Hello again! Welcome to this week’s discussion thread, a place where you can virtually chat with fellow authors about a given topic.
This time around, we’d love to know if you have any burning questions about any aspect of writing. We’ll pick one question to answer in a future ‘Ask a literary consultant’ article for Writing Magazine (and we’ll post that article on our social media channels too).
Hello Editor - "Can I trust you to get behind what I want from my novel as a reading experience rather than prioritise the edit for the current popular book publishing environment?"
Question about POV. In the historical novel I plan to write, my two characters are very different: he is an ex-priest, an aristocrat and she is a peasant. I would love to oppose both POV on the same page, since they see the world so differently. How can I do this without head-hopping?
Is the first book I write bound to be my ‘learning book’ and not be publishable, as I was once told, despite serious work and editing? (Ie, you have to have failed novels in your drawer before the good one happens.)
Any tips on how a novelist can incorporate into a story, a statement about human rights, an environmental or social issue, without patronising the reader or seeming as if you are standing on a soap box?
I've spent a lot of time ( and money) for professional assistance to get the story structure and the genres down right before editing my current memoir. Do editors pay attention to plot and build or do they just check grammar and style? I'm always a bit confused what I'm paying for. Thank you.
In a children's novel, should you describe something in different ways throughout the story to avoid it sounding the same? (Example) Scenery, backdrop, painting.
Please can you advise me? The novel I’ve been working on for quite a while has two intertwined stories, connected through happenstance, with some passage of time between them. Will this format work? It seemed to but now I’m wondering whether to split the tales, creating two novels and giving myself flexibility to add depth and breadth to both.
I've always been slightly intimidated by hearing that 'real' writers are always at work every day. I am not. Inspiration comes in fits and starts. Should I be concerned?
I love writing novels and have two complete, However, is there any point in approaching an agent when I cannot write psychological novels...even though I have read many...as they seem to still be the main acceptable content?
Hello Editor - "Can I trust you to get behind what I want from my novel as a reading experience rather than prioritise the edit for the current popular book publishing environment?"
In a historical novel, if one of the characters who my protagonists meet is still alive, how do I get their permission to include them in my book?
Question about POV. In the historical novel I plan to write, my two characters are very different: he is an ex-priest, an aristocrat and she is a peasant. I would love to oppose both POV on the same page, since they see the world so differently. How can I do this without head-hopping?
What is the best way to create tension in a novel?
What would be you top three pieces of advice for planning the edit of a first draft?
Is the first book I write bound to be my ‘learning book’ and not be publishable, as I was once told, despite serious work and editing? (Ie, you have to have failed novels in your drawer before the good one happens.)
Can you employ two different POVs (for example, 1st and 3rd person) in novels aimed at children 9 - 12 years of age?
If you could only give a new writer three pieces of advice, what would they be?
Any tips on how a novelist can incorporate into a story, a statement about human rights, an environmental or social issue, without patronising the reader or seeming as if you are standing on a soap box?
I've spent a lot of time ( and money) for professional assistance to get the story structure and the genres down right before editing my current memoir. Do editors pay attention to plot and build or do they just check grammar and style? I'm always a bit confused what I'm paying for. Thank you.
In a children's novel, should you describe something in different ways throughout the story to avoid it sounding the same? (Example) Scenery, backdrop, painting.
Please can you advise me? The novel I’ve been working on for quite a while has two intertwined stories, connected through happenstance, with some passage of time between them. Will this format work? It seemed to but now I’m wondering whether to split the tales, creating two novels and giving myself flexibility to add depth and breadth to both.
How do editors detect plagiarism?
What advice would you give a failed 'panster' on how to settle on a proper premise and stakes? (There are so many options for a story... :) )
Can you explain the different types of editor/editing processes available, so that I ensure I choose the right one?
If you want to learn about becoming an editor, what one book and what course would you recommend
I've always been slightly intimidated by hearing that 'real' writers are always at work every day. I am not. Inspiration comes in fits and starts. Should I be concerned?
How do you choose a POV. And how do you stick to it?
Is it just a job, status position or a labor of passion, love for the literary world?
Are you looking for picture books about stammering or animal sounds?
I love writing novels and have two complete, However, is there any point in approaching an agent when I cannot write psychological novels...even though I have read many...as they seem to still be the main acceptable content?
Would you, as an editor or publisher, accept to read a self-published novel which is receiving four and five star ratings on Amazon and Goodreads?