Avoiding the Pitfalls of the First Novel

by Phyllis Taylor Pianka

You can do it. You know you can. You've always wanted to do it. Someday you'll start that novel...
or finish the one you've already started. Sound familiar? I doubt there's a person alive who hasn't thought about writing a novel, but consider this. You wouldn't expect a chemist to work without training, neither should you expect to become a published writer without first doing your homework. It doesn't require advanced education. It simply means learning the basic techniques. Best advice I ever received.

Do it now. Start today, even if you can only spare ten minutes to fill a notebook with paper or set up a new file in the computer.

Don't wait for big blocks of time. Always keep a pad and pen within reach. Ideas are bubbles that disappear in a breath.

Don't limit your subject matter to what you know. Include things that interest you enough so that you will enjoy the research. Remember that writers are professional students.

Once you start writing, end your day's work in the middle of a scene so that you can easily pick up the flow when you begin again.

If you hit a brick wall with your story, go back and redefine your characters. List everything from where their grandparents were born to what kind of toothpaste your characters prefer.

Keep an organized workplace even if it is just a three-ring binder. (Okay. So I default on that one.)

Don't stop the creative flow to do research. Mark the place you need to insert information. Then when you've exhausted your creative energy, do the research, select the information you require, do a global search and add the appropriate text.

Outline. If you can handle the discipline you will save hours of work and write a more cohesive story. Most writers who don't outline admit that planning ahead is a more efficient way to work.

Join or start a workshop. If that's not possible, tape your work and play it back. It's quite revealing to hear the words instead of just see them.

Learn to become a storyteller. There's a difference between being a writer and being a storyteller. Almost anyone can write a novel but books are remembered because of the writer's ability to enthrall his readers. Storytelling, I think, comes when a writer finds the voice of his individual characters and brings each of those characters to life in the writer's unique style. If you're a novice at writing fiction, this isn't the time to worry about style or author's voice. Concentrate instead on developing characters. You'll discover later that style and voice evolve naturally as you dig through the layers of your characters' backstory, motivation, conflict, hopes, and desires, to create players who are uniquely your own.

Determine the kind of book you want to write by reading recently published books. Many manuscripts are rejected because they fall between the cracks on the publisher's list.

Category: Novels such as science fiction, western, romance, detective and horror. These books usually run between 55,000 and 85,000 words long. Their narrow focus appeals to a specific audience who can never seem to get enough of them. They are frequently series novels. Genre or category novels have a short shelf-life but a prolific author can make good money.

Midlist or Single Title novels: Novels, usually 85,000 to 125,000 words, that have wider appeal than category novels, but are not as widely read as mainstream novels. The writer's guidelines are less restrictive than the tipsheets for category novels. Many of these novels are slanted toward women, and are sometimes called "Big Women's Books." Talk about creativity!

Mainstream novels: These novels have few restrictions as to length and content, and may benefit from industry promotion to both a male and female audience. They are often written in an androgynous voice. Mainstream novels have a longer shelf life but they are more difficult to sell than category or midlist books.

The Literary Novel: These books have a very narrow audience focus but a well promoted book has the possibility of becoming a classic. With literary novels the style and richness of the language is as important as the characters and plot.

Getting started: Begin collecting data.
A working file containing notes about major scenes, maps of the locale, facts about flora and fauna, climate, food, clothing and typical communities, can be an invaluable resource. Include lists of references, possible titles, character names, character traits, career buzz words, cut-out pictures that resemble your characters, and anything that can enhance and give texture to plot and character, and reader identification.

Setting up work sheets: These are for your information only.
Characters: For each of your main characters make a profile chart showing family backgrounds that include genetic, psychological, and physical descriptions. Be sure to include their attitudes toward life and their goals, both personal and career. This is vital because the strongest conflict often evolves out of the characters' goals and their attitudes about reaching those goals.

A good rule to remember is that the plot should evolve out of the characters. Never force the characters to bend to fit the plot.

Plot line: This becomes the basis for your synopsis or your working outline. It's for your personal use only. A plot line is a list of major scenes as they occur in a chronological order in your book. More about plot lines in another column.

Time Line: A time line is a chronological list of times and dates and events in your book. This helps prevent accidents like having a sailing vessel cross the ocean in four days or having a baby born two years after it was conceived. A list of the names and functions of your characters as they appear, is a good way to prevent having to go back to check.

Expenses: Come tax time, you'll be grateful if you've kept all your expense receipts. If you file a Schedule C, and you should if you intend to submit manuscripts to a publisher, there are many expenses you can write off on taxes... including your Internet connection, any books you buy, the classes you take, and memberships in Writers' organizations.

Now that we've discovered some of the ways to avoid the pitfalls of writing a novel. As someone once said. "To know them is to avoid them."

-- PTP
©1999 Phyllis Taylor Pianka

Bestselling author Phyllis Taylor Pianka has published 20 novels, including her latest Regency historical, The Thackery Jewels. Her books have been translated into 22 languages. She has taught writing at UC Berkeley extension course, and is currently teaching online classes: "Introduction to Writing Fiction" and "Constructing the Novel." Her Writer’s Digest book, How to Write Romances, has, in its eighth printing, gone into a second edition. She gives day-long lectures at colleges and conferences across the country.

Associate Editor Duane Warren is an accredited eclectic whose writing career spans many genres. A published poet and award-winning short story writer, he earns a living primarily as a nonfiction writer and editor divided between publishers and the realm of corporate communications. He has served as managing editor for three international circulation magazines, and as writer/editor for over a dozen niche periodicals. Duane has ghosted several books and edited many others on subjects ranging from veterinary history and commodities trading to AIDS therapy and reincarnation.

In the corporate world Duane managed documentation, marcom and education programs. He has written thousands of user guides, manuals, technical papers and grant applications, as well as publicity articles, advertising copy and video scripts. His articles for journals and trade magazines cover topics as diverse as fish habitat and chaos theory. He is currently working on a volume of poetry, writing a scientific book on "sick buildings" and developing educational programs for elementary school children.