Developing Your Manuscript
- Carmen Hendrix
- Nov 18, 2017
- 2 min read
When you are writing your first book, I am sure you have a lot of questions? How do you do it? What are the first steps? How many words should I write? While there is a lot that goes into writing your first novel, I will provide a few tips over the next few weeks, along with some examples, that will get you started. Be sure to let us know if this is helpful to you by sounding off below.
Step 1:
Decide what tense you want to write your novel in, and stick with it. If you start out writing in present tense, be mindful of it throughout your writing. For example, consider the selections below:
Past tense:
He wanted to walk into the room where he knew she'd be, but decided he no longer wanted to see her. She tortured him far too much for him to attempt to be in her presence again.
Present tense:
He wants to walk into the room because he knows she will be there. After much thought, he decides he no longer wants to see her. She tortures him far too much for him to attempt to be in her presence again.
Wrong:
He kisses me again and then picks me up, engulfing me in his warm embrace. "I've wanted to wrap myself inside of your thoughts since we first met," he said.
You don't want to confuse your readers. By being consistent, you keep your readers engaged. Here, you can see the difference in the writing. Can you determine what is wrong with the last selection? If he is kissing her and picking her up in that moment, then the statement will end in "he says." Keep this in mind as you write your manuscript because the verb tense tells the reader of your sentences when the action is taking place - in the past, the present or the future. You must be consistent, unless there is a reason to make a switch to a different tense.
Step 2: Pick a genre.
What type of book do you want to write? Young Adult? Children's books? Women's Fiction? Non-Fiction? Historical Fiction? The world is at your fingertips! Knowing your genre helps you figure out your audience while developing characters to whom your audience will connect.
Here are a few genres to explore as you decide what you'd like to like. It is not all encompassing:
Over the next few weeks, I will post more information to help you develop your manuscript. There are twelve steps in total and I can't wait to share them with you. Check back Wednesday for Part 2 of the Manuscript Development series!
carmLkisses to you,
Carmen Hendrix
Carmen L. Hendrix is author of the short-story collection "When Honeysuckles Fall" and the novel "Eight Moments." To read some of her short stories, and for booking information, head over to her blog at CarmenHendrix.com.
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