Writing is now becoming fashionable. People are eager to express their opinions in print or online publications, and the forms of expression of the inner self are very diverse. From poems and reviews, from science fiction novels and romantic short stories to autobiographies and healthy food recipes. But not everyone knows how to do this. They do not teach this in schools or online, the only way to learn is to start. And we will tell you how to do it properly.
- Why sometimes there is a desire to write?
What is the goal of writing a book or a romance short story? For the writer, it lies in expressing himself and for the audience, upon reading the book they should get to know something new, relax or receive a dose of good mood. If the reader remains perplexed: why did the author start all this, if he couldn’t make a logical conclusion, solve some problem, then consider that you did not complete the work. For example, the beautiful princess in a romance story was supposed to find a prince but she was somehow distracted from the process, took up other matters, began to build a career… The prince, who appeared in the first chapters of the novel, disappeared in an incomprehensible direction. The reader did not see the development of the storyline and did not understand the author’s deep intent.
So, having the desire to write is normal, it means you read other books and feel that you have something to tell, have come up with several romance short story ideas or feel inspired but that is not always enough.
- How to start writing? So, you decided to write a book. This feeling of unity of idea and readiness to do a great thing is a feeling familiar to many. There are many collections on the Internet with the headings “5 Steps to Writing a Best Seller” that promise quick results. But in this case, we are more interested in quality, not speed, because all these tips usually do not work.
1. Set up your work area
The most obvious point of this instruction but one of the most important. You need to understand the conditions in which you are comfortable: when there is continuous fuss around or, conversely, in a separate room, behind a comfortable armchair, and in complete isolation. You shoulda place to work – be it the cafe where you usually go, or the house. Remember that you will spend many hours in front of a computer writing your short romance stories, therefore take care of your back and neck, especially if you have health problems. And also about all sorts of auxiliary things: a board for drawing a visual structure, a notebook for notes, stickers and other things, so as not to be distracted by trifles during work.
2. Break work into small tasks
Writing a short fiction romance or any other book is like eating an elephant. In one sitting it will not work. Remember the process of writing, a thesis. It is much more efficient to break up the whole process into research, different writing sections, editing (several times), final design, etc., than to try to do everything without a clear plan.
3. Formulate a “big idea”
Your book should have a broad concept. Now no one is interested in publishing books without an idea. If you have one (and it’s good but small), publish the finished text on your blog or agree to publish the article on third-party resources. Think bigger and broader: if it’s fiction, compare it with best-seller like «The Lord of the Rings», if non-fiction, with Allen Carr’s book «How to Quit Smoking».
If you tried to write a book earlier, and on page 20-30 you faced a creativity crisis, perhaps this is because the original idea was not so broad. How to how to write a romance or other book without dealing with such challenges? If in a conversation with friends about the “book I write,” you go deeper and deeper each time and do not repeat yourself, probably this is exactly what you need.
4. Create a plan
Even if you are one of those who do not really bother with what will happen at the end of the book (you are more interested in developing the characters and the story inside and see what happens), you should have at least some kind of plan, a general idea that needs to be kept in mind. If you are a novice author, then the agent (if there is one) will ask initially for a complete synopsis of the work – and here you will have to work a lot more than you would like.
And if it concerns non-fixation, then this definitely cannot be avoided. As a rule, you will be required to complete the structure, the base of the review, the thoughts that arise during reading and at the end.
5. Write the catchy ending
Everyone wants a bright ending, like the ending after a long drama on the stage of the theater. With applause, flowers and an admiring crowd. Even in non-fiction, you need to make the reader will remember it forever. How to do it? Just add something more to it than in the usual chapters. Do not fly to the finish line as if it does not mean anything. Even if more time is spent on the ending than on everything else, this is normal.
If you have several ideas, it can be especially applied to romance short stories, choose the most emotional one. Because the reader is more likely to leave it in his memory.
- Does the technical part matter?
It is difficult to take texts with a volume of more than forty copyright sheets into the work – gigantomania is not welcome by publishers. Imagine a book of romantic fiction short stories 400 pages thick, it will have a huge cost price – and as a result, a huge selling price, which will generate an equally huge retail price. Which store would risk trading like this?
Manuscripts are also not in favor today: if you consider yourself a writer and want to know how to write a short love story, you should live in the modern world and according to its rules, and, therefore, use a computer with all the ensuing consequences: Word files, e-mail, Google- Drive and so on.
Of course, one can talk endlessly about “ how to start a romance story?” But! The theory will never replace practice. Yes, you can search online for articles and books. And it’s naive to ask the search engine – “How to write a book correctly?”. You can do this. But during the search, not a single line will appear in your treasured file. Because the text is a practice. Do not look for a long time – you will get drown in an abyss of information. Find answers to key questions – and go.
Believe in yourself. Believe in your strength. Believe that you will succeed.
And you will surely succeed!
- Advice for new writers. In general, fears of writing the first page can and should be worked on – by the method of the contrary. After all, writing a book is not only scary. This is also terribly interesting. Knowing how to write a romance short story is an opportunity to live in your own world. This is an opportunity to take a break from gray reality. This is an opportunity to be what you never become in the present. And to meet those who have no place in the ordinary world. Scary? Or interesting? And if you’re interested, maybe it’s worth putting fears away and taking a chance?
Where to begin? Start from scratch
With overcoming the fear of a clean slate. And from training: to accustom yourself to the daily rhythmic work, from which there will cease to be enough time for something that you may very much love; from which the back will periodically burn and the head will hurt, as well as the eyes. But never stop looking into the bright future always remember why and for whom (what) you got involved in it.
Read to learn
It is important if you want to not only write, but also publish, read at least the assortment of several publishers, understand what and how (and, again, why) they got published. Find out which modern writers apart from you are there in the world, choose a “shelf” – those authors with whom you, ideally, will be on the same shelf.
Keep an eye on the future
You need to want to achieve the goal. This goal can be self-realization, and high fees, and mass-media attention. each has his own goal. But you need to want constantly and sincerely, without this inspiration and inner ignite, nothing will work.
How to plan a book?
You need to make a synopsis (a brief retelling of the plot), write down your heroes (so as not to confuse their names in the course of work) and come up with and write the ending, just while you are in an energetic state of start. Then the finale turns out to be very active, it holds the whole piece, as if you were hooked overboard, and soon you will be raised to the deck from the raging sea. After writing the finale, you feel the tension of the plot, and this gives a drive to the whole work.
How long does it take to write a book?
It varies from one case to another. You can write a novel in 10 copyright sheets (standard volume) inv a month. You can write one thing for about five years, you can write it all your life. Again, it’s important to immediately understand why and for whom you are doing this.
- Finally, do not forget about humor. A little bit of humor will not hurt even the most serious story. Have you known what you want to write about for a long time? And now you know how to do it. Organize your workplace and start with a plan. The work has begun!