous work, so it can be scary to start such work. To boost your confidence, try writing something smaller, like a short story. It can be either a separate work or an episode of your future novel. Or maybe it will be easier for you to come up with a sequel to your favorite novel by a famous writer?

It is important that you try it and see if you like it and if it works for you. Bring to perfection little story will be easier than a big novel. By the way, writing a good story is much more difficult. If you succeed, then the question is how to write genius novel, will disappear on its own very soon.

Faith in one's strength

Suppose you have an idea for a novel, you have thought of all the characters, but the work does not stick at all. Or maybe you wrote a few pages and abandoned the work, not finding time to continue it? In order not to get into such a situation, accustom yourself to write daily. It will be best if you do this for the same length of time, for example, an hour. Decide what time of day it is more convenient for you to work, sit down and write. Even if the next day you have to destroy what you have written and write it all over again, such an experience will be useful. Usually after the first few paragraphs work in progress easier, and you are happy to write page after page.

rituals

The hardest part is getting to work. Before writing the novel of your dreams properly, get into the habit of doing something specific before you start writing. For example, you can drink a cup of coffee and reread yesterday's material or cook for yourself. delicious sandwiches for snacks during work. So, you can, by doing a few simple steps, quickly set yourself up for a working mood.

Material check

Has it ever happened to you that after a while the works you wrote seem funny or stupid? For sure, yes. That is why periodically re-read what you have written. It is important that your material is "rested" for a certain time, for example, a week. Only after that you will be able to look at it with a fresher look and see all the weaknesses and shortcomings.

As a romance writer, I get asked all the time: How to write and sell successfully love story? Many aspiring writers are excited about the topic of publishing their first book and catalog printing which will include original texts.

I finally decided to write down a few points that may be useful to beginners. You can contact me with questions through my LiveJournal, having previously friended me in order to keep track of everything that I will write about this difficult matter in the future (and not repeat myself). I answer all questions. I read texts. I give advice. I suggest where to go and contact the publishers :)

A romance novel is a genre that has its own strict laws, following which increases the chances of your creation being published. It has its own laws.

Law 1.
A love story is a work ABOUT LOVE. lofty ideas, if you suddenly wanted to include them in the work, they should be ABOUT LOVE. And about nothing else. No special terminology, understandable only with a dictionary of foreign words, abstruse statements of heroes, intricate theories and historical references. What does the reader want by buying your book? Enough to worry about the main characters, sympathize with them, cry. Instead of being loaded with thoughts for a couple of months. LR is entertainment literature!
LR can be biased towards a detective story, mysticism, an adventure novel, but it is better to discuss this moment with the publisher in advance and not overdo it. Still, in your work, the main thing is love lines.

Law 2.
A love story involves HEROES. And not the heroine in which you ingeniously brought yourself out, adding a couple more dubious princes to the text to shade your beauty and mind. In a romance novel, there must be a full-fledged heroine and a full-fledged hero. Better - two. So it will be easier to come up with intrigue. It would also be nice to add a friend of the heroine (maybe more than one), so that she has someone to express her feelings and from whom to get advice. All the characters in the novel should be alive, recognizable, with well-written characters. Positive - such that they want to empathize, negative - such that they cause righteous anger. No templates and stereotypes! Look around, watch people, look for characters!

Law 3.
STORY is at the center of a love story. It should have a plot in the first two, maximum three, chapters, development with unexpected twists and a denouement. The relationships between the characters develop through conflicts. If everything is exactly like in a fairy tale, it is not interesting to read.

Down with patterns and stereotypes! Forget everything you read or watched on TV before. Look for your original situations, moves, turning points! How more interesting story the more interesting the book.
Remember the logic of events: each action of the characters must have a motive arising from their characters, each action must lead to certain logical consequences. Logical inconsistencies or stretch ceilings in the plot immediately knock the reader out of the reality you invented, and this is very unpleasant. Do not be lazy to re-read and correct the text, polishing the plot.

By the way, your LR may have not one love story, but two. Isn't the heroine's friend worthy of her prince? Two well-executed storylines increase your chance of winning!

Law 4.
A love story should have a HAPPY END. The heroine must find her prince / get married / have children. An open ending - she stood and wondered who would now enter the door: Petya or Vasya - does not fit. The heroine must decide: Petya - so Petya, Vasya - so Vasya. Moreover, Petya or Vasya himself must decide and: confess his love to her, make an offer, listen about the pregnancy and declare that he has dreamed of a child all his life. At the end of your creation, all the heroes (except the negative ones) must have all their dreams come true. All MATRIMONIAL dreams. The option when she does not find her prince, but becomes a co-owner of the enterprise is not suitable (see law 1).

This article will help you navigate and tune in. Plot, characters, language of narration, plot - these are the three pillars on which the novel rests.

Let's deal with the characters.“The heroes of a novel should be living people…” as Mark Twain said in The ABC of the Novel by Mark Twain. To characters novels turned out to be real, full-blooded, the author himself must clearly see and understand them. Some writers advise to think over the biographies of the main characters and put them in a separate file. And then choose the most "tidbits". This is an awesome method. True, labor intensive. Ready? Get started! Where he was born, how he studied, family circle, friends, first kiss, successes and failures. It turns out like a cheat sheet, where you will find clues already in the process of creating a novel. Spoken language helps to "revive" the characters. The dialogues show their attitude to the world, to the situation, to each other. Let's say a friend can tell the main character who is going on a date.

You are lucky! You don't have to paint your eyes! All my life I envied your eyelashes, so black, long!

And it becomes clear that, firstly, they have been friends since childhood, and secondly, the heroine has expressive eyes. The use of slang, favorite expressions, sayings "colors" the character and makes it convex, reliable.

Plot. You can act freely with the elements of the plot, no one is obliged to write according to a clear plan. How to start? This question worries every writer: both novice and professional.

Here are some forms of introduction that can be used in a romance novel:

1. Narrative. It's simple: you tell, describe.
2. Dialogue or monologue. Very convenient, winning start. You can choose any pace and any theme: landscape, eternal truths, heroes. You can cut off the conversation interesting place, revive with a variety of intonations, slang.
3. Letter. The main option is the correspondence of heroes. Here, the advantages of a monologue dialogue are preserved, in addition, the payload of the text and information content increase.
4. Document. This may be a statement of divorce or, conversely, a marriage certificate. A court verdict, a certificate from a mental hospital, a bank account.

The plot should keep in suspense, intrigue. Alternate the dialogues and actions of the characters, cut off the scene at the most exciting moment, dilute the dynamic episodes with descriptions. Flashbacks help to change the scenery well - that is, the recreation of the past of the characters. It can be both yesterday's events and childhood memories. Psychological flashbacks perfectly dilute the dynamic action, allow the story to be told in different time planes, and provide an opportunity to make an intriguing stop before a tense episode.

Artistic expressiveness. As one of famous writers no one can write five hundred bad stories. So the main thing to create own style- an experience. Stuff your hand. Remember Y. Olesha: "Not a day without a line!". Highly important point in the manner of writing - the use of stamps. "Their hearts sounded in unison", "her eyes shone like stars", "delicate as a violet" - such expressions are worn out to such an extent that any plot will lose its fascination. So do not fall into banality. As a last resort, if you can’t find the original turnover, discard this sentence altogether. Is the meaning lost? Excessive pretentiousness also spoils the impression. Do not cling to every successful image, postpone until better times if it does not “fit in” or clutters up the text.

Happy end. The romance novel genre implies a happy ending to the story. There are, of course, exceptions, but they only confirm the rules. The desire for originality is out of place here: the reader will feel deceived and disappointed if he stumbles upon something like “everyone died” at the end. Don't reinvent the wheel, love stories are relaxing reading. May your novel be as easy and fun to read as you wrote it.

Romance novels are a very popular genre in publishing. A good romance novel can spawn a whole series of novels with similar characters and settings. Perhaps you've decided to write romance novels, challenging yourself as a writer, or want to try your hand at this genre. Start by looking for interesting, exciting romance novel ideas. Then, when writing your story, keep your readership in mind. Work on and edit the finished work so that it will interest readers of love stories.

Steps

Part 1

1. Use the experience of a real love relationship as inspiration. Start from your own romantic baggage and adapt it to suit your book. Use a chance meeting during your vacation or a special moment you shared with your partner as a story. Take your past romantic relationships as source material.

   • For example, you can take a passionate but failed relationship from your past, change your real names, and use that as a plot for a book. You can also make changes to the scene or add minor details to make the situation more dramatic.
   • In addition, you can use real novels of people from your environment as inspiration. Perhaps you have a boyfriend or girlfriend who is in a tumultuous relationship. Or you have a brother (or sister) who experienced a passionate affair in the past.

2. Use romance movies or TV shows as inspiration. You can even link to movies or programs you enjoy watching. Create your own version of your favorite melodrama. Recreate the romance from a TV show with your fictional characters or in a different setting.

   • More to be inspired love books and songs.

3. Come up with a charismatic main character. The reader should feel close relationship with him and love him. Main character, who is most often also the narrator of the story, must be welcomed and accessible to the audience. It should be interesting and unique to your reader.

   • For example, during the day main character is a highly trained criminal lawyer and, in the evening, a single woman eager to meet someone of her stature. Or the main character has been abandoned by her husband, and she is trying to cope with returning to her hometown.

4. Concentrate on a certain kind of romance. There are many different types: From historical novels to novels for teenagers or novels with a supernatural plot. Decide what exactly you want to write about. The look of the novel should match your idea so that you can please your audience.

   • For example, if your plot takes place in St. Petersburg at the beginning of the 20th century, then you are writing a historical novel. If events unfold between a ghost and a woman, then this is a paranormal romance.

5. Read examples of romance novels. To get a better feel for the genre, read romance novels that are considered successful and well-written. Go to your local library or bookstore and pick out a few books, such as:

   • Outlander, Diana Gabaldon;
   • 50 shades of grey, E. L. James;
   • Twilight, Stephenie Meyer;
   • Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte;
   • The Notebook, Nicholas Sparks.

   Part 2

   Writing a novel

   1. Formulate your own formula of love. There is a time-tested pattern in the novels: a girl meets a boy, a girl loses a guy, a girl reunites with a guy. To make your romance novels stand out, come up with your own variation or approach to this outline to keep your stories fresh and exciting. However, if you live in Russia, you should not write about how a girl met a girl or a guy met a guy, as this country has a law against promoting homosexuality. Therefore, it is better to arrange a meeting between a guy and a girl in another universe or another time period. Be creative and play with the scheme from all sides.

      • A girl can also be of a certain race or have a past that is in conflict with a guy she likes. Or the heroine comes from a family that is at odds with the young man's family.

   2. Stick to a strong attachment to the place. Location is a key element for a successful romance. The place of events should be in the foreground throughout the story. It should prescribe the manner in which the characters speak, the way they interact, and how they look at the world in which the action takes place.

      • For example, the scene of the novel may be the Caucasus today, where the characters will have their own specific dialect and their own way of life. Or the events may take place in the middle of the ocean on a warship, where the characters suffer from nausea caused by seasickness and bad weather.

   3. Come up with a key conflict. Readers of novels love the global, detailed conflict that drives the story forward. It should be believable and also prevent the main character and his lover from being together. In addition, it should be easy and understandable for the reader to follow this opposition.

      • For example, a key conflict may be the main character's choice between a very important criminal case and a nascent romance with a neighbor in the stairwell. Or the conflict could be the disease of the main character, which stands in the way of her union with the love of her life.

   4. Consider adding sex scenes. Not all romance novels need sex scenes. If you decide to add them to your book, make them lively and emotional. Avoid flashy details or mechanical descriptions of sexual intercourse. Better use romantic, sensual details to describe the sex between characters.

      • For example, a sex scene can be described in terms of sensory detail, such as smells, feelings, sounds, or sights. By giving sex scenes context, you can make them more emotional for the reader.

   5. Avoid cliches. Romantic books full of clichés. Cliches are phrases that are used so often that they have already lost their meaning. If a word or phrase sounds familiar to you, it is likely a cliché and should be avoided. Better come up with original descriptions that are unique to this character.

      • For example, instead of saying, "He was tall, dark-haired, and attractive," you could say, "He was good-looking and looked like a stylish teacher."

   6. End the novel with a satisfying ending. A good love story will end in the style of "and they lived happily ever after." Give the reader a happy and satisfying ending. Ultimately, your readers want to see that the main character found the love she longed for.

      • For example, the main character and her lover will finally be reunited. Or she will recover slightly from her illness in order to finally see her beloved.

   Part 3

   Making the finishing touches

   1. Read the novel aloud. Once you've finished the draft of your book, read it out loud to yourself. Hear how your novel sounds. Underline or highlight any sentences that sound stupid or incomprehensible so you can rewrite them later. Check that the transition between chapters is smooth and smooth.

      • You can also read the novel aloud to catch spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. Try reading the book slowly to make sure every word is spelled correctly.

A novel is not just a collection of 33 letters and a handful of punctuation marks. It has a purpose - to make the reader plunge into the world created by the author, to feel things, places and worlds that he did not know about. Ignite the reader's thirst to know what happens next, make him turn the page and find that reading the novel not only brought pleasure, but made him change a little and opened up something new for him.

The most popular genres of literature

How to start writing? Before sitting down to write a novel, the author must determine: for whom does he want to write? Who will be its readers? What interests them and what is the most read today? Numerous surveys have shown that the most read genres today are romance, science fiction, detective stories and classics.

Love novels

As a rule, most of them are read by women who see in life only laundry, cleaning, work, the kitchen and an eternally busy husband. They need romance, beauty. They need beautiful names heroes, strong characters, memorable places. They won't read about the plumber's love for the cook.

But if the author dares to talk about it, then he needs to think about how to captivate his readers - to think over a touching plot. Understand how to write love scenes in a novel in such a way that the most unattractive character at first sight “plays”, stands out. Throughout the work, note how the feelings of the characters changed them, what difficulties they had to go through to prove or show their love.

Fiction

The fantasy genre is mostly preferred by teenagers or computer geniuses. In terms of genre diversity, there is room for expansion here. It can be an adventure story with incredible embellishments: transformations and unusual tricks, unusual places and technical “bells and whistles”.

The fantastic genre is good because here you can come up with a name that will intrigue the reader, create a fascinating plot, taking as a basis folk tale with its monsters, wizards and brave knights or cyber-fiction with its electronic innovations.

Fantasy is a fairly popular genre because there is an unlimited "field of activity" for the author. And how to write a fantasy novel, in what way, depends only on his imagination. The main set of science fiction - main character, the object of his love, powerful patrons or associates. And of course, the opposing side: the main villain is insidious and invincible.

detectives

Novels of this genre have always been read, read and will be read. Why are they popular? First of all, the reader wants to have fun, to escape from reality. He likes to solve the crime, like a puzzle. The beginning of the novel is a jigsaw puzzle. And the author plays: hides the evidence, brings suspicion to a completely innocent character, who behaves as if he is the criminal.

And the reader often goes the wrong way, his guesses are wrong. As a rule, the hero of the detective - the detective - surpasses the reader in quick wits and elegantly solves the crime. To write a detective, one puzzle, of course, is not enough. How to learn to write detective novels? Firstly, it is interesting for the reader to follow the train of thought of the heroes, to pursue the criminal together with the detective and to substantiate conjectures and suspicions.

The punishment of the villain is also an important detail, the reader feels pleasure at the sight of the criminal who received what he deserved. Often the reader identifies with the main character, gets used to his role and increases his own importance. A well-written detective makes him confident in the reality of what is happening. And he keeps getting into the role of a detective again and again, reading one novel after another.

Classic

Great creations are impossible not to know. Classic literature relevant at all times. Of course, there is no need to create a new War and Peace. How to write a novel that will captivate more than a dozen readers? fill it up deep meaning, raise the global actual problems based on eternal values. Such a work will not leave anyone indifferent, it will be interesting at all times and will be beneficial.

The Formula for a Captivating Work

In fact, there is quite a lot of what has not yet been written. It is important to come up with something original, unusual. In a word, mine. There is no general scheme for writing a novel. Yes, and never was. Therefore, there is no universal formula for how to write novels that are in demand. But you don't need to reinvent the wheel either. It is enough for a beginner pen master to use the general structure: plot and composition.

AT good work everything is logically connected: one action (event) follows from another, and everything that has nothing to do with it is removed. The main principle is consistent, logically constructed actions of the characters. This is the plot of the piece. Then you need to decide on the elements of the plot. What should be carefully considered before writing a novel?

• Exposition - characters, their relationships, time and place of action.
• Omen - hints, any signs or clues that open further development plot.
• The tie is an important element of any work. This is an event that develops, provokes conflict.
• Conflict is the basis of any work. What can form the basis of the conflict? A person (character) against a person or against himself. Hero against society or nature. Man versus supernatural or technology.
• Growing action - important condition how to write a novel that keeps the reader in constant suspense. It is necessary to create a chain of events that originate from the conflict. Gradually, the action increases and reaches a peak.
• Crisis is the culmination point. The crisis begins immediately before the climax or simultaneously with it. This is exactly the moment when the opposing sides collide, that is, they meet face to face.
• The climax is the most significant moment in the novel. The most interesting, as the hero grits his teeth and goes to the end or breaks down and loses.
• Descending actions are the events or actions of the characters that lead to the denouement.
• Resolution is the resolution of the conflict. The hero wins or achieves the goal, is left with nothing or dies altogether.

How to write a novel

The rules for creating a plot highlight one element - crisis. As stated above, this is the climax of the novel. It is this moment that distinguishes the work, makes it exciting. What is characteristic of him? First, the crisis reflects the genre of the work.

Secondly, he must literally turn the life of the hero, disrupt the natural course of his life, change it for the worse. This moment calls for special attention author, so the entire book, the entire planned volume of the work, should go to overcome the consequences of the crisis. Otherwise, short novels are obtained that do not fully reveal the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe work.

Thirdly, the crisis must seize the author himself. Only in this case the book will captivate and the reader will not fall asleep in the middle of the novel. After the author has decided on the crisis, it is necessary to decide what the hero is ready to do to overcome it, what he will do to achieve his goal. He must be sure that this is the only possible way out of the situation. This will be the main objective hero.

Four components of the crisis

Coming up with a plot, leading a character to a crisis, in no case should you rush. It's kind of the foundation of the piece. And the author has to build on it. A poorly thought out plan will collapse, and a masterfully crafted, clever plot will only give energy and strength, which help to create full-fledged masterpieces, and not half-finished, short novels.

possession and deliverance

The subject of possession (disposal) can be a person, an idea, a feeling, information. In trying to resolve a crisis, a character must do so. For example, a girl wants to get married, but her relatives in every possible way prevent this. And she is trying to get rid of their oppression. Or a father looking for a kidnapped child. The desire to find your child is so strong that no obstacles will stop him.

tragic consequences

The hero could not achieve his goal, the consequences are terrible - they completely destroy his life. It is not so important how to start writing, and most importantly - to make it clear to the reader that much is at stake here. Let them feel, experience with the characters all the tragedy of the current situation, fear. In a word, to drag the reader, to give the characters feelings inherent in every person. Create a situation that just needs to be resolved. The girl, unable to overcome the oppression of the family, will remain unhappy. The father, unable to save the child, will lose him.

lofty motives

This is what always attracts the reader. If the author of the work endows his hero with at least one worthy motivation to achieve the goal, readers will empathize with him, admire and the hero's motivations will find a response in their hearts. What lofty motives are worthy of readers' attention? It can be a sense of duty, love, dignity, honor. Comradeship, justice, patriotism often resonate with readers. Repentance and self-respect are worthy, noble motives.

It is important to highlight strengths. For example, an investigator, solving a crime, is guided by a sense of duty. A father who saves a child is guided by love. Softer ones - generosity or kindness - will not make the proper impression on the reader. It should be noted the negative aspects - envy, anger, hatred, pride, greed, lust.

Antiheroes are usually endowed with such traits. Young writers often miss this point: it's hard to create a strong character with negative motives. Perhaps the only negative impulse that can attract the reader's attention is revenge. When the hero was left with no choice and the only way to achieve justice is revenge.

Overcoming obstacles

And the last thing the hero must do in order to achieve his goal is to overcome obstacles. The author needs to create insurmountable obstacles. The goal seems to be unattainable. Reconsider the created crisis, how deep and insurmountable it is. If necessary, the crisis can be aggravated: worsen the situation, make it larger, change some elements in places or the scene of action.

Conflict is resolved

Why is storytelling important? Because during the existence of literature a certain scheme of influence on the reader has been developed. If the novel does not fit into it, it will be sluggish and illogical. In voluminous works with several storylines, all of the above elements are repeated repeatedly and obey these rules for constructing a plot.

In addition, the construction of the chain of events, the transition from the plot to the conflict must be believable. How to write a novel that meets these requirements? The character must have good reasons to do one way or another. The denouement, the end of the conflict is the result of the actions of the hero of the work. Every scene needs logic and common sense. The reader will feel cheated if the character is just lucky. He will respect the characters only if they deserve it - they have done something worthy.

Departure from the rules

The author wants to deviate from generally accepted rules, but does not know how? Writing thrash novels is pretty trendy these days. In such a work, the author deviates from the rules. He is not bound by literary forms. It's just a stream of consciousness, relaxation, pieces of thoughts. But nevertheless, there should be an interesting storyline. There should be elements that catch the reader: humor, mood, devilry, unbridled madness, etc. Something that shakes the reader.

Write a story with a compelling storyline unusual places and uncharacteristic of modern world deeds can be, if you plunge into history. Exactly. The history of any country, city, famous battle or biography of a famous person is interesting at all times. How to write It is possible to create a masterpiece worthy of attention, bearing a historical value, only after thoroughly studying the facts and evidence. Readers pay attention to details.

Wanting to recreate history, it is necessary to study the period of time in which the author wants to place his characters. Pay attention to clothes, houses, furnishings, utensils, habits, moral values ​​of that period. Literally plunge into that time. line up storyline, weave intriguing heroes, endow them with lofty goals.

Name

How to come up with a book title - ingenious, memorable? Read a book and think about its idea. Think of titles that fit the main message or the main emotions that your novel evokes. Write down your favorite phrases from the book. Maybe they will become the title of the work. Consider naming a novel after the main character. This is a fairly common practice. Mysterious names intrigue the reader who is looking for something unusual. At the same time, the title should give enough information about the subject of the book, but not too much to keep the reader interested. Be original. Come up with a name that will stand out from the crowd.

The most important thing is not to be scared if it turns out that there is already a novel with that name. There are still more readers. First of all, books become famous, whose authors were able to come up with a good name, put together ideas, thoughts, facts and create an exciting, logically built plot.