How to Write Your Dream Novel

By Harry Chong

What do you dream of? Do you dream of writing a novel one day, and having it published for all the world to see? Well, stop dreaming because you can do it. Believe in yourself! Believe that you can make that novel!

 

But you do want to make your novel good, don't you? Well, look no further, this book is for you. "How to Write Your Dream Novel" is one of the best books you'll find on writing. It will teach you how to skillfully write in only 54 lessons.

 

Though it is not a step-by-step guide, rather it is a book that shows you how to think like a professional writer, how to improve your storytelling skills, and what to avoid doing (or not doing). If you are dedicated, and passionate, "How to Write Your Dream Novel" will take your writing to the next level.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harry Chong
• Release date: Dec 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223111016

Book preview

LESSON 1: DON'T BE AFRAID

Don't be afraid. Easier said than done, but it's true. Many a would-be-writers are afraid of writing. They have fear, and anxiety. They shake when holding a pen.

The question is: Why? Well, writing is art. Writing is an expression of who you are, even if you don't think that it is. Writing is like revealing who you really are. It's like revealing your cold, naked, pasty-white body for the whole world to see. Some find that to be embarrassing.

But you should not be embarrassed. You should not be afraid of writing. Sure, people are judgmental about what they read (well, they're judgmental about anything really) but a person's opinion is not the end of the world.

There are so many different people in the world. What is good to one, may not be good to another. Quality is often highly subjective. Your message, what you want to say, does not need to be accepted by all.

You know what a niche audience is? You can do very well with a niche audience, i.e., a small audience. As a writer, you don't need to impress the whole world. You don't need to please everyone. You can try it, but you don't have to.

Does this put you at ease? Maybe it doesn't. Maybe you're still afraid of writing because you're afraid of making something bad. I'll be the first one to tell you that it's okay to be bad. You don't get good at anything overnight.

Writing something bad is not illegal, and is not a sin, so do not be afraid, do not be afraid of writing something bad. Every writer, including myself, has written something bad.

But I'll tell you something, even bad writing can be good. What do I mean by that? In all my years of reading amateur writing, I've always found something positive. Not one piece of writing (from someone actually trying) has been a total disaster.

Sure, some pieces as a whole were bad, but on further examination, there were gems in there because every writer has a strength even if it is a small strength.

It is the foolish writer who looks at something, and cannot find anything positive to say about it. So, when you think about writing, remember that you will make something good. Might not be the whole thing, but a part of it will be good.

So, the key to writing success is making not just a part of your writing good but rather the entire thing, or nearly the entire thing.

You know, when I was seventeen years old, I wrote a book. I wrote a novella that was a parody of Lord of the Rings. It didn't sell. It wasn't popular, but I wrote it for my friends, and they thought it was funny. That alone made it worth the effort. I had fun writing that. Some might look at my little, weird, Lord of the Rings parody, and call it stupid, but there was something good about that, and I have no regrets writing it.

Lord of the Rinks was the first book I wrote, and following that were many more. Truth is, there were varying degrees of success, but each book I made had a piece of me, and that you put a part of yourself down in words is a positive.

Even if only a small group of people, like your friends or family, enjoy the novel you wrote, you should hold your head up high. There's no shame in trying, and there should be no fear in it either.

Writing is the greatest art (in my opinion), and you should participate. You should be a part of it. Don't let the imagined negativity, and criticism stop you from doing what you want to do.

The world is full of naysayers, and Negative Nellys. Try to be a Positive Pete, and forget about them. Most of the time their opinions are as worthless as a dog turd. What has a naysayer ever achieved?

Perhaps they've avoided certain things, but they've never made anything great. Naysayers don't get statues made of them. They are not honored in our society. The people we honor are the ones who try, the ones who take a risk, and pursue their dream, or their dream novel.

So, don't fret, worry, cry, or fear the act of writing. I personally encourage you to write. You have something to say, and it is important because it is coming from you.

Take the time, and write. Sit down, and use pen, and paper, or a computer, or both, and put some words together. Let your literary flowers blossom. Do not let fear consume you.

You can write well. Sure, it takes practice, and you need to write, and read a lot, but it is a possibility. You have to believe in yourself.

To quote the ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

And won't you take that single step? Your journey begins now!

LESSON 2: READ, READ, READ

All the great writers you know of read a lot, and they have been persuaded, shaped, and moulded by other writers. This even applies to Shakespeare. Did you know that Shakespeare was influenced by Aesop? But who was Aesop influenced by? I don't know, but whoever it was did a pretty good job.

The point I'm trying to make is that you need to read. You need to read plenty. Two novels a week, that's not crazy. You don't have to but the more the better, in my opinion. If you can't afford to buy books, then borrow them. Your local library is a treasure trove, and these days you can borrow books online.

Speaking of online, you can also download public domain books totally for free, and there you should begin. You don't know what to read? Try the classics. Get a list of the best classic books, and choose a dozen that look interesting to you (and then read them).

I'm not saying you have to read Moby-Dick or The Count of Monte Crisco, or Les Misérables but you should think about it. Try reading the challenging books with depth.

(By the way, I know the book is The Count of Monte Cristo but I accidentally wrote Crisco and decided to leave it in there because LOL.)

Anyway, I also recommend reading books by Ernest Hemingway. Not gonna lie, I think he's a little overrated, but still his writing is good, and clean. I'm not saying that you must copy him, but that you need to read his books to see what a book with no fat looks like.

His writing is lean, and economical, and only uses words that are necessary. He is like the Steven Spielberg of writing. He was at the top of the game when he was alive.

Oh, and I really advise that you don't try living like Hemingway. You don't need to be an alcoholic to write well, and you certainly don't need any (street) drugs.

Stephen King himself has said that. Drugs don't support your writing. They don't make you productive. They are a distraction at best, and a death sentence at worst. Stay away from the booze, and illegal drugs, and sorry for trying to be your mother.

But I'll stick to my opinions. I don't drink, and I've never done any street drugs. I always try to stay clean, and do the right thing, although I do like sugary treats. (I'm only human!)

Anyway, where to start with Hemingway? When I was a teenager I read A Farewell to Arms which I thought was good but it didn't blow my mind. Actually, a lot of his books are good, but they're not going to blow your mind, which is why I said that he is a little overrated.

Actually, my favourite writer is George Orwell. He absolutely crushed it with 1984, and Animal Farm.  But I have to tell you something, technically, Hemingway is a better writer than Orwell.

Yet Orwell is the greater writer, and why is that? Well, first, his name is an adjective. Second, he was far more creative, and had powerful messages to tell the world.

See, you don't need to write perfectly to write well. No, you can make errors, and still enthrall, or move the masses. Orwell is a good example of a writer that wasn't perfect yet told the perfect story.

But how would you know this if you didn't read his books? Of course, if you don't read, you don't know. You're ignorant. Reading is a must if you want to be a (good) writer.

Luckily for you, Orwell's book 1984 is now officially in the public domain. You don't have to even get off your seat to read it. It's available online totally for free.

So, read all of Orwell's books! You'd be a fool not to. You'd be a fool to avoid reading plenty, too. Read, please read! If you want to write your dream novel, you have to read.

You might be sitting there, and saying: I read, stupid! I read a lot! Stop nagging me! You oaf!

Listen, perhaps non-readers are in the minority, but there are surprisingly a significant amount of people that want to write books, and not read. So, I'm talking to them right now. Writing, and not reading, friends, that sounds absolutely insane to me.

How can you write well, and not read? It is impossible (or nearly impossible) to write well without reading.

Do you think artists don't study other people's art? Do you think musicians don't listen to the music of other musicians? Do you think movie directors only listen to radio dramas?

Of course, of course, any artist will be familiar with their art. They will know the works of their peers, and others. An artist must take in the art of others. They must know what's out there.

As a writer, you must read what others have written. The more the merrier, the more the better. Stop making excuses for not reading enough. You don't have enough time to read? Then you don't have enough time to write. Writing is far more difficult than reading. Writing will take up more time than you imagine.

So, get reading. If your schedule is filled, remember, you can read almost anywhere. Read when you're in a waiting room. Read when you're standing in a line. Read when you're taking a poop. There's always time to read. Maybe not now, but later. There are many moments in which you can read. Put a book into your pocket, or an E-reader,