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Archive for June, 2009

How To Start Your Novel

 If you are really serious about wanting to write a compelling, well-written novel that will have the best chance of being published, there is one very important thing you must do to start your novel… before you even write one word. 

Create a Compelling Vision

 To start, you must first create a clear, step-by-step map for your journey through your novel.  It’s essential to go through the process of exploring and developing your initial ideas for character, setting, and plot.  By clarifying these key elements of your novel before you begin writing, you will actually be able to finish it without getting lost somewhere in the vast middle section wondering where to go next.  Everything will fit together in a unified vision that will inspire you to move forward and get your novel on paper. 

 Get To Know Your Characters

 To start your novel, the first step in the process is to get to know your characters deeply.  You want to develop them from your vague initial ideas into rich, multi-dimensional people that live in your imagination.  You want to explore the essence of your characters so thoroughly that you and your readers feel genuinely interested in who they are and compelled to join them on the journey through your novel.  You can begin this process by asking yourself some basic questions about each character: 

Get To Know Your Characters

1. Who are the key players in your story? 
2. What do they look like, how old are they, etc.
3. What are their idiosyncrasies, habits, personality traits? 
4. Explore their background, family history, and defining past experiences. 
5. What do they love/hate/fear? 
6. What do they want most out of life and what is keeping them from achieving this? 

 Let yourself go deeper and deeper into your characters’ lives and passions until you have a real sense that you know who they are and are intrigued by them.  Then you’re ready for the next step.

Create Your Novel’s World

Next, you’ll want to take some time to decide on the key details of location and setting for your novel so that these, too, will come alive in your imagination.  Here are some questions to consider:

1. Where does it take place: country, state, region?
2. When does it take place: present, past, future?
3. What are the key settings for the novel? the house, the business, the ship, etc.  
4. What season(s) will be portrayed?
5. Are there important objects for the story?  Heirlooms, treasured gifts, magical talismans, etc.

Map Out the Journey for Your Novel

The next step in getting a good start on your novel will be to work out a tight, compelling plot and overall structure that flows logically from point to point and culminates in a page-turning climax.  The character work you did in step one will help you understand the basic conflicts and issues that your novel will address.  There are a number of helpful story structures that writers can use as a foundation for writing, but essentially these plot outlines help you clarify a few key questions: 

Find Your Path Through Your Novel

1. Where are your main character(s) starting from?
2. What is their overall goal?
3. What are the obstacles in the way of achieving this goal?
4. How do your characters overcome these obstacles?

Often your character will have some initial success about a third of the way through the story.  Then, complications are introduced and things begin to fall apart about halfway through the novel.  Next, your character(s) will have an experience of failure or loss about 2/3 of the way through your novel.  This then leads to a deeper re-commitment to their goal and final push which eventually climaxes in the greatest effort and ultimate success. 

It’s Really Worth It

Every great novelist knows that this process is really the place to start a novel that’s worth writing.  I really encourage you to take the time to create a detailed blueprint for your characters, setting, and plot before you dive into the vast sea of your novel.  Completing this essential first step will give you a reliable compass to guide you on the wonderful creative journey of writing your own novel.  You’ll know your characters deeply, you’ll be able to clearly imagine the details of your setting, and you’ll have a reliable map to follow that will give you peace of mind and inspiration as you begin to write each day. 

For Step-By-Step Guidance

If you would like more guidance about how to go about each of these steps as you start your novel, there are many good books and novel writing software programs that will walk you through the process.  For a review of three very helpful novel writing software programs, please see my novel writing software review here at WritersSolutions.com.  The top three novel writing software options that I review for you there are all designed to help you develop a clear, easy-to-follow blueprint for your writing that will result in a compelling novel that is rich in character and detail. 

 Finally, let me say that the most important thing is to enjoy the process of writing your novel.  Taking the time to create a blueprint such as this will help you do that and you’ll end up with a novel that you, your readers, and your publisher will love.  Enjoy!

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Novel Writing Software Review

Novel writing software programs are a great resource for helping you turn your initial story ideas into a well-written, compelling novel.   The biggest advantage of the three I review below is that they will help you discover where you want to go with your novel and who your characters are so that when you sit down to write the whole process is much easier and more effective.  Each of these programs offer you a variety of different tools and advantages.  The main difference between these three software programs is how they approach the process of structuring your novel before you write it; I’ll go into that below.  The key is to find what works best for you.  Each of these programs has a money-back guarantee so you can safely try them out and return them if they don’t suit you.  Although ultimately it’s you that will discover what works for you, I’ll help by showing you the strengths of each software option below and you can take it from there.

MY FIRST CHOICE:  NEWNOVELIST 2.0 NOVEL WRITING SOFTWARE

NewNovelist Novel Writing Software

BEST FOR:  Writers who want help structuring their novel using the archetype of the Hero’s Journey, a structure which resonates for readers because it reflects the essential human journey toward growth as we move through life.  It is also helpful for writing in various genres (romance, fantasy, mystery, etc.) and gives you guidelines for structuring each within the overall context of the Hero’s Journey.  It is the only one of the three programs I review here which offers a word-processor that will keep all your writing ideas, character sketches, and notes in one place for easy access.  You can easily jump around and work on whatever section of your novel inspires you each day and the program keeps track of it all for you.  It has the ability to propose first lines for you and will even read back your writing to you if you like, a nice feature.  It’s a great choice for writers who want a software program with lots of features at a very reasonable price.   To watch a demo of this program, click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page where it says View Demo.  Read my Full Review Here. 

Price: $54.99
Guarantee:  30 day unconditional money-back guarantee
Click Here to Check Out NewNovelist 2.0 Novel Writing Software Yourself

MY SECOND CHOICE:  THE MARSHALL PLAN NOVEL WRITING SOFTWARE

Marshall Plan Novel Writing Software

BEST FOR:  The writer who is looking for a program to help them quickly and specifically develop their novel ideas into a compelling and marketable page-turner using the structure common to most of today’s bestsellers.  Numerous writers have used this program to write a variety of popular published novels.  One of the strengths of this software is that it provides specific step-by-step guidance about how best to write a novel in a specific genre, i.e. romance, mystery, western, etc.  It guides you through structuring your novel using the suspense-building tactic of strategically revealing your story from multiple points of view.  Mr. Marshall developed this program at the request of readers so they would have an easy way to apply the suggested techniques from his best-selling Marshall Plan for Novel Writing book series.  You’ll learn all about his effective approach to novel writing as you go through each step of the program.   Click here and scroll about a third of the way down to watch a video that will show you exactly how the software works step-by-step.

Price: $149
Guarantee:  30 day unconditional money-back guarantee
Click Here to Check Out The Marshall Plan Novel Writing Software Yourself

MY THIRD CHOICE:  DRAMATICA PRO 4 CREATIVE WRITING SOFTWARE

Dramatica Pro 4

BEST FOR:   The writer who wants to develop a multi-faceted, well-structured literary novel in which all the elements contribute to an overarching theme.  Many published novelists as well as Hollywood screenwriters rely on Dramatica Pro to help them craft their stories with rich and varied layers of detail and meaning.  The program guides you through hundreds of questions about character, plot, and theme which help you shape your writing into a richly detailed novel.  It takes some time to fully understand the unique perspective and techniques that are the foundation of the Dramatica Pro method of writing.  However, as you go through the process of using this software to develop your novel ideas, it has the added benefit of giving you an in-depth education about how to apply literary theory to your writing.  When you’re done with the process, you may feel as if you’ve received an MFA-level creative writing degree.  Plus, you’ll have a firm grasp of your story which will make the writing of your novel flow easily from your outline.  It is the most expensive option and has a fairly steep learning curve, but many users feel the improvement in the quality of their writing makes this program absolutely worth it. 

Price: $229.95
Guarantee:  30 day unconditional money-back guarantee
Click Here to Check Out Dramatica Pro 4 Creative Writing Software Yourself

Whichever program you choose, it will help you to write your novel with the enthusiasm and peace of mind that come from having an inspiring, overarching vision of where you are headed.  Best of luck to you and have fun writing!

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Write Your Novel in 28 Days!

Have you always dreamed of writing a novel? Just imagine the wonderful feeling of creative ideas easily flowing onto the page.  And then see yourself holding your own published novel in your hands. Then one day, you walk into a bookstore and see your book on the best-seller table.  Can you even imagine yourself sitting at a table signing your book for a grateful reader?  Well, you can do it. With the right guidance and focus, you can write your own wonderful novel. The Novel In a Month Course will give you the support and guidance you’ll need to write your own compelling novel now.

My #1 Choice For Novel-Writing Books:

The Novel In a Month Course

What if I told you that you could write a really good novel in just one month? I know it sounds a little crazy, but many famous novelists do this all the time. Barbara Cartland wrote 623 best-sellers in her life, and sold over a billion books. And think about Stephen King, another super-successful and very prolific novelist. With good advice and specific guidance, you can do it, too. Dan Strauss’ Novel In a Month Course shows you the secret to writing a compelling, well-written novel in just 28 days.

The Novel In a Month Course shows you a whole range of special techniques to help you stay on track and finish your novel faster than you could have imagined.  It shows you how to develop strong, interesting characters.  It guides you step-by-step to create a best-selling plot.  You learn awesome techniques to keep the story intriguing and keep the tension building as you move forward.  And you’ll discover how to write an explosive ending that your readers won’t be able to put down until the last page.  Most amazing of all though, he shows you how to do all of this in just 28 days, writing just 40 minutes a day!

 Cost: $49.95

Guarantee: He’s got a great guarantee: Try the Course for three months. If you haven’t finished your novel and published it by then, he’ll give you a full refund. You really can’t beat that … it’s a no-lose situation for you. It’s worth a look, don’t you think? I mean, a month from now, you could have a finished novel!

To check out this amazing course for yourself,  visit the

Novel In a Month Course website here.

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