Knitting and Sewing
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HOW I WROTE MY FIRST NOVEL
   
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Mothers Day Present
Mothers Day Present: Nothing is too little or too much for her
It' s quite easy to make a mother happy by giving her a Mothers Day present that they will love whatever it may be. After all, you .....
Mothers Day Present: Nothing is too little or too much for her
It' s quite easy to make a mother happy by giving her a Mothers Day present that they will love whatever it may be. After all, you .....
At age 19, I told my English professor that I was writing a
novel. I'd written the first chapter. How interesting! How
wonderful! She wanted to know if the novel was about me. I told
her that the main character was like me--a college student, at
the time--and that her name was Yasmine. But she was NOT me. I
was adamant: I wanted to write outside myself.
"Most first novels," she said, "are autobiographical."
I never finished that novel. I estimate that I began 3 or 4 more
novels. I wrote lots of notes. None got beyond the third
chapter. (Since then, I've written 2 complete novels.)
All the while, I wrote dozens of short stories. Some of these
stories formed an inter-connected series, based on my
grandfather's tales.
Over the years, I wrote in my journal, describing the novels I
wanted to write. A few months before I began to write my first
novel, I wrote the the following words--which are, I think, the
essence of my novel's grandfather-character:
"I could have the old man tell a tale when he speaks of love. Bk
II is a combination tale, history (impersonal and personal). He
reminisces on his youth, . . . on his beloved's death. On Love.
On the world. Through time. . . ."
Then, the next spring, I sat down and wrote a one-page outline
for my novel. I wrote each chapter fairly swiftly. After about 6
months,I began to revise. The first version was written in
longhand. The second, on a typewriter. Then, a couple more
versions on my computer. (See resource links below.)
As I wrote and re-wrote, I wept. No one had told me how
emotional I might get while writing a first novel. So I set the
book aside. After a few months, I returned to the manuscript
with the idea of incorporating some of the stories into the
novel. And voila! I had written my first novel.
So, if you're a writer contemplating the writing of your first
novel, here are a few suggestions:
--Be prepared to cry. When you do, take a break from writing--
either a couple of days or a couple of weeks. You decide. You
might try skipping the section that makes you cry. You can get
back to it once the first draft is completed. Just know that
your own reaction to the writing is a sign you're onto something
authentic and life-altering.
--Ask a friend to be your novel-buddy if you anticipate a strong
emotional reaction to your work. As you write--if you begin to
Is Your Child Ready For School?
If you're the parent of an infant or toddler, you might be bristling with indignation at such a preposterous question. Or perhaps .....
experience the emotional reaction--call that friend. Go out toIf you're the parent of an infant or toddler, you might be bristling with indignation at such a preposterous question. Or perhaps .....
dinner with family. Do something that's fun for a change. Why
not take up a hobby that is not writing-related? Like knitting
or learning Spanish.
Find lots of links for hobbies at
http://www.searchingforhobbies.com or http://www.ivillage.com.
--Create a novel journal. In this journal, write down ideas
about the novel and its characters. Your vision of what you want
the book to be. Be very specific. You could create a virtual
journal on your computer disk/hard drive. Or you might try
blogging. (A blog is an on-line journal.)
There are web sites that give free blog space, such as
http://www.crimsonblog.com and http://www.mindsay.com.
--If you're not a member of a writers'
organization/group/workshop, join one. The sense of camaraderie
is so helpful. It's very isolating to write a novel alone, as I
did--with no writers' group or class for support. I've since
joined a writers' organization, which provides a feeling of help
and support as we attain our dream.
Find writers' organizations at http://www.writerswrite.com.
--Of course, read writers' magazines/e-zines for technical tips
on writing. But you should also choose a favorite author to read
and re-read exclusively as you write your novel. Realize that
the author's writing will influence yours--so he/she should be
great.
Some writers choose not to read other writers while writing a
How To Run A Quilt Swap
Lots of quilters enjoy participating in a swap. The main aim of
a swap is to get more of the particular object that you are
swapping. .....
book. Some novelists--like Barbara Kingsolver--read a favoriteLots of quilters enjoy participating in a swap. The main aim of
a swap is to get more of the particular object that you are
swapping. .....
author. Think of this book or author as a literary comforter;
mine is "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte.
Find your favorite author's work at
http://www.sunsite.berkeley.edu/Libweb and
http://www.literature.org.
--On revising: Ideally, revising ends when you begin your next
book. In the meantime, have someone else read your manuscript.
In my case, no one but editors read the entire manuscript.
Several of my family members and a writer-friend read
chapters/chapter.
But if you're not ready for your cousin to read your novel, work
on an article, begin another book or just take a break and
re-discover the world.
______________________
Web sites of interest to novelists-in-the-making:
http://www.author-network.com/saevig1.html
http://www.Suite101.com/welcome.cfm/novel_writing
http://www.writepage.com/excerpts/exmchtw.html
http://www.writeyournovelnow.com
_____________________
2004 Copyright by Y.A. Reid
About the author:
Yolanda A. Reid's poetry and short fiction have appeared in
literary journals/e-zines, such as www.womenwriters.net, and
others. PORRIDGE & CUCU: MY CHILDHOOD--her first novel--is now
being considered by a publisher. To read a novel excerpt, please
visit her web site at
http://www.geocities.com/yareid2003/index.html.