Smith - Agile Writer Method Write Your First Draft Novel in 6 Months

PUBLISHED BY AGILE WRITER PRESS
Richmond, VA

Agile Writer is a registered trademark of Agile Writer Press.

All of the characters and events in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright 2014 Greg Smith

All Rights Reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

June, 2014

Cover design by Bonnie Watson

Agile Writer: Method

Acknowledgements

My thanks to the original members of Agile Writers who took up my challenge in January, 2011 to create a first-draft novel in six months: Alex Sharpman, Audry Jones, Camron Savage, Christine Phillips, Cyndy Kelly, Dillon Wilson, Gabriela Allen, Jackie Barbour, James Monroe, Krista Gutzwiller, Lisa Mistry, Rishonda Anthony, Susan Welch, Suzan McKenzie, Tonya Rice, and Win McKinnie.

My special thanks to those who had confidence in my vision and worked with me to complete their first-draft novels. These people helped to shape the Agile Writer Method: Christine Phillips, Cyndy Kelly, Jackie Barbour, Lisa Mistry, Rishonda Anthony, Susan Welch, Suzan McKenzie, Tonya Rice, and Win McKinnie.

Thanks to the Agile Writers who went on to publish their novels and were the inspiration for what has become Agile Writer Press: Christine Phillips, D.L. Farrar, Cyndy Kelly, and Suzan McKenzie.

Thanks to the Agile Writers who edited the first draft: Angel Fontenla, Luanne Kelly, Michele Smith, and Jane Bono.

Finally, a very special acknowledgement to my friends Ron and Maryann Ferland who curated the Chesterfield Writers Club in 2005. Their vision to foster a love of reading and writing at the community level was the genesis of what has become Agile Writers. Wherever you are, I hope you know we all appreciate your inspiration.

Preface

The purpose of this book is to help new and experienced writers discover how to write a first draft novel in 6 months. This book is the culmination of 3 years of study with over 100 writers. In that time we created 20 first draft novels, published 5 of them, and two were finalists in the James River Writers Best Unpublished Novel Contest.

Agile Writer: Method is the first in a series of books that helps writers of all experience levels learn what makes a great story. This book is based on my seminar which Ive delivered over 100 times in the last three years to hundreds of people.

I want you to feel free to contact me if you have questions. Just email me at greg@agilewriters.com.

Greg Smith

1 Welcome

Youve read books that tell you how to write a novel. Theyre generic. They try to cover all aspects of novel writing from how to pick an idea, how to construct a character, and explain the elements of writing. They try to cram all of novel-writing into one volume. Frankly, you cant cover all of novel-writing in 250 pages. These books cover too many topics giving only the minimum attention to each. Agile Writer: Method is different.

This book is specific. Its a practical explanation of what makes a great story and how to create a plan to write it. Sure, there will be moments where I will lead a cheer to remind you that YOU CAN DO IT! But mostly were going to focus on plotting your novel.

Youll be working to create a first-draft novel in 6 months. There will be further drafts to follow. However, following the Agile Writer Method will reduce the number of drafts you will have to write because youll have resolved many of your plotting problems ahead of writing your manuscript. There are other books that promise to deliver a novel in 30 days or 90 days so you may wonder what makes the Agile Writer Method different:

More than anything I want you to know that you can do this. Every Agile Writer started out with doubts. But they stuck with the program and completed their first-draft novels. You can too.

1.1 Misconceptions About Novel Writing

I dont have anything to say. This is the biggest misconception about novel writing. Youve lived long enough, you have an opinion, you matter. No matter how old you are youve had experiences that no one else has had. You live in a place that is unique. You know people that no one else has met. You have had challenges that youve had to overcome. So youre different from other people. Your uniqueness makes you interesting enough to write a story other people will want to read.

On the other hand, you have had experiences that other people have also had. You have had the same experiences and feelings that drive every reader on the planet. This gives you an immediate kinship with all your fellow humans. You can imbue your characters with these common experiences and feelings and your readers will identify with them. You are simultaneously unique among, and aligned with, every person on the planet. With your uniqueness you can create a story no one has ever read, and with your common experiences make it a story that others will relate to. You really can do this.

I dont have enough education. I hear this from so many new writers and it is one of the biggest indignities that has been pushed upon new writers. We think that we have to go to school and get a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) or other degree. Not true. If you have a high school education, heck even a middle school eduction, youve learned enough to write your first novel. What you havent been given is a blueprint for what makes a great story. The Agile Writer Method will give you that blueprint.

I am lousy at spelling and grammar. Ill let you in on a secret: we all are lousy at spelling and grammar. The fact is that we have tools at our disposal that will fix these problems. At Agile Writers we dont worry about spelling and grammar during the first-draft phase. Just get your story down on paper any way you can! Computers are pretty good at spell-checking your work. Grammar checkers still have a way to go, so we recommend you hire an editor when your book is complete. Thats what the big guns do. Do you think Nora Roberts goes through her manuscript with a fine-tooth comb before handing it off to her publisher? No, they punch up her work for her. You dont have to worry about spelling nor grammar.

I will never get published, so why start? There has never been a better time to get your work in front of readers than right now. It is possible to publish your book on Amazon.com for free. And you can make money at it too. The Agile Writer Method is not a get-rich-quick scheme, and we dont go into the publishing process in this book. But you need to know that when you finish your book, there are ways to get your writing in front of readers for little or no money. Again, there has never been a better time to get published than now.

Im a lousy storyteller. Youve read books, watched television, gone to the movies and you know what you like. You know a great story when you see one. What you may not know is what makes it a great story. The Agile Writer Method will lay out a plan for creating a story that readers will recognize. It will be like others theyve seen, but because youre a unique and special individual, it will be like no story theyve ever read.