Writing – New To Writing Find A Mentor

For beginners to the world of writing, the first thing I’d like to say is welcome. There are millions of us out there with the desire to commit a story to paper and if we are lucky, have it published.
Of those millions thousands will actually complete a novel.
Of those only a few will be really successful.
It’s the way it is. Regardless of the hype which surrounds the new technology that in effect promises to send your novel out to the whole world, the reality it is that there are three things that are needed to write your book.
The first is very simple. You need to do it because, well, you just need to do it. You have some desire to be a writer and you need to complete a novel.
The second is that it’s going need to know yourself well enough to understand what it is you are good at. Some are great at plot, others great at characters, others superb at detail. You maybe luck enough to be good at all three, but if, like me you are not, then an understanding of where your strengths lie is very important.
The third is that no matter how clever or talented you are, to be one of the few that will complete a novel you will need structure, an understanding of what you need to complete a novel.
The first two points are just for you. The third needs some help. Of course there are an awful lot of books out there on how to write. I’ve read most of them. In reality the best work I’ve done has been working with individuals who have supported the way I write and what I want to write.
The key to a story is to stay within boundaries. Otherwise what tends to happen is the novel rambles and does not keep to a theme, a story, a hero/heroine.
I have taken several courses with Fire in the Head based in Devon, the most important was the email course that took me through each stage of writing a novel. I have done this course 4 times over the last ten years. And I have 3 books from it.
More recently I sent 1500 words to a novelist based near my home and who was recommended to me, and spent an hour in her company finding out what she thought about a particular piece of work I started over a decade ago. The advice has been invaluable, lease of all, inspiring me to come at the story in a different way. A way I had not thought of.
In short. Those who do this all on their own, I salute, but my experience is that they do not complete a project that they either enjoyed or felt proud of. Like everything, it’s important to gain some expertise and use it for direction and purpose for the novel.
This will have a cost to it. But if you can afford it then you will find this process more exciting and more fruitful and it will take you less time.
For beginners to the world of writing, the first thing I’d like to say is welcome. There are millions of us out there with the desire to commit a story to paper and if we are lucky, have it published.
Of those millions thousands will actually complete a novel.
Of those only a few will be really successful.