The Trendsetter

I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to feast on one of my favorite thing to do: reading novels. I was deprived for quite some time after getting so engrossed in revising my manuscript. Now that the revision is almost complete, all I need is a little break to curl in the sofa with a book. I’m looking forward to be entertained, to be whisked away and to be swept into the hero and heroine’s world of conflict; and in the end presented with a happy ending when the main characters get together and live happily ever after.

And read I did. So far I’ve read several since last month. Among them were:

However, this time, I found something different in my reading. At first it was subtle so I hardly noticed it. Then it became apparent. I wasn’t reading for pleasure anymore, but to read each novel with a critical mind. Hmm… I began to notice the main characters’ viewpoint, analyzing if the heroine was dynamic enough to carry the plot forward and checking if the beats were appropriate following the dialogues. And I lingered to examine the novel’s structures—its scenes and narratives. And the descriptions, too.

Gah… reading novels is not fun anymore!

So, what about you? If you read novels as a reader you’re looking for entertainment—depending on the genre of course. And if you’re a writer, the chance is you read it for pleasure as well as feeding your creative mind so you can write or improve your own manuscript.

And now that my purpose to read novels has been extended, the genre I’m seeking also expands. This time I need to read something more serious, I want something to make me think and to rattle me emotionally.

And the novel titled, “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” by Mohsin Hamid just did this trick. After I finished reading it, I felt melancholic, depressed even for a day before returning to normal the next day. The novel is filled with metaphors, the theme is larger than life and I couldn’t help but noticing that the novel is indeed character driven rather than plot driven.

So, I returned to my writing and like a miracle, I see my manuscript in a different perspective. Immediately, I am ready for the next revision—with a fresh mind.

I read about this debate all over the place – in the forums or in “how to” books for writers.

So what exactly is an outline? It’s defined as a statement or summary of the chief facts about something.

Now if you’re already a writer and you know your preferences, you either outline your novel first before you write or you’re a seat-of-the-pants type of writer – based on intuition or experience - rather than a plan.

If you’re a first time writer and want to write your first novel you should continue reading. Then you can decide for yourself if you’d like to outline first or you prefer to just go a head and start writing.

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When you go to see a movie what types of movies do you like to view? Do you like comedy, heavy drama, adventure or futuristic themes? By asking yourself this question you can determine what type of story you are interested to write - if you plan to put your writing skills to test.

Finding your interest in the type of story will help you to develop a framework for your fiction. When you are able to narrow down your interest, then you can go to the next step of listing down your characters. But first, let us explore three common types of stories just mentioned.
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When you think you have had enough information to help you begin writing your first fictional piece or memoir, you will scratch your head when I tell you there is yet another technique you need to master. And I experienced it first hand when beginning to write. Writing is not as easy as I thought it would be. This is because the same question keeps repeating itself through my head: how to make and keep the reader glued to their seat from start to finish?

If you plan to be an apprentice writer and writing your fictional piece just for yourself or as an exercise - that is fine. But when you write with the intent to send your manuscript to the editor, you better get ready for the arrival of the rejection slip. No, seriously. The editor is your first and the most critical reader you will confront. You need to impress him/her with your best writing.
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Authors write fiction with goals in mind: they want the reader to read and learn something from their character’s experience. Additionally, the reader expects the story to be entertaining as well. It all sounds fairly easy and straightforward as it makes writing fiction interesting, but it is not. Any writer who’s published or attempted to write a short story or novel understands – writing fiction is easy; writing fiction that maintains the reader’s interest throughout is not.

So how do you present your story to hook the reader from beginning to end? Your ability as a writer is now challenged and you need to equip yourself with several plot devices. These devices help you to captivate your reader’s interest in your story. One type of plot device is suspense. Suspense is when the reader has to wait and worry about what will happen next to the main character(s).
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