Get Started Telling Your Stories By CAPT George Galdorisi, USN (Ret.)
Putting the Pieces Together
Over the last several writing columns, we have taken a deep dive into the basics of writing a novel, focusing on plot (things like the Log Line and Freytag Pyramid) and characterization (creating memorable characters your readers love to be with and don’t forget). In this column, we will put the pieces together and talk about other aspects of what makes a successful novel. First, a reminder as to: “Why Should We Write?” In his best-seller, The Undoing Project, Michael Lewis quoted Daniel Kahneman, who said this: “No one ever made a decision because of a number. They need a story.” We all need stories. That said, it takes courage to write. As the infamous Cardinal Armand Jean du Plesssis, Duke of Richelieu, said, "Give me six lines written by the most honorable of men, and I will find an excuse to hang him." While most aspiring writers aren’t fearful of being hanged, most do fear rejection. Think of it this way. You tell your family, friends and co-workers that you are working on a novel. Then, month after month, and even year after year, they ask, “When is your novel coming out?” It takes courage to say: “Never.” So let’s talk about how to avoid “never.” First, as you embark on writing 80,000 to 100,000 words to produce your novel, it’s worth remembering why many of us write. Here is how New York Times best-selling writer Dick Couch put it: “For me, I gotta write, and it’s the adventure of it that’s hooked me. As the writer, I can do it all. I get to be the National Security Advisor who recommends the action to the President who must commit the forces. I’m the senior officer who sends his men into action and who feels the pain if they don’t make it back. I’m the enemy and the defender; logistician and staff planner. But most of all, I’m a young man again, that fresh lieutenant who must lead his men into battle.” Rotor Review #154 Fall '21
Dick Couch has produced twenty-three books and he makes writing look easy. For most of us, it’s not that easy. At the risk of dampening anyone’s enthusiasm, you should approach writing as you approach your profession as a naval aviator (current or past) – it is work and you are only successful if you work hard. Here is how an article about Tom Clancy put it: “Mr. Clancy said none of his success came easily, and he would remind aspiring writers of that when he spoke to them. “I tell them you learn to write the same way you learn to play golf,” he once said. “You do it, and keep doing it until you get it right. A lot of people think something mystical happens to you, that maybe the muse kisses you on the ear. But writing isn’t divinely inspired — it’s hard work. With that by way of background, it is important to decide what kind of novel you are setting out to write. This is hugely important, but a step many people skip over in their urge to put words on paper. Make this decision to pick one of these two before you pick up your pen: • Literary Fiction: Literary fiction, also known as serious fiction, is a term principally used for fictional works that hold literary merit, that is to say, they are works that offer deliberate social commentary, political criticism, or focus on the individual to explore some part of the human condition. • Trade Fiction: Trade books are published for general readership, and usually are headed for bookstores and libraries. They are not rare books or textbooks for small, specialized or niche readerships. A trade book can be paperback or hardback. It can occupy a wide range of genres.
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