Writer’s Digest Books - The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing

After Truman Capote nearly destroyed himself writing his groundbreaking bestseller In Cold Blood in 1965, he was quoted as saying that his next book, a novel tentatively titled Answered Prayers, would be easy by comparison. Its all in my head!

And that was the problem. Capote was a perfectionist, and the novel in his head was an untamed beast. His standards were so impossibly high that when he died in 1984, hed spent the better part of nineteen years writing, rewriting, missing deadlines, publishing excerpts, drinking himself into a frenzyand never finishing the work.

What writer hasnt had a difficult time putting an idea into wordsespecially an idea for something as complex as a novel? I often have a million ideas bouncing around in my head like puppies at the pound. I want to write about themes of love, usually reckless love, and mystery. I want to be profound and funny, too. I want to take readers to places theyve never imagined and make them feel things they havent felt before. And, to top it all off, I want to make the words themselves do extraordinary thingsto, for instance, evoke the precise sound of an ancient jazz quartet playing a Sunday brunch in the wrong end of the French Quarter.

Of course, I also want the resulting work to be a bestseller.

Sound familiar?

The desire to write The Great American Novel is like an overactive beast that needs obedience school. If youve ever had a dog, you know what I mean. Dogs are pack animals. Youre supposed to be the leader. Youre supposed to be in charge. If youre not, youre in trouble. Dogs will run wild unless you focus them with a calm, centered mind, an assertive hand, and a strong sense of purpose.

The same is true with your novel. Ideas often start with boundless energy, vying for your attention. But when you get them on the page, they dont always live up to how you thought they would be. A plot line feels contrived. An emotion falls flat. When this happens, you can easily feel defeated. You work and rework a paragraph or chapter, and it just doesnt feel like its doing all the things you need it to do. When your ideas run wild, its too easy for them to frustrate and eventually overwhelm you. And this is where many writers give up. But you shouldnt.

You just need to learn how to tame your beast.

The television is blaring. Your loved one has no idea where the car keys are. Your neighbor is giving salsa lessons in his backyard. You live in a swirl of noise and confusion, so how are you supposed to be focused enough to cultivate a quiet place within you to write? Easy. Take out a rolled-up newspaper and whack your world on its hindquartersnot hard, but just enough to get everyones attention, including your own. Nonexistent boundaries, unfocused expectations, and lack of routine are the writers downfall. You need to be your own pack leader.

Make your workspace your sanctuary. Keep office hours. Close the door if you can. If you cant, put on earphones and listen to music. Writing is a meditation on life. You need to feel alone in the world so that you can be objective about it.

Dont ever panic. Keep in mind that even great writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway needed editing. You can always go back and fix what doesnt work. Nothing is perfect the first time out.

Dont despair. Some writing days are better than others. If you feel stuck, move on or just take a break and come back to it tomorrow. A nights sleep often makes a world of difference.

Dont place yourself in competitive situations while youre working on a book. Losing a first-chapter contest or workshopping a book-in-progress can lead to second-guessing. Its best to finish your draft before you ask for any critical evaluation. Sometimes when youre trying to progress through the early stages of a novel, writing groups can be like the blind leading the potentially sighted.

While working on your draft, dont buy the latest bestseller and try to figure out what it has that your book is missing. The best way to write a best-selling book is to write a book that you could give to anyone, including your mother-in-law and that salsa-dancing neighbor. Novels that really work are books that people can see their own hearts in. Theyre books that make people feel that youre writing about them. The best way to write such a genuine work is to write from an authentic part of yourself, rather than being distracted by whats selling and why.