Writing a book - tips from an author #4
Style is one of the most important considerations when writing a
bestseller, and as we mentioned in previous articles, they key
is consistency. It's almost a hallmark of a top 10 best seller
to have a strong, consistent style. Therefore, hit on a style,
and stick to it throughout the novel. Here's a quick checklist
for you that should help ensure you keep a consistent style as
you write a book. You can save yourself an awful lot of time if
you try and avoid the need for editing any copy you use in your
plotting stafge. For example, if you create a useful plot card
for one of your chapters, write it properly, in the style you
intend to use within the actual text of the book. That way you
can cut and paste it simply and start expanding WITHOUT having
to rewrite it from scratch. The Plot Card system on www.GetPlotted.com is
excellent for this - when you swap over to manuscript format to
actually start writing your chapter, the plot card is right
there alongside, so if you want to cut and paste, you can.
Number 1 novel writing style point - passive or active voice.
The choice is yours, but most readers prefer the active style -
after all, you are telling them a story! If you don't understand
the difference, contrast these 2 sentences:- 'Is it time for
tea' and 'Do you think it's time for tea'?
Number 2 novel writing style point - don't telegraph your
punches. In other words, don't keep repeating yourself, You want
your readers to be surprised at developments. If you foreshadow
too strongly, the plot will seem obvious and even turgid.
Number 3 novel writing style point - try not to begin sentences
with 'It' or 'There'. For example, writing 'There were 3 wise
men who decided to visit Bethlehem' is clumsy in the extreme.
How much better is 'Three Wise Men, observing a new star in the
sky, decided to travel east to Bethlehem'. Likewise, 'It was
impossible to find room at the Inn' is nowhere near as good as
'The travelers found it impossible to find lodgings that night
as all the Inns were full'.
Number 4 novel writing style point - write like you talk. If you
try and use too many 'big' words, or clever phrases, you will
probably end up looking like a clown, or worse, like Jeffery
Archer. It will also enable you to write faster, as you won't
have to keep checking the spelling. Thirdly it will help avoid
your work sinking into cliche, and will finally avoid alienating
your reader. You aren't gonna win any points for word
complexity, either from your readers or potential publishers.
This is writing, NOT scrabble!
Number 5 novel writing style point - sentence complexity. The
Goldilocks principle operates here - i.e. neither too short or
too long. This sentence is too short. This perfectly chosen
combination of words making up a single element of narrative
description, on the other extremity of an arm, is possibly
verging on the point of being perceived as potentially a little
on the less than short side.
Number 5 novel writing style point - James Joyce already did it.
In other words, don't imagine you can ditch the basic rules of
grammar and write sloppily. Basic grammar is essential if you
don't want to turn off the vast majority of your potential
readership. Seriously young Jedi it is.
Number 6 novel writing style point - dialogue to die for. Check
your punctuation. One of the most common problems is losing
track in the narrative. You've probably seen examples of this -
you get confused as to who is speaking, and need to go back over
a paragraph. Instant reader turn off! Also ensure your
characters speak naturally. If, when you re-read your dialogue,
it sounds stilted to you, it probably is. Never be afraid to
reword dialogue until it sounds 'right'. Good dialogue, by the
way, should advance the plot, or show some new facet of a
character. Small talk is for the bar, not a best seller. The
interactive writer's course at www.GetPlotted.com has some
good tips on this topic - writing good dialogue is actually
quite straightforward, as long as you obey the single easy
'golden rule'. Ultimately, if you can differentiate your
characters properly, you will even be able to occasionally drop
the 'he said' qualifier - the character's speech will identify
them to the reader!