Friday, February 28, 2014

Strategies For Writing Crime Thriller Novels And More

By Leticia Jensen


No matter what your preferred genre of writing, you can probably relate to the excited feeling you get when you start working on something new. Whether it is a collection of poetry, the latest in your series of crime thriller novels, or a science fiction book about an alien invasion, the thrill of starting something new is always wonderful. It takes motivation and dedication, however, to maintain that feeling. Here are a few tips to help you stay on track.

1. Figure out your best process. Decide whether you write better at a particular time of day. Figure out if you work best by creating and following a plot outline, or whether you need to come up with characters first. Maybe you just want to start writing and see what comes out. When you figure out your most productive writing process, it will be easier to stay in your groove.

2. Find someone who can mentor you. Any new writer can benefit from the guidance of an experiences writer, especially one who has been published. If this person writes in a similar genre to yours, even better. Ask for his or her opinions on your work, as well as listening to general advice.

3. Save all of the work you do. You may find that as you write, you start to hate certain parts of what you've written. You may remove them from the next draft, and be tempted to delete them so that they vanish forever. It is better, however, to save them somewhere. You never know whether you might be able to use them in a different context, or if you might change your mind.

4. Take time away from the project if you need it. There is nothing wrong with taking a break for a few days, or even several weeks. Sometimes, stepping away from a work in progress is the best things you can do. You may return to it with new insights and ideas.

5. Have more than one person read your drafts. While you should certainly show them to your mentor, you will want to consult other people as well. It is a good idea to get as many different opinions as possible, and to ask lots of people for their suggestions. This may help you to reach and speak to a larger audience of readers.

6. Decide on a strategy for publishing and marketing. Traditionally, authors have submitted query letters and sample chapters to publishers in the hopes of having their books picked up. However, self publishing has become another viable option. There are services through which you can self-publish and print your own books, as well as electronic publishing, which allows you to self-publish e-books through sites like Amazon. This can sometimes be a lucrative venture.

Try to keep up the momentum that you build at the beginning of a new project. Us that feeling to keep you motivated as the writing progresses. It is natural to lose some enthusiasm as you go, but try to take different approaches to get it back. Use all of the tips on this list. Step away from the project for a bit, or ask your mentor how he or she deals with this feeling. Just don't stop altogether.




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