How to write a novel | the ante climax
If you are following my series of articles on how to write a novel, you’ll know my story is about Nick and Lily. They have formed a sort of love-hate relationship. This isn’t a thriller, we don’t want car chases or murders in the story, but we want a little excitement and a few twists and turns
How to write a novel | antagonism
If you have been following my story, you will know it’s about Nick, who went travelling in a camper van, after his parents were killed in a car accident. He met Lily, an American and formed a love-hate relationship. He is now working as an assistant gardener for Terrance Knight, the Lord of the Manor.
How to write a novel | different scenes
If you’re following my story about Nick and Lily, you will know that the narrator is telling the story. There are different scenes, when dialogue between the different characters, adds to the story. So far I’ve concentrated on telling the reader about what happens to Nick. I can have scenes that don’t feature Nick, but feature Lily instead.
How to write a novel | Inspiration
If you’re following my story about Nick and Lily, you will know they have travelled by camper van to Shropshire where Lily is staying with her friend from her university days. She is staying in the lodge of a country estate with Victoria and her grandparents Matt and Margaret; while Nick stays in the camper van. I’ve started today with a woodland picture for inspiration.
How to write a novel | grammatical tense
If you’re following my blogs about writing a novel, you will know that the story I’m writing is about Nick and Lily. Nick’s parents were killed in a car accident while on holiday in America. He took to the road in a campervan and met Lily, a brash American. They are opposites but attracted to one another and so have a love-hate relationship.
How to write a novel | Writers block
If you’re following my story about Nick and Lily, you’ll know that they have a love-hate relationship. Nick is typically English and Lily is American and almost his opposite. I need humorous dialogue between Nick and Lily, but I can’t think of any. Is it writer’s block? Do I need to be inspired? Maybe, I am approaching the problem wrongly.
How to write a novel | comedy dialogue
If you’re following my story about Nick and Lily and their love-hate relationship, you will know that they went to visit Victoria, Lily’s friend from university. Mr Knight is the Lord of the Manor and Nick has a job working for him as an assistant gardener. The comedy must come in the dialogue between the characters and most of all in the dialogue between Nick and Lily. I need an event to trigger some dialogue.
How to write a novel | suspense
If you’re following my story of the love-hate relationship between Nick and Lily, you’ll know that they have travelled in the camper van to Shropshire and Nick has been taken on as an assistant gardener working at a big house. The Lord of the Manor is Mr Knight, the antagonist in our story.
How to write a novel: narration and dialogue
If you are following my story, you will know it’s about the love-hate relationship between Nick and Lily. Nick is typically English and reserved; Lily is typically American and extrovert. Nick’s parents were killed in an accident, he felt alone and set off in a camper van to tour England. He didn’t get very far before he met Lily.
How to write a novel and make it plausible
If you’re following these blogs about writing a novel, then you will know the story is about Nick and Lily. Nick is typically English and a little reserved and Lily is American and extrovert. So far they have travelled in Nick’s camper van to Shropshire in England, after being thrown together by circumstances. That sounds plausible, doesn’t it?
How to write a novel | Imaginary names
If you have been following my series of blogs about how to write a novel, you will know the story so far. Last week Nick and Lily were on their way to see Lily’s university friend Victoria who lives with her grandparents in a gatehouse to a country estate. I have used a picture of a Manor House, this week for a little inspiration. I imagine the Manor House on the estate to be a little like this. An old black and white building and the gatehouse would be very similar except very much smaller.
How to write a novel | Emotions
If you read last week’s post then you will know that my protagonist, Nick has met Lily and they are forming a love-hate relationship. They decided to stop at Nick’s home in Birmingham on the way to see Lily’s university friend, Vicky. People are interested in people, what they do and how they feel. Writing a novel is about people’s emotions. This one is meant to be humorous, but doesn’t need to be a laugh a minute. The drive along the motorway would give a lot of opportunities for humorous dialogue.
How to write a novel | the ante climax
If you’re following my story about Nick on his road trip. You will know that his parents died in a terrible road accident in California. He has meets Lily on his road trip and forms a love-hate relationship with her. We have to have an introduction of some kind, then the story moving towards a climax and finally the ending. The anti climax is a bit of excitement, before the climax of the story.
How to write a novel | Colloquialisms
For weeks now I’ve been developing my story about Nick, who has lost his parents in a car accident in California. He decided to sell up and go on a road trip around the English Countryside. I’m getting a little inspiration from the photographs that I took on Sunday. This is as close to the English Countryside that I get!
How to write a novel | Comedy
If you’re following my story of Nick and Lily, you’ll know Nick is on a road trip in a camper van and meets Lily in a quaint English village. Nick has no choice, but to help Lily when she becomes stranded after her hire car breaks down. So for much of my story, Nick and Lily share a relatively cramped camper van. They are two very different personalities. Nick is quiet and unassuming; Lily is loud and assertive. The love-hate relationship between them provides some opportunities for humour, particularly in the dialogue. This is how a story develops and it’s a good idea to make notes, especially of any funny lines you can think of. (more…)
How to write a novel |Making a start
If you are new to this blog, I am writing a novella, a short novel. My protagonist is Nick whose parents are killed in a tragic accident in America. He sells up and goes on a road trip and meets Lily, a young lady from New England. Then a love-hate relationship forms with emotional and amusing consequences. The beginning of the story is sad and so that will contrast with the funny stuff that comes later. I need an opening, a beginning to the story that will be the sad start to the saga. It is a novella and so it has to be fast paced, no long drawn out narration or dialogue. (more…)
How to write a novel | relationships
If you have followed my blog about writing fiction, then you know the story so far. Nick lives in Birmingham, England in his late parents house, near the airport. His parents were killed in a horrible accident while on holiday in America and Nick is now traumatised by those events. He travelled to America to bring his parents home and now hates all things American. He travels around England in a campervan until he meets Lily, a young American woman and forms a love-hate relationship. (more…)
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