| A famous novelist was asked after she had penned | | | | award ceremony when you won a race as a young |
| her fifth novel when she was going to get her books | | | | child, you can put one of your characters on that |
| published? She looked up from her writing and told | | | | stage and let the reader feel the pride well up within |
| the friend that she had never considered them being | | | | him or her. |
| published. So from one un-published author of three | | | | Your marriage was a day you never want to forget, |
| novels to you, here are my eight reasons why you | | | | you can marry one of your characters and give them |
| should write a novel. | | | | your memory, you like the way your partner in your |
| Number 1. It's a blast. | | | | teens used to hold your hand and kiss you in public, |
| It's a blast. To work out a plot and work out | | | | one of your characters can treat his lady like that. |
| subplots and all the characters' is a blast. What is so | | | | As a writer I draw on many things in my real life to |
| good about writing your own novel is that it is yours | | | | put in the fictional lives of my characters. |
| and nothing can take away from that. This time as | | | | Number 7 You can create fiction the way you'd love |
| you read the progress of the characters on the | | | | to read it. |
| keyboard as you type, it, is you that determines | | | | So many times endings of books may disappoint you. |
| their fates. | | | | Never again. When you write your novel you can |
| Number 2 You get to play God. | | | | write an ending that you love and you can make |
| Have you ever seemed like your life was controlled | | | | sure five out of five readers agree with you. |
| by someone else and you seem to think you were a | | | | The writing process is a blast and you will really like it. |
| puppet in God's hands? I have, plenty of times and I | | | | You can read book after book on how to write, but |
| gave up the struggle, committed my life to Jesus | | | | the best advice I can give you is to go and write |
| Christ and now we work together. But that is beside | | | | your book and then come back and read a book on |
| the point. | | | | how to write. |
| Writing characters puts you in the role of creator and | | | | Just remember all your characters have to be human |
| as the author you have tremendous control on the | | | | and so you'll have to draw on people you know or |
| outcome of your characters. | | | | do research and you'll have to have topics that you |
| Number 3 Your characters are fun to meet. | | | | know to write about, but after that it's your hands |
| You may think it strange me saying this, but when | | | | that will hit the keyboard and make the characters |
| you begin to write, you might experience the same | | | | come to life. |
| as I as your characters come to life before your | | | | Number 8 You'll have a conversation starter. |
| eyes and start to speak and do things that you | | | | One thing that drops jaws I have found in casual |
| were not planning to write. This is when a character | | | | conversation is when I tell a person that I have |
| has began to take on a life of its own and from that | | | | written three novels and two screenplays. It must |
| point on, it's either you co-operate or else you are in | | | | only be about one in five hundred people or maybe |
| for some arguments. | | | | more that have written a novel. In all my time as a |
| Even villains can be fun to write no matter how evil | | | | writer, and that's who'll you'll be, a writer, I have only |
| they are. You'll be surprised how close to your own | | | | met one other person who has written a novel. |
| flesh evil lurks and you'll be shocked how your mind | | | | It's rare! |
| can turn dark as some bad character comes to the | | | | Writing and finishing your first novel will make you |
| surface. | | | | rare, different and interesting. Of course these are |
| Number 4 Writing gives you a rush of adrenaline. | | | | already your qualities but now your children and |
| If you are anything like me, spending a night and | | | | people you love will have a bit of you on paper when |
| finding 15 typed pages at the end of it and a chapter | | | | you pass on. |
| in a novel has appeared out of thin air, is a mighty | | | | So go on and write that novel. |
| rush. Sometimes on a weekend you might sit back | | | | The secret of writing a good character |
| and print out what you have written, read it and | | | | You may read a lot on how to write a good |
| then you're back to the keyboard typing out another | | | | character. The biggest tip I ever heard, the secret |
| chapter. The adrenaline of writing a novel can be | | | | that I found was that you should give your character |
| addictive and writing articles can be just as much fun. | | | | a past. When you decide on a 19 year old girl with |
| I love the God-like ability of creating something out | | | | dark hair to be your lead character' spend a week or |
| of nothing. Sitting with an empty screen and filling the | | | | so trying to work out key things that happened in |
| page up with type. There is nothing like creating and | | | | her life that made her into who she is now. |
| having others comment on what you have written. | | | | At 6 The boy she liked kissed her best friend |
| Number 5 You can do things you might never do in | | | | At 8 Her father died |
| person. | | | | At 10 A lesser man became her father |
| I have always wanted to write a play and to direct a | | | | At 12 Her favourite dog died and her mother said no |
| play and so I wrote a novel with the lead character | | | | more pets |
| being a playright and I had him direct plays and his | | | | At 13 Her best friend got a horse but she was not |
| wife be the lead actress that starred in his plays. This | | | | allowed to have a horse and had to sit all day and |
| was a dream of mine. | | | | watch her friend ride hers. |
| In another novel I had a character jump off the | | | | That took me a few minutes to type, but already |
| Sydney Harbour Bridge to kill herself and this was my | | | | we have a young girl that is used to people she |
| chosen location for all the years I was suicidal. Having | | | | loves being taken away, the boy she loved, her |
| one of my characters do it put a smile on my face | | | | father and her dog. And she seems not to get what |
| as I shared in her joy. | | | | she wants. A new dog, a horse and a step-father |
| You can take your characters to the nicest fine | | | | not as good as her father. The time you spend with |
| dining restaurants and give them fine wines and | | | | all of your characters giving them a past before your |
| meals that cost hundreds of dollars. Your characters | | | | story, is invaluable to writing a good character and |
| can live out your fantasies and can bring all that joy | | | | you should not have to plow through ten books on |
| back to you. | | | | how to write good novels to find this secret out. |
| Number 6 You can re-visit great things in your life. | | | | Take the time to do this and your characters will be |
| The first time you made love could be a very | | | | well rounded. |
| precious event to you. You can bring your memory | | | | May God bless you. |
| back in a scene in your novel that only your partner | | | | Therefore go and write! |
| would recognize. You have always remembered that | | | | |