I’m imagining we’re doing this book-writing thing together and in order. At this stage I picture us mulling our options even while calmly check-listing considerations which will soon become multitudinous (a nice five-syllable word meaning many indeed). We’ve covered idea files and spoken of choosing genres, but there are many more moving parts in story creation, including Characters, Setting, Structure and Publication. We’ll touch on these here. Buckle up. Multitudinous considerations lead to multi-tasking. Writing a novel is a lot like trying to keep numerous balls in the air at once.
Characters
This one is huge. Time and care must be spent in character creation. They need to come to life for your readers, and then change in satisfying ways as a result of the story. Think about this now, ideally when you’re starting to write them. In-depth character considerations to be covered in future issues will include motivation, arcs, backstory, types, the protagonist and bit players. Stay tuned.
Setting
You can’t just choose setting at random. You’re no doubt already envisioning your tale occurring in a specific location, but it’s not too late to ask yourself why you’re staging it there. In future issues we’ll discuss how setting interacts with character, tips on researching and describing it, how setting conveys feeling and more.
Structure
First, here’s the long view, or novel structure in general:
Now let’s zoom in for structure specifics:
This sounds intimidating, but the plot points above show the usual progression for most stories. Must you stick to it? Naw. But you should at least consider the traditional stages of a narrative arc, if only to reject it all in the end and go boldly your own way. You don’t have to follow any structure at all, if that’s your method. Next issue, in fact, we’ll talk about the two opposing approaches by which many fiction writers eventually come to define themselves: Plotters vs. Pantsers. And in the following issue (lucky #13) we’ll begin discussing the second item on the above list, conflict, which is the one ingredient without which your story recipe will fail. But let’s not get too far into the weeds. This issue is an overview, and we can’t neglect mention of the final item:
Publication
You should be already thinking ahead as to how you’re going to get your words out there, even at these beginning stages. And whether you’ve settled on your mode of publication yet or not, you should be actively deciding which social media platforms work (or don’t) for you, and building an email list and numbers of followers, and generally starting to engage. We’ll get into the intricacies of the whole marketing/self-promotion thing much later, but I suggest you ease into a social media presence along with your writing, and the sooner the better. Like yesterday. It’ll be first thing an agent will ask for if you go traditional, and the first thing you’ll want if you go indie.
Okay, we’ve mentioned Characters, Setting, Structure and Publication. In the spirit of my ball-juggling analogy, I try to keep all these items somewhere in mind as I write. For me it helps to periodically refocus and make sure I’m not neglecting an aspect that might improve the story I’m telling, and its chances of eventually being seen and read.
There’s more, but we’ll stop there lest any further info-dump cause you to unsubscribe and flee in despair. Speaking of which, I had an adult student who expressed a type of despair to me. I received her poignant email a month after the class had concluded. Here it is as
Q. I think I’m quitting. Writing a book is so much harder than I thought it would be. Any magic words to keep me going?
A. Not really. It is harder than anyone thinks it would ever be. Stay strong, get together with other writers for support, and remember:
Here’s another chance to add to your vocabulary and save a word from extinction. This one was defined earlier in this email, and there are many, many reasons you should recall it. Do you?
What is multitudinous?
Use it in a sentence. If you do, you’ll help to make it your own.
Action Plan
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Coming in Spring, 2024!
With only a touch, Michael Calrissi can read your thoughts. His psychic skills, however, are a double-edged sword: an effective tool for tracking down serial killers, but an obstacle for keeping friends or lovers.
In “The Spider Bite Murders,” he investigates a string of disappearances in a remote California forest. Soon, Calrissi psychically pries into the secrets of both his detective partner and a would-be girlfriend, alienating both. His skill also reveals that something—or someone—is living in the oaky canyons, using deadly spiders as a weapon. Can Calrissi channel his abilities and crack the ghoulish case, rebuild the bridges he’s torched, and save the lives of the two people closest to him?
Want to receive an early advance reading copy of “The Spider Bite Murders,” the first in the Touch series(in Ebook form)? Agree to submit a review when the book is released, and an ARC is yours. Click on the spider now—you know you want to:
Next Up:
#12) Plotters Vs. Pantsers. See you in two weeks!
Craig