EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

Hey hey, to all my faithful followers and family.

This week, I thought I'd get back to teaching about the subject you are most likely here for -- to learn about what it takes to become a published author.

As I read recently written novels, most unpublished, I'm still seeing what I railed on earlier in this series, that being about the lack of capturing the reader's attention early on in the book. I see a lot of back story and setting descriptions that are, may I say BOOOORRRRIIIINNNNGGGG. That is tantamont to telling the reader to give up now before it gets worse. I mean how do you expect a person to keep reading if you turn them off in the first page or two?

Rule of thumb, your opening paragraph should plunge your POV character into some kind of terrible trouble in the first paragraph or first sentence, if possible. That doesn't necessarily mean a life or death situation. It could be some other kind of trouble. If you have ever read "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott you'll find the girls' terrible trouble was that Christmas was coming and their father was away from home with the Union Army during the Civil War, and they had no money for gifts for their mother let along to each other. A heart wrenching scenario.

When I wrote my novel, "Bridgetown High," I went through several opening scenes before settling on the one I finally chose where my POV and MC character, Mark, was bemoaning the deaths of his parents and kid sister, who all died in a fiery crash on the Carquinez Bridge in Northern California. To make matters worse, though he was in the crash, he doesn't remember it, but nevertheless he vows to find the hit-and-run driver who caused the accident.

From the first terrible trouble, the novel or story builds from that, scene by scene until the climax at the end.


Does your story start and build like that? If not, you might want to take a closer look at it. Nothing turns a reader off like a milk toast opening of setting descriptions and back story. Get the story going first, then you can add that stuff between the lines and the story develops. Good luck with it and if you need some help, feel free to email me at paulwwest@yahoo.com or find me on FaceBook.

In case I don't get back to you until after New Years, I wish you wonderful holidays. Keep in mind, my novel would make a wonderful gift for teens and baby boomers alike. Just click on this https://www.amazon.com/dp/1680583093 and it will take you to my book's Amazon page.

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 Hi again, y'all,

I think the title of this blog, "EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR," is so true. I know it was for me. It took me a long time to get published, plus it took the help of some fantastic writers and critique partners to get there. But "Bridgetown High" is the result. It's not well known, yet, but those who have found it, and read it, loved it. Have you gotten your copy yet? Remember you can get it in either Kindle (electronic) or paperback versions. Either version can be found on Amazon. Also, remember, the sequel I'm calling, "The Bridge Beckons," is in the works.

Well, today I promised you I would talk a bit about Dean Koontz's advice that we have "well-drawn backgrounds." Koontz goes into a lot of detail about this subject.

Consider, for a moment, that if you've never been to the place where your novel is set, how can you portray it adequately so that the reader feels he/she knows the place? If the reader can't picture the place/setting he's going to toss the book in the trash. I've had to do that when critiquing some novels by new writers (that wasn't the only reason, but a big one). I simply couldn't follow the story, or get set in the background. It just didn't seem real.

I struggled with getting the setting right until I set my book in someplace recognizable. But even more than that, I also did a lot of research into background setting. It starts with a "real" funeral parlor in a real town, that even if you'd never been there you can still see it in your mind. Then, I set most of the novel in the shadow of the Carquinez Bridge overlooking the small town of Crockett, California. The bridge plays a big role in the story line. Actually, the Carquinez Bridge (about 35 miles northeast of San Francisco) is quite recognizable to anyone who's crossed it with the huge C&H Sugar refinery at the base of the south end of the bridge. Then, the next, and probably the biggest setting, is the local high school, John Swett High School in Crockett. I had to reach back in my memory banks a lot to make sure the setting was accurate the way things really were back in 1965, when the book is set, and that has been a big draw to readers who have been there.

Now, if I hadn't set the book in these settings, I suppose I could have set it anywhere, as long as I did the research sufficient to portray the setting accurately.

And, that's where science fiction and fantasy come in. Most often, these genre do not have known settings and the author, not if not doing a good job at the descriptions, asks us to suspend disbelief.  To me, that's a tough assignment. These settings are most often totally made up by the author, hoping that the reader will follow the made up descriptions. Not an easy thing to do, but I applaud those who have done it successfully. Not being a huge fan of these genre, I frankly don't know how these authors do it. They have to completely create a new background and be true to it all the way through the story, and many times the background/setting becomes a character as well, with motives of its own.

That's all for today. If you have any questions, or don't understand something I said here, drop me an email (paulwwest@yahoo.com), or leave a comment on this blog or Facebook site where I also post these blogs.

So, until next week,  as always, if you like this blog, please remember to "Share" and "Like"it on Facebook , and "Tweet" it on Twitter. Then PLEASE, take five minutes to write a review and post it on Amazon or Goodreads. Also have you signed up for my email letters from this Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments, good or bad, to this blog. And also keep in mind "BRIDGETOWN HIGH" is still available on Amazon. Also, you can read some GREAT reviews of BRIDGETOWN HIGH on Amazon and Goodreads in case you need more info about my novel. And keep in mind, if I ever get some free time, I have a sequel in the works.

(By-the-way, the above blued words are clickable links. Just hold down the Control key and click on the blue words.)

See y'all next week.

Paul 

P.S. I have no idea who took that picture above, so I hope he/she doesn't mind my using it.

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Hello "EVERYONE." After reading my blog messages, do you still want to be an "AUTHOR?" I hope so. It's an exciting journey. Often frustrating, but even if you never get published, it's a rewarding experience.


For those of you who are new to following me and who I am, I wrote the selling novel, Bridgetown High. Today, I thought I'd tell a little bit about the novel and maybe encourage you in your writing, that if I could write and get published by a traditional publisher, maybe you can too.

BRIDGETOWN HIGH is a suspenseful look at how conditions were in the mid-1960s. The Vietnam War, drugs, alcohol, teen romance, first loves, etc. A lot has changed sine then, but in the long run not much has really changed if you compare both eras.


It's a story about Seventeen year old Mark Wilkerson who has no memory of the fiery crash that killed his family on the Carquinez Bridge in the San Francisco Bay Area. Now living with his grandmother and burdened with guilt that he may have helped to cause the accident, Mark vows to find the hit-and-run driver and take his revenge. But, the only detail he remembers is round taillights swerving in front of his family’s car. He is shocked when he notices that Jeff Marino's car, has identical taillights—and a suspicious dent in his rear fender. Jeff Marino is the school's bully. Now Mark wants revenge more than ever… On the other hand, Jeff believes Mark is an anti-Vietnam War activist like Mark's cousin Gary and despises him for it. To make matters worse, when Jeff’s girlfriend, Genie Lombardi, dumps him for Mark, it kicks Jeff’s hatred for him to a dangerous new level. Lies and threats escalate, until drugs and alcohol, and a shocking death, send Jeff over the edge and his campaign to get Genie back, any way he can, turns violent. When Mark’s memory starts to return, it leads to a terrifying confrontation between Mark and Jeff. Will Mark finally prove the identity of the guilty driver? Or will he and Genie become one more tragedy associated with the Carquinez Bridge?

This book took me quite a long time to write, edit, re-edit, re-re-edit, and once more, edit. I actually tossed in the garbage can several times, but I still believed in it and just couldn't just let it rest. Finally, after hundreds of agent rejections, I found Limitless Publishing who was willing to publish BRIDGETOWN HIGH. I can't say they will publish your novel, but it's worth a try. I'm willing to review your book, if you want, and decide whether or not to recommend your book to them.

I hope that encourages you, not discourages you. For me, writing is in my blood. I just can't quit. I hope my next novel, a sequel to BRIDGETOWN HIGH, will be as well written.

So, until next week,  as always, if you like this blog/message, please remember to "Share" and "Like"it on Facebook , and "Tweet" or "Retweet" it on Twitter. Then PLEASE, take five minutes to write a review and post it on Amazon. I need all the reviews I can get to make this book a success. Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments, good or bad, to this blog. And also keep in mind "BRIDGETOWN HIGH" is still available at Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble and several other places I can't remember. You can read some GREAT reviews of BRIDGETOWN HIGH on Amazon and Goodreads in case you need more info about my novel. Almost everyone who has read it, loved it.

(By-the-way, if you are reading this on my blog (www.paulwwest.com) the above blued words are clickable links. Just hold down the Control key and click on the blue words.)

See y'all next week, and happy writing.

Paul

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Hi all my faithful family and friends:


Today, I want to talk about writer's block. Everyone experiences it, and I suspect there are as many solutions as there are writers. So, what is an effective method to overcome it?

I often experience writer's block because I don't get a chance to write every day, thus I lose track of what I wrote last and where I intended the story to go.

The method that I find that works best for me is to go back two or three pages and begin reviewing what you last wrote. By the time you get to where you left off, you should be able to remember what you intended to write. Only, this time, I'm at a total block.


Before, I had a critique group to bounce ideas off of. But I don't have that support any more (Hint to myself: join another group).


I'm dealing with how to write the sequel to Bridgetown High, and only get to write about every two weeks or so. That makes it hard to keep track of what I last wrote and where I left off. Does anyone know of a "good" critique group?


Oh, and by the way, I'm still considering doing another blog tour, but I'm hoping they are worth the money -- something around $100.00. Does anyone know of a "good" blog tour company?


So, until next week,  as always, if you like this blog, please "Share" and "Like"it on Facebook , and "Tweet" it on Twitter. Then PLEASE, take five minutes to write a short review of "Bridgetown High" and post it on my correct author page at Amazon.

Also, remember to sign up for my email letters on my Blog Site. I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments to this blog. Have a wonderful week.

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EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

Just a short note today, I just got two new reviews for Bridgetown High. I thought I'd share then with you.

This one by Kim Smith, author of the Shannon Wallas mystery series. "As a child of the 60s I could identify with the characters of this book. Mr. West knows his setting and situates the reader in it like wrapping us in a blanket. The dialog fits the era of the story. And the story, a young adult novel, has everything that teens care about: revenge, regret, young love, and the promise of a future. Mark Wilkerson is a captivating character, totally believable. When his family is killed in a fiery crash on the Carquinez Bridge, his life is forever altered. Will he find out who was responsible?"

And this one by an unknown reviewer: "Love the book. I would recommend it to all my family and friends. It is definitely a page turner."

Short but sweet.

If you have read Bridgetown High and would like to write a review, please go to https://www.amazon.com/dp/1680583093/ref=cm_sw_su_dp and scroll down to a button that says "Write A Customer Review." You can read some of the other reviews my book has received.

I'd love to know what you think.

I'll try to  write my usual weekly blog tomorrow, but no promises. I'm going on vacation for the next two weeks, so stand by. I'll be back -- God willing.

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EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

Good afternoon, all my family and friends.

Today, I thought I'd talk about a different aspect of writing -- beginner's faux pas.

Recently, I have been purposely reading books by self-published authors. I'm doing that in an effort to find good, well written, literature.

Frankly, I'm not having much success. I recently joined a web-based book review site in hopes they might review my novel, "Bridgetown High." I really need reviews on Amazon and thought this site may provide one or more (preferably more). I volunteered to do some reviewing in return.

Honestly, it's a bore.

Almost all of these books by self-published authors (and I'm using that term "authors" loosely) begin with a huge info dump, all the background, on the first two or three pages. Then they SCREAM "Look Ma, I c'n rite." The books are full of misspelled words and punctuation errors.

Then, as I read on, the story lines do tend to be well thought out, and somewhat entertaining, but there are always inconsistencies that drive me crazy, making the read not as enjoyable as I expect.

For example, in the book I'm currently reviewing, the main character says she's 14 years old. Then, in a later chapter she says she's been doing something (I won't say what to not give it away) for two years, making her 16. Then she goes back to having the girl be 14 again. Near the beginning she gives her life's story, thus far, which goes pretty smooth. However, she gives that same story at least 3 other times - boooorrrrriiiinnnnngggg.

I don't mean to be critical, but I'm trying to warn you, regardless of how you want to be published, self or traditional, don't do what this lady, and many others like her, have done. Get a good editor, beta reader, or at least a good critique group. I believe you can be successful which ever route you choose, but get the professional help you need.

Keep that in mind when you are writing your best selling fiction.

And, until next week,  as always, if you like this blog, please "Share" and "Like"it on Facebook , and "Retweet" it on Twitter. Then PLEASE, take five minutes to write a review of "Bridgetown High" and post it on my author page on Amazon.

Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments to this blog. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available at Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble and several other places I can't remember, both in kindle e'book, and paperback. You can read some GREAT reviews of Bridgetown High on Amazon and Goodreads in case you need more info about it

See y'all next week,

Paul W West, Author

Bridgetown High

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EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR 

Hello to all my Friends and Family.

Today I thought I'd write a bit more I'm extracting from Dean Koontz's book, "How to Write Best Selling Fiction." He suggests "The average reader demands eight things of a novel:" and he proceeds to list them. One that I think is paramount he lists as second in his list: "a great deal of action."

Have you ever read a book that just makes your eyes glaze over and instead of "I couldn't put it down," you say "I couldn't keep from putting it down." I recently read a book like that. It's written by a great, self published, author that I admire. But one of her books just put me to sleep and after about 10 chapters of boredom I had to give it up. I may take it up again if I find nothing  else to read. Some books are so filled with internal dialog (thoughts) that nothing ever gets accomplished.

If you want to write a best selling book, it's got to have some action, or as Dean Koontz said, "... a great deal of action."

In my novel "Bridgetown High," I tried to put some action, if only in dialog, into every scene.

I also read a "how too" book by Jack M. Bickham. The title of his book is "Scene and Structure." If I only got one thing from his advice it's that for every scene, such as a fight, argument, chase scene, etc., you need to have a sequel to unwind, so to speak. He calls that "Strucure." He explainns, "Structure is nothing more than a way of looking at your story material so that it's organized in a way that's both logical and dramatic." And that brings up another subject for another day (logic).

So, I wrote "Bridgetown High" with both ideas in mind, action and structure.

Keep that in mind when you are writing your best selling fiction.

And, until next week,  as always, if you like this blog, please "Share" and "Like"it on Facebook , and "Retweet" it on Twitter. Then PLEASE, take five minutes to write a review of "Bridgetown High" and post it on my author page on Amazon.

Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments to this blog. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available at Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble and several other places I can't remember, both in kindle e'book, or paperback. You can read some GREAT reviews of Bridgetown High on Amazon and Goodreads in case you need more info about it

See y'all next week,

Paul

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EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

Hi again to all my friends and followers. Today, I'm a little rushed. My family and I are close to leaving for a short vacation.


But, nevertheless, I feel an obligation to write something about the process of novel writing.


How many of you have suffered with "writer's block?" I know I have. But going back to Dean Koontz book on "How to Write Best Selling Fiction," he has some ideas that I've found helpful.

There are several ideas such as being relaxed when trying to come up with something to write, or read books of a similar genre, etc.

But the method that I think is most helpful to me is to go back a couple or so pages, begin reading and making some small edits along the way, and by the time you get to where you last left off, your mind should be back in the proverbial "groove."


I hope that helps some of you.

I wish I had more time, but even an author has to take some time off to regenerate his/her mind -- and that's another method that can work to crash through writer's block.

So, until next week,  as always, if you like this blog, please remember to "Share" and "Like"it on Facebook , and "Retweet" it on Twitter, then PLEASE, write a review and post it on all the sites where you can find my book (especially on Amazon). Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments to my posts. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available on Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble and a few other places I can't remember. You can read some GREAT reviews of Bridgetown High on all of these sites if you need more info about Bridgetown High. And if you think of it, a review on Amazon or Goodreads, would be very welcomed.

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EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

Hello all my faithful friends and followers. I appreciate the response I got from last week's challenge. Does anyone remember what it was? I know one person did - Thanks Don.

Today, I thought I would reiterate what I wrote several weeks (months?) ago. Over the past few weeks I've read some FREE novels that sort of appealed to me based on the title and a short blurb. With few exceptions, they all started out the same -- booorrrriiiinnnnngggg.

Like I stated several weeks ago, you need to build tension from page 1, the first paragraph, if you can. Then, by the end of the first page, the story line should be so engrossing that the reader can't put it down.

Without tension a book or short story is a waste of time for the reader. And that especially applies to books you paid good money for.

Right now, I'm reading a free book I got on Amazon. I'm on about page 10 and still can't see what the story is all about, let alone is the protagonist into some kind of terrible trouble.

People tell me that self-published books, such as the one I'm currently reading, have gotten better. I'm not believing that. So far, most of the self-pubbed books I've read all start of with the same problem -- booorrriiiinnnnggg. Like, why should I care about this protagonist?

You need to have something the protagonist needs, or is having trouble with from the first paragraph. So, how do you achieve that?

Like I said several weeks ago, have the protagonist in some kind of trouble, or as Dean Koontz says "terrible trouble," right off. Give the protagonist a challenge. Then, as the story progresses, as the protagonist tries to solve his/her terrible trouble, he/she gets deeper and deeper into more trouble until at the very end, the climax if you will, the problems are all solved.

Until next week,  as always, if you like this blog, please remember to "Share" and "Like"it on Facebook , and "Retweet" it on Twitter, then PLEASE, write a review and post it on all the sites where you can find my book (especially on Amazon). Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments to my posts. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available on Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble and a few other places I can't remember. You can read some GREAT reviews of Bridgetown High on all of these sites if you need more info about Bridgetown High. And if you think of it, a review on Amazon or Goodreads, would be very welcomed.

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Good afternoon, all my faithful friends and followers.

I hope you're all getting some good ideas to generate a great plot.


Today, I'm going to cover the next issue Dean Koontz's high school teacher taught him: "You need a hero or a heroine or both."

Can you imagine a story without a hero or heroine? What would that be? Boring! Jack London's novels "Call of the Wild," and "White Fang" had heros -- the dogs.

I suppose if you are writing in first person, the first person narrator would automatically be the hero/heroine. Or would it? I can imagine a first person narrator relating the story of someone else, probably from his memory of the circumstances that spawned the story. In that situation, the story is really being told in third person. Either way, you still need a hero or heroine. How do you decide who that is going to be?

In Bridgetown High, Mark is the first person we meet and the story pretty much follows his struggles through to the end. But there are other characters that we learn about as we read the novel. The main heroine in this book would have to be Genie. We watch her struggles too and care about what happens to her.

But Gary, Charisse, and even Jeff (the antagonist) have their stories that make us care for them as well. So, are they also heros or heroines? I purposely wrote a sub-plot for each of them that ties together with Mark's story in the end. So, while not being main characters, they still have their own stories and are heros or heroines in their own minds.

Does that make any sense? So, how can someone as despicable as Jeff be a hero? I went deep into his mind and found he has some deep-seated psycological issues brought on by his upbringing including an abusive father and hard working mother who never had time for him. Would you call him a hero? In his story, his actions are heroic in his mind.

For each of my main characters I've done the same, making them likable, or at least sympathetic. I think that is what made Bridgetown High the great story it is.

If you haven't done so yet, you'll have to read "Bridgetown High" to see what I mean. Please let me know what you think.

In the meantime, please "Share" and "Like" this blog post on Facebook , and "Retweet" it on Twitter, then PLEASE, write a review and post it on all the sites where you can find my book. Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments to my posts. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available on Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble and a few other places I can't remember. You can read some GREAT reviews of Bridgetown High on all of these sites if you need more info about Bridgetown High. In fact I just got another great review from a follower that should be posted in the next few days.

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EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

 Hi again all my friends and followers.

How's your writing going? I hope you're hard at it.

Last week I talked about developing a strong plot. The next thing Dean Koontz's teacher mentioned was "a great deal of action."

You don't want a ho hummer. You want to make it so that your reader can't put the book down. How do you do that? Make each scene a conflict or resolution.

 Even when talkingwith a friend, you want your characters conversations to be conflicting. In my novel, I hope I've done that in every scene. If it doesn't have conflicting or resolving it's got to be boring. You want to keep your reader on the edge of her/his seat. In Bridgetown High, I've tried to make this a rule. For example, in the scene between Genie and Kathy, where Genie gets a huge crush on Brent Anderson, Kathy ribs Genie that she's always flirting with boys. To which, Genie tries to disagree, but goes after Brent anyway, thinking to herself that Kathy was wrong. She's just being friendly.

That's a minor example, but I hope  you get the idea.

At the request of most of my readers, I've decided to "try" to write a sequel to "Bridgetown High." However, I'm realizing the opening chapter is not what I wanted. There's little or no conflict, though there is a hint of trouble to come.

Also, the opening chapter should plunge the main character in some kind of trouble. I've probably said that before.

So, until next week, I'll quit for now. If you have any questions, please post them in the comment section below.

In the meantime, please "Share" and "Like" this blog post on Facebook , and "Retweet" it on Twitter, then PLEASE, write a review and post it on all the sites where you can find my book. Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments to my posts. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available on Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble and a few other places I can't remember. You can read some GREAT reviews of Bridgetown High on all of these sites if you need more info about Bridgetown High.

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EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

Greetings to all my friends and followers. How's your writing going?

What? You haven't started yet?

Get going. Your story won't write itself (to coin cliche')

Last week I talked about Dean Koontz's high school teacher who said the following: "The average reader demands eight things of a novel: 1) a strong plot; 2) a great deal of action; 3) a hero or a heroine or both; 4) colorful, imaginative, and convincing characterizations; 5) clear, believable motivations; 6) well-drawn backgrounds; 7) at least some familiarity with the rules of English grammar and syntax - the more familiarity the better, of course 8) a style which embodies at least a trace of lyrical language and as many striking images as possible, for good writing is always vivid and visual."

I'm only repeating it here in case you missed it and don't want to scroll down to last week's posting.

Let's take a closer look at the first thing she suggested -- "a strong plot."

This is essential. Without a strong plot you might was well be writing a term paper. So-called "literary" novels usually don't have much of a plot, if any, and they are usually boooorrring! And to some, they aren't really novels. So, what makes for a strong plot?

There are lots of ways you can spin your imagination. Some writers use plot wheels, plot cards, etc. As for me, I've mentioned this in earlier posts, one of my college professors taught me to begin with a strong scene in mind, one that places the main character in some kind of terrible trouble, then dream up an ending that wraps up all the loose ends. Ss you write, everything you write must work toward that ending. I have to admit, however, I don't have a strong ending in mind for my sequel to Bridgetown High yet, but I have begun writing the opening chapter. I do have an ending, just not one I'm super happy with -- yet. It will come.

Once you begin writing your novel, don't be afraid to deviate and let the story wander, as long as you can tie all the loose ends together by the ending.

When I began writing "Bridgetown High," I actually ended with what I had originally used for my opener. How did that happen? Long story, don't ask, but it worked. Then, as I got more and more into the story, a love story between Mark's cousin, Gary and Kathy, developed. Then Jeff was created who was overly jealous with anyone who had it for Genie -- especially Mark. Genie originally started out as a not so nice girl, but that changed as I got to know her better. Then, I developed another sub-plot with Charisse who Mark is crazy about, at first, but he eventually learns she's not the girl he wants for eternity.

All these sub-plots gave color to the story line, as these characters tended to take on a life of their own.

You'll have to read "Bridgetown High" to see what I mean. Please let me know what you think.

In the meantime, please "Share" and "Like" this blog post on Facebook , and "Retweet" it on Twitter, then PLEASE, write a review and post it on all the sites where you can find my book. Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments to my posts. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available on Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble and a few other places I can't remember. You can read some GREAT reviews of Bridgetown High on all of these sites if you need more info about Bridgetown High.

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EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

Hi again, to all my faithful friends and followers.

So, how are you doing with your writing. Did last week's post teach you what not to do? I ran my review past the author of the novel I was reviewing and she agreed with my rating of 3 stars out of 5 and understood why: that I wasn't trying to be critical, but helpful. Maybe she's following this blog??? If so, I'd love for her to comment.

This week, I'm going to talk about what it takes to be a best-selling author. A long time ago, 1972, Dean Koontz published a very helpful book titled: "How to Write Best-Selling Fiction." I cut my writerly teeth on that book and wish I had a copy of it, even today. But I did take some notes that have helped me a great deal. Over the weeks I'll share some of them with you.

The first notes I have, he quoted his high school teacher who said the following: "The average reader demands eight things of a novel: 1) a strong plot; 2) a great deal of action; 3) a hero or a heroine or both; 4) colorful, imaginative, and convincing characterizations; 5) clear, believable motivations; 6) well-drawn backgrounds; 7) at least some familiarity with the rules of English grammar and syntax - the more familiarity the better, of course 8) a style which embodies at least a trace of lyrical language and as many striking images as possible, for good writing is always vivid and visual."

I could write a college thesis on each of those subjects. Maybe I will go over them in greater detail in the coming weeks. I think they give a lot of food for thought - to spin a cliche'.

One thing Mr. Koontz didn't cover was how publishing has changed from the old find an agent who will find a publisher for you. Today, agents are still around, but difficult to find, and most traditional publishers these days require authors to do most of their own marketing, and independent self-publishing requires writers to do pretty much the same (a lesson I still haven't digested).

Take a close look at the list of eight things readers demand and see how they can help with your writing.

In the meantime, please "Share" and "Like" this blog post on Facebook , and "Retweet" it on Twitter yet. Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments to my posts. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available on Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble and a few other places I can't remember. You can read some GREAT reviews of Bridgetown High on all of these sites.

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EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

 Hi to all my good friends and followers. I hope you're writing is progressing.

Before I begin, please "Like" and "Share" this blog post on Facebook , and "Retweet" it on Twitter yet. Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourselves and give comments to my posts. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available on Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble and a few other places I can't remember. You can read some GREAT reviews on all of these sites.

So to begin, do you have any questions about how to craft a good novel?

Today, I'm going to let you in on some things you need to know if you are going to craft a quality novel.

Currently, I'm reviewing a novel for a lady who contacted me to share reviews of our novels. I won't give you her name or the title of the novel she wrote. I will say this, even though it's a published novel it needs help.

It's a murder mystery, but I have to admit she did a masterful job of making the murderer the sympathetic main character. He kills for money without remorse, men, women, even children. How does one create sympathy for for a mass murderer? I'm not sure but she did it and I'm still wondering how?

I think my main complaint is with the editing and formatting. There are numerous spelling and grammar problems which tended to ruin the story's experience for me. The book is written in first person, but she often goes between present tense and past tense, further making the book difficult to enjoy. To a writer with 30 years of experience in writing, editing, and critiquing (me) these things also ruins the story for me.

Also, she makes little or no indication of who is talking. There are many times when dialogue beats would have helped, you know "he said," or "she said," or "named individual, said." I found myself having to go back a few paragraphs to see if I could follow who was talking and who was thinking (of course being in first person, the thinking part was always the MC).

Like I said, the story line is great, with interesting twists. Near the end, however, and I'm close to that, she dumps a bunch of twists that are not logical based on what went on earlier in the story. I'm a stickler for logic. Whatever happens in a novel must make sense.

Now, the question is. How do I post this on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Smaswords, etc. All her previous reviews gave her 5 stars out of 5. The best I can do would be 3 stars, only because the novel was a fun read. I feel bad being the only bad score she has, but to be honest with her and my writing profession, I have have to post the way I see it. Maybe I'll tell let her about my review first and she can decide whether or not she wants me to post it.

What do you think?

See you next week,

Paul West, Author

Bridgetown High

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EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

Hi to all my friends and followers.

I don't have a lot of time to write, but just checking in to see if you're still there (he he he). I only had about 120 people check into my last week's post. Not bad, really. I'm still considering writing that sequel. I think I've figured out a plot, and I'm going to use most of the characters in "Bridgetown High." Of course, as I begin writing, a lot is likely to change.

Just so you'll know I' haven't bee slacking, I've been reviewing  a murder mystery novel. It's an exciting book about a cereal killer. The author does a masterful job of actually making the killer sympathetic, though he kills for money, and with no remorse, that is until he falls for a girl, then his profession begins to fall apart. Doesn't that sound exciting?

Time is almost up. More next week. Please "Like" and "Share" this blog post on Facebook , and "Retweet" it on Twitter yet. Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourselves and give comments to my posts. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available on Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble and a few other places I can't remember. You can read some GREAT reviews on all of these sites.

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EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

After all I've said about becoming an author, do you still  want to be one?

Hi again to all my wonderful friends and followers. Of course you do. I knew going into this business that I couldn't help myself. I had to write. Then, I had to find a way to publish my writings. That meant writing quality stuff, things anyone would like to read.

After publishing Bridgetown High, I've gotten mostly 5 star reviews with a few 4.5 stars. You can check them out at GoodReads. My latest was a review I got for reviewing another author's (J.S. Frankle) novel. With his permission I'm posting it here:

This.was an excellent novel. After finishing Bridgetown High, I was left with a feeling of nostalgia, of things that were and of things that might have been. Hard to believe it's the first novel this author has ever written, but it's a hell of a debut. The rating given is four stars, but it's really closer to a four-point-five effort.

What Bridgetown High deals with is loss, guilt and forgiveness, along with the minutia of everyday life for a high school student in the 1960's--Mark. He's recently suffered the loss of his parents due to a horrific traffic accident--and the opening chapter really brings that loss into focus--and has to live with his grandmother. He also has to suffer being the odd person out at his high school, going from a somewhat preppy existence to a place in the boondocks, as it were, and dealing with the local riffraff. And he has his heart set on the local girl who is fancied by the scumbag who ALSO happens to be Mark's nemesis in the novel. How's that for a coincidence?

In lesser hands, it would have been obvious and pure melodrama. And while it's sort of convenient, Mr. West makes the most of a large cast of characters, showcasing them in sharply drawn portraits. Add in mystery, young romance, and the novel builds slowly but surely to a denouement that is satisfactory to all--or should be. In spite of the book's length--roughly 370 pages--it moves along at a solid pace, neither too fast nor too slow. The viewpoints from the various characters presented are fine, and while there are a few forgivable lapses in the narrative, overall, it's so solid that I can't really fault it in any way. I look forward to more of this author's work.

Highly recommended. 

After reading Bridgetown High, I've had several people, tell me I need to write a sequel. I guess they loved my book that much. As I'm considering it, I'm reminded of some of the rules of beginning a novel. The opening paragraph, or at least the opening page, should plunge your main character into some kind of terrible trouble. I probably didn't do that all that well with Bridgetown High, but I fudged and made the opener a tear-jerker instead, with Mark pining for his lost family, and vowing revenge. So, if I do start a sequel, I need to keep that in mind, and it must also flow from the previous novel somehow.

I need to quit for now, but before I go, I need to ask, have you "Liked" and "Shared" this blog post on Facebook yet, or "Retweeted" it on Twitter yet. Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourselves and give comments to my posts. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available on Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble. You can read some GREAT reviews on all of these sites.

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SO, DO YOU WANT TO BE AN AUTHOR?

Hello to all my wonderful friends and followers. Sorry for being gone, but like I always say: "Sometimes work gets in the way of more important things like writing."

So, to pick up where I left off. I think I was giving ideas about how to create a novel.

Today, I'll talk about where did all my characters come from? Well, since Mark is the first character in my novel, the question is where did I get him and why did I make him the way he is?

First, I did not want a clone of myself. I tried very hard to make him unique. He is not really the hero type, but he has his strengths and weaknesses that make him rather unique. I though about what kind of boy he should be. How old, something about his looks, his likes and dislikes, etc. At first, I think I had him too wimpy, so I went back through the manuscript that I had written so far and rewrote some scenes where he could be strong and aggressive, yet compassionate. I gave him some faults too like his anger issue and desire for revenge, lacking the capacity for forgiveness. I think characters don't ring true unless you give them weaknesses and faults to overcome. For example, Mark starts out angry. He wants revenge for his family's deaths. Throughout the book he struggles with that issue. In short, I had to ask myself, how would a seventeen year old senior in high school react to losing his entire family, except for his kid sister. Then, add to that, having to enroll in a new high school where some of the kinds hated him.

So, where do you get your characters? If you're serious about wanting to be an author, you have to make your characters as real as possible.

Before I quit for now, I need to ask, have you "Liked" and "Shared" this blog post on Facebook yet, or "Retweeted" it on Twitter yet. Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourselves and give comments to my posts. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available on Amazon and Barnes&Noble. You can read some GREAT reviews on both of them.

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SO, DO YOU WANT TO BE AN AUTHOR?

Greetings to all my faithful followers and friends. I have to apologize for not writing to you for almost 2 weeks. Frankly, I have no excuse (other than I have been sick in bed for most of it). But, now I'm back.

Have you "Liked" and "Shared" this blog post on Facebook yet, or "Retweeted" it on Twitter yet. Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourselves and give comments to my posts. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available on Amazon and Barnes&Noble. You can read some GREAT reviews on both of them.

I think I ended my last post, explaining about how I began "Bridgetown High." If you remember I had a college professor who taught me to define a beginning and ending and work the story toward the two.

I also read a book by Dean Koontz called "How to Write Best-Selling Fiction." It's a great book for anyone wanting to write best selling novels (though his methods in today's book markets are a bit obsolete.

But back then (30 or so years ago) I started with trying to work out an opening scene. It needed to plunge my main character into some kind of trouble. My first idea was to have Mark sitting in his classroom, watching the clock tick off the minutes 'till the end of class. He is nervous. Sweat drops from his underarms and he hopes he's not going to be offensive when he asks Charisse for a date. It's kind of exciting, but after further consideration I felt that that was too far into the story and I needed to begin earlier. That's when I came up with the ending. I felt that would be more enticing, and at first I put it as the opening scene. Then, I still needed an ending, but I did come up with something you'll have to read for yourself (no spoilers allowed on this blog site). It was only at the insistence of my former critique group members, that I put the beginning at the end -- again, you'll have to read the book to know what I mean.

To say the least, "Bridgetown High" went through many revisions and edits before it was ready for publication.

More next week.

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EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

Hi again to everyone.

Do you really want to be an author? I have to admit, though it's been a rough row to how, it's been a lot of fun too.

Did you enjoy reading that excerpt I posted last week? I must have written and rewritten that scene 30 or 40 times. As I said before, I started this novel some 30 years ago. Hopefully it won't take you that long. Most of that time was spent trying to find an agent, but I also spent a lot of time writing and editing and rewriting until I got the book as good as I could.

It helped having a critique group. My "Writer's Pen" group was a huge help. The members were all great writers. Some of them, like me, were eventually published. Some wrote fantasy. Some wrote horror. Some wrote science fiction. Some like me, wrote young adult coming of age.

So, how did I begin? I think I started writing about this in my post a few weeks ago, but I'll take the chance I won't repeat myself too much.

I began with a strong desire to write something. So, with a pad of paper and a pen, I began. At first, the only time I had to write was during my lunch breaks. And that has pretty much been the way it was ever since. Before I had access to a computer, I would leave my office and go down to my car and with oldies playing on the radio, I started jotting down some ideas.

At first, I just wanted to write about my life in high school. But that idea didn't go very far. I had a pretty boring high school life, ha ha. Soon, I realized I was writing about my high school days, but no one in particular. Mark and Gary, Charisse and Genie, and Jeff and Bobby are all made up. I suppose if you were to examine these characters closely enough you'd see something of yourself in one or more of my characters, but I suppose that's the way it is with every novel. We all tend to identify with one or more of the characters in the story.

So, where did I begin? I know I've said this before, but I started with a rough idea of a beginning and struggled to come up with a logical climax and ending. I read with relish a book by Dean Koontz called "How to Write Best-Selling Fiction." His training (if I can call it that) was wonderful. I read "How To" books from several other writers as well. All of them said to begin by plunging your main character into some kind of terrible trouble. Then, as they try to solve their trouble, they get into deeper and deeper trouble, until the ending when everything is resolved, hopefully happily.

This post is getting kind of long, so I'll save more of this for later. I hope this gives you some hope and an increased desire to write. Like I said, it's fun and rewarding, even if it's a struggle at times.

Good luck. Please remember to "Like" and "Share" this post if you're reading it on Facebook, or "Re-Tweet" it if you're on Twitter. Also, for those who have read "Bridgetown High" or are in the process of reading it, a review on Amazon would be much appreciated.

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... and now, it's time to resume work on GERTA!

Finally

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