The
truth of the matter is a full length manuscript is nothing more than an
expanded short story. And a short story is a blown up account of
something that interested you over coffee, or in a pub, or a musing on
the way to work, a joke, an anecdote, a newspaper article, an idea of
what you might have done if you’d won the latest lottery (we’ve all been
there). The source is endless. But whatever it is you come up with, it
should have a beginning, middle and an ending. Obvious maybe, but having
a complete idea of what you want before putting pen to paper is
important.
The
Story: A writer formulates a tale from a basic idea and helps it grow;
no one sees every word, line, or chapter of their text in the preamble
of thought. At some point it might take on a life of its own where you
feel your hand is merely being guided, but that can’t happen until
you’ve made a start. Write your idea down in its simplest form. As I
said, it needs a beginning, middle and an ending. Beginning; Tom falls
for Mary and she likes him too. But Mary is seeing a boy called Harry.
Middle: Harry is a bully and Mary has been afraid to break up with him
for as long as she can remember. Tom is no hero but feels compelled to
be with Mary. Ending: Tom is forced to stand up to Harry. Things go
wrong; Harry gives Tom a good thrashing. But this gives Mary the
strength to dump Harry and go off into the sunset with Tom… Not a
blockbuster in the making, I’m sure, but you can see where I’m going.
Those few short sentences provide a skeleton to put flesh on. Now you
have your own idea written down, think about it before going further.
It’s better to rearrange the bare bones before you have to start pulling
flesh out the way to get at them.
Research:
Okay, the words flowed, your ideas were brilliant – but were they
accurate? Unless you’re writing something like Sci-fi or fantasy there
is a high probability that your narrative will incorporate real events –
make sure what you write is correct else the reader will lose belief in
your ability: try to use more than one source to verify your work.
Patience
equals quality: You finish your tale, great, you’re excited, the world
of readers must see it, and they must see it now. Nope! From my own
standing, you must complete at least 4 drafts – up to you, but that’s my
unwritten rule. Done it, good, but you’re not finished. The work should
be edited by a pro, and that even goes for the pro editor who writes;
it is too easy to overlook your own mistakes. You’ve got it back from
your editor – rewrite. Do not look at it and say they were wrong. They
might be, but their interpretation is how they understood your written
word, so if they didn’t get what you meant then you probably didn’t make
it clear. Accept the criticism, that’s what you paid for.
Finished:
Not yet, you’ve rewritten the book and you love it. It couldn’t be
better. So how come it isn’t finished? Well, it might be, but you’ve
just messed about with work that has been professionally edited and the
quality might have taken a dip. Pay out to have it copy-edited/proof
read. The few extra pennies you spend will be worth it.
Done it all? Great, you’re finished – good luck with the next steps.
Set
against the backdrop of Soviet, post-war Russia, Birth of an Assassin
follows the transformation of Jez Kornfeld from wide-eyed recruit to
avenging outlaw. Amidst a murky underworld of flesh-trafficking,
prostitution and institutionalized corruption, the elite Jewish soldier
is thrown into a world where nothing is what it seems, nobody can be
trusted, and everything can be violently torn from him.
Buy Now @ Amazon, B&N, Kobo & Waterstones
Genre - Thriller, Crime, Suspense
Rating – R
More details about the author
Website http://rik-stone.simdif.com
