Is my novel idea good

A good idea was interesting from start to finish but my passion for it sort of went in waves. Grab a package of 3by5 cards and copy each idea onto a card. My friend and student, shaunta grimes, made me do this. What students are saying about a novel idea finding shaunta and the plotting workshop, was the best thing i could have ever done for my writing. Develop your story idea in eleven simple steps wellstoried. Now, im going to teach you the method that i use to test my story ideas to decide whether or not they merit an entire novel. Would you consider my idea of writing fanfiction as. I cant guarantee that every writer, editor or publishing professional knows these, but i can say that if your aim is to create popular stories that reach a wide readership, hitting these markers certainly wont hurt. A novel idea contains tips on brainstorming ideas and crafting and marketing a novel. Learn how to find and develop ideas, brainstorm stories from that first spark of inspiration, develop the right characters, setting, plots and subplots, as well as teach you how to identify where your novel fits in the market, and if your idea has what it takes to be a series. By the way, to know if an idea is good or original you have to wait some time. Apr 28, 2011 say youre in the first camp, the overwhelmedbyrandomideas one.

Though it is a good idea to test your idea out on other writers, resist getting feedback on the writing itself at this stage. There are already a ton of great posts out there about starting your novel. Personally, i wouldnt share any of my ideas online, because i could just open up a word document and begin writing a novel about this. Mar 10, 2012 this has sparked my interest actually. For others, the question you may be asking yourself is what should i write about. Nov 17, 2011 a novel may have a very good idea, yet horrible writing.

In her excellent feature article in the latest writers digest, longtime fiction editor lisa rector suggests brainstorming what meaningful thing a minor character might do or say that could impact the outcome of your story. Follow my writing journey as i research, write and publish young adult historical novels and nonfiction about true. Lets have a look at standalones and examine why they succeed. A good book idea doesnt just come from a moment of inspiration. May 03, 2016 the good notes will make your novel much better, and even the bad notes might lead you to improvements you might not have thought of on your own. Is it a bad idea to publish individual chapters of my book. Generate a random story title thats relevant to your genre. Nov 10, 2019 there are six core qualities for a strong commercial novel, which i use as signs that a novel might be pretty damn good.

Many novices launch in, compelled to write by an idea, a situation, a character or a world. Oct 17, 2014 so you think your idea for a new vampire novel is a good one. The middle was thrilling and i tore through the book well, i would have it i wasnt listening to an audiobook and was forced to read at a level pace. Oct 04, 2018 have you ever found yourself wondering, is my book idea good. With all adventures the story usually progresses through a series of conflict scenes and emotional scenes seamlessly woven together, i think it is a good idea for a novel and if you write it well it should go down very well with the readerspublic. She encourages her students to start with a strong idea for their novel before they even begin writing. If youre going to commit that much of your life to a project, you want to be sure your novel idea is a. Develop your setting, theme, premise, scenes, character, conflict, motivations the list goes on and on.

Is letting my brain do whatever it wants to my novel a. At the bottom of the page, youll find links to hundreds more story starters and prompts. If you have put a great deal of heart and more than one long night into your bookif you have passion for what you are writingits worth crossing your fingers and sending it out to someone who can help you publish. How to organize and develop ideas for your novel writers. Many people have great ideas but still need tweaking take the test and see. Stephanie writes young adult contemporary novels and is the creator of. You need to have an idea that excites you, is worth writing, and provides value for your readers. Ive been writing a book for a couple months now, and things have gotten crazy.

While its relatively uncommon for a writer to work consistently on a short story for years, the average novel takes 37 years to complete. How to know when an idea for a novel or short story is a. I know all the other story structure points in the storyjust not the fpp. The fpp is, arguably, the most important part of a story. I thought i had it figured out after i climbed kilimanjaro, but now i realize that i am still learning. Writers often ask if their idea for a novel is good enough or strong enough. But i cant allow that novel to hold me back from writing something new any longer. In other words, you only have an idea for a novel on your hands when you. In this video i wanted to go over some misconceptions about novel ideas and what it takes to get published. If you just cant give up the idea even though you wrote ten crappy chapter, then its probably good. There are also posts in which literary agents have spoken about what theyre sick of seeing, e. Whether youre a brand new writer or a seasoned author ready for a new writing project, it can be incredibly difficult to find the inspiration you need, in order to commit to an endeavor as arduous as writing a book. Jun 08, 2017 so im about 20% into my new novel at this point, and was just struck with a very important realization.

The short story and the novel differ in many ways, but the most important consideration is the time commitment involved. Is letting my brain do whatever it wants to my novel a good idea. The only chance for sanity is to get the idea out of your mind and down on paper or on a screen. How to know if you have a good book idea goins, writer.

Would you consider my idea of writing fanfiction as practice. A common farmer boy goes on an adventure after his grandpa died, travelling to a magical world, surviving and finding friends on the way. The beginning was interesting but i wasnt sure where it was going yet. A writer of fiction must take a blind leap of faith when choosing to pursue a particular project. Fake rocks not included with this one, but theyre always a good idea too.

How to test your idea to see if it will support a novel medium. Well crafted characters,ones you believe in and grow as you lay them out, flaws and all,on the page. If an idea lingers in your mind, and wont leave you alone, just do it. So im about 20% into my new novel at this point, and was just struck with a very important realization. Truth be told, the first novel i ever wrote technically is and always will be my novel from 2008. The problem might be that you tried to commit to something you didnt love. What if you have so many ideas for your novel that the idea of an outline completely overwhelms you. The editing portion of a novel idea is three months long and walks you through the process of polishing your draft until it shines.

To begin, you need to come up with an idea that will become your own intellectual property, or ip, as the basis for your novel. Create a doorway of no return for your protagonist before the 15 mark of your book. Some familiar examples are usually detective series such as agatha christies hercule poirot and miss jane marple. The top 5 free apps that help you write your novel the. Aug 14, 2017 writers often ask if their idea for a novel is good enough or strong enough. The idea of writing a symphony piece completely blows my mind. Weve got the criteria that makes a good book and how you can tell if yours falls under that category.

Schwab seamlessly builds her world, so by the end of the first chapter, you have a good idea of how magic works and how that magic acts on the characters in the book. If youre still in love with your idea after a few months or a year, its probably good. In this video i wanted to go over some misconceptions about novel. I am planning on writing a book on how to get motivated and stay motivated. And theres also a possibility that an even better version of your idea already exists. How to know when an idea for a novel or short story is a good. How do you know that itll sound good to have flutes doing one thing and trumpets. May 26, 2010 the hardest part of this whole situation is wrapping my head around the idea of another novel being my first novel.

May 12, 2014 check out my newest book planning your novel. Stories are more interesting when the main character wants something intensely. May 25, 2012 a good writer can explore these further, enabling readers to begin to make their own choices, especially in a moral dilemma or emotional conflict. How to begin writing a novel when you dont know what to do. Is your book idea good enough to withstand the trials of publishing. The single idea of a zoo keeper as a central character, for example, isnt enough to build a novel upon you need to make him shy, and set up this fateful encounter with the woman in the elephant enclosure to turn it into an idea containing the potential of a novel. Here are a few questions to help you develop your ideas. It explains what makes a christian novel christian and offers tips on how to approach tough topics. Remember this isnt accurate, if you try it on a allready published book you may be suprised.

You can pick between fantasy, crime, mystery, romance, or scifi. It has the feel of a scififantasyadventure type story. How to organize and develop ideas for your novel writer. This is a system that i have developed after publishing seven books, teaching hundreds of beginning writers how to get started on their book projects, and. If youre going to commit that much of your life to a project, you want to be sure your novel idea is a good one. Then, make sure at least one such significant moment between that character and your protagonist occurs. Ideas and structure, a series of selfguided workshops that help you turn your idea into a novel. Coming up with the right book idea can be a serious challenge regardless of how experienced you are as a writer. These 4 steps reveal if it will sell make a living. For many writers, the trick to sticking with a novel is actually quite simple. So you think your idea for a new vampire novel is a good one. It is to offer you a system for assessing if your book falls safely outside of it. Bad is a subjective term, obviously, and there is a very wide range of what bad can mean in a book.

Before you write a book, you need a good book idea. A novel idea is the essential app for the beginning novelist. It might begin like that, but you also have to do the hard work to process, develop, and hone that idea. Ideas for novels and stories here are some ideas for novels and stories to spark your imagination and help your fiction stand out. Focus on getting the complete story down on paper instead. Heres what students have to say about a novel idea. In the book, youll find exercises, tactics, and strategies for fiction writers. How to know if you have a good idea for a book by jeff goins podcast, writing. Nine times out of ten, your idea is really quite mediocre and has. Before you chase every crazy idea into the ground, stop and take a breath. I have been planning to write a novel named coronavirus for years, but with the advent of the novel coronavirus im afraid all the news stories about the pandemic will really fuck up my seo once its. Finding shaunta and the plotting workshop, was the best thing i could have ever done for my writing.

Follow my writing journey as i research, write and publish young adult historical novels and nonfiction about true events in new zealands history. This app helps you organize your novel idea and break down the aspects of plotting. Everything leading up to that doorway should, well, lead up to that doorway. The test isnt too detailed as i tried to focus on the most reacurring problems. She is the publisher of the hot sheet, the essential newsletter on the publishing industry for authors, and was named publishing commentator of the year by digital book world in 2019 in addition to being a. Have you ever found yourself wondering, is my book idea good. My own agent and editor are very, very smart and gave me excellent suggestions. There are six core qualities for a strong commercial novel, which i use as signs that a novel might be pretty damn good. Book title generator the ultimate bank of 10,000 titles. But theyre both search engines, and again, this is some good data. And as far as im concerned, that means my story isnt working. A novel may have a very good idea, yet horrible writing.

Planning isnt enough some might suggest that carefully plotting a short story or novel will help you determine whether the idea translates into. If you have trouble with writers block or tend to let, projects stall, a monthlong challenge like nanowrimo might be helpful. These ten ideas below will help you take the ideas you already have and develop them into a solid plan for your book. I have been planning to write a novel named coronavirus for years, but with the advent of the novel coronavirus im afraid all the news stories about the pandemic will really fuck up my seo once its published. Nine times out of ten, your idea is really quite mediocre and has been done before, actually a number of times and in a number of different ways. Learn how to write and finish a novel the balance careers. Sep 02, 2010 261 responses to is your book idea good. To begin with the scene card method, youll start by taking out that notebook or file folder filled with little scraps of paper. Sensible advice there are many good reasons why a firsttime author should not start out with a series. How to decide if your story idea is good enough to turn into a book. When planning your storys structure, start with this nofail method. How to tell if your novel idea is a good idea youtube. Whatever it is its good enough to be the book that you write.

The hardest part of this whole situation is wrapping my head around the idea of another novel being my first novel. The good notes will make your novel much better, and even the bad notes might lead you to improvements you might not have thought of on your own. Its good writing practice to keep a notebook or paper close by so that you can jot down ideas for your story as they arisebut when the result is a growing pile of mismatched odds and ends, how do you organize those ideas into some sort of coherent. This sounds obvious, but deciding what you want to write about is a challenge.