I've been asked a million questions on writing from new members of YWS. I just thought I'd create a thread for them to refrence to, since I couldn't find one. Everyone is free to use it, though!
When should you decide on your title?
In my experience, the title usually comes after the first chapter. Some people even wait until the end of the story to decide on one. You should wait, so that if you decide to revise your plot, the title going along with it would make sense. Also, your title should be eye-catching. Use something that if you were the person reading it, you'd be interested in reading it. Don't come up with a boring title. Usually, what I do, is try to come up with a title that no other book published has. Maybe even ask your friends if your title is creative. Don't use words in the title that your teachers don't even understand. For example- "Achromatisation Boustrophedonic".
Should I write a rough draft?
That all depends on how you write. For me, I don't, because my ideas come and go. For you, though, you might have to jitt down a couple of ideas to help your story continue. It also depends on what kind of literary you are writing. For poems, you could write down ideas, but not as detailed as you would in a novel. If you were writing a novel, you could always write a breif summary of the story before you write it, just to keep your ideas alive. But, after you write your first draft of your work, completed, you should go back and check over grammar, punctuation, and even change around a couple setences, or delete things that don't sound right. Read your work out loud. Make sure your setences are smooth and precise to the point.
What makes a good beginning?
A good beggining is a good hook. Some people start with a person speaking, or even a flashback to the history before the plot starts. In poems or lyrics, though, you usually start with the story or emotions beginning. If you start with something like, "And then..." or "To carry on..." , you are getting too far into the work already. Let the reader have a little bit of background. If you start with, "It all started..." or "I should've known that..." Then it would captivate the readers attention. Don't use baby vocabulary either, if you know what I mean. Use advanced words to knit together your plot, not "he said" or "she said" Or anything related to that. The first chapter is always the most important, because it depends wether the audience is going to keep reading or not.
How do I know wether the story is going somewhere or not?
You know wether to keep writing the story or to stop when you actually want to keep writing! If you end up getting bored in the middle of your novel, you know its either time to begin a new plot or spice it up! Again, it's always best to get a peers opinion on your work. Don't feel bad if your writing doesn't work out, maybe you just have writers-block or the story just simply isnt working!
How long should my work be?
It depends on your plot. Your plot might be long, or take time. If you have a short plot, your novel could be shorter than usual. I'm pretty sure that all novels are different lengths. Take Harry Potter and The Hunger Games for example. The Hunger Games is around 400-500 pages, whereas the Harry Potter books range from 700-900 pages. IN poems, your work should be as long as it takes to get to the point.
Is the middle of the book the most important?
No, the middle of the book is just the most exciting, both for the writer and for the reader! This is where the climax should happen. If I were to give you an example, I would say in the Hunger Games the climax is when Peeta and Katniss are fighting against Cato. And in Harry Potter the climax in one of the movies is when Dumbledore dies. It's suppost to be the part of the book with the best information or exposure, and should tell a different side of the characters that the readers did not know.
How should my novel end?
Your novel should end however you want it to, depending on what kind of literary you are writing. If it is a carry-on novel (which is a novel that has a sequel) end with a cliff-hanger to keep the audience reading. I find it easier to just write something that you wouldn't even expect yourself doing. Maybe even the opposite of what you'd see yourself writing. If you don't know how to end your novel, or if you want to just seal the story, end it with something that the reader will always remember. Wether is death, a happy-ending, or if it's just a plain old nobody-wins, your bound to be the great writer that you are meant to be!
What do I do now?
Relax and have people read your work! You've put alot of effort into this, and you deserve to be reconized! Remember though, all work is not liked. Some people might have different suggestions, but stick with your gut!
There are probrably thousands of people that would kill to read your work, and I'm sure that you'll get there!
-Pixie
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