Book Writing Tips

[sentaiwarrior]

Ok, so what I wanted to know is, what is some good tips fro people who wanted to write books who were under the age of 18? I wanted to draw Manga, but I am not artistic, and books are not limited to your drawing ability.

So anyways, thanks. ;D

[Ellethwen]

Haha well actually author Rick Riordan has a lot of information related to thta that I've found very helpful:

www.rickriordan.com/index.php/about-the-author/tips-for-aspiring-writers/

I would give you some tips myself, but my brain has fizzled out and died D:

[sentaiwarrior]

Thanks.

And I know the feeling when your brain does that. It actually happens pretty often for me.

[Betty Ann]

I think the NaNoWriMo site offers some good writing tips. Search for it on Google and I bet you can find some! That site also has a good forum with more writing tips

[michael]

1. Just write. Anyone can do it, and the best way to get better is to practise.

2. Find people who are going to give you honest criticism. If you can't take honest criticism, you'll never get anywhere. I'm happy to give criticism for a few chapters, by the way, but I can't promise to give criticism for a whole book without even knowing the genre or subject matter.

3. If you hope to get your work published one day, don't ever post more than a couple of chapters on the Internet.

4. If you're serious about writing, be prepared to revise as often as necessary to get to the stage where you're happy with it. It's by far the most boring part of the writing task, but it has to be done.

5. Don't feel inhibited. There are no rules. Other people's opinions are only opinions. Believe in yourself. You too have beautiful dreams. Share them.

[Ellethwen]

Aug 9, 2008 18:47:51 GMT -5 michael said:

3. If you hope to get your work published one day, don't ever post more than a couple of chapters on the Internet.

I beg to differ. A friend of mine, Pure, is well on the way to getting her book published--and she posted the whole book on her website. I'm aware of a person who got her work just because she posted it online.

It's suggested you get an agent however and once you get an agent yes, you should cut it down a bit. But before it's even seen by an agent? I wouldn't sweat it.

[Sailor Cybertron]

Man, Wikihow has everything. How To Write a Book as a Teenager

I have massive writer's block going on right now, so I can't offer you many useful writing tips. I can, however, give you a good idea about getting your book published on a local level and selling it.

If you want to get your book published, I recommend checking out local publishers first. Use Google to find publishers nearby -- trust me, if there are a ton in DELAWARE, you'll have at least one wherever you are. If you find one who wants to publish your book, you can then take your book to local bookstores and sell it through a consignment! People love reading books by local authors (even though ours are talentless hacks who only write about the Chesapeake Bay *cough*), so you can probably find a good audience right in your own hometown or nearby. If a local publisher doesn't pick up your book, you can still try through a vanity press such as lulu.com, but they run about $4.50 per book (I think).

And I might disagree about posting your work on the internet and getting published. Cassandra Clare/Cassie Clare plagarized online and still got published professionally. Not that I'm supporting that, I'm just saying.

[michael]

Aug 9, 2008 21:53:27 GMT -5 Ellethwen said:

I beg to differ. A friend of mine, Pure, is well on the way to getting her book published--and she posted the whole book on her website. I'm aware of a person who got her work just because she posted it online.

That's lucky for her, but it's still not a risk I'd advise anyone to take.

[Ellethwen]

Why exactly is it a risk? *curious*

[sentaiwarrior]

I can't believe it. I had a developed some plot elements for the book, and now I am just forgetting them.

If I remember them I will post them here.

[Sailor Cybertron]

I do that a lot.

I suggest buying a little pocket notebook and carrying it around. I keep one stashed in my purse for any time I get an idea. But most of my best ideas come to me when I'm trying to go to sleep, so it thwarts my own idea.

[ladylilith]

XD I actually published a book, and I was under the age of 18. Oh, well.
The wrting tips are already written here, or in other sites. The only tip I can tell you is. write only if you like it. Don't write because you HAVE to do that: it's pointless, you'll write badly and you won't amuse yourself.

One suggestion I can give you, NEVER go with the editors-on-demand. Even if you don't pay a lot of money, your book won't be well known, and you'll stay anonymous, if you're not VERY lucky or VERY talented, and someone notices you.

Try with the biggest editors, than decrease. You won't lose anything, and if you're lucky, you at least earn something, even if you don't become a blockbuster author.

[Tritogeneia]

Aug 17, 2008 0:46:05 GMT -5 Sailor Cybertron said:

I do that a lot.
But most of my best ideas come to me when I'm trying to go to sleep, so it thwarts my own idea.

That happens to me all the time too!

I'm trying to write a few short stories, I'm not going for a full length novel just yet.

Ladylillith, how did your book go?

[ladylilith]

Quite well, I guess, since now it's sold out!XD I don't know if they'll reprint it, but I'm quite satisfied nevertheless.

It could go better, but now I'm known by some people who can help me out for the next books!

[Tritogeneia]

Aug 19, 2008 17:43:49 GMT -5 ladylilith said:

Quite well, I guess, since now it's sold out!XD I don't know if they'll reprint it, but I'm quite satisfied nevertheless.

It could go better, but now I'm known by some people who can help me out for the next books!

WOW! You are sold out?!
Congratulations!

So, when is the next book coming out?