Guest Post: Writing a Novel by Gary Dickson
There are around 80,000 words in most novels, and if each sentence is 15-20 words per sentence, then a novel will contain around 5,000 sentences. And if you are presently looking at a blank document on the screen, then the road ahead seems daunting. I know it was for me too.
Earlier, I had written a few term papers, the beginnings of a thesis, sundry business letters, but just the thought of stringing that many words together in some sort of intelligible order seemed equivalent to climbing Mt. Everest. As it turned out, I should have stuck with Mt. Everest. It might have been easier. At least I knew the direction…up.
And once I had decided to write a novel, the next question staring me in the face was what story was itching to be told. I already had the reputation of being a storyteller weaving some of my experiences into my conversation–which reminds me. Do yourself a favor. Write about something that you already know. If you decide to write about something where your research is going to be the underpinnings of the story, just a warning that you may not know what you need to know to write the story, and as a result, you won’t know how much research will be enough. Add two years to your writing timetable.
Somewhere along the line, you will come across terms like plot, characters, conflict, backstory, complicating factor, POV, as well as many others. Let’s hope that this encounter will occur long before you have reached 40,000 words. If not, I see a lot of re-writing in your future. But you’ll learn a lot from re-writing, particularly if you understand the need for re-writing and you can agree to its necessity.
Myself, I like to know where I’m going before I get in the car. And it’s the same for writing. Before I sit in front of the computer to tackle the next chapter of the novel, I always know where the plot is going and how the characters are going to respond to the new developments. This is a very handy way to avoid writer’s block. The fear of every writer.
And while I’m on the subject, it may be a good time to mention quotas or goals regarding writing. I’ve read a lot about writers and their habits as well as their eccentricities. A high percentage stake out daily word counts. Most are in the 500 to 1000 range. If you want to set up a sure path to writer’s block, be sure and have a daily goal of number of words to write. Rather, resolve to think about your story each day and how the plot will develop. If you know where the story is going, you will find it easy to rattle off a couple of thousand words. Word count goals lead to writing 20 words, 19 of which are bad.
And by all means, be nice to yourself. If it were easy, everybody would be doing it.
Title: An Oddity of Some Consequence
Author: Gary Dickson
Blurb:He has always lived in mystery; will she be the one to discover his secret?
Robert Valmer moves from Rome to Beverly Hills in 2015, where against his better judgment, he falls for Alexis Roth, PhD, psychologist to the stars. But Alexis wants to know everything. Start from the beginning, she says. The beginning? Can he really tell her about how he fled France during the French Revolution in 1789 or about Italy during World War II? If he tells her even a little, will she think of him as a liar or a freak rather than a lover?
He tries to deflect her probes, pleading shyness, but she knows that reticence is often the veil behind which secrecy lurks. His practice of stonewalling only further ignites her burning curiosity.
As the pressure for honesty mounts, he does what he’s always done—flee. But Alexis is not a lover to be easily dismissed. She follows him to Europe, determined to track him down for an explanation. Where can she start when her quarry doesn’t want to be found? Each clue she uncovers leads her deeper into intrigue.
An Oddity of Some Consequence is a glamorous tale of mystery, romance, and the fountain of youth.
About the Author
