"Literary Marathon" - a book for anyone who wants to write a novel in a month

Pleasant side effects planning limited time

I know that a month seems to be very short-lived for the planning of a novel, but believe me, this is exactly what you need. Thirty plus or minus a few days - it's enough timeTo fix on paper some great ideas, but you do not run the risk of over-planning, which is dangerous for three reasons.

1. If you pay too much planning time, then you may see a brilliant idea for a novel

But this is what you need the least. Every year during the month of National Writer I get a lot of e-mails in which the authors report with glee: we We go out of the competition because they found such a wonderful story, that they intend to work long and hard on it to get as it's better.

When six months later I was interested in these people, how things were going, it always turns out that they all stopped to write a novel. Why? Because they were afraid that would spoil the book, working on it.

The first draft of the novel is like a test: it is up to, you need to beat him well. When you run into a fantastic, one-of-a-kind idea for booksHard for you to relate to the child with the neglect of shares, which is needed to turn a magical dream into a normal draft. Limiting the work on the idea of ​​one month, you will not be too hard for her to fight. Thus, you will have a much better chance to realize it.

2. At some point, the planning work becomes merely a pretext to postpone it

You never feel ready enough to go to write a book. The more time you spend planning, the more likely that you will not dare to continue work on the masterpiece, which is able to justify such a long preparation. Get rid of pressure and feel free to dive into the novel.

3. Preparing to compose a novel, especially if you do well with it deprives you of the pleasure from the process of writing

Very boring thirty consecutive days to carry out the paper that you have carefully planned for several months before. If planning time was not enough, then you continue to the top of the work will remain many unresolved questions. And that's fine. Thereby process of writing It becomes time continuum of discovery, and you as the author retains the ability to surprise and delight that comes to mind.

Therefore, by studying the lists of questions about the characters, the plot, time, place, action and language, which are listed in this chapter, do not forget that this is not the document that you want to fill in, come what may. This is just a non-intrusive way to help you figure out what you like in the novels, and they would like to bring in your own.

Two of the Magna Carta

We begin the discussion of your book with a small job. Take a notebook and pen of his dreams, and answer the following question: what is for you a good novel?

This is an incredibly broad topic, but you really try. Can be answered vaguely, and can be very detailed. In this list of characteristics is permissible to include anything - ultrashort chapters, scenes of unbridled sex, A massive invasion of the evil elves. Anything that causes your boat to the literary movement, should enter into it.

As an example, your list:

• first-person narrative;
• strange characters;
• true love;
• found objects;
• disappointment;
• music;
• catharsis;
• foolish old men and women;
• strong, charismatic protagonists;
• incredible love affairs;
• modest style without pretension;
• the story unfolds in the city;
• open ending chapters;
• heroes in the turning points of life;
• the action takes place in the workplace;
• happy-endings.

Now make your list. Do not hesitate: let it be as long as possible. When finished, place it in the frame. This will be your Magna Carta to the next month. It will help you direct your excellent writing skills for the benefit of the people.

What is so useful this list?

The fact is that if something comes into your readers' preferences, then you will probably be able to succeed in this, and as a writer. These language, color and style solutions for some reason to cause you the greatest response. These are things that you can imagine. And when you next week will be a brief outline of its novelTry to implement it as much as possible elements of its Charter. If you like, when the chapters begin with epigraphs, start picking them up for his novel. Whether you're having fun reading stories about growing up? Think about whether to make the scene of the novel, a summer camp. It is likely that if a certain mood, style or building plot attract you as a reader, then you can do it with them, and as a writer.

So, it was the first list. And now we come to the second, no less important... It write anything when reading suggests to you the boredom. Here, too, we can express thoughts both specific and descriptive. But the main thing to be honest. If you do not like the book, where the ratio of words and pictures too inclined towards the text, write it down. We're not to blame, but simply to better understand you.

In my list, you'll find the following:

• incorrigible protagonists;
• Book the action takes place on the farm;
• protagonists with mental health problems;
• food or eating - the main theme;
• ghosts;
• Drama based on the problems of the brothers and sisters;
• books, consisting mainly of the characters thoughts;
• excessive moralizing;
• book, which takes place in the XIX century;
• unhappy ending.

Now your turn. Write down everything that you are tiring and frustrating in books. For the cause!

When finished, put it in a frame and the list. Call it Magna Carta - 2, which is the antipode of the Magna Carta - 1.

Next week you will spend in thinking about the future of the novel, keep a second list at hand, so that it does not accidentally moved items in your book. I understand that this may seem silly (why should remind yourself of what you do not like, if you already do not like?), But beware points of the second list - a cunning creatures who are ready at the first opportunity to slip into your novel.

Why they do it, due to the same principle self-improvementWhich forces us to bring the bookstore abstruse volumes. And we are well aware: these books will proceed straight to a bookshelf, from which nobody will remove more. Is that along with all the possessions of the children went with us to a nursing home.

We buy these difficult to grasp the book, because we believe they somehow bring us benefits. Before us is a literary version of bran: all the unpleasant taste should be useful. This way of thinking extends to the creativity. If we are concerned about the lack of seriousness of the story, the first thing most of the bran refers to a writer of the Charter 2.

I do not convinced? Then I give a specific example. When I thought about his second novel a month, I decided that my previous book (history of American music fans, which was secretly in love with his own wife, plaid, came to the US for a residence permit) is too frivolous, it lacks seriousness.

I was right. Therefore a second time devoted himself to the creation of a serious books. Since the relevant ideas I had not, I attributed the main character (which otherwise would all be admired) a bunch of psychological problems, has created her suicidal relatives, invented some ghosts while deftly suppressing the spirit of the character's heavy remorse and moral issues.

Trying to write something that should have stayed in ages, I managed to write a novel that is not reached and three days.

Passing of a draft almost all elements of the Charter 2, I after 5000 words completely lost interest in her character and her hard life. Only stubbornness, willpower and lack of other ideas for the novel helped me to finish the book to its logical (sad) end.

The moral of this story is: if you do not like something in the books that you read, you will not get satisfaction, describing something like this in his novel. Once you are really interested in the position of the mentally ill in the country, the process of politicization of the Saudi religious sects or think construction projects in the city center - it is an appropriate metaphor for racial discrimination and modernization of errors, you have every right to devote his book. But if deep down you want to write about superheroes, koalas, demonstrating the wonders of kung fu hovering around the city in pink coats and miniature cards, then you should know: This is also worthy topic for novel.

Planning work, remember: your novel - is not part of the self-improvement campaign. Roman - this jubilant party where they play your favorite music, a thirty-day trip to the sweet shop where everything is free and on anything not get fat. Considering what else to include in the book, give preference to forbidden pleasures, and not boring bran. Write for the joy - and you will be heard.

"Literary Marathon. How to write a book in 30 days, "Chris Batey

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