How to Write a Novel

Book excerpt: This intensely practical and funny guide will take you through everything you need to do write a book to be proud of in 2020. You'll learn to write a novel, children's book, or narrative non-fiction that will remain true to your artistic vision and be strong enough to sell. 'Best book on writing I have ever read' -- Lovely Rita, Amazon reviewer So: you want to write a book. That means you'll need to learn how to find the market you'll be writing for and how to plan your novel. Know what works and what doesn't and identify the 'outstanding' from the 'good' ideas. You'll need to know how to plot like the experts: learn about all the plotting methods open to you, and which one suits you and your writing style. You'll also want to know who your characters are and why they're the way they are. You'll need to know about character arcs and character development, so that you can create dazzling characters that'll leave your readers captivated. But none of that will mean anything, if you haven't developed your prose style. This is what separates 'people who like to write' and 'writers.' So, you'll need to learn how to handle technicalities like point of view, tense, omniscience, writing with clarity, and the art of showing-not-telling. And, because you're a writer whose just created a world filled with evocative characters and excellent descriptions of place, you'll also need to know how to edit. Really edit your manuscript so that it's ready for publication. Oh, and yes, you'll need experience. This book is written by someone who knows what he's talking about. With 20+ years as a published and bestselling author, Harry has helped thousands of writers on their journey to publication (as boss of Jericho Writers). And look: there are plenty of writing manuals out there, but with this book Harry will be with you from the very first sentence to the last full stop. Offering you actionable advice with real-life examples, all with the aim to help you write a book to be proud of. From one writer to another - good luck. Table of contents: Introduction Part one: Planning 1 What is Your Market? 2 What is Your Plan? 3 What is Your Plot? 4 Who Are Your Characters? 5 What is Your Stage and Where is Your Camera? 6 Who Are You? 7 Some Common Mistakes Part two: Prose Style 8 Clarity 9 Economy 10 Clichés: A Field Guide 11 Precision 12 Some Technicalities 13 Little Flashes of Genius 14 Tone Part three: Character 15 Show, Telling, and The Riddle of Character 16 Finding Edge 17 The World of Interiors 18 Faces, Bodies, Mirrors 19 Meetings 20 Empathy Part four: Placing the Camera 21 First-Person, Third-Person 22 One, Few, or Many 23 Up Close, Far Out, and The Myth of Omniscience 24 Past or Present? 25 The Time Traveller's Reader 26 Madmen, Liars and Rogues 27 Irony Part five: Story 28 The Classic Plot 29 The Mystery Plot 30 The Literary Plot 31 Perspectives From Film 32 Diagnosing Your Plot Problems Part six: Scenes and Chapters 33 The Scene 34 The Scene That Isn't 35 The Chapter Part seven: Towards Perfection 36 Themes 37 Editing Your Manuscript 38 Getting Help Conclusion About Jericho Writers Bingham has been published by the three largest trade publishers in the world, has sold in every major market on the planet, has been on bestseller lists, has been prize long- and short-listed, and has had his work adapted for TV. His work has also received a considerable amount of critical acclaim.