Hey guys,

 

I have decided to go out on a limb and write a book while studying. I haven't the slightest clue what to write on but I know I can do it if I get a good idea.

 

So far I have had a couple of ideas, however I want some ideas on what you think of them.

 

NOTE: Very basic outlines (more indepth when chosen)

 

Idea #1

 

Center plot revolves around a homeless man who was a gambling addict. For years, he spent all his money on slot machines, never winning a cent. When he lost his family, his house and his job, he became angry and bitter. He strolled the city day and night, collecting what food scraps he could and befriending other homeless people. However, one night, he finds a lottery ticket in a trashcan, which wins him $1,000,000. He then goes and uses that money to get his life back, going after his wife and kids, investing and ultimately fighting against the urge to gamble it all!

 

Style: Either Comedy/Humor | Drama | Money (Investing Strategies)

 

Idea #2

 

Michael Benjamin, a New York Times reporter is found dead in his home, his wife missing and a note written in blood across the wall above his dead body. The note simply says, "Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock..." With this terrible murder the night before the Annual Writers Fair, the police are lead to believe that an angry journalist wanted to make sure Michael did not win. The search for the killer and Michael's wife continues through a series of bone chilling twists...

 

If you have any ideas of your own, please submit them and you might be in the thanks section.

 

- Chris

Ah... a fellow budding novelist! I've got the proverbial sock drawer full of unfinished novels!

For the one I fully intend to get back to I've written some 150 pages of the first draft, outlined the plot, the structure and have about 500 pages worth of research (oh yes, you read that right!). This one is the only one that has survived into a decent chunk of a first draft. Several hundred ideas never made it to paper, several dozens more never made it past sketching an outline and a handful never made it past the first chapter.

I'm only saying this because, for me anyway, writing a novel is a huge commitment and requires a planning/research to writing ratio of about 20:1 - that's a lot of time. And if I were you I'd go through the same process - whittling down from hundreds of ideas down to a handful you can test, down to one that might actually work.

 

Depending on why primarily you want to write (for money, for pleasure, to pass something on...) depends on how you should approach this. If it's for money then you should look at what's 'hot', what small publishers are looking for and who prints what - trying to match your style to that. If it's for pleasure then write what you want!

 

For example... my unfinished novel is a black comedy set in an Andean village that sees the lives of 3 very different people (all representing a different aspect of the cultural mix) become entangled in mysterious events. the main influences are the landscape, ancient v new culture and how people deceive themselves - along with some subtle astrological and architectural metaphor. I love the subject, I know the region and it's written in the Shakespearean dark humour that is Wizely's style.

 

Again... the point here is that I know my subject well enough, it's interesting (hopefully!), it's in vogue (travel writing about indigenous folks is still hot), I've done plenty of research and planning, I know where the story is going, I have many levels, many twists and sub-plots, I can write well, I've got the passion, I've always wanted to write a novel etc. etc.... and yet it still sits unfinished after 3 years and untouched for the last year.

 

Good luck!

Ok,

 

Well I would like to earn a bit of money off the venture, possibly to help pay for college fees and the likes. I've been doing some research on the process of writing a book and wanted to ask some questions to you wizely.

 

How long do you plan for?

 

I konw this is a huge section of actually creating a successful novel and if you fail to plan, you plan to fail! It's old and corny but sooo true when it comes to writing. I have the creative imagination, the passion however I just need an idea. I have sooo many buzzing around my head but I don't know how many I can flesh out into a 300 page book that a publisher would even like.

 

I don't want to spend a year or two writing a 300 page fantasy novel about a dragon slaying hero who rescues a princess only for the next installment of harry potter to come out and steal my lime light, or furthermore, the publishers not even being interested in another vampire slaying, dragon chasing fantasy book.

 

However, I don't know a whole lot about investing as I don't have any qualifiations or experience in that area, so to write a book about it, with no knowledge but the info I can find on google and in other books, does both the reader and myself no good. I have no firsthand experience in the subject and therefore can not offer any personal opinions and views to the reader.

 

I am a good sci-fi/medieval writer but I need something real, something that people will love. You cant fall in love with and relate to a rouge assassin running through the streets of LA, killing every innocent person he finds. I need something people can relate too, which is why I like the gambling addict idea I listed above. Many people nowadays face gambling addiction as a real problem that ruins their lives. Creating the book, with tips on how to help them and showing how hard a struggle it is but that you can be victorious, can create inspiration for the reader, something they can relate too.

 

Ofcourse, if I made any money out of the book, I would like to give something back. Possibly helping charities that assist with gambling addicts? Im not sure at this point but it looks like an idea that could flow nicely into a novel.

 

What do you think?

I think the best place to start is having a look at the smaller, more 'specialist' or 'fringe' publicists that are out there. Not only are your chances better to get published but the fact that they operate in niches means there's a specific demand for those kind of books (even if you go to a mainstream publisher). Try to find a handful of publishers that match your own style and kind of book you're interested in and see what they've published in the last couple of years.

Like I said - the ratio of research to actual writing is huge. Whatever you write must be accurate, credible and consistent (even if it's fantasy); it must be full of rich detail for readers to get immersed in and have characters that behave in ways that readers can relate to - that takes lots of research and planning to get right.

Draw on your own experiences - you may never have battled a dragon but you might have climbed a mountain experiencing a gruelling physical/ mental challenge whilst risking death followed by the elation of conquering the peak. You might not have had a gambling addiction but everyone has their vices - you might have taken risks or spent too much time/money on something or neglected something else.]

Successful writing (any writing) is aimed at the reader but it is the writer's personality and style that shapes the reality you present.

What I'm saying is that the right idea will be one that is aimed for a specific market (nasty commercialism) but also one that you can put your own personality into. So you should look at your own experiences for inspiration.

 

Remember that good writing is not about the 'size' of the story - your book doesn't have to deal with all-action style Hollywood crap it just has to engage the reader and hopefully show them something about human nature or the world. My favourite films tend to be French or French style (Amelie, Hors du Prix, Leon...) where the amazing characters and masterful storytelling are far more engaging than the Rock in Scorpian King!!!! This is a million times more important in a book where you can't cover banality with special effects!

 

The gambling addict idea is nothing new but if you can tell it in a new way, approach it from a new angle, show something different to the expected with a style to match then it can work. It's about how you turn the idea into plot and characters that make the idea good or bad - impossible to tell from just a snippet.

 

Like I said my idea is "An earthquake causes a church to collapse in an Andean village and turns life upside down". I got the idea in Colombia when in Popayan (a pueblo blanco hit by an earthquake) and then developed it and gathered ideas and details over the year I lived in Ecuador. A simple initial idea that's now developed into several sub-plots, 3 main characters and half a dozen supporting characters.

 

I hope any of this is helping!

Sure is

 

I will put together a list of ideas, draw up some characters and have a good think about what I want to do.

 

Thanks man ^^

No worries! Just pop back if you want any advice or a sounding board - I've gone through a lot of the initial stages of all this so might be able to help.

If anyone else wanders into this thread... there's no difference between writing a novel and writing for a website or a product sheet - research, plan, craft, shape, style, edit etc. and understand how to hook, engage and lead a reader!

No worries! Just pop back if you want any advice or a sounding board - I've gone through a lot of the initial stages of all this so might be able to help.

If anyone else wanders into this thread... there's no difference between writing a novel and writing for a website or a product sheet - research, plan, craft, shape, style, edit etc. and understand how to hook, engage and lead a reader!

 

Well said

 

Wizely and I are here if you need opinions on written work or web design stuff

Just a quick thought from me. I like the idea of the gambling addict, but the story so far sounds a bit predictable. How about turning it on its head so it goes something like this:

 

A man has a gambling addiction. He can't stop, and it's ruining his family life, his work life, and his self esteem. His wife is having an affair, his kids hate him, and his boss is trying to make him redundant. He gets a whiff of self destruction and decides to go for broke. He goes down to the store with his last pay cheque, and blows the whole lot on a lottery tickets. He wins, and becomes fabulously wealthy instantly. He celebrates, his problems are over, he can't believe his good luck. But no sooner than the dust settles, he begins to realise that being rich doesn't make him happy. His wife is still having an affair, his kids still hate him, and he gets fired from his job. He tries to spend his way to happiness, but fails, and ends up in a series of awful situations involving drugs and prostitutes etc. You need to finish the rest

 

Looking forward to hearing how the book is going - hope I'll get to read it one day, whatever it's about. Good luck.

I like the idea minus the prostitute part

 

Nice work I still am figuring out an idea as we speak

 

I had another idea, well several thousand other ideas one of which is about a police detective who can see glimpses of the future in his dreams. He dreams about a terrorist attack on a building and makes sure he is there to stop it. However, he doesn't see any faces in his dreams and when a series of twists and betrayals occur, the police detective gets more then he bargained for.

 

I still have some ideas for a fantasy novel too, i rented a bunch of movies from the video store and will jot down some notes and try to figure out a cool idea from what other fantasy writers / movie makers have done. (not the same but different )

I like the idea minus the prostitute part

Just imagine the research you'd need to do

Just imagine the research you'd need to do

 

I am trying not to