The Idea
By David Akseizer
After a few years of rigorous work, I am finally going to be a published author. Please allow me to share my initial thoughts when I first began this endeavor.
Rookie Dave: Writing a novel seems easy enough. Write a solid story, obtain an agent, my agent submits my completed work to a publisher, and in just a few months, my book will be made available to every reader throughout the world. Check, check, check and check. I’ll be rich and famous in no time. (not exactly)
David Senior: The truth of the matter is that a dream is just that until you make it a reality. Unfortunately, none of what Rookie Dave initially thought is factual in any capacity. Writing a book worthy of publishing is hard work that requires zeal and dedication. And when your book is finally in the publishing stages you’ll need to dig deep and muster up more of that…what’s it called again? Oh yeah, zeal and dedication. (more realistic)
This series of short blogs, will provide readers with some helpful hints and tools that are essential to writing a fiction novel, including direct insight into my publishing experience. Learning the process from an authors perspective could potentially help you to decide whether this is something you’re serious about accomplishing. Over the course of several blogs, I will share what inspired me to write my first fiction novel and the details involved in publishing a book from start to finish. So sit back, relax, and prepare yourself for a wild ride.
LESSON 1: THE IDEA
Do you write well? Most important if you don’t write well, do you at least have a great story to tell? At some point in the publishing process you will have the pleasure of working with a professional editor to hash out grammatical issues and inconsistencies with your story. To begin, I will focus on the creative process involved with writing a fiction novel. We will re-visit the editing process in later blogs. And to be honest with you, I’m still learning to perfect my grammatical skills as I learn to develop my craft.
A great story begins with a great idea. This great idea must be grand enough to support an entire story. A great idea can stem from, but is not limited to, your experiences in life or the life of someone you know. The great idea can also stem from your vivid imagination if you’ve been blessed with the gift of creativity. The fact remains that you need a great idea to write a great story.
To discover an idea, I suggest using the most important sense you have, your eyes. Start off by taking notes on what’s around you. Observe people and environments you encounter on a day to day basis. From there, tap into your imagination. We all have one, so why not use it. Want to write a love story? Focus on the couple kissing on a park bench and start asking yourself how they met or where they’ll be in 5 years. Want to write a thriller? Go for a drive and imagine a high speed chase where you’re a spy evading an evil mastermind who wants you dead. You get the idea. The point of this exercise is to use your senses and to let your imagination run wild. Once you let your imagination take control, you might find the beginnings of a great idea. Document your ideas on paper or using a word processor, such as iPages, Notes, or Word. Then, follow my blog to learn what to do next.
Tune in next time to learn how I develop an outline. Until then!
