On Novel Writing

[Rob K]

I find writing a novel to be a very enjoyable experience. It's a true pleasure to watch my characters grow in depth over the span of 300 pages and see plot elements come together in ways I had, and had not, anticipated. Don't get me wrong, writing a novel is no easy task. In fact, it requires a certain set of skills to pull it off effectively. You need to be able to see the bigger picture, to understand how readers might actually view what you're putting together. The pacing needs to never lag, with new information always being revealed. If you're writing boring stuff as filler, and you know it's boring, the reader certainly isn't going to find it entertaining.

I trust my instincts, and I follow this rule: Never lay a path just to get from Point A to Point B. Ever. If you do, your reader may tire of the bland scenery and wander off down a new road. That doom has claimed countless novels, and I have no intention of letting it claim any of mine.

[Mike Griffiths]

I also find writing novels to be the most fun part of writing.

After only writing one novel in the past year plus, I'm very happy to be jumping in right now and working on two new ones. It is the best part of writing at least for me. Certainly better than proofing or doing the PR attack, although I enjoying the latter more even if it can be overwhelming and frustrating.

Mike Griffiths

[erazmus]

I'm just starting working on novels, and enjoying the heck out of it. Its feels really weird, after laboring in short fiction these last few years, to have so much space to work with. I'm quite pleased with the way the story just spins itself out, going off in its own direction in new and interesting paths. I didn't expect that--its bad thing when you're trying to write a short story (usually, anyway). In a novel its the place you (or at least I) want to be.

Mike

[ScrewMoonshine]

Yeah, I love that about writing novels... You can just let the plot go wherever it goes, and so long as you stay loyal to the characters and keep your prose sharp, you'll still wind up with a good story! Of course, the right dosage of planning definitely helps, but the results can still be pretty impressive.

Robert Orme

[TRtheJ]

I started with novels many years ago, then switched to get some stories -- my name out there.

For me, writing either is a fun journey. I start with a set beginning and I know where it's going to end, and from there I weave my way from one to the other. I do have a general direction "plotted" out, but always loosely 'cause the story can take a turn in a new direction.

Now that I have a collection of short stories on the market I've turned to writing a novel. It'll be the fifth novel in my career and the first published.

[ScrewMoonshine]

Now that I have a collection of short stories on the market I've turned to writing a novel. It'll be the fifth novel in my career and the first published.

How do you know? Have you stopped sending the first four around to publishers?

Robert Orme